heylucy

lots going on

A lot has been going on since I last updated, but because I've been so busy I've also been just way to tired to post anything. And because some of that busy-ness involved working on computers, I really didn't want to sit at the computer and write an entry.

I didn't making it to the spinning class, it was nearly 6:00 when I left the pharmacy with some drugs that ended up making me into a groggy zombie. The next Wednesday I had to finish up editing the Valley Views, so I couldn't go then either. I decided that spinning will have to wait until the Fall session. And I decided that I need to eliminate some stress from my life. So I think the next issue of the Valley Views will be my last. Last October I had Shingles, which is just an unpleasant experiance, and it seems that whenever I start feeling a lot of stress and don't get enough rest I still get some residual pain in the areas where I suffered the most nerve damage. For me it's mostly the back of my left hand, the left side of my forehead and the left side of my back where the rash was. It's annoying and I don't have time for that kind of crap. Stupid Shingles. /end of whining.

In happy, creative news, I finished the blanket! Hallelujah! I'm never making another one. It is nice, though. Now to try and make it to the post office to send it off. There exists a 'late-mailer' gene, and it's dominant in my family. We are never able to mail gifts and things in a timely fashion. I'm trying to overcome this gene, but I'm afraid it's a losing battle.

Now that I'm free for other things, I'm back to working on Salt Peanuts in earnest, as well as a pair of baby booties and my first ever socks (using Wendy's Toe-up pattern). I'll post pictures later.

Since I have ADD, I also decided to make some quilts this year. I'm well underway on the first one:

It's just a simple patchwork for the guest house. I just want a small quilt to fold up at the end of the bed. I'll hand quilt 1/4" inside each square, and that will be that. It may be plain, but do you see how nicely I matched all my corners?

The other quilts in the planning stages are for the living room, which is going to be my next decorating project once I finish the kitchen (I just have to paint those darn chairs). More on these two quilts later. I can say that I just got this fabric to slipcover my two wing chairs, which are currently white (2 cats + 2 dogs + 1 husband who likes to work in the yard + white furniture=not a good idea).

I love it!

spinning

A local adult education program has a spinning class starting tonight and for the next 5 Wednesdays! And the fee is only $22! I so want to go, but I pinched something in my upper back, and I'm not sure if I'll make it. I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon in the hopes that I'll get some good drugs, because right now this sucks. The pain is shooting up my neck and down my right arm and I can't really get comfortable or accomplish much. Blech.

Little Yellow Monsters and Other Things

I was extraordinarily productive this weekend. I was on such a roll, I wish I'd had another couple days. First I made a friend for my nephew:

His name is Mort, and he will be in the mail tomorrow along with the sweater. I'm thinking I'll make a few more of these, I sketched a bunch of different ones, and he came out just like the sketch I chose. I love it when that happens. He's made of wool felt and a little embroidery floss and a couple buttons. Simple and fun to make!

I also finished my last kitchen curtain:

The one on the right is the one I finished Saturday, the one on the left was finished some time last year. I procrasitinate occasionally. It's so good to have the hideous mini-blinds out of there, real curtains make such a difference. And these were the bargain of the year, since I got the floral fabric from the remnent pile at Calico Corners. Original price? $49.95/yard! My price? 75% off! ($12.50 for the math-impaired). It's a linen/cotten blend. I love me some linen.

I also scrubbed the kitchen clean, saw "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkeban" and knitted more of the boring blanket (I'm about to start on skein 5 of 6! Hallelujah, the end is in sight).

I did not, however, get my giant pile of laundry folded. It wasn't my fault, however, as Gigi, the cross-eyed kitty was guarding it for most of the weekend (here she's on top of the boring blanket as well):

And lastly, I spent a some time outside, puttering in my little garden:

The man is in charge of most of the yard, but I have my little corner and my big pots of herbs. Bear likes to stand right next to us when we work in the yard. Even when it's 90 degrees out, I have warm dog leaning in to me at all times.

Yay knitting, yay dogs

Today's title brought to you in honor of Carrie. There was controversy in the knitting blog world yesterday, which is not a phrase I ever thought I'd utter. People are silly and it's too bad some of them need to be just mean. Didn't their mother's ever tell them that if they can't say something nice, just keep yer trap shut?

I have big projects planned for the weekend, so come back soon for lots of pictures. Meanwhile, I'm finally getting myself together and packing up the nephew sweater to send. I didn't want his big sisters to feel left out, however, so I made them some funny hats from the Mission Falls 'Just Kidding' book:

I also picked up some yellow-gold wool felt yesterday, and am working on my own version of an ugly doll for my nephew. Boys are fun :o)

button button

I seem to have a lot of time on my hands for playing with my weblog the last few days. I don't really, but I am anyway. I made myself some buttons:

Next task: add to my links list, and include buttons from blogs that have them. If you like reading about what I've been making, be sure to check out the other knitters on my list-there's lots of great knitting going on out there!

Another Farmers Market Bag

Check out Carrie's Farmers Market Bag! I love it, and when I forget what a pain in the butt it was, I want to make one in muted colors like hers.

I forgot to mention that the Man of the House (aka mr. lucy), has firmly stated that he will not be seen with me when I wear my fuzzy scarf. He usually likes the things I make, but has an unexplainable aversion to fuzzy pink scarves. I don't get it. Ah, well, I'll mostly be wearing it at work, where the interior tempurature is often in the 60's.

Also, the much anticipated Knitty Surprise is up!

New New New!

That's right, I have something else to talk about now, besides the boring blanket and the Farmer's Market Bag! Much Muench Bergamo arrived on Friday, and I had to start knitting almost immediately! I started with a sleeve, and so far, so good. I'm right on gauge and it's going smoothly so far. The color is a little darker than I thought it would be, and honestly, I'm not crazy about it, being more of a pink or red or blue person (if I'm not wearing black or white, those are the colors that look good on me). I know I'm going to like this sweater anyway, and the purple is flattering and will go with lots of stuff, so I can live with it. I'd never ordered from Elann before, but I'm impressed, my yarn was ordered Tuesday morning and arrived in Friday's mail! And it was 60% off! I'll definitely be back for more.

I had to stop by my LYS for a cable needle, and well, since I was there I had to look around, right? I was completely distracted by the a ball of Crystal Palace Whisper and sitting right next to it, a ball of GGH Sombrero. They insisted on coming home with me to become a fuzzy scarf, modeled here by Bear, who unfortunetely now also comes to attention when you say the word "Stupid". I think he is very nearly the cutest dog ever (tied, of course with one Reggie).

Cool/Smart

I sat down tonight, and instead of knitting on the most boring throw blanket ever (which is, thankfully past the halfway point), I figured out how to add books and cd's to that right column over there. Pretty nifty! Okay, so it wasn't that hard, it just took a little time. I wonder if there is a way to archive my book list? hmmm. I will have to investigate. I try to write down all the books I read, but I keep forgetting. It's a nice record to have. The cd's will simply be whatever is in my car cd changer, and so you can see what a geek I really am. I'm not always a geek, sometimes I listen to cool stuff, but mostly I'm a geek.

Finally!

At last, here are the pictures of my Farmer's Market bag.
Before Felting:

And After Felting:

It was definitely the most challanging thing I've knitted so far. It's a little lumpy after felting, which is mostly my fault, as I had to go pick up a pizza shortly after putting it in the washing machine. I should have checked more often, but after the first wash cycle, it hadn't felted a whole lot, so I put it in for a second cycle. Also, it shrank more width-wise than length-wise, so it's a little more deep and narrow than I was expecting. I also don't much care for the orange flecks, which I wasn't sure about when I was doing them (duplicate stitch), and so I only did them on one side. I may try to take them off, but I'm not sure if it will work or not. I have gotten lots of compliments on it though, from complete strangers, even. It's great for toting around lots of stuff, including knitting, and my knitting needles don't poke through.

Since I've finished a couple of things lately, I treated myself to yarn for Salt Peanuts and even joined a knit-along, my first ever!
I finally decided to go with 'Hyacinth' (a nice lavender), because I've been doing a lot of knitting in blues and pinks, and my first choice, Mulberry, was all sold out. Now I just have to wait for my yarn to get here :o).

My parents were in town for the weekend, so we went up to Julian on Saturday. We walked all over the place, and hit a book sale and a craft show and took home an apple pie, of course!

Later this week Cary will be in town for a house concert. This is pretty cool, even if it is just from a small town newspaper. It's funny the little pockets of fans he has. He's pretty big in Ann Arbor and St. George and Southern Virginia. Not so much in San Diego (yet), but one day you'll hear him on the radio!