I Can Video!

I recently discovered the video function on my digital camera. The feature is nothing elaborate, but I did take some exciting footage of foliage!

When we first moved into this duplex, the backyard was a dirt-clod garden. Over the past five years, I have gradually introduced plant-life into the ecosystem. You know what? Green looks good in the backyard!



It's no Garden of Eden, but it's a definite improvement!

**Disclaimer**
This blog is not legally responsible for any physiological reactions to a really boring video. Side effects may include drowsiness or subsequent loss of consciousness.

Completed Knits

Even though I live in sunny Sunnyvale, California, my hands get icy-cold in the winter. The thermostat at work and home stays low, so I knit myself a variety of fingerless mitts. Here are my most recent:

Symmetrical Braided Gauntlets by Rachel Calado
Knit with Cascade Cash Vero. Niiiiiiice!

Irish Hiking Wristwarmers
Knit with Patons Shetland Chunky

Knitty's Dashing I originally made the Dashing for my husband, but he said he's never wear them. That's cool, that's cool. They have a home with "moi".

This is my officially favorite hat. It's a slouchy version of Knitty's Foliage, but I like this one better than my previous one (see past blog entries) because I knit the brim longer--I like this feature. My only regret is that I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease. No disrespect for those who have lots of acrylic-love, it's just that whenever I wear the hat, I literally can hear the "squeak" of the acrylic! Seriously! Why are petroleum derivatives talking to me??


A cabled mini-scarf with golden-copper buttons. The yarn is Malabrigo chunky. *Sigh*. Love this yarn!
My first shawl: Lala's Simple Shawl
Knit with Moda Dea Cache. This yarn made for an interesting texture.

I've Got A Hemmy (And I Don't Own A Dodge)

It's been 3 whole months since I've written an entry. 3 whole months! Between work and school I have not made the time to blog. At all.

But I'm taking time out today to chronicle a significant event in my life. I have a hemorrhoid. My first. And I feel like crying. I never thought I'd experience this ailment prior to hot flashes or a senior citizen discount.

After work I went to Rite Aid and purchased this:

I did it with dignity and my head held high.

My daily routine requires me to do A LOT of sitting, so my friend Debbie suggested I purchase one of these:


I appreciate the subtle color. It will blend right in at work.

And speaking of work...this inflatable cushion? I'm sitting on it now, and it does work. (Sigh)

Thanks for the Hemmy advice Deb!!

Proud Mother of 3 Hats, a Hairband, and 1 iPod Cozy

I've been kniiiitting!

Spiral Hat from 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders

Natty

by Wendy Bernard @ Knit and Tonic

Foliage

iPod Cozy

I made this pattern up on my own for my new 3rd generation Nano. I knitted this up in Patons wool, felted it, and then ironed on appliques and sewed on a 30" icord. I like how it turned out way more than I expected!

10 Year Anniversary

On Friday, July 11th, Larry and I celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary. We spent a relaxing weekend in Half Moon Bay. We love the place! It feels like we're "getting away", but it doesn't take long to get there. Perfect! Plus, it was soooooooo nice and cool! It had been 95 degrees all week long in San Jose, and Half Moon Bay was a merciful 68 degrees.

I purchased some be-yoo-tiful Malabrigo at Fengari Fiber Arts in downtown Half Moon Bay.

Okay, so the pic doesn't really do the color justice (this kinda looks like the "end" result of someone who went on a spinach-binge). But trust me, this yarn is a gorgeous olive color, and I am going to make a bitchin' sweater out of it (okay, well "bitchin'" in direct relation to my skill-set).

I also took some photos of pretty flowers. Would you like to see the pretty flowers? Well, here they are...

New Outfit

Many of you have been clamoring for a new post. It's been a couple of weeks since my last one, so I apologize for the neglect. I hope your Fourth was a good one! Larry and I bought Callie a new outfit (collar) the other day at Purrsnickity in Los Gatos. Isn't it preeeetty? Every collar we have gotten for Miss Callie Jo has never quite "worked" with her personality and coloring. This one is juuuust right! It's pink 'cause she's girlie, and has silver stars 'cause she's all about the "spirit fingers".

I use a Memory Foam incline pillow for my bad back (it helps). However, there are others in the household **ahem! (Dudley) ahem!** who use it more than I.

Molly uses Secret Service inspired tactics of intimidation (the laser-stare-of-death) to rid her couch of interlopers. Poor Dudley, he's so susceptible to her alpha-cat ways: he eventually gets off. Sammy, on the other hand, manages to ignore her.
My recent knitting projects:
My pre-felted iPod cosy. I will add some iron-on appliques and an i-cord necklace. I'll post it when I'm done.

Aaaaand...my soon to be finished first sweater!!

The yarn is an awesome-ly soft wonder from Plymouth yarns. It's 50/50 silk and merino...AND I GOT IT 50% OFF (at my local LYS)!!!

Something Evil This Way Comes...

Callie Jo is the youngest member of our household. She is not a complicated soul. Her needs are simple: an infrequent snack of canned, wet food, a sizable right breast to knead her "biscuits" on and a fluffy feather toy to chase.

Callie also enjoys her various scratching apparatuses:

...and the intermittent brown paper bag...

But Callie Jo's existence is not as idyllic as it seems. There is a lurking Entity that stalks her unceasingly. It is the face of Oreo-Cookie-Cuteness. It...is a Tuxedo. And it wants no part of the Calico interloper. But said Tuxedo can be distracted (temporarily) by this:

And if the above temptations fail to work, we take solace in the fact that at least they're both getting exercise.

My Noro Scarves

My sister died, unexpectedly, last year on the day before Thanksgiving. One of the first (coherent) things I did, after the initial blow, was to buy 2 beautiful skeins of Noro Silk Garden. All I knew was that I needed color-therapy. It was very therapeutic to focus on the gorgeous color scheme that developed on my needles.

The pattern was a free one that I found on the web, it looks like a whale tail. I placed the scarf down to take photos of my process, but I have another fiber-phile in the house who wanted to be included in the picture.

The scarf below is also knitted with Noro Silk Garden. The pattern is from one of the Stitch 'n Bitch books. Callie Jo thought it was an adequate background to showcase her beauty. (I agree with her).

3-Day Weekend!

I took today off because I've been suffering with nasty back-aches and migraines this week. Between school and work I sit a lot on my bum (where else would I sit?) and all this sitting contributes to my chronic migraines.

So this morning I got up at 7:30 a.m. and did stuff around the house to prepare for a weekend of "post-spring" cleaning (woo-hoo...). THEN at 2:00 p.m. I had me a deep-tissue massage, ahhhhhhh....

It was a good massage, given to me by the teensiest masseuse I've ever had. I mean, this wee girl was barely 5 feet tall and barely 95 pounds. Her technique was good, but I have tension and I needed more pressure, so I requested it. Her response felt like, "You want more??" She wasn't rude, but I got the feeling she was already putting everything she had into it...so I felt somewhat guilty. She proceeded (with the increased pressure) and eventually started to huff and puff with the exertion. I felt even more guilty.

I learned today that guilt makes me tense up...not good for the back. So I considered eliminating guilt altogether from my life...but then I would become a sociopath and if I became a sociopath I would probably hurt people's feelings and just thinking about that makes me feel bad...

Potential Knitting Convert

I am always looking for potential knitting converts. Isn't every passionate knitter? I mean, when you kinda eat, breathe and sleep something--you wanna help create/develop other possible enthusiasts (addicts).

Molly, for instance, has always shown an avid interest in my yarn. Unfortunately, that interest has never progressed much beyond her oral fixation with it.

Although she does wear the yarn well. Perhaps she's more of a model of fine hand-knits (as opposed to a creator of them). Someone's getting a knitted halter-top for her birthday...

Interweave Ascot and Ribbed Hand-Warmers

"Huckleberry Ascot" from Interweave's 2007 holiday edition. Knit here in Malabrigo silk and merino. Love the gold color (and it has bobbles on the ends)!

Ribbed hand-warmers in Manos silk and merino. Great fit! Pattern: http://www.dawnadcock.com/pdf/FingerlessmittensheadbandDawnAdcock.pdf

Hipster Hat by Ebony Butterfly

Awesome hat pattern I found on Craftster. Easy pattern. Here is the link: http://knitology.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/felicityv2.pdf

Cascade wool

Malabrigo!!