Friday, June 23, 2006

The Cat Days of Summer

Why should dogs get all the credit?
The weather has been so unbearable with the humidity. The thunderstorms are nice but they are not relieving the heavy air. I don’t have air conditioning so knitting has been sparse. So far Shapely top looks gigantic to me but gauge is dead on. I expected the front edge to be more curved too. Hey, if I don't like it, it can be ripped out and tried again. I’ve also started another Regia sock. Boy colors I call them, gray & tan stripes. It’s an all rain weekend so I should get some good progress on both in the next few days.
On the job front I have to say I really like it. It’s not a drudge to go in everyday like the last evil place was. Government work is completely new to me. I can understand now why laws and such take soooo long to pass. Nothing like business where you have a meeting and decisions get made and the project is filed. In government, you have an agenda, then a meeting, then approval of the meeting, then the approved approval has to be signed, (on archival paper of course!)then everyone gets a copy of the approved approval, THEN it gets filed. This can take up to two weeks. Amazing.
Ooo, thunder, here we go again! No Red Sox tonight! :' (

Sunday, June 18, 2006

The Birthday Box

It's a sister's birthday coming up and I'm creating a Birthday Box. Not a box with just one present but a birthday "stocking" if you will. A collection of goodies. Socks are one of the goodies. And I'm having to knit like the wind to get them to her on time. I suppose if I made the socks big enough I could have stuffed them for an actual stocking. Maybe next year. Regia is the yarn and I'm getting 9.5 sts to the inch.


Anyway, that's all that's on the needles this week. I've also taken advantage of the Non Rain situation here in New England and done more outside home owner stuff, trimming hedges, rhododendrons which of course means I have to make a trip to the (dump) transfer station. Blech. I did that last week and ended up with a knob on my forehead from the trunk lid clopping me. I'm fine, it's turned a lovely shade of chartreuse. The last place I want to be knocked out cold is the compost dump.
Shapely Top remains in a raw state ready to go.
Until next blog--Take care!

Friday, June 09, 2006

Ta-Da! Alert the Media-Kiwi Is Done!

Has it been a week already?! My how time flies. Let's get an update, shall we?


Yes, it's true. Kiwi is finished and ALL 19 buttons have been attached to a perfectly matched grosgrain ribbon. I'm very pleased and hope the weather stays cool a bit longer so I can wear it. We're back to rain rain rain here in New England. So much so I wanted to dry the house out a bit yesterday when I got home from work and went to the thermostat to run the furnace for a cycle and got nothing, zip, completely ignored by my command. I checked the oil, yup, still have plenty; the fuse, fine; the Emergency switch, no change. Call the furnace tech. Oh dear, it IS the Emergency switch--no juice. I can't wait to get that bill. That'll cut into the knitting budget.

The new job is going swell, at least I made it through week 2 without losing my composure. In fact I was quite pleased with my accomplishments. I'm not as brain dead as I thought.
Tonight is the Relay for Life in which I will do some strolling for the cause. I have the 11pm shift and I do hope to stay dry, this is New England though. I have a nice warm Aran to wear, no this is not a job for Kiwi. I think Kiwi will go to the office for her debut. See how the buttons are removable? Button holes on both sides. So let's review:
Cascade Yarn The Heathers-Kiwi
Size 6 needles
Gauge, gauge, what was the bloody gauge! Gone, and no I didn't write it down
Top down raglan
Finished size 38
Ribbing pattern borrowed from Wendy
Seed Stitch bands
Pearl buttons (with different button bands to follow, and no I haven't forgot about making the Fimo kiwi slices. I saw some leather buttons that would look nice too.)

Didn't take a pic but still working on the Mega Boot Stretch 2x2 rib socks. Next up on the needles: Shapely Top using Classic Elite Premiere in Tea Rose(though it looks more watermelon to me!)
'Til next time....

Thursday, June 01, 2006

It's Too Hot!

June 1st and the temp is up in the 90's for day 3, what is this, Georgia? Oh no, it's New England where as the saying goes, wait 15 minutes the weather will change...well come on baby your 15 minutes has come and gone. Enough whining, on for our regularly scheduled program.
















It's Kiwi in progress with the second sleeve slooooowly getting longer. Are you asking about buttons? Here's my idea: Buttons made from Fimo clay that look like slices of kiwi! Don't forget, I will be doing button hole bands on BOTH sides so I can have interchangeable button strips to attach and match my mood. Have I ever worked with Fimo clay? Noooo, but that's never stopped me. Maybe a strip of pearl buttons and something plain, you know, for Those Days.

Speaking of one of those days, I mentioned I started a new job. Well, on day three I had a total meltdown, WHAT-HAVE-I-DONE-GET-ME-OUTTA-HERE meltdown. Ya had to be there. Of course I feel like a bloomin' idiot now but they tell me I'll be fine, and I will. I'm just one of those people that thinks I have to know everything about the job in one day. I have to get over that. This job is going to take months to comprehend. Let's work on my patience, shall we?