KnittingJones

Top Ten Reasons ...

2007-09-30T17:22:00.000-05:00

I have been absent from blogdom:

10. Work, work and more work.
9. See above.
8. Moving. One of Jack's friends asked to rent our converted barn, so we decided to move full-time into the new place. So, my previous thinking that I had oodles of time to pack and move at a leisurely pace was suddenly gone. The good news -- I found yarn I'd thought I'd lost! The bad -- I really need to stop buying yarn. Really. Will I? Nah.
7. Family stuff -- better now.
6. A semi-serious case of knitting slump. In spite of the embarassment of riches found during the move, I have gone through a few weeks of being less than enthusiastic about any project. I'm starting to move on, though, forcing myself to pick up the needles, as well as do other things I enjoy but have let go. Why is it when we're in a slump, the we stop doing things that make us feel good? So, here's what I will be starting: Lady of the Lake, in a warm rust color. That should get my knitting mojo flowing.
5. In-law visit. Think of the most stereotypical portrayl of a little old Southern lady, and that's my MIL, Frances. 87 years old, making biscuits in my kitchen. Threatening to make something called "sausage gravy". And freezing in the cold (72-74) temperatures.
4. A severely sprained ankle. Damn I never knew those could hurt so much or take so long to heal! I'm still going to physical therapy, and frustrated at the lack of progress.
3. It's hard to blog when you're sleeping.
2. It's hard to think of 10 reasons why you haven't blogged.
1. I was kidnapped by aliens who wanted to learn to knit. (okay, see #2)

Rest assured, I have still been reading pals' blogs, and hope you all are still with me. Hockey season starts in LESS THAN A WEEK, and I'm scooting over to the knitalong to stir up some trouble.

I'll post a progress photo of "Lady" tomorrow, promise!

Still moving ....

2007-09-01T07:37:00.000-05:00

It's gonna take forever. And now that we have a house big enough for me to have my "own" room (call me Virginia Woolf), I'm faced with the blessed dilemma of yarn storage issues.

Bookcases? Shelves? Wicker baskets?

Funds are an issue, so I'll welcome any suggestions for cheap and easy ideas. Hmmm. Cheap and easy .... if only Paris Hilton had a line of furniture!

Knitting has been slow -- too much legal work. I am making myself stay away from the office this long weekend, though. My very sanity hangs in the balance. Or at least that's what I'm telling the spouse.

One more moving update -- the Siamese is becoming even more co-dependent. I swear, she needs a 12 Step Group. Ever since the big move, she is attached to me like velcro. As I type, she is attempting to get on the keyboard. She won't leave the deck off the kitchen, and crouches, turning her head back and forth like she's at Wimbledon, looking for .. for ... what? Arghh. I hope this is just a phase.

*** message from Miss KItty ***
she has GOT to be kidding. uproot me from my known environment, move me out farther into the country. there are FROGS here. a cat of my stature should be on Park Avenue. on a velvet cushion. not in the sticks where a girl gets her paws dirty just stepping outside. quick -- send Fancy Feast!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation ...

2007-08-29T09:53:00.000-05:00

.... or why I've not been blogging!

When last we heard from the recently-50 year old knitter, she was about to embark on a journey to Cape Cod. Never having been to "The Cape", she was eagerly anticipating a relaxing week of sun and sand.

Here we see her celebrating two of Massachusett's treasures: Beer and Red Sox.

Lest you think the vacation was all frivolity, witness this hidden benefit of old age:

Who knew it was the 50 year anniversary of the replica of the Mayflower? And who knew us old folk would get in free! (Not that I saved a ton, just enough for a Sam after the tour, but hey ...)*I saw Pilgrims:

And chickens: And this guy! Not to be confused with this guy (Captain on the pleasure boat):

I must say, it's not so bad being 50 after all.

As this is a knitting blog, here's what I've been working on:
It's this pattern:

(sorry, forgot to turn it around!) I bought it at Adirondack Yarns in Lake Placid this February. It has cool green glass square buttons and is knitting up fairly quickly on size 11s. Believe me, I need instant gratification -- it's been so hot here, and for every day of vacation, it seems like TWO days of work piled up on my desk. I'm just now surfacing.

* Plimouth (yes it has an "i" not a "y" -- again, who knew????) is staffed by actors and actresses who stay in character if you talk to them. I asked, of course, about knitting and they told me -- gasp -- that knitting was for the lower classes, the poor and orphans! That they sent for their stockings from London, and they were too busy doing more important things than knit. How's that for Pilgrim's Progress?

It's My Birthday ...

2007-08-15T14:04:00.000-05:00

Okay, it was yesterday. 5-0. Today is, in the hobbit tradition, Second Birthday. I looked for an image on line of an old lady knitting, but liked this one better. *sigh*

The AARP invite is on my desk. No red hats though. How did this happen? *double sigh*

Yesterday, however, was a great day. The kids and I went to Ithaca, and even the boy went here with me, and we had dinner at the Moosewood Restaurant, a mecca for all vegetarians. And today, my lawyer pals suprised me at lunch, and hubby is taking me out for dinner. Not bad for a budding senior citizen!

Tomorrow, I'm off to Cape Cod for a few days, trying not to think about work. I'll be back on Monday, hopefully with photos not only of the vacation, but of the almost finished sweater I'm doing for oldest daughter.

... hobbling off ...

The Perils of Moving

2007-08-10T13:13:00.000-05:00

Here it is so far .......

3 suitcases. Full of yarn. And it's only the beginning.

The moral: You can't be in stash denial when you move. Face to face with with my own obsession.

A New Application for EZ's philosophy ... and more

2007-08-08T14:27:00.000-05:00

So until recently, as in maybe last year, I was the type of knitter who followed every pattern exactly and never ever wavered. Oh maybe regarding the choice of yarn, but not the way the sweater/garment was put together, or even any of the design elements. Then, I discovered the magic that is Elizabeth Zimmerman.

Boy did I feel cheated! Here I'd been knitting off and on since the age of 8 (more about age later), and hadn't evolved past the printed pattern instructions! I was a mere sheep among knitters, a knitting automaton, a drone with needles.

EZ changed all that for me, and I've tinkered, altered, and even designed my own! Remember Big Blue?

Then the other day it occurred to me -- why can't I do the same thing in other areas of my life? Not a risk taker by nature (Oh really? I can hear my sister say? My sister, otherwise known as the "Slot Machine Slut" by yours truly ...), I decided to apply EZ's plunge ahead-trust your instincts-be bold to ... cooking!

Faced with the never-ending question of what to have, I looked around the kitchen and saw: 1 bag of small red potatoes; 1 head of broccoli; and 1 Vidalia onion. In the refrigerator, I spied a good-sized chunk of sharp cheddar cheese and a stick of butter. Hmmmm. Applying EZ's EPS system (or a variation thereto), I determined that all of those ingredients went well together, so I ... boiled the potatoes, with skins on. Chopped them into chunks, and mixed in half a stick of butter and the chopped onion. Spread in a baking pan, topped with lightly steamed broccoli and grated cheese. Baked for 40 minutes. Hurray! (Sometimes, it's the small things...)

Do I have a photo? No. Do I even know where my camera is since we're in the process of moving between houses? No. Did I have to go to Target and buy new underwear because (a) I couldn't find a clean pair; and (b) No time to do laundry? Yes!

To top it all off, I'm turning 50 next week. The AARP invite came in the mail yesterday. How did those bastards find out? I'm torn between ripping it to shreds and glomming on to the discounts. *sigh*

And finally, thanks to all who sent concerns and good wishes regarding my family situation. Suffice it to say, I have a brother who has made some really unfortunate choices with devastating results. It's knocked me for a loop, and knocked me off my knitting mojo too. Funny, usually knitting is soothing, but when something like this happens, it's hard to even get through some days. But I'm back in the saddle, and working on a new project for Elizabeth, my oldest daughter, for her birthday.

Which, to tie this entry up into a neat package, is also tomorrow. Which also happens to be the birthday of .... EZ herself!

Karma.

Family Emergency

2007-07-22T07:28:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let you all know I'm out of town and in the midst of an emergency involving one of my siblings. Things are going as best as can be expected, and I'll be in touch later.

Finally Fotos!

2007-07-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

Here it is! The first official postings of the new digs. Jack's daughter bought us this sign for Christmas last year, and little did we know it would hang over this place. Cool, huh?

And here is the pond.
You can swim in it! It has a liner and filtration system. Lots of frogs on the edges and boy do they make a lot of noise at night. Nice, though.

And the plants are just amazing. This is right on the deck.

We had our first guests, too -- a nice twenty-ish couple from Ithaca and it worked out really well. Jack is in the process of changing the name of the website, or linking it or somesuch nonsense -- from http://www.ridersrest.com/ to Wanderlust Way, but he's losing what remains of his hair trying to figure it out. It seems like he's on the phone constantly with someone in some foreign country, but I'm sure it will eventually work out.

Needless to say, I'm running around like a rabbit trying to move things, get organized, clean ... you name it. Oh, yes. And practice law.

Knitting may be my only path to sanity right now. I made this in a day:

My first felted attempt.

And I'm working on a shawl with the SeaWool. The colors are a nice blend of blues and I love it.

And speaking of BLUE !!!! At long last, here she is.

I love this sweater. Of course, it's been in the nineties lately, so I haven't been wearing her. I'm tempted to turn up the office air conditioner to freezing just so I can put it on!

Well, I hope to get my life back to "normal" soon, or at least a new routine. Wait, what's that? The phone? The bird flu guy? argh......................

Manic Monday

2007-07-09T08:53:00.000-05:00

Still no photos. I have the cord, but the camera is ????? This is what happens when you move. We closed on the new place on Friday, and it was the closing from hell. First, the bank got the papers wrong. Had to re-fax, re-sign. Second, I violated one of the key rules of the Universe: Never buy a house from a crazy person. Seriously. There were no mortgage pay-off statements, and they didn't actually leave the property until quarter after midnight. I was insane. And it was a mess. Total, absolute, f8*&()&g mess.

I won't bore anyone with the details, but suffice it to say every cleaning muscle in my body is sore. And I have done absolutely no knitting. And I really need to!!!

So I haven't dropped off the blog-planet, and as soon as I find my camera, which has pictoures of Big Blue and the new place, they'll be posted.

In the meantime, send virtual beer.

Miserable Monday

2007-07-02T13:19:00.000-05:00

Why today sucks:

1. I left my camera at home and can't show a photo of Big Blue, finished in the nick of time, by my self-imposed "finish it within 2 months of starting" deadline.
2. I have bug bites all over my legs that make me scratch until I bleed.
3. Every crazy Respondent in the County has me as their law guardian. Just ask me about the guy with the secret "bird flu" shelter in his house. Go on, I dare ya.
4. My real estate closing is set for Friday but the bank "forgot" so my mortgage rate would have expired but for my frantic phone calls all morning.
5. I'm another day closer to the big 5-0 and feeling every hormonal inch of it.
6. I also have a bug bite inside my ear.
7. My favorite Sabre was traded to Twig's team. And Briere is gone too, to those Philly Goons. Where's my Stanley Cup?

... enough whining for now. Photo tomorrow. I promise. And I love it.

I'm the Wicked Witch of the West

2007-06-26T19:09:00.000-05:00

I'M MELTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

... and its too hot to knit. I hate global warming.

Walking the Plank

2007-06-25T10:26:00.000-05:00

That's me at the end, about to jump. It's been a hellish week, and there's more on the horizon. Custody hearings galore, struggling with the real estate closing (don't let anyone ever tell you that real estate law is "easier" or "less stressful" than family court), sweltering in the heat, feeling my age ....

So very little knitting has occurred. I am on the home stretch -- about two inches from the wrist -- of Big Blue, and if I finish it by the end of this week, it will have taken 2 months from start to finish. Not too bad, considering. And just in time for July -- when everyone needs a sweater!

The Rider's Rest closing may take place as earlier as this Friday. I can't wait to explore the place more thoroughly. We've already got some bookings for July and August, so I'm cautiously optimistic that being Innkeepers may work out well for us. Can't quite give up the law job, though ...

Well, that's all the news that's fit to print! Back to the courthouse ....

Rootin' Tootin' Toots!

2007-06-16T10:51:00.001-05:00

I first saw Toots and the Maytals over 25 years ago when I was in college. And he was fantastic -- bopping all over the stage, jumping, singing ... and I couldn't keep still. I can't keep still now either, but damn -- Toots is still amazing! He's 62, biceps to die for, and still has that funky reggae down.

Toots was at the Rochester International Jazz Festival last night at a free outdoor concert. So I figured, I'll go. I'll take the 16 year old son. It will be fun, I think.

Arghhhh! Wall to wall (if you can say that about an outdoor concert) (maybe tree to tree) people. Couldn't move. Couldn't see. And you know what? 25 years ago I wouldn't have cared! Instead, I inched slowly to the edge of the crowd so I could breathe. That, coupled with the mental energy directed my way by the boy (I could feel it like a hot breeze on the back of my neck --"Oh God. I hope my mother doesn't start dancing."), led to the realization that my concert-going days may be over.

*sigh*

The Perils of Knitting at Work

2007-06-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I finished the Fixation socks, and am happily wearing them on my bug-bitten feet today. There is, however, a down side.

I've been knitting them at lunch. No, it's not that I dribbled ketchup from my fries on the yarn, or dipped it in my soup. It's how wonderful they are.

Witnesseth:

Turquoise Fixation. Purchased as a result of a grown woman, a professional woman, President of the local bar association! Whining. Begging. Pleading for me to make her a pair of socks right away, before she goes on vacation to Cape Cod.

Well, don't tell anyone else, but I'm easy. And she is my law partner. And I'm secretly flattered that my knitting is coveted (is that a sin? "Thou shall not covet thy partner's knitting?" Did Moses knit? Do angels knit? All I can say is that there better be knitting in heaven or I'm not going. Not that I'm certain to be invited ....).

So that's my new portable project, as I still struggle with sleeve #2 on Big Blue. I have serious plans to plop myself in a chair on the deck this weekend and knit like a maniac.

In other news, the mortgage came through, so it looks like we're going to be Innkeepers. Check out http://www.ridersrest.com/ for our big ~~risk~~ opportunity. I've been calling Jack "Bob Newhart", but he says that means we'll have to have Larry, Larry and Darryl, so I'm not too sure about that! Anyway, I'm both excited and scared. But it will definitely be an adventure, and as long as I can knit, it'll be okay!

Field Trip!

2007-06-12T10:19:00.000-05:00

Here are six intrepid members of our kntting group, feasting on goodies and frozen margaritas after a trip through scenic NY for a visit to Finger Lakes Fibers, a wonderful yarn store in Watkins Glen.

Margaret, knitting the purple vest, (also known as "Roboknitter" for her speed) won the prize for most purchases. A confessed sockaholic, she scored an amazing amount of yarn, and as a result, got the first drink! Beth (front left) is going to add to her felted bag collection, and Peggy (front right) will be branching out from scarves to a shawl! The rest of us got an assortment of goodies, including some local Schaefer yarns. I did indulge in one of these in HOT PINK! Perfect for socks. A good time was had by all, and I can't wait to do it again.

I'm down to sleeve #2 on Big Blue, and she's too unwieldy to carry around. So it's relegated to the couch, when I'm feeling my Irish roots and acting like a potato.

Okay, so the answer to "What is it?" is this: A travel chopstick holder. No kidding. The chopsticks come apart, and fit in this case that you can take with you. Now, I ask you, wouldn't that be just the thing for double pointed needles?

I'm Fixated

2007-06-08T12:05:00.000-05:00

Yep -- it's Cascade Fixation in wild and wacky colors. I love these little stretchy socks! Here's another view:

Not to vent (okay, I am venting), but I had a particularly nasty custody case this morning, that was supposed to go to trial, but one of the parties mistakenly thought it had been adjourned. Right. So, the morning was spent in between (I'm law guardian for a 4 year old) two bellowing lawyers who were throwing accusations back and forth like firecrackers. The Judge, an elderly gentleman who is nothing but courtly (pun intended!), said he didn't mind if I knit to stay calm, so I did! Finished the sock! But the trial resumes next week.

And here, for your viewing enjoyment, are photos of two shawls I knit last year from Kid-n-Ewe, a discontinued yarn by Bryspun (50% wool-50% kid mohair). I am an absolute 'ho for this yarn, and someone on the yahoo knit digest group has an entire cone! She wanted to see how it knit up, so here we go:

It's perfect for shawls, and I have plans to make a cardigan with the kelly green skeins I bought on e-bay a few months ago.

And finally, a "what is it" photo:

or .... what could it be used for? Answer to be revealed!

Big Blue in Progress

2007-06-02T08:25:00.001-05:00

Here she is without arms! The Venus de Milo of sweaters ....
and with the greatly appreciated help of Twig, knitting maven extraordinaire, I have picked up stitches around the armholes and am knitting down for the sleeves. So far so good ...

and it's the only thing keeping me sane since the husband and I have made some huge decisions in the last week. To make a long story short, we've put an offer in on a house with guest lodging, a sort of "B & B", without the breakfast. It's a nice piece of property with 4 ponds (one has an otter that visits!), beautiful gardens, a hot tub, redwood sauna, a main house with 3 bedrooms and a real kitchen! (those of you who know I live in a barn can appreciate that fact).

And as Jack has fully retired, this is just what we need. He'll run the business, we'll meet some interesting people, and have a neat place to live. Of course, I'm already planning to market the place for knitting retreats .... and Finger Lakes winery tours!

So I definitely need my knitting more now than ever. Big Blue should be done by sundown :)

I'm Hot and Cranky ...

2007-05-30T13:53:00.001-05:00

and I have summer cold. Can I blame it on the Chinese?

ps It's hard to knit when you're sneezing.

Chinese toothpaste?

2007-05-26T07:27:00.000-05:00

Forgive the non-knitting content, but this story caught my eye this morning on Yahoo. Maybe my paranoia is normal ....

Makes me want to live in the woods and knit directly from wild sheep.

Eye Candy from the Garden

2007-05-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

Meet Miss Bleeding Heart:
Not that we have anything in common, mind you (oops, my liberal genes are showing). But I love this plant. My mom was a wonderful gardener, and I didn't really appreciate that about her until after she was gone. We had tulips, daffodils, morning glorys, four o'clocks, lilies of the valley, hollyhocks, roses ... Not in a particularly organized garden, but however she felt like planting them. And, bleeding hearts. They don't last long, but they're beautiful. So these are for mom.

And this, is a trillium. It is illegal to pick trillium in New York State. They grow like crazy on my hillside, so we've replanted a few closer to the barn. This one is next to the bleeding heart and I think they're friends.

Still knitting on Big Blue ... but tonight is Sip-n-Stitch, so I might not get too much done between rounds of Harp!

Big Blue

2007-05-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

Yep -- here it is. The Cotlin yarn from Knitpicks in Nightfall, in progress. I've jumped without a net, and am trying to design a drop-shoulder sweater using Ann Budd's wonderful book, along with hints and advice from EZ herself, in Knitting Workshop. I'm tense. But loving it.

This is a close-up of the yoke, and I actually made up the design, on graph paper. What am I, nuts?

And, a long shot:
I'm about to shape for the neck, then pick up and knit the sleeves downward. I'm hoping the emminent Twig will give me some tips, as I remember she did the same on a sweater a few months ago.

I'm forcing myself to finish this, in spite of the calls from the stash to knit a tank top, and I do love the drape and feel.

And now for something completely different -- in the continuing saga of my anti-China/foreign purchases, the spouse wants to buy a pair of "hybrid" shoes for summer -- kind of a cross between sandals, water shoes, and sneakers. Last year, before my epiphany, I went to a local shoe store, and bought these, which I love. So I go on the web site. I look at the shoes. No indication of where they are made. So I sent the company an email. And this is what I got in response:
Susan,

Thank you for contacting Keen Footwear! We applaud your interest in supporting products made under good environmental and working conditions. Keen Footwear is manufactured in privately owned and operated factories in China. Our US based product development team is in constant contact with the factories, and visits them regularly to ensure that they fully adhere to our labor and environmental standards.

Keen takes an active interest in both the economical and physical well-being of the communities where our shoes are produced, in addition to strict adherence to the international fair labor standards.
If you are interested in a copy of our labor standard, please let us know!

Thank you again for taking the time to write to us. Have a great day!Sincerely,
Nina

Do I believe them? Does it matter? There's still the cost of shipping products from China. There's still the issue of my dollars supporting other countries. I'm probably being a bit obsessive, but hockey season is over, and I have to get my release somehow!

Two Scary Things

2007-05-17T10:55:00.000-05:00

This is a mosaic floor I saw at a museum in St. Augustine, Florida. Why did I take a photo, you ask? Because I thought it would make a cool knitting pattern for the edges of a cardigan, that's all. I fear I am truly obsessed.

And here's what's even scarier:

My 16 year old son has his driver's permit. Watch out New York drivers! Actually, he's doing pretty well, but I'm still a nervous mom. How did he get so old? How did I get so old?

The Yuan Stops Here

2007-05-14T17:13:00.000-05:00

Look carefully. That is the yuan, an example of Chinese currency.

And now look at this: The U.S. Dollar. I wish I could show a magic trick where the dollar turns into the yuan, but all I have to do is look at the labels on my clothes, my electronic equipment, and my pet food.

I started thinking about the yuan after the pet food recalls. Never in a million years could I have imagined that an ingredient in Alice and Miss Kitty's food would come from China. Now, most of the time, I put a mental wall up against "the news". I listen to NPR on the way to the office, to keep myself "informed", but I usually don't allow any feelings to seep through, because, I tell myself, I am virtually powerless to change global issues. (snickers from my friends who remember my early activist days are allowed).

But then I started listening, and thinking. China's economy is booming. China's government does not have the safeguards in place to protect our environment, let alone the health and safety of consumers of products made in that country. Then add the fuel that it takes to ship pet food from China, or clothing, or toys, and the impact is appalling.

I kept thinking, what can I do? One person, in a small town in Central New York. Write my Congress representatives? Maybe. The President? (hah!) So I did nothing.

Then, the other day I was changing my clothes at the office, before going to the Y. Here's what I discovered: My skirt was made in China, my blouse in Swaziland, my bra in the Dominican Republic, and my panties in Bangladesh. And I didn't even buy any of them at Wal-Mart.

So here's what I decided: No more. I am not powerless. I have the power of the American Dollar. I will not buy any items made in China again, nor any made outside of the United States. Even if it means that I have to knit my own underwear, or (gasp) go without ala Brittany Spears.

I'm serious. And it's not going to be easy. Just try to find a small appliance made in the U.S. Or a pair of sneakers. In the past, I've ordered items from the Sierra Trading Post catalogue, and LL Bean. Guess where over 90% of those items are made? You got it -- Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, China. Our dollars supporting other countries who are taking our money , killing our pets, and poisoning our environment. No more.

I wonder what would happen if, just for one day, no one in America bought anything foreign made. Do you think the politicians would notice?

Florida Fun!

2007-05-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

This is what I left -- sand, sea, and sunshine. Sigh. Not that it's not sunny here today, but there's something about the ocean that I adore, even though I can't swim a stroke.

There was knitting, however. Skeins of it! Here's me in Threads of Time, Ormond Beach, Florida. A great store! And great finds.

Here's what I bought:

To make this:

The yarn is a blend of cotton and silk, and feels delicious. I had to start it, even without my swift and winder. I also bought enough Rowan Cashcotton to make a cardigan -- on sale for 50% off! The color is wonderful -- a nice purple and it feels so soft.

And there was even historical knitting!

This was in the Lightner Museum, in St. Augustine. A rich dude's private collection. I tried to fit it in my purse, but my friends thought we'd get caught and since we don't practice law in Florida ... well, she's still there, being adorable. I love the bare feet!

Finally, here's the pullover I'm knitting from Knitpicks Cotlin.

I made up the border pattern, and am either going to make it a raglan or a drop-shoulder, trying the EZ Percentage System. I love the color, and the yarn is DK weight, so I don't think it will be too heavy.

And now for something completely different, but not unexpected: GO SABRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Report from Down South

2007-05-02T15:23:00.000-05:00

Stupid moi forgot the camera/computer cord. So you'll have to be satisfied with word pictures.

1. Blue skies. Big yellow ball in the sky. Could it be??? Yes!!! The sun! Something we haven't seen for a long time in Western NY. I love it.

2. Waves. Sand. Dolphins!

3. Yarn!!!!!!!!! Threads of Time. Purchases of good stuff, photos to follow. Some, on sale!

4. Flight from hell. I sat next to a woman who need two seats, really. That was ok, but when she decided to change the diapers of her two toddlers, sitting across from us with an older sister, in the aisle, and stash the poopie one in a bag underneath her seat, I almost became a homicidal maniac.

5. Landshark Lager. With a lime.

6. Sabres fans at the Oyster Bar in Daytona! Yes Twig, there were a few Rangers fans there also (grrr). Good food. Mor Landshark Lager.

7. St. Augustine -- cool buildings, great Cuban food, banana-chocolate-graham cracker ice cream.

8. And the best part -- 2 more days!!!!!!!!!

Good News/Bad News

2007-04-24T19:25:00.000-05:00

The Good: I leave on Friday for 7 days in Florida, on the ocean, with a gal lawyer pal. On the agenda -- novels, knitting and drinks with umbrellas. That's it.

The Bad: Every single client I have is having a crisis that must be resolved before I leave. Or so they think. I feel like the Rangers' Goalie will during the next round of the play-offs when fielding the hundreds of pucks that will be shot his way by Buffalo. None of which will be going in the net, of course!

Has anyone ever knit on the beach? I'm thinking socks will be good -- not too heavy on the lap, I can shake out the sand. And besides, I can always use one of the drink umbrella sticks if I lose a dpn. And the cotton-linen sweater for inside, when the sun gets too hot.

Here's hoping for good weather, and a sports bar nearby to watch the playoffs!

PS For those who are wondering why all the fuss about hockey, check out the Hockey Knitters Knitalong for others like me!

Swatch me!

2007-04-21T08:13:00.000-05:00

It's Knitpicks Cotlin, in Nightfall. I picked a stitch pattern from the 365 Day Stitch Calendar, and I'm going to try to do a sweater ala EZ. I'm getting 5 stitches to the inch on size 8's, so it's off to the calculator to figure out the specs. I love the drape of the yarn, and it's not too heavy. I did "wash" it and let it dry, and it softens up very nicely.

So my question is this -- if I knit this pattern in the round, do I use the same ratio? By that I mean, it's an 8 stitch repeat, plus 6. So if I cast on 190 stitches -- does that work out? Or do you make it plus 5 because there won't be a seam stitch?

I've tried to look this up in various books, but can't seem to figure out the answer. Help would be greatly appreciated!

Baby News!

2007-04-17T10:27:00.000-05:00

Baby Sarah has arrived, yesterday at 2 pm. All's well with Mom and baby, and I can't wait to see her.

No knitting news -- I've been too busy digging up the coffee cans in the back yard to find enough money to pay my taxes. Arghhhhhh. I'm one of those last minute filers who stays in denial until the end.

But the Quest for the Cup continues with my team up 2-1 in the first series. I have to keep reminding myself -- one puck at a time, one puck at a time.

It's April 16th?

2007-04-16T06:03:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here in my flannel pjs, looking at the juncos shivering at the bird feeder on the deck. There is at least 6 inches of snow, and more is falling. The wind is whipping, schools in Canandaigua are closed, and I'm wondering if I should even try to make it to work.

I hate these driving decisions. If I don't go, I'll feel like a wimp. And I have a custody trial scheduled to start at 9, and the odds are the Respondent/Mom won't make it in from Oswego (really getting hit by the storm), but I'm the Law Guardian for my 5 year old client, so I'll probably inch my way into the City.

Why can't we just declare it a "Stay At Home Knitting Day" once and for all? Hey -- maybe that should be a national holiday anyway? Or, yeah, let's make that everyday?

I think I'm snow-blind.

Baby Sarah's Sweater and Hat

2007-04-11T06:19:00.000-05:00

As I may have mentioned before, a lawyer pal of mine is having a girl baby next week. Her C-Section is scheduled for Monday, and I can't believe I finished the sweater and hat even before the baby arrived! (There is a still unfinished "bee sweater" - yellow and black stripes, with bee buttons -- somewhere in the depths of my stash, originally planned for Ethan, now about to turn 3). Here are the specs:

Yarn: Cascade Superwash 22o.

Needles: Size 5 for the borders, size 7 for the body.

Size: 12 months, or so.

Pattern: Made it up. Yep, my first solo flight. I relied on both the EZ percentage system, and her notes for raglans in Knitting Around, and The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, by Ann Budd, both of which have the status on my shelf of The Bible.

I decided on seed stitch for the borders, and made up the little purl pattern on the body, randomly deciding to repeat it every 6 stitches, and stagger it every 6 rows. It's simple: p1 on the first row, p3 on the second, p1 on the third. Makes a nice little diamond "bump" that kind of looks like 3D polka dots. Here's a close- up:

Comments: As usual, I hate the neck. That's where I goofed. I tried to make a modified vee neck, and didn't do the decreases right, plus I think I left too many stitches on the back. But it's my first try, and babies have fat necks, right? (thinking of my chubsters with neck rolls and thighs that made you want to pinch them).

I'm delivering it to the Mom today, on the condition that I get a photo of Sarah wearing it, plus unlimited holding privileges, of course!

What Is It?

2007-04-10T05:31:00.000-05:00

Okay, knitters, help me out here. A friend's mother-in-law passed away last year, and she was a knitter. A Latvian born knitter. Janet found this in her MIL's things, and gave it to me.

I think it has something to do with spinning, not knitting, but I'm not sure what. Does it get attached to a wheel? Should I let the cats play with it? Or just use it to hold down the flurry of papers on my desk?

In hockey news ... Thursday is the big night for my team. Game 1 against the Islanders. Go Sabres!

Frog City

2007-04-07T04:24:00.000-05:00

I have declared today "National Frog Day." Having left my Wool Peddler's Shawl at the office, by accident, mind you, I am faced with devising a Plan B for knitting over Easter Weekend. (There is no way I'm going into work this weekend, no way, no how, even for my favorite knitting project de jour).

So I've decided to take the plunge into Kermit's Pond and do this:
Exhibit A: Is (make that was) the Family Tunic from Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick, designed by Debbie Bliss. Don't get me wrong, I love this pattern. I love the yarn -- Karabella Marble from School Products - a 50/50 alpaca wool blend. The problem lies in the seed stitch.
The body of the sweater -- actually, all of the sweater except the yoke -- is in k1 p1 seed stitch, on size 7 needles. By the time I finished the front, my fingers were ready to fall off the end of my hands. All that shifting the yarn from front to back. So I let it sit. And sit. And sit.

For 2 years.

Exhibit B:
A cardigan, sized XS, started by TwinB over three years ago, when she was about as big as a toothpick. Now, I'm happy to say, she's taller and, although still slender, not an XS. The yarn is one of my favorites, Kid-n-Ewe by Bryspun, discontinued (sigh), but still bought up by me anytime I find it on ebay.

So all this ripping has led me to formulate a Personal Knitting Rule (hereinafter "PKR").

"If it's on the needles for more than 6 months, rip rip rip."

Believe me, it's not easy. The Family Tunic was hard to let go of. But it was also sending out those invisible waves of knitting guilt -- You should be working on me -- everytime I saw it. So I finally came to my senses and decided to return the yarn to a guilt free state, and am contemplating a new pattern (without the dreaded seed stitch) for it.

Off to get the winder!

PS (said softly as not to offend other hockey knitters, "Go Sabres!")

My Week So Far

2007-04-05T14:02:00.000-05:00

... more court appearances than humans should be allowed to have.

... Judges who think, "I'll encourage these folks to settle, I'll schedule a trial for ALL DAY ON GOOD FRIDAY. That'll show them." (not the lawyers, of course. no)

... a punk-ass lawyer from the big city to the North threatening me with sanctions because my clients won't agree to visitation with his psycho-abusive clients, who have been formally declared psycho-abusive by a court appointed psychologist.

.. clients who cry in open court, cursing the system for mistakes they've made and for which they take no responsibility.

... clients cursing at me because I cannot get them out of their aforesaid mistakes.

... Judges who think, "I'll encourage these folks to settle, I'll schedule their cases for 9 A.M. THE MONDAY AFTER EASTER." (repeat above comment)

... a disgruntled ex-husband of a client threatening my partner in our parking lot, causing the police to be called.

The only positives I can think of are that my hockey boys won the top slot in the Eastern Conference (now if only Dominik Hasek pulls a groin muscle like he did when he was in Buffalo, we might win the League),

and, I'm successfully into the lace repeats on the Wool Peddler's Shawl.

Is it time for chocolate yet?

Why I Like Knitting Lace

2007-04-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

even though it's frustrating. This is the Wool Peddler Shawl, in probress. I just got to the lace part, and it's driving me crazy. I certainly can't do it while watching hockey, or talking, or almost anything else.

So why do I do it? The same reason I climb mountains in the winter. When I'm trying to make it to the top of one of the Adirondack peaks in, say, mid-January, all I am thinking of for six hours is where to put my feet, and trying not to fall. One foot in front of the other. And when I'm done, hair plastered to my head, legs and feet aching, dying for a Sam Adams draft, I really feel like I've accomplished something. And ... I'm relaxed! One day of mountain hiking is like three days away.

Knitting lace is kind of like that. All I can do is follow the pattern, count, sometimes say it out loud, and I absolutely can't multi-task. No phone calls, no t.v., no chatting. It's a nice breather. I don't know if it's the job, our culture or my personality, but I'm always trying to do at least two things at once. Eat breakfast, read the paper. Talk on the phone, cruise the internet. Talk on the phone, drive. It doesn't seem that there's enough hours in the day to get everything done, but maybe it's just that I expect too much of myself (okay, and my clients and the courts) and keep taking on more and more.

So lace is slower. Prettier. And maybe some of that philosophy will rub off each time I wear the shawl.

My, I'm philosophical!

In the meantime, here's the Koigu sock in progress. I do love this yarn; Jessica was right! I like the "twistyness" of the ply, and the colors are fantastic. Lizzie wanted ankle socks, but I bought two skeins anyway, so there might be enough for me to have a pair too!

Well it's off to my Sunday knitting clan --- and I won't be bringing the lace!

Yarn from Philly

2007-03-29T06:43:00.000-05:00

Of course, I couldn't visit a new city without going to at least one yarn store. It's Rosie's Yarn Cellar, and it was very nice. Lots and lots of yarn, a friendly salesclerk (who even called to find out if a lunch place was open for us two vegetarians), but a bit small. I took the plunge and bought this:

My first foray into Koigu. It's going to be socks for oldest daughter, who picked out the colorway. I've read so much on blogs about this yarn, and have wanted to try it out. The label says 7 sts to the inch on size 3 needles, so that's how I'll start out.

I also bought some boring ring markers, for the Wool Peddler's Shawl (I'm up to the lace), and some reinforcement yarn for socks. They had a wonderful selection of buttons and some lovely shawl pins, but as I blew my budget at the Tut Exhibit, I ignored them. *sigh*

Well it's off to fight for truth, justice and the Family Court way today. Thursdays are intake days, and I have 5 cases on this morning, 2 in the afternoon. Usually the sort of day I call home and say, "pour the wine, I'm approaching the driveway."

ps Sabres beat the Devils last night, but by the skin of their (mostly non-existent) teeth. I, for one, am ready for the play-offs.

Tut Mania!

2007-03-25T15:25:00.000-05:00

What an exhibit! What fun! I loved every part of the exhibit -- especially when our "VIP" tickets (part of the hotel package) got us past the loooooong line of timed ticket holders and into the private lounge, then right into the first gallery. It was very well done, with a few rooms of artifacts from Tut's parents and grandparents, then those from the tomb itself.

It was amazing to see in real life what I've seen photos of in so many Egyptology books and magazines -- the crown, the dagger found on his mummy, a coffinette made of gold that contained his liver ... and lots lots more, including wonderful jewelry. Hard to believe, but I resisted buying a $5000 replica of the chest pectoral with a jeweled scarab in the center ... but I also resisted the Tut bobblehead, which, when my daughter saw that, she said ..."He gave his life, for bobbleheads."

Well, we're off to have more Philadelphia fun ... including yarn store visits! More later.

What I Have Learned ...

2007-03-22T11:25:00.000-05:00

or observed, I should say, in the 8 days that I've been spouse-less.

1. The house stays cleaner. Big surprise, eh? Maybe it's that I feel less inclined to put my "stuff" away when his is laying around, or because he's generally working at home all day, and I'm not there to add to the clutter. Or -- because he's messier than me. Let's face. That's why I've really concluded!

2. I liked the peace and quiet for the first feew days. Then, not so much. When I started talking to the birds at the feeder, I knew I'd gone to far.

3. I don't drink coffee if Jack doesn't make it. What's that about? I'll just make tea instead.

4. Even though I'm alone, I stay on my side of the bed. And I leave his pillow alone. When we're together -- it's a different story. I steal the covers and his pillow.

5. The dog misses him. Not that she doesn't love it that I'm the one taking her for walks, or giving her treats, she's been mopey the last few days.

6. The cats couldn't care less. Big surprise there too, eh?

7. I don't cook. Dinners have been popcorn, peanut butter on crackers and cereal. I usually eat lunch out, and that's a decent meal. Or so I justify. So if he's messy, maybe I'm lazy!

8. It's not as much fun watching the Sabres on television if he's not there to see me yell at the screen. Besides, it scares Alice the dog when, out of total silence, I leap to my feet and whoop.

So he comes back Saturday afternoon, and I'll be gone, so he'll have a few days alone. I wonder if he'll have any of the same observations about me ....

Anyway, this is a long-planned weekend away with my oldest daughter, in Philadelphia to see the King Tut exhibit. I can't wait -- I've never been to that city, have already "googled" for yarn stores, and am looking forward to a 3 day respite from what seems like a flood of cranky clients. It also gives me a chance to stand before the exhibit and say .....

He gave his life, for tourism!!!
(credit to Steve Martin)

Wool Peddler Shawl and more!

2007-03-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here it is -- The Wool Peddler Shawl in progress. I'm not sure the color came out right -- it's a dark red that I simply love, and a bit brighter than shown here. My only problem so far is that I tried to "spit splice" (say that 5 times fast) when joining a new skein, and it must be that my spit isn't sticky enough, because it came undone. I've carefully tied the ends into a square knot, and will try to split the strand and weave the plys in with a needle.

Almost done is what I'm calling Baby Sarah's sweater. My friend is due in mid-April, and she's already named the bambino. She picked the colors and I made up the design.

And, in honor of the first day of Spring, here is Elvis, trying to get the birds feeding on the deck.

Dream on, feline!

Why ....

2007-03-20T09:08:00.000-05:00

... do cats always use the litterbox after you clean it?

(thanks to my little buddy Amanda for posing with Miss Kitty)

I'll Live ...

2007-03-18T15:59:00.000-05:00

Finally, I'm feeling somewhat normal. I guess it took a few days for the antibiotics to kick in, but man o man, was this a nasty bug. I absolutely hate not having any energy. Today, I actually took a walk with Alice. Black dog, white snow. It was a picture.

Speaking of pictures, I left my camera at the office, so I can't show you the wonderful yarn a friend of mine brought me back from Peru! She took an empty suitcase, and promised several fellow knitters to bring back goodies. I got 10 skeins of a dark red baby alpaca, DK weight. I love it and immediately brought out Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle and turned to the "Wool Peddler's Shawl", and cast on. It's just the thing for when you're couch-bound. I'm still on the rows of garter stitch (with increases) and it's knitting up fast (size 8s -- KP Options). I'll bring it to work tomorrow, and post my progress.

I'm also in day 3 of spouse-less living. It's the annual go to South Carolina with a bunch of buddies and hunt wild boar week for Jack. He's also tacking on a few days to spend with his mother in Florida, so it's part-ee time for me and the pets! Big doin's -- popcorn for dinner, cats on the couch all the time, lots of knitting ... but I do miss the man.*

So it's back to the grind tomorrow, and I'm trying not to think about how much last week's sick time has set me back. One phone message at a time ...

* I had to share this story about the man. In the flurry of activity involved in getting ready for his trip, he was, of course, washing all his clothes in scent-free detergent, and packing all the special scent-block gear. As a joke, he said, "Why don't they make scent-block underwear?" I bit my tongue, thinking of all the possible uses (it's never wise to joke with a man packing camo-gear). So, they arrive in South Carolina, and head for the nearest Wal-Mart. Why, you ask? To see if they have any hunting gear not at the Wal-Mart up here. You guessed it -- scent-block underwear. And of course, he bought a pair. My comment (now that I'm safely out of range) was, "Well, now you boys can fart in the woods with wild abandon!" Can you believe it? I'm still laughing, and thinking of all the people and places that could benefit from these. Who knew?

Betrayed a Second Time

2007-03-14T09:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, the virus morphed into a sinus/ear/chest infection. Complete with colorful snot. I know, TMI, but true.

I finally dragged myself to the doctor's and am on Day 2 of antibiotics. She also told me to take a few days off from work, but the boss (meaning me) won't let me. Too many court appearances; to many hassles to get adjournments.

I've been knitting on my friend's baby sweater and it's coming along. Picture next post, I promise!

... drowning in Kleenexes ....

I Have Arrived!

2007-03-08T15:22:00.000-05:00

My own parking space. How cool is that?

Boogie Time!

2007-03-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's the Boogie vest from knitty.com.

Here's how it looks on:

I blocked it, but need to press out the armholes a bit. As I altered the pattern by adding ribbing on the neck and armholes, I probably should have made the shoulders narrower, but it doesn't bug me enough to frog.

Close up of neck and cool cabling:

Yarn: Purchased in Ireland in 2005, with no labels whatsoever. It was a quite a feat to find wool there, in spite of the thousands of sheep I saw grazing. I found this in a clothing store, by asking the salesclerk if she knew where I could buy some wool (when I said "yarn", she had no clue). She dug around in the back and came up with two hanks of this -- charcoal/brown, a tad scratchy, and heavy worsted weight. It knit up at 4 sts to 1" on size 10s.

Pattern: Boogie Vest, knitty archives.

Modifications: Ribbing on neck and armholes; knit on circulars in the round until armhole length -- then back and forth. For the first time I used EZ's "phoney seams" -- dropping a stitch down to the ribbing, gooking up 2 of every 3 stitches. I like it -- not just they way it looks, but it helps the vest fold.

Finishing: Because of the scratch factor, I soaked it for a bit in warm water with hair conditioner. Softened it up just fine.

And more ... This is a baby hat, from Cascade Superwash 220. My own pattern, and the precurser to a sweater. A lawyer-pal is having a girl in April, so the needles starting talkin'.

But, this is what is interesting: See the top section of yellow? I was knitting in the round, and decided to alternate colors, and purl all the yellow stitches. I kept the yarn in front (yellow in the right hand, pinkish in the left with that yarn in back) and got this cool pattern! Don't really know what it is, but I like it! I'm going to do a few rows on the body of the sweater. If anyone has a name for this, please let me know.

On another note -- just got a new desktop for work, which came with Windows Vista. Does it drive anyone else crazy? Why can't things that work perfectly well just stay the same? I don't want to have to learn something new each time I upgrade. Maybe it's a sign of aging, but it makes me mad. Arghh -- I guess that's my bitch for the day. Well, maybe the first bitching -- it's only 10:30. :)

E-Bay Goodness!

2007-03-02T10:46:00.000-05:00

I love this yarn. This discontinued yarn. When my local LYS went out of business, I bought as much as I could afford. It's soft, non-pilling, and works up great for shawls and sweaters.

So I occasionally cruise ebay to see if there is any available and .... lo and behold ... a seller had 10 green skeins which I snagged for $35!

Plans are for a cardigan -- kelly green is TwinB's favorite color.

Here's a close-up:

It'd be great for St. Patrick's Day, but unless I give up sleep ... there's no way it will be finished.

But one sock is done! I finished this yesterday, in between sneezing fits. Stayed in my jammies all day, slugged down NyQuill, and feel marginally better today. And thanks to all those well-wishers who recommended soup ... and rum! I can deal with sore throat and cough, but that woozy feeling in your head is something else. So it's back at the desk today, with cups of tea loaded with honey and lemon, wishing I could add some rum!

This, by the way, is from Knitpicks Memories -- handpainted merino -- which works up extra soft. It's for one of my friends who insists she can't wear wool socks. I've been knitting it at lunch, telling her it's for me and she's been oohing and ahhing over the feel of the yarn. I'll show her!

Sock#2 has been started ... I've learned to cast on right away or the project sits and sits.

Who says old lawyers can't learn new tricks!

Betrayed

2007-02-28T06:41:00.000-05:00

My body has betrayed me. Felled by a microscopic virus. Drowned in a river of snot. (sorry, but lack of sleep makes me grumpy). A waterfall of snot.

My throat is on fire. My eyes are watering. I am barely visible in the pile of crumpled tissues on the couch.

And worst of all, I don't even feel like knitting.

Call the paramedics. Call the knitting EMTs. Call the scientists who are too busy designing new erectile dysfunction drugs to be able to cure the common cold. I hope their penises fall off.

*cough cough*

Knitting Content

2007-02-22T11:28:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all for their kind advice as to my knitting pains. I did a few things -- first, a deep tissue massage of the back and shoulders. Painful but the good kind of pain. Seems that I carry my stress (stress? what stress? she said between court appearances) in my upper back, and my muscles were more knotted than a skein of ribbon yarn wound around a cat. So the knots were broken up, and stretches suggested. Then, I did take a break from knitting for one whole day. Drove me nuts. Even the spouse said, "Uh oh, you'd better get that fixed," imagining me without my knitting. Then, I decided to knit this -- a sock on size 2 bamboos, of Knitpicks Memories handpaint. Nice light yarn, nice light needles, and it's going well. I've also been taking breaks every 20 minutes or so, and might get one of those elbow thingies. Bought a wrist support for the laptop, too.
I will prevail!

Here's an eye candy photo of one of my bird buddies on the deck window:

I love these guys! And so do the cats -- their own personal cat-tv. More snow this weekend; more knitting!

I Don't Play Tennis ...

2007-02-18T07:12:00.000-05:00

but I have tennis elbow. Knitter's elbow. Aka an intense soreness in the outer muscle of my right forearm, with a knot of pain at the elbow.

I'm ready to go back to the city of my birth (Niagara Falls) and jump.

Everything I've read on the net says that the best treatment is to .... I can't type this .... I can't ....

stop knitting!

I don't think I can. I don't think anyone will want to be around me if I do.

My good friend Andrea (a non-knitting lawyer) who always seems to hit the nail right on the head describes knitting as my "comfort food" -- that each of us has an activity that helps us cope with the stresses of our lives -- the practice of law, worries about kids, petty annoyances of daily life -- and, as everytime she pops in my office she sees the basket of knitting on my desk -- mine is knitting.

What will I do? How will I cope? If I ignore the pain, or ice it and take lots and lots of anti-inflammatory drugs, can I still knit? What if I knit very very slowly?

I've tried knitting Continental style and that doesn't seem to make a difference, though learning how to do it has made my 2-color knitting alot easier.

I've tried a pillow under my arm.

I've tried cursing, lots.

Rats, the Falls is probably frozen over. I'd probably just slide down, and further hurt my elbow.

:(

*sniff*

What NOT to do in Below Zero Weather

2007-02-13T15:42:00.000-05:00

Wear your I-pod up a 3700' mountain. Seriously. I thought, hey -- a little music will help me get motivated for the hike. Sure -- take my mind off the cold, the wind, block all thoughts of why I am crazy enough to hike up Hurricane Mountain in the Adirondacks in February. It isn't that I wasn't warm, or hadn't done hikes like this before, it was just that I thought tunes would be nice.

Not.

Well, yes, it was cool hiking up and up to Bob Marley, imagining Jamaica and palm trees. And it did get my mind off the brutal wind. But, later, much much later, I realized the evil result -- my ear canal froze! No shit. To spare you TMI, I started to get pains in my ear (only the left -- I had the other ear free to hear any cries for knitted I-Cord ropes from my friends). Followed by sinus pressure. Followed by (here's the gross part) blood oozing out of my ear onto my pillow.

A quick google search gave me comfort that my brains were not leaking out, but I still went to see the doc the next day. Swollen ear canal, with a tiny abrasion near the ear drum. From ... frozen I-pod earphones. Maybe I should email Bill Gates. No, wait! I'm a lawyer after all! I'll cut a deal with him to write the warning label on all future sales of I-gear: Warning! Do not use in temperatures below 20 degrees zero, and at altitudes above 3500 feet. Even if you love Bob Marley. And, if you do it anyway, you're f*&*&**g nuts and shouldn't be compensated, so don't bother to sue.

On a warmer note, I hit 2 yarn stores. Old Forge Hardware in Old Forge, NY, where there is so much more than hardware. And Adirondack Yarns in Lake Placid, where I blew twice my yarn budget on some sweater kits. My camera is still shivering, so no photos until next post, but both places were great -- lots of good fiber, books, and very friendly staff.

The forecast is calling for 18" + of snow for tonight in my backyard and I can't wait. I've cleared my calendar for tomorrow and am hoping for a snowday. Translation -- knitting day.

You know you're an addict when ...

2007-02-08T03:51:00.000-05:00

you're up at 3:30 a.m. not because you haven't packed all your warm clothes, but because you're obsessing about which knitting projects to take on the trip. It can't be just one ... what if I get bored with it? Or snow-bound? Or trapped on the side of a mountain, and need enough yarn to knit us a giant I-Cord rope to rappel down the side to safety? Or tie up a bear or something?

You never know ...

Abra-Cadabra!

2007-02-07T15:40:00.000-05:00

I haven’t vanished – just hibernated. It’s been frrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeezing here, and weather like this makes me want to plug in the electric blanket and huddle under the covers.

So between work (a “W” word I avoided in BarbP’s list!) and the weather, I’ve been basically – sleeping. Very little knitting, though I did finally finish these – thick socks from Lamb’s Pride Bulky for my son-in-law Kerry.

And I’m finishing these – more thick socks for Jack’s birthday (it was Monday, so I’m close!).

We’re going to the Adirondacks this weekend – the annual event for J’s birthday – it’s just not cold enough here to suit that Alabama-born boy. I plan to stop at the Old Forge Hardware Store which has a great selection of yarn and books, and Adirondack Yarns in Lake Placid. When we get back, I’m sure I’ll need a medical appointment to peel off my long underwear, since I won’t be taking it off the entire trip!

Why didn’t I marry a man who likes warm weather?

And ... at long last ... the Ribwarmer. Complete, edged ... after ripping apart when a kind fellow blogger looked at my photos and emailed me as follows:

"First, don't blame the messenger. Second, pour a glass of wine."

That's when I knew I was in trouble. I had sewn the fronts together instead of the back. Giant "duh"! (sound of forehead hitting desk) I've been knitting how many years? 41????????

But now it's done and I love it. Just the thing for throwing on over pjs or a flannel shirt, or under a coat in our frigid weather. Thank you, Elizabeth Zimmermann.

Well it's off to pick up Chinese take-out and to pack those long johns. Stay warm, knitting peeps!

Wild Wild W

2007-01-28T19:04:00.000-05:00

Not Bush! No -- BarbP sent me a letter, and it was "W", not realizing that I'm a true blue Democrat. What a challenge! Here goes -- 10 things that start with the letter "W" that have impacted my life. Don't be mad about the first one ....

1. Wabbit: As in “wascally”, as in Bugs Bunny. Seriously. I love Looney Tunes, Bugs in particular. As a kid, it was my first exposure to classical music. Think “What’s Opera Doc?”. Think “The Rabbit of Seville”.

And his whacky sense of humor. My FOO (Family of Origin) is known (well, at least among ourselves) for a wicked sense of humor. Example: My Dad, who passed away 17 years ago, had surgery for a brain tumor. Upon regaining consciousness after the operation, he was greeted by his children singing, “If I Only Had a Brain”. He loved it.

2. Weddings: I’ve had more than my share. My brother calls me a “serial monogamist”. My friend says, “Just because you slept with him doesn’t mean you have to marry him.” But that’s in the past. Found the right one, the last one. In fact, I often tell him that “He’s my last first kiss.” (Okay, I can hear the retching sounds – I’ll stop.)

3. Water: I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love to: drink it, bathe in it, watch it as it roils and plummets over Niagara Falls. I hate: to be on top of it, because …. I can’t swim. Never learned. Every time I try to, I panic. Who knows, maybe I drowned in a previous life – say on the Titanic? Yes, that’s it. I was Mrs. Astor in a previous life! (More likely in Irish steerage, to tell the truth)

4. Whimsical: If it’s cute and funny, I love it. I’m a sucker for little doo-dads that line the edges of my bookcase, the ridge behind my kitchen sink, the shelf above the stove. Most recently -- two chicken salt and pepper shakers.

5. Warp Factor 2, Mr. Sulu: The only way I figure out how to get Star Trek in here. I’ve been addicted since it first aired. If I ever got a tattoo, it would be of the original ship, complete with “NCC-1701” on the saucer section. When I die, I hope heaven is the bridge and I’m Spock’s assistant.

6. Wizard of Oz: One of my favorite movies. See reference to “Brain” above. I could watch it over and over again.

7. Walter: My grandfather’s name – last, not first. He was a great reader, got me hooked on sci-fi, taught me how to play chess. A very quiet man, who could do the Sunday crossword puzzles in ink. I’m not there yet.

8. Wool: Need I say more?

9. Women: I have three daughters who are absolute gems, a sister who’s my best friend, and was blessed with a mother who I miss every single day. Two aunts whose size is not indicative of their strength of personality, and a grandmother who, quite frankly, was a bitch on wheels, but who lived through events I can only imagine. I hope I can live up to all of them.

10. And finally (dare I say ‘whew’?) … Wealth: No, not money. But the wealth of living in the woods, enjoying the sun rise everyday with someone I love, having good friends, a great dog, and a hockey team that’s top in the Eastern Conference!

A Lucy Moment

2007-01-27T11:19:00.000-05:00

Learn from this -- when replacing a vaccuum cleaner bag, don't try to make the wrong size fit. Say, you bought size "J" instead of "U", but they're both for uprights, so who cares? And so it doesn't quite fit on the opening, but you get out your trusty scissors, and widen the opening on the bag and (snuggly or so you think) put it on, and vaccuum away.

Days pass. Days of successful vaccuuming.

Then, after dusting the entire living area, you plug in the trusty upright and begin the zen-like process of vaccuuming. (It's the white noise). All of a sudden,

POOF!

The bag pops, the vaccuum cleaner has a seizure, and there is dust EVERYWHERE, including your hair, the tip of your nose, the dog, the tip of the dog's nose, and there is no other vaccuum cleaner bag to be found in the house.

Oh, Looooocie!

I should have stuck to knitting instead of deciding to clean.

Don't Ask

2007-01-25T14:43:00.000-05:00

My fired employee issues have gotten worse. Let's just say that all the martinis in the world, nay the universe wouldn't help.

So ... let's focus on knitting! Always a salve in a crisis ...

Here are pair of KnitPicks Parade socks, on size 3 needles, in a modified basket-weave pattern I sort of made up. 48 stitiches around, K2P2 for eight rows, then P2K2 for eight rows ... you get it. The first sock came out perfect -- the stripe changes and texture changes matched, but even though I frogged and started three times on the second one, there still are a few rough spots.

And here is the nearly completed Elizabeth Zimmermann Ribwarmer. I decided one row of I-cord was not enough, so am doing a second. First time I've done this edging, and while I like how it looks, it's taking almost as long as it did to knit the vest!

Here's the vest:

Here's a close-up of the edging:

And here's my issue: for lack of a better term, POOCHING. It's at the end of the short row shaping in the back. Looks like breasts. Now, I haven't blocked it yet, but I'm seriously wondering if those bumps can be blocked out. I really don't want to take it apart -- the short rows are about 1/3 of the way in.

So I'm wondering if I can somehow cut, unravel, and graft back together. Stay tuned ....

It Gets Worse

2007-01-17T14:36:00.000-05:00

Guess who set all the computers in my office to remote access? Guess who installed programs that would allow her to access our network from home? Guess who paid a computer guy to come in and change all the access codes and make our system as impenetrable as Ft. Knox?

... and, guess who has a migraine?

Twig -- send martinis asap.

I Am in Hell

2007-01-16T15:49:00.000-05:00

Without divulging the details, I just discovered deceit and treachery on the part of my office staff. I am so pissed off I can barely speak. So tomorrow a.m. I am going to do my best impression of Donald Trump, and then start the search for a replacement.

It is the worst part of having your own practice. I can't afford to pay big bucks or benefits, but am willing to take people with little experience and train them. Sometimes, it's a question of competence. But, in 22 years, this is the first poisonous person I've had in the office.

As you can tell, I'm sick about it. Don't even want to knit! But will, because for me, yarn and needles are better than martinis.

arghh

It seemed like a good plan ....

2007-01-13T08:43:00.000-05:00

Okay, knitting only on one project at a time has to go. First of all, I have no photos to post. I mean, who wants to see more garter stitch rows on the Ribwarmer? Secondly, and most seriously, it makes me not want to knit! *placing back of hand against forehead, trying not to faint*

I think I like being able to feel different textures of yarn in different projects, see items progress at different rates, and do different types of knitting. I love the ribwarmer, but I'm getting pretty darned bored with just garter stitch, more garter stitch, and then more garter stitch. I dream of cables, slip stitch color, even the dreaded heel turns!

So it's back to the drawing board. Maybe I'll just refrain from starting new projects, until I finish one of the existing WIPs, and switch depending on my mood.

But today ... I'm shuffling off to Buffalo to see my hockey boys play! Don't want to take knitting -- somehow, the smell of beer and peanuts never comes out, so my new yarn plan will start tomorrow.

Here's to keeping your stick on the ice and shots on goal!

I'm Smarter Than I Think!

2007-01-08T11:42:00.000-05:00

See? There are the instructions for the Ribwarmer.

Here's my first half!

Oh me of little faith.

I'm not too thrilled about the result of the short row shaping, but it may be that I'm missing a trick to make it look tighter. I'm thinking of ordering the expanded instructions directly from SchoolHouse Press for later versions.

I'm thinking of black I-Cord edging.

And, to show off, a Xmas present from TwinB. Isn't the little knitting charm adorable? She totally spoiled me. It's certainly a change having an adult kid who's working -- but I do miss those egg-carton/construction paper/glue creations from the younger days!

My Evil Ways

2007-01-07T17:18:00.000-05:00

I'm trying, so hard, to change my evil ways. Without getting to therapy-ish, I seem to have a problem completing knitting projects. I start a project, and it's not that I get bored or don't like it anymore, it's just that another project, pattern or yarn grabs my attention, or I get an idea for something cool to try, and I start that. And then yet another pops up ... and so on.

So I made myself a promise, that I would work to completion on those projects that I have started, one at a time, until they're all done. I figure it will be good for my soul.

But it's sooooooo hard! Try as I might, I can hear them calling me -- the Many Button vest from Folk Vests, already swatched, ready to be started. The Celtic sweater pattern by Alice Starmore with that lovely lavender heather yarn, all wound into "cakes" and ready for me to start knitting. A pair of red mittens -- just because!

Why, I ask, why? (This is the therapy part). Am I fickle? A project 'ho? Do I fear the let-down of finishing? Am I not Zen enough to enoy the knitting moment that's right in front of me? The answer! I want the answer!

*sigh*

Well, I'm still working on the Ribwarmer -- almost done with the first half. But like Jimmy Carter said so long ago, "I have lust in my heart," and must stay strong.

W.I.P.

2007-01-04T10:33:00.000-05:00

I'm late to the party, but have become totally enamored with Elizabeth Zimmermann's style of knitting, and her patterns. I love the simplicity, as well as the no-full (no seams!) philosophy.

So here is my first EZ creation in progress: The Ribwarmer, from Knitter's Workshop. The yarn is mystery gray wool, that I bought at a craft sale (a bag for $3 -- couldn't resist). You can't see closely, but there are little flecks of black and it looks very "natural". Natural and ... scratchy. I'm going to soak the finished product in conditioner, but since I'll probably be wearing it over a heavy shirt, it won't be a problem.

But ... I need advice. Do I have a problem here? Note the instructions, especially the diagram. It says to start the short row shaping "on the long side", which I did. I'm now at the part where I add a stitch each row, and I'm suddenly unsure.

It doesn't look like the picture. Did I screw up? Does the "long side" really mean the other side? Or will it all work out as I increase? Perhaps I'm just overly nervous (who me?).

Any advice/opinions would be most welcome.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm finally on the upside of this virus, and back to work. Lest anyone think I spent my time off laying on the couch, watching old movies on TCM in my flannel pjs (guilty), I also did some creating. This:

What is it you ask?
A scissor holster! Is this cool or what? I'm always putting down my scissors (and my yarn needle) and never finding them. I remembered seeing cool collapsible scissors in a catalogue, with their own little case, but also remembered a pricey amount. All of a sudden it came to me -- I could make a case of my own! Out of a felted scrap (from a thrift store sweater I felted).

So I did! A little gross-grain ribbon to hang it around my neck, a little lady-bug trim for fun, and there you have it! Here's a shot of the holster in use.

The second bit of creativity is the Celtic Vest from Fleece Artist. I bought it in a kit at Lettuce Knit (one day soon I'll figure out Twig's email on how to post links) on my recent Toronto jaunt, along with the cool pin.

The yarn is a lovely wool/silk blend, and boy are the instructions right when it says "Don't worry about how small it looks until you block it." This sucker stretched right out. My sister also bought a kit, and we were going to have a contest to see who would finish first, but my sick time on the couch gave me an unfair advantage.

I love it, and will try to get a photo of it being worn. What was interesting to me was the pattern -- you need a circular needle, and divide the yarn in half -- two skeins. Then, you knit a row, slide the stitches back to the beginning without turning, and do another row in pattern. No seams but for the shoulders, and a cool cast on/cast off that leaves a neat edge.

I would definitely do this again, maybe a little longer, especially if you're knitting it for someone over 5'2"!

And last, but definitely not least, some Kitty Eye Candy!

What a helper she is!

'Twas the week after Christmas ..

2006-12-29T16:35:00.000-05:00

and all through the house,
every creature was sneezing, including BarbP's mouse!

And me. You can tell how deep the virus has imbeded in my brain if I'm making feeble attempts to rhyme. I feel just like a kid who has waited all year for vacation from school and gets sick. I mean, the Courts are closed, for St. Nick's sake! No one is in their offices! I should be frolicking, visiting yarn stores, making merry! Instead,

the felines are nestled, all snug in their beds,
recovering from catnip, too much it is said.

See? Stop me, now.

The other viral-inspired thought I've had is this: Who, as a character in literature, have you fallen in love with? A safe question, as a fictional character can't reasonable compete with the real men in our lives, and an interesting one. So, anyone who reads this, publish a list of at least 5 on your blog and challenge others to do the same!

Here goes:

1. Aragorn. Even before Vigo.
2. Rhett Butler. Never the wimpy ole' Ashley. What was she thinking?
3. Dr. Zhivago. Made even better by Omar Sharif's portrayal. Who wouldn't love a brooding Russian poet?
4. Mr. Rochester. Okay, so I have a thing for older men. Jane Eyre was a smart girl.
5. Garp.

Any takers?

ps The tissues were crumpled, .... no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Santa brought me ...

2006-12-26T14:27:00.000-05:00

a cold! A really nasty, snotty piece of work. So all day today, instead of reveling in my wonderful presents and going out and doing fun things with my offspring, I laid on the couch in my pjs. I'm drinking lots of fluids (not the fun ones, either) and hope to nip this in the bud before we leave for the Adirondacks on Thursday morning.

In the meantime, the illustrious Twig has tagged me for the following:

"THE RULES:Each player of this game starts with the ‘6 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.”

Only six weird things, not six thousand? (hee hee)

Okay, here goes:

1. I get obsessive about having my socks match the color shirt I'm wearing. Why? I have no reasonable clue.

2. I can't sleep at night with the closet door open. Monsters -- I know they're in there.

3. I can recite almost all of the joke lines from any Peter Sellers' Pink Panther movie: "Minkey? You said minkey?" or "Does your dog bite?"

4. As a ten-year old, I had a poster of Spock on my bedroom wall. Weird? Only that I used to kiss it good night.

5. I was vice-president of the chess club in high school.

6. My husband says my hands move at night as if I'm knitting. Now, if I could only have him put the needles and yarn in the right position ...

So, who to tag?

I'm with Twig, most everyone I read has done this. I"ll think on it, in my feverish haze ...

Three Days ...

2006-12-22T07:25:00.000-05:00

... and not a knitting needle was clicking.

I'm done with Xmas knitting. Well, done only because I'm going to wrap the yarn for my siblings' sox, along with a note that they can choose the pattern of their choice, and if the yarn isn't to their softness/color/whatever preference, we'll visit the LYS and exchange.

Whew! Why didn't I think of this before? It's a great alternative to knitting my fingers into gnarled knobs and foregoing sleep.

But ... I did finish this:

It's greener than it looks, and the other end of the Tree Scarf I posted about last week or so. So if I was truly smart, I'd start knitting these throughout the year, and be ready to relax next Xmas. Moi? Well, it could happen, but only in an alternate universe.

So it's off to do some last minute shopping and then my goal is to relax relax relax. The Charlie Brown tree is up, there's cookie dough in the refrigerator waiting for the girls to come home and bake, Chex Party Mix in the offing, with hot cider punch. Stop by for some holiday cheer -- I'd welcome you all!

Toronto has no Yarn Left

2006-12-17T17:14:00.000-05:00

Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. But it certainly has less yarn than it did on Wednesday past.

The sister and I took a short trip to the Great White North, in honor of her birthday, and in search of the Holy Grail of Hockey. See my post at www.hockeyknitalong.blogspot.com

After filling our hockey needs, we checked out Romni Wools, on Queen Street West -- towers of yarn, floor to ceiling, narrow aisles, basement chock full -- it's a great source for all those yarns I've seen advertised in magazines, but never in person. Man, if you were looking for just the right yarn called for in a pattern, this would be the place to go. And, talk about wall 0'needles! More brands than I ever knew existed. It made my head spin. That said, it was difficult to browse -- the aisles too narrow for wandering, and if anyone wanted to pass you, you had to squeeze back, or actually back down the aisle and into a cross-aisle.

So we wandered on to Lettuce Knit. Heaven! Beautiful yarn, a friendly cat, even friendlier store personnel ... here's a photo of the sister making a purchase.

We both bought kits for vests from Fiber Artist -- silk and wool yarn, knit sideways -- and I indulged in a skein of laceweight silk and cashmere to knit a "smoke ring" with, to match my brown winter coat. All, of course, to start after Christmas (right -- who wants to take bets on my impulsivity and complete lack of ability to resist new yarn? Especially when it's soft and wonderful).

And isn't this cool?

It's a wire bird-thingie, filled with bits of yarn for the birdies to line their nests!

The BataShoe Museum was an interesting side jaunt -- believe me, designer shoes look like they hurt like hell. My low-cut hiking boots suit me just fine.

So, we're back, eh? No worse for wear from our trip north, except maybe for the $30 in Cadbury bars and Coffee Crisp shoved in my suitcase for future consumption. Those Canadians know how to live!

Field Trip!!!!!!

2006-12-12T09:53:00.000-05:00

My big sister and I are going to Toronto, tomorrow. On the agenda are both the Hockey Hall of Fame and as many yarn stores as we can find. She wants to go to the "Shoe Museum" too, but I'm resisting. A museum about shoes???? Hmmm. Perhaps she is more like Imelda Marcos than I ever knew.

I can't wait, and am putting obsessive-compulsive sticky-notes on all my files so my assistant will know what to tell clients when they call incessantly in my absence. I swear, there is something like needy-client radar that makes them realize you're out of town and they absolutely must talk to you right that second about something as vitally important as .... "He/she took the Mexican sombrero lamp we got on our honeymoon out of the house!" or, the ever popular, "He/she was five minutes late picking up the children."

Oh well. I've brushed off my Canadian vocabulary, eh? And packed at least 2 toques. I'll also be bringing back as much Coffee Crisp and Cadbury chocolate as I can stuff in my bags. Not to mention souveniers from the Temple, the Taj, the Holiest of Holys, the Hockey Hall of Fame.

So, as said in the last three words of the Canadian National Anthem, "Drop the puck!"

Ho Ho Ho!

2006-12-11T11:41:00.000-05:00

I got my replacement Brittany needle today! What a great company -- I snapped a size 5 while knitting socks, and remembered they replaced broken needles, sent an email, and ... voila! What a great company.

And ... a holiday scarf. There's a story -- I started this just for some mindless knitting, on a whim. Decided to embroider the tree, will probably do a reindeer on the other end, and red and green fringe. One of my attorney friends (Sharkette) has been admiring it in progress, and bug bug bugging me about it. "Is it for me?" "Come on, it's for me," and I'd always say ... NO!

So, the cookie and gift exchange on Saturday. My gift was a lovely hand-blown ornament, and a certificate good for a pair of mittens or scarf. Guess who got my gift??? (Mind you, they weren't marked as to who gave what). She leaped with joy, pointed at this scarf, and said, "It's mine!"

sigh

On the bright side, it's great to feel that someone really likes your knitting. On the not-so-much side, I'll be making another one just like it for yours truly!

Hats, Scarves and Mimosas

2006-12-07T10:55:00.000-05:00

Here's a collection of hats for the outpatients at the VA -- knit by the lovely ladies of my Sunday knitting group.

And here's a scarf from Paton's SWS -- the 80% wool, 20 % soy. I love the subtle shades -- it's for my pal Andrea, the upstairs lawyer, who's always giving me rides when my car needs fixing, and Diet Cokes, and an ear to vent into when the practice of law gets, you know, frustrating.

Most of my knitting is Xmas related -- secret sweater for my sister, socks for TwinB (TwinA shouldn't tell if she reads this!), fingerless mitts for SIL ... but I'm trying not to get too stressed out.

The Xmas Cookie Exchange is Saturday -- a group of 8 women lawyers (law gals? law chicks? law 'hos?), getting together for frivolity, cookies and gossip. Did I fail to mention Mimosas? I'm making Rice Krispie treats -- with Xmas Krispies and melted chocolate chips on top, complete with holiday sprinkles.

Well, back to the pre-vacation custody and visitation grind!

She's down for the count ...

2006-12-04T09:08:00.000-05:00

brought to her knees by a virus. Or something disgusting that is making me dizzy,my head ache and my stomach roil. I don't even feel up to knitting. It's baaaaaaaaaaaad.

So this post is just a whine for sympathy. I hate microbes.

It's Done!!!!

2006-11-30T14:45:00.000-05:00

Here's my latest creation -- it's a modification of the Refined Raglan from the Winter IK. I added the cable detail on the cuffs and bottom, instead of hemming. (Let's face it -- at my age, who needs extra bulk in the hip area?)

Here's a close up of the raglan cable:

Yarn: 50/50 wool and alpaca from Ellen's Half Pint Farm from Vermont.

Gauge: 4 stitches to the inch, on size 9 KnitPicks Options, which I love.

Size: 38" finished chest, unblocked (okay, I'm lazy)

What I'd do differently: (and may yet) the neck. The yarn has a wonderful drape, but seems loose around the neck. I might rip back and do more decreases, but I'm not sure. My office pals all say it looks fine (I'm wearing it today, though it's unseasonably mild outside), but I'm still not sure.

What I love about this sweater: Raglans and I get along really well. I adore not having to sew seams, I love the colors -- even though I alternated skeins and got pooling -- and the yarn is so soft I can't stand it.

Comments on the neck would be appreciated!

Other items on the needles (and couch, and bedside table, and desk) are:

1. EZ yoke sweater, knit at 3 sts to the inch from Lamb's Pride Bulky that has been hiding in the stash for quite a while. I bought enough to knit the ridged pullover in Loop -d- Loop, and after I started it realized the ridges made me look like an oddly shaped lego. So I'm trying the Zimmermann percentage system and going off on my own. Don't tell my sister, but the sweater is for her.

2. The never-ending Linus Project blanket.

3. Swallowtail Shawl. Stalled. Big-time. I really need a keen mind to concentrate when knitting this and just don't have it lately.

4. Mittens in progress for a friend.

5. and ... Xmas gifts that I can't lest for fear that certain offspring of mine will be reading this!

Let's see, only 25 more knitting days until Christmas! In the immortal words of Bugs Bunny, YIPE!

How to throw a 90th Birthday Party

2006-11-26T17:34:00.000-05:00

... or, my cousin really knows how to do it up right.

1. Find a 90 year old. Not just any 90 year old, but one who wears a red cowboy hat and loves to have fun.

(Sorry, this one's taken!)

2. Decorate the place with red and purple balloons, tablecloths, party favors, candy kisses and cake, then invite 120 people.

3. Hire a DeeJay. Not just any DeeJay, but an 82 year old kick-ass DeeJay, who, at one point during the festivities brought out an American Flag and waved it while playing "Battle Hymn of the Republic." No lie.

4. Bring out the Elvis impersonator. Okay, so there wasn't any fringe, but my aunt loved it.

5. Make a "Top Ten Reasons Why I Want to Be Like my Aunt Alice When I Grow Up" List, to read with your sister.

Example: Because she's so cute, men still flirt with her. And, she eats hot fudge sundaes for dinner and no one yells at her.

6. Celebrate, Celebrate, Celebrate.

Aunt Alice had a wonderful time, as did everyone there. I can't wait to post photos from her 100th.

ps Aunt Alice is responsible for teaching me how to knit -- and is still making lap robes for nursing home patients and caps for kids. Gotta love her.

What I've been up to ...

2006-11-21T09:20:00.000-05:00

or ... the good, the bad and the ugly. You choose!

This is good. It's a hat for charity -- the colors look a little garish, but it works. Note the cool curly-ques on top -- the colors are orange, lime green and turquoise, all in Lamb's Pride. I used size 8s, and cast on 72 stitches, did k2 p2 rib for 2 inches, then increased to 84 stitches. I started decreasing when the whole thing measured about 5 inches, then did a k10, ssk round, decreasing 1 st every alternate round until the end. Voila! Crazy kid hat.

It's a charity project, and will be going to the Open Door Mission for the homeless in Rochester as part of a Christmas package.

And ... more good.

I've been working valiantly on my first "outside of the lines" sweater project. I started out doing a basic raglan, using the Elizabeth Zimmermann proportions (with a provisional cast-on because I was unsure what kind of edging I wanted), then saw the Winter 2006 IK and the Refined Raglan. So I quickly adoped the Lace and Cable pattern, even though my stitch count was a little off.
As you can see, the edging is in Lace and Cable (different from IK), and I'm loving it. I'm also going to do a higher neckline, more of a mock turtle, when I get there.

The yarn is 50/50 wool and alpaca, from Ellen's Half Pint Farm in Vermont. This was my indulgence at the Hemlock Fiber Festival and I absolutely love the way the yarn feels and drapes. I know, I know -- pooling. But I did alternate skeins, and I just don't care. I think it looks neat no matter what! And I can't wait to wear it. ETA finishing by Thursday (I hope)!

And more good ...
See the cool pen I ordered from Twig's website? It's www.wicksandwood.com and I love it. I'm a fountain pen freak, and this is a lovely tulip wood. Feels great in my hands and the colors in the grain are wonderful. Go Twig! (but not her team -- those dreaded Rangers).

And the bad and the ugly are all in one -- remember the case I posted about last time? The one where I thought I might be thrown in jail for contempt? Well, it was damned close. The pseudo-Judge would not let me out of the case, moved forward with the trial, wouldn't let my client present her proof, sustained every objection of opposing counsel, denied every one of my objections, and when I said his actions were certainly issues for appeal, said "Go ahead. The Appellate Division can use the work."

I almost lost it. I'm still reeling.

And that has led to a real depression in my outlook, work-wise. Maybe having a few days off will help, but I'm just feeling like I'm going through the motions. It's a struggle to get up, get dressed and go to the office. I wish I were independently wealthy. Then, I'd limit my practice to Law Guardian work and screw the rest.

Enough venting -- more knitting!

What I Am Today ...

2006-11-14T11:31:00.000-05:00

A Giant Crab.

... and why. No, knot knarly knitting. A trial. The very same trial I vented about earlier, the one where the client moved, didn't pay me, I made an application to withdraw, which was denied ....

I've given it lots of thought, and I'm just going to let both the other lawyer and the Court have it. It's easy for the Court Attorney Referee to sit there, paid by the state, health insurance, retirement, no overhead, and keep me in a case without being paid ... but if I were going to work for nothing, it would be a pro bono case of my own choosing. Which I do. But being held hostage by the Court and this other attorney? ARghhhh.

I'll let you know if I'll need bail money for the contempt charge. Can you knit in jail? It might be a good thing .... think of all those projects I can finish!

Oh -- Wal-Mart update. PTM (Pony-Tail Man) broke down and went -- not at 3 am, but early in the morning. He just couldn't resist. But he did limit his purchases to hunting paraphenalia (I was envisioning a panel truck pulling up with cases of deoderant soap and cans of tuna). So I do hear all of you who like to shop at night, and like the discounts. And I find it difficult to pass by a bargain ... maybe I just find all mine on the internet!

Knitting photos and posts tomorrow -- unless I'm behind bars...

A Line in the Sand

2006-11-12T11:19:00.000-05:00

I have drawn it. And it's not about knitting.

Yesterday, a Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in town. New. Built right next to the old regular Wal-Mart. Which is now a vacant warehouse-sized building.

Granted, I did go to the old Wal-Mart on occasion, usually when I needed cat food, cat litter and giant bags of dog food. Pony-tail man, however, loves Wal-Mart. Even though I point out on a regular basis that he goes for one or two items, and then comes home with many, many bags of things he didn't know he "needed" until he saw them at such cheap prices.

Enter, the Supercenter. Open 24/7. 24/7 -- I'll say it again. I'm going to scream, I can tell. What in the world can anyone NEED SO BADLY THEY HAVE TO GO TO WAL-MART AT 3 AM? And what about the people who have to work those ungodly hours? And the pittance that workers in Third World countries get paid to make the pseudo-silk flowers, cheap turtleneck sweaters and general "stuff"? And the obscenely rich owners?????

So, I hereby vow not to step foot in this new abomination. Ever. Not at noon, not at 4:00 p.m. and most definitely not at midnight.

The cats can catch mice until morning.

Sorry -- my medication is wearing off .... :)
Oh, and that reminds me -- who gave Wal-Mart the right to steal the yellow happy face for its ads? It's just not right, not right at all.

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead ...

2006-11-08T14:20:00.000-05:00

... by witch, I mean Rumsfeld. Usually, I don't mix politics and knitting (those sharp instruments in the hands of, say, a rabid Democrat such as myself, may be dangerous -- although, some of my best friends are elephants), but I am so happy that scary man has stepped down.

I grew up in the Vietnam era and faced both brothers going off to war, my husband is also a Vietnam vet, and I just can't support a similar war. We'll never win. Never. And I don't want anymore lives to be lost.

Enough said, for that unpaid political announcement.

Here we have --- something warm! These are loosely based on the armwarmers in "Holiday Knitting" (someday I'll be able to figure out how to place a link in my posts), except I knit an actually thumb, instead of just an opening. It's a spiral rib pattern which looks even better in person, and Paton's SWS yarn -- 80% wool, 20% soy. So, for all of us vegetarians, if we get lost in a snow drift, we can always eat our mittens!

Size 6 needles; 32 stitches. Warm as toasted tofu!

The colors are much prettier than shown here -- more pinks and muted greens/browns. I still have at least 1/3 of a skein left, and will be making more as Xmas gifts.

And as for the folks at the White House, who's next?

Nerds R Us

2006-11-06T18:26:00.000-05:00

I confess -- I love office supply stores. I can spend almost as much time browsing the aisles of pens, pencils, notebooks ... as I can in a bookstore. (Never a yarn store -- browsing in my LYS is like encountering a hole in the space-time continuum -- just ask the man).

And family owned, small town office supply stores are like heaven. So, every time I find myself in Yates County, at the courthouse in Penn Yan, NY, I must go to Long's Office Supply Store. You should see their selection of jigsaw puzzles! Crosswords, too! But I digress. Here is what I found today:
Yes, it looks like a pencil pouch. A pencil pouch that stands up on your desk.

But ... what's that peeking out the sides?

Double pointed knitting needles!!!!

And more:

See my little scissors? My yarn needle holder?

I'm in love, and all for only $2.49.

I may go back for more.

In other knitting news, here are two hats -- one for the chemo cap project of my monthly library knitting group, and the other knit from Lamb's Pride scraps for the VA Xmas project. The man says that he should have the green one, because he's a veteran too, but I told him forget it. (He didn't really mean it, but now I know he likes the style).

Okay -- I've tried to post those photos twice, so either this entry will be empty of hats, or have 4. Talk about space-time ...

It's Election Day tomorrow, so that means no court. Hurray. But it also means I have no choice but to plunge into all the paperwork that's on my desk. You know, the dog files that just sit and wait, patiently, ready to bite your hand when you pick them up?

Arf.

It's not a mistake ...

2006-11-03T09:54:00.000-05:00

it's a hat!!! Below you'll find the ultimate in making lemonade from lemons -- last year I started a scarf knit from Lamb's Pride Bulky. Tried the triangle-modular thing (I'd done a solid color one for TwinB last Christmas), but hated how this looked. Shoved it in a drawer, tried not to think about it.

So last night, as I was rummaging for yarn to knit a charity hat, I saw the scarf. Hmmmm, I thought. What if I sewed the ends together, picked up stitches and made it into a hat? So I did!

It's even cute on, warm as the Sabres' dressing room, and will be donated to our Bar Association's charity drive for Xmas -- hats, scarves, etc. for patients at the VA Hospital (men and women).

I had a good day yesterday -- actually took the afternoon off, got a haircut, spent some time with TwinA. Who is studying and working waaay too hard and needs to eat more and take care of herself (are you listening, Andy?) 2 more weeks until the quarter ends, then hopefully some down time with Mom at home.

Here are the flowers the camoflague hat caused:

Lovely, eh? (forgive me, I grew up essentially across the street from our friendly neighbors to the north -- Canada)

Now, I didn't notice until I took the photo, what the card actually says: Love, Como Man.

As in Perry Como? I thought he was dead!

It reminds me of a few summers ago when my oldest wanted to invite her friends to a vegetarian cook-out -- grilled veggies, salads ... We went to the local supermarket for a cake, and she told the bakery clerk to write "Meat is Murder" on it. I know, a little extreme, but funny.

Funnier still was what was on the cake when we picked it up. Of course, this was a weekend, and the bakery was staffed by a guy in his early 20's who appeared ok, but was in reality a few yards short of a skein. The cake read: "Meats is Murder". Meats!!! It's now become part of the family laughography!

So back to the title of this post -- it's not a mistake, but when they do happen, they can be damned funny.

over and out ...

Elmer Fudd has mittens!

2006-11-02T09:11:00.000-05:00

Isn't this funny? The spouse loves them. It's camo yarn (Paton's Merino), and I pattern I found in one of my mother's old books from the forties. Trigger Finger Mittens. I used size 3, KnitPicks dps (which I love) for a tighter gauge -- it gits cold in dem dere woods! I was also thinking, couldn't Mr. Spock use a pair? In Science Officer blue, with black trim, of course.

And here's the progress on the hand-dyed self-creation. This is a sleeve, and the yellow is a provisional cast on because I can't decide if I want ribbing or something different.

I'm worried the sleeve is going to be too baggy -- but I always worry -- and if it were smaller, I'd worry it was too tight. I love the softness of the wool/alpaca blend, and can't wait to be wearing this, because snow is in the forecast.

Off to Court -- to fight for truth, justice and the American Divorce!

Nasty November

2006-11-01T16:40:00.000-05:00

Almost everyone I know is sick -- my partner in the law practice, my secretary, TwinB ... and people are hacking and spewing all over Family Court. Other than encasing myself in plastic, I'm wondering what I can do to prevent what Marvelous Marlene (my sect'y) calls "the creeping crud." My hands are so dry from repeated washing that the skin is about to flake off.

And flake is the operative word -- meant to take photos of the camo yarn mittens today, but forgot the camera. So words will have to suffice ...

I'm trying to perservere and finish projects before seriously planning others -- but I find myself leafing through magazines and books, planning what's coming next -- and not really paying attention to what I'm doing. Exhibit A -- the sweater being knit from the lovely hand dyed yarn. I love the colors, love the feel of the wool/alpaca, but get distracted and voila -- find that I've cast on the wrong number of stitches for the sleeve, 10 less than needed, and don't notice until half way up the arm.
In the words of that wascally wabbit, what a maroon!

But seriously, I wonder if that's typical of how most of society is now behaving, myself included. I am always multi-tasking -- watching tv, and knitting; knitting and reading; blogging and talking on the phone; eating and reading. My DH sits on the couch, watching tv (okay, we love Law & Order a little too much), with the laptop on, surfing, watching, talking on the phone.

So maybe, just maybe, I should (gasp) do one thing at a time.

Think it'll work? Think it'll catch on?

A new GrandPuppy!

2006-10-28T07:08:00.000-05:00

For those that have known me a long time, it's no surprise that I a simply a 'ho for babies. Always have been, always will be. Kids too, of all ages, but there is something indescrible about holding a tiny one, having him/her sleep in your arms, nuzzling that soft skin ... Now, I have 4 children, 3 of whom are daughters, and all in their early twenties. So I'm in no hurry to be a grandmother -- I want them to be settled and secure, and most of all, ready. On the other hand -- my hands, actually -- I'm dying to knit teeny tiny little cute garments.

Enter, Ubu.

Oldest daughter (that's Lizzie, with fiancee Bob in the background) and their new pup, "Ubu". He's a rescue pup, part Boston Terrier and part Beagle, and adorable.

He needs a sweater. No, he needs a sweater! And maybe a little cap ...

Anyone with doggie patterns, please email!

And since the site has been devoid of knitting content lately, I can only promise more later. My camera is in the car, it's raining like crazy outside, I'm still in my pjs ... but here's a list of what's being currently worked on:

Camo trigger mittens -- yes, I finished the hat, and the man loves it so much, he sent me flowers. Yipe!

My Hemlock alpaca/wool hand-dyed sweater -- about 1/2 way to the armholes on the body.

Family Denim Tunic from Weekend Knitting -- I love this sweater, I hate the miles and miles and miles of seed stitch.

Swallowtail Shawl -- I have to frog back a few rows and am dreading it. Mohair. Need I say more?

Log Cabin Blanket -- this is for Project Linus, and I'll be knitting during hockey games. Easy, mindless, can be thrown to the floor during victory dances without a problem.

And to end with another dog photo -- here's Alice, sleeping with paw over eyes. Definitely too big for a dog sweater, and at 90 lbs, no need!

Do you number your briefs?

2006-10-22T18:15:00.000-05:00

Another baby cap, modeled by the unbeatable SabreTooth. The boys did it again, beating the Bruins and now have an 8-0 record.

I have to admit, this winning streak scares the crap outta me. We've been so close before ... only to have the Cup stolen from us (bitter? nah), and it's early in the season. Oh well, more tension means more knitting for charity!

And the mandatory knitting:

Mandatory as in mandatory (read -- stupid, useless, waste of time, ridiculous -- you get the picture) Continuing Legal Education for lawyers in NY State. We need 24 hours every two years, no matter how long we've been practicing, no matter how much we know about our specific area of practice.

So, Saturday, I spent the entire day in a room in downtown Rochester with 30 other lawyers listening to such pearls of wisdom as, "Always remember to number the pages of your brief." Duh. After 21 years, I need to hear this? Another gem: Don't single space. Arghhhhhhh!

The silver linings were two: I went with my friend Andrea, and we snickered together in the back row, and I brought my knitting. Hence, the scarf.

Yes, I did all this in one day. My hands were screaming, but it was the only thing keeping me in my seat. That's the other thing -- you have to sign in and sign out -- no leaving early, or all your credits are revoked. Like we're in detention!

So, unfortunately, I don't feel like I had a weekend off. I'm already grumpy about court tomorrow, but if it snows, I'll have a nice warm scarf to wrap around my neck.

Random Thursday

2006-10-19T13:27:00.000-05:00

Books on CD

Has anyone used any of the audio book rental programs out there? I'm always scouring the local library for good selections, and most often the ones I'd like aren't there, and the overall collection is pretty thin. So I checked on-line, and there are a few companies that operate a lot like "Netflix" -- for $ per month, you can have unlimited rentals, no late fees, pre-paid mailing envelopes.

I'm trying to justify spending 15-20 bucks a month on this and am wavering. I don't drive long distances (usually), but I hate FM radio, and I think I could copy the discs to my computer and/ipod to listen to places other than the car (and ... while knitting!). Then I add it up and say, "$240 a year for stuff I can get from the library?" And then my other voice says, "You work hard and have few vices (okay, ignore the stash)."

Arghhh. My sister would tell me just to do it. "You deserve it", I can hear her say.

So, if anyone has any experience with this stuff -- please let me know. I can't tell which site has the most books, and which might be the better deal. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Everyone into the Pool

I finally started knitting with the lovely yarn I bought at the Hemlock Fiber Fest. Here's a photo:

I've also decided to take the plunge and try to design the sweater myself. Just a basic pullover, raglan -- and I'm not sure about the ribbing/edging, so I did a provisional cast on with waste yarn.

160 stitches, joined in the round, and the first thing I notice is that each time around, the same colors come up in the same place. Pooling. So i quickly search the web, and some books at home, and decide to alternate rows with both ends of the skein -- 1 row from the center; 1 from the outside.

I've only done 4, but I'm wondering -- will this lead to stripes? Is this a bad thing? What are the rules? I may have a WIP photo tomorrow, depending on whether or not I fall asleep on the couch (again) tonight.

Waking early and School Bus Rant

Couldn't sleep past 4 this morning. I was wiiiide awake, and by 6 decided that if I was going to be tired later anyway, I might as well go to the office and get some work done. On the way in, I got stuck behind a few school buses (my usual time to drive in is around 8:15 -- this was 6:45).

School buses. That got me thinking -- most businesses run on 9-5, or 8:30 -5 time. Most employers don't expect their employees to wake up at 5:30 and be ready to roll at 7. So why do we expect our kids to function well by doing that? Especially teenagers, who seem to need sleep like I need yarn.

Wouldn't it make more sense to shift the school day to, say, 8:30 - 4? That would also make life easier for working parents, wouldn't it?

Just a thought ...

Okay, I'm about to fall face first into the keyboard with fatigue, but have to put on the game face and go to Court. One of my JDs made threatening remarks at school. Again. Hey! Maybe if he didn't have to get up so damned early! Think the Judge will buy it?

... nah :)

Not UFO's, FOs Scottie!

2006-10-18T09:49:00.000-05:00

Two FO's today -- the first is a scarf for TwinA, my own design. She's not sure about fringe, so I left it off, and can add later if she decides.

It's Lamb's Pride worsted, knit on 10's. Seed stitch on the sides, Trinity Stitch on the ends, and yer basic cables in the middle.

The second is the cutest baby hat ever! (can you tell I'm a 'ho for babies?) It's part of my hockey charity knitting : www.hockeyknitalong.blogspot.com, and adapted from the Bee Hive hat in S-n-B Nation. Now I want to do matching sox.

Well, it's almost 11 and all I've done so far at the office is surf the web. My boy turns 16 next week, and I'm going nuts trying to get him a special present -- of all 4, he's the only one who inherited the love of sci-fi and Star Trek gene. I'm looking all over for a cardboard standup of Mr. Data, to no avail. Worf is second ("Today would be a good day to die!" - it gets me every time). I'm close, and can't believe I'll be spending almost $40. Oh well. It's cheaper than buying him a car!

Muzak

2006-10-17T11:07:00.000-05:00

Fetching! With a few changes ...

Yarn: Brown Sheep

Needles: 6 dp

Pattern: Knitty

I added a crocheted edge on the top and bottom, and did one more row of cables on the top end. Love 'em!

In other news ... driving to the office today, listening to the radio, I became inspired. Why not have music in the waiting room? Like the very song I was listening to -- remember "Band of Gold"? Perfect! or maybe "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover?"

Suggestions from the matrimonial lawyers out there?

Hockey Hat in Progress

2006-10-15T09:55:00.000-05:00

The "Tooth" (as in Sabretooth) is wearing a baby hat, based on the bee hive pattern in S-n-B Nation. I plan to sew bee buttons on it for fun.

Tooth is very happy to be wearing the hat. Tooth is VERY happy indeed, with the Sabres 5-0 record. *victory dancing*

In other knitting news, I'm just finishing up my first "Fetching" from Knitty. I'll post a photo when they're both done -- soon I hope because, although I'm not suffering like my Buffalo brothers, it is getting cold here.

Uh oh, here goes that victory dance again! *********

I went to Buffalo once ...

2006-10-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

and it was closed! Seriously. Both my brothers live in Buffalo, and both are without power and not expected to be back on the grid until sometime next week! To torture them, I called each and made them listen to the coffee grinder as payback for years of little sister abuse! What a freak storm. So they're freezing, and I'm painting! This is the first coat of the living room, and the alcove that goes out to the deck. I had to go back to Home Depot twice to get the right shade of green. Why do things look so different in the store?

Here's last night's hockey hat -- a wild and crazy chemo cap for the local hospital.

It's loosely based on the sparkly hat from Stitch -n- Bitch, with flower shaped sequins.

Well, back to do the second coat. And rest up for tonight's game against the Rangers -- in true Buffalo style, the City may be in a state of emergency, but the puck will drop. Go Sabres!

Trial From Hell (almost)

2006-10-12T15:13:00.000-05:00

.... with the help of a very straight shooting Judge. I've been driving myself crazy the past 2 days, organizing exhibits, making testimony outlines, going over the facts in my head again and again, knowing that trial was a huge risk for my client.

So this morning, after I lug in two briefcases, set up all the exhibits on the counsel table, prep my client for cross, the Judge calls counsel back in the chambers.

Let me ask you this: when a judge says to you, "Counselor, I'd advise you to tell your client to take the settlement offer and run," that would be a good indication that the trial won't go your way, correct?

So I did. She took it. No trial. What a relief. So ... I came home and took a nap!

and tonight ... frog city. You guys are right, Twig and Carrie. If I hate it now, I'll hate it always.

ribbit

To Frog or Not to Frog

2006-10-11T09:47:00.000-05:00

Into the pond. Or not:

It's the Geometry Lessons shawlette/wrap from Vogue Knitting Spring. Finally finished it, in Cherry Hill Baby Loop. Hate it. I know blocking will make it more even, but I'm supposed to sew it together at the armholes, making a little "sleeve", and the back is too short, with those tails in front ...

So what do I do? I love the yarn, love the colors. Here's a close up:

I'd show you some bad photos of me trying it on (with metal binder clips serving as pins under the arms)

I've been toying with adding on, trying to make it into a triangle shape, or a rectangle ... or adding a border ...

Suggestions?

You probably won't believe this ...

2006-10-11T08:19:00.000-05:00

... but our toilet backed up this morning at the office. No shit. Actually, the reverse! Did I bring this on by my last post, she wonders?

The day can only improve ...

The difference between being a lawyer and a plumber

2006-10-10T18:33:00.000-05:00

Water, water everywhere. Just like:
My home town.

What does all that water have to do with the practice of matrimonial law, you ask? Well, it's like this: Plumbers deal with crap. Toilet crap. Clogged drain crap. Backed up sewer crap.

Divorce lawyers deal with emotional crap. He cheated on me. She took my baseball cards.

Same job, right? Wrong. Here's the difference -- if your toilet is backed up, you can't flush and the entire house smells like crap -- YOU DON'T TELL YOUR PLUMBER HE/SHE NEEDS TO WAIT TWO WEEKS TO GET PAID! (Was that me yelling?)

No, a plumber needs a check (cash preferred) in hand before the snake comes out. Or, the plumber walks away and says, "Sorry, that's not my crap to clean up."

Not so with lawyers. Case in point -- an ugly ugly case scheduled for trial, let's say this week. And let's also say, weeks ago you told the client he/she needed to come up with a trial retainer to pay for the intense preparation needed for trial, as well as a full day in Court. A week passes. No payment. The check is in the mail. Well, the check is for less than half the trial retainer when it arrives -- the amount you quoted for finishing the divorce IF THERE WAS A SETTLEMENT, which you strongly recommended due to the gaping holes in the case. (sorry, yelling again).

Trial is in 2 days. You know the Judge won't let you out for non-payment by your client at this late date. You feel like an ass. You realize that, despite 7 years of higher education, including law school, you are not as smart as a plumber.

Pass me a wrench, will you?

But ... not to ignore knitting, here are 2 Caps to the Capital, knit during the most recent Sabres games. Go Buffalo Go!

Five Things

2006-10-08T12:32:00.000-05:00

In the middle of my sleep deprived existence (read at 3:00 a.m.), I found myself thinking about things that go with knitting, and things that don't. So here's my list, with a disclaimer that I may be suffering from sleep deprivation hallucinatory thoughts --

So, knitting and

1. Hockey. Okay, of course I'd say that. But it works. During tense moments, I knit faster. During really tense moments, I look down at my project, with one tiny peek at the t.v. screen. It can't be a complicated pattern though, or one that will fly off the needles when thrown off the lap for a victory dance.

2. Watching children sleep. It's been a while, but I fondly remember sitting in the twins' room, rocking and knitting, seeing the little cherubs quiet at last.

3. Drinking Guiness in an Irish Pub. The highlight of my knitting life. No one gave me strange looks, and every time I wear the shawl I made during that trip, I can taste that creamy goodness.

4. Groups. I just love to get together with other knitters, whether one or twenty. There's a loose collection of us that gathers at a local coffee shop every Sunday, and I've been trying to imagine a cool name for us.

Q: "What did you do this weekend?' "
A: "Oh, got together with my knitting crew."

-- knitting posse? gang of knitters? needle wielders?

5. Train rides. I've been known to extend the length of my trip just to feel the train sway back and forth, look out the window, and knit. Flying just isn't as knitting-friendly -- narrow seats, no room for the knitting bag, fear that knitting needles will suddenly and without notice go the way of toothpaste and cosmetics.

and not

1. Snacks. Try as I might, I just can't figure out how to eat popcorn and knit. Maybe if someone would feed me ... But, there is an upside -- it stops me from digging right into that evil bag of Doritos if I have sox in my hands.

2. Movies. I can't do it in the dark.

3. Driving. I would if I could, believe me. (Note: this does not apply to being a passenger, but then I do have to suffer through DH's driving habits).

4. Sleep. See answer to #3, except for the reference to DH.

5. Blogging. Can't type and knit at the same time! Hmm, could try typing with toes ...

So, those are my thoughts -- feel free to respond with answers of your own!

We Shoot ... We Score!!!!!

2006-10-05T13:19:00.000-05:00

I am so thrilled at Twig's (www.mapleontheweb.com) genius in setting up the Hockey Knitter's Knitalong. I can already tell it's going to be loads of fun, with good natured (not) rivalry :) especially between certain teams.

Dallas? Dead to Me. Forever. "No Goal" -- remember the foot in the crease?

And if forced, I'll root for any other Eastern Division team NORTH of the Mason-Dixon Line, no matter how many MDL warshcloths I might make. A hockey team in Florida? Give me a break.

In the famous last three words of the national anthem of our Canadian friends, those gentle giants to the north, "Drop the Puck"!

Another Fine Mess ...

2006-10-05T08:35:00.000-05:00

... the yarn cabinet. Will I organize it? ever? Will I make something wonderful out of all those random skeins?

Suggestions gratefully accepted.

Tower O' Yarn

2006-10-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

What fun I've had! Winding winding winding. This is only half of what I made into those little birthday cakes of yarn. My only regret is that I didn't get a swift and winder before this. No skein will stop me now!

Oh, and the yarn is that wonderful stuff I bought last year in Ireland -- heathery colors, thick -- a little scratchy -- now it only needs to tell me what it wants to be when it grows up!

And the Knitpicks Options? Love 'em. I don't find them to be too heavy at all, unlike Ms. Grumperina. The pointy ends are just right, and the join is smooth. I envision buying more -- maybe the 13 and 15's, and longer cables. I also picked up a pair of size 3 dps for heavier socks, and those are good too, although a tad too long for my comfort. I really prefer shorter sock needles, but have only been able to find them in wood -- the Brittany's, I think.

My biggest dilemma is what to knit first! The yummy alpaca/wool blend I got at the Hemlock Festival, or wrist/handwarmers (it is getting a little cool on my morning walks), maybe a hat ...

WARNING: HOCKEY RANT TO FOLLOW

I know it's a cliche, but ... so much yarn, so little time. EXCEPT ....
NHL Season starts on Wednesday!!!! Hurray!! And my Sabres are looking good. Well, if you totally ignore the new "third jersey". What a crock! What a marketing ploy! What an ugly Buffalo! You can check it out at www.sabres.com, but be prepared. At first I thought it was one of the Pittsburg jerseys -- dark blue almost black, yellowy-orange. What happened to going back to the traditional royal blue and orange. And, more importantly, where are the crossed sabres? On the shoulder? Give me a break. Actually, give me a cross-check.

Anyway, 83 games in the regular season. 83 evenings on the couch, knitting away. Drop that puck!

A long and winding road

2006-09-30T18:19:00.000-05:00

No photos. No time. I'm winding!

I love the swift and winder. All the lovely yarn I bought in Ireland last year is creating a "tower" of wound skeins. And the new alpaca/wool from the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Fest. I'm in heaven. It's knittiner Knirvana.

More tomorrow -- hopefully with photos. And I haven't even mentioned the Options needles!

It's Christmas!

2006-09-28T15:37:00.000-05:00

My Knitpicks box arrived -- Options, yarn winder, swift!!! I just want to go home and play. Think the Judges will understand? After all, it's knitting!

Tame(r) Tuesday

2006-09-26T17:12:00.000-05:00

No throbbing-vein Judges today; just Judges who don't mind keeping lawyers (and clients) waiting for over an hour for their pre-trial conference. Great idea, isn't it? Have both parties to a divorce wait outside a courtroom, staring at each other, shooting daggers with their eyes (no wait, that's the lawyers) for hours. I know why they have metal detectors at the courthouse door.

Anyway, here are the photos that wouldn't come through yesterday -- they have titles~

"When Good Yarn Goes Bad" or ... why I ordered the swift and winder.
It's lovely ribbon yarn from Cherry Hill, but a snarly mess. A winder probably wouldn't have helped, but a swift sure would!

"Chinese, Again?"
My unique way of making stash into coffee table art.

"She Came in Through the Bathroom Window"

... or, the color I painted our bathroom last week. The floor tile is going to be soft green. ribbit.

"Siamese on Shawl"
Need I say more?

Manic Monday

2006-09-25T14:34:00.000-05:00

I have all these wonderful photos, and Blogger won't let me post them. It's Monday.

And, as I am hoping a certain Family Court Judge doesn't read blogs, it is one hell of a Monday. This certain Judge has a habit of jumping down everyone's throat when he is in "a mood" -- lawyer, client, innocent Law Guardian (i.e. moi) and today was one of those days. His face turned red, the veins began to pop out ... and it just makes me ask one question --
I went to law school for this????

Of course, I was also asking myself that very same question this weekend when I was cleaning the refrigerator. Hmmm. Cleaning is not exactly the correct word. What would you call pouring boiling water on the bottom part (underneath the produce drawers) to loosen the hardened, unrecognizable goo that had little celery leaves stuck to it? It's not as bad as it sounds (okay it is); the goo was later determined to be maple syrup which turned out better than the toxic soup I originally thought it was. When good refrigerators go bad ....

So, no photos. No finished socks to post. No photo of blocking shawl with Siamese. Maybe tomorrow will be Terrific Tuesday.

Nah.

By popular request ...

2006-09-20T07:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, not popular -- here's a photo of Hourglass in situ. (The sweater is not really that "lumpy" or rumpled -- I think it's the way I was standing trying to get a photo in the mirror)

Don't you just love those Latin legal terms? My favorite is "nunc pro tunc". All you legal knitters out there, what the hell does it mean? I've used it, but have no idea why. Maybe it's time to invest in "Latin for Dummies".

So in the meantime, pro hoc vice. Or, certainly, res ipsa loquitor.

Have to go ... the folks with the white coats are here ...

At Last Glimpse ...

2006-09-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

your correspondent was throwing up and feeling achey. I'm pleased to report that the malaise abated within 24 hours, and was not related to the mixed green (with baby spinach -- oh, plucked from their mother's leafy arms!) salad I ate for lunch on Wednesday. I made my own toast (forced to, Twig) and tea, then rallied because Saturday was ... the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival!!!!!!!!!!! I braved the mud and clouds and had a great time. Almost needed CPR there was so much wonderful stuff.

This is one of my finds. It's 50/50 alpaca and wool, and will be a cardigan. I love the shading. It's hand-dyed, and came in three separate, yet joined, hanks from Ellen's Half-Pint in Vermont. What a hoot! It's run by at least two sisters, one older, one younger, who squabble just like me and my sib! So it will be a long and winding road, as I put it around the back of my office chair ... or (she said hoping for encouragement), I could invest in a swift and ball winder ...

And ... I finished it! The Hourglass from "Last Minute Knitted Gifts." It's knit in Katmandhu Aran, a lovely willow green (the color seems to have washed away in the photo) with flecks of brown and blue. Size 7 needles, and I altered the pattern two ways: Seed stitch cuffs and edges, and I made the sleeves narrower to start off, as I am rather thin of wrist. Not hips. Let's not go there ...

So the question is: To block or not to block? It fits perfectly now, and the yarn is soft and nubbly. Do I block just to see what difference it makes? Or wait until I wash it for the first time?

Here's a close up of the neck:

And, here's another Fiber Fest find: I'm making the Swallowtail Shawl from this Fall's IK in a violet alpaca fingering weight. I love it -- so soft, and the color cheers me right out of my menopausal blues. I've joined the KAL, but have yet to figure out how to put the button on this blog.

So that's all the knitting news for now; back to the legal grit and grind.

Hone sick

2006-09-15T14:24:00.000-05:00

Law & Order re-runs, flat Dr. Pepper, saltines ... and I'm too dizzy and achey to knit. Why was staying home sick more fun when we were kids?

Mom would bring out the t.v. tray, make Jello, and cinnamon toast. Even if I felt like crap, I felt pampered. Now, with my hair sticking up on one side like a deformed rooster, and crusty things in the corners of my eyes, I just want to crawl under a rock.

back to the couch ...