Runs With Needles

A little bit of everything: some knitting, the sky, cats, a minor change, a request for help and a feast.

I want to thank everyone for your wonderful compliments on my Log Cabin blanket. It was all enough to make me blush. I do appreciate everyone taking the time to comment.

The squares will be winging their way to Samantha tomorrow:



I'm really horrible at knitting a perfect 8" x 8" square, so I hope Samantha can use them all.

The second Log Cabin blanket is coming along:




I started a new blanket:




A fast moving storm went through this afternoon. This storm was dropping golf ball sized hail to the east of here:




Parker and Romeo are the animal stars of this post:




I've changed my blog comments from requiring word verification to requiring my approval. I find it difficult to read some of the word verification 'words', so decided to make it easier on folks by approving comments instead. I hate having to do this, but I got spammed into oblivion the last time I left my comments wide open.

To those of you who blog, I'd like to ask your opinion of the different blogging services. I've thought about leaving Blogger for awhile now and am trying to decide where I would go. I have a pretty good idea, but wanted to solicit feedback from those of you who use different services.

If you blog and don't use Blogger, who do you use and do you like them? Why or why not? If you've tried someone else and not liked it, I'd like to know that, too. I prefer a free service, but would consider a low priced option.

I may not leave Blogger (frankly, I'm quite lazy and it's work to set up a blog), but want to find out about the options that are out there.

It's nearly Friday, so it's time for Friday’s Feast:

Appetizer
What are some lyrics you have misheard (such as, instead of "Gettin' Jiggy With It" you heard "Kick a chicken with it")?
Like so many other people, I thought the chorus to Blinded By The Light was "Racked up like a douche, Another lover in the night".

Soup
What is the worst movie you have ever seen?
This a three way tie.

In no particular order:
The Island of Dr. Moreau: This was part of a New Year's Eve moviefest many years ago. I didn't know anything about the movie, but it had Brando, so it had to be good, right? Wrong! It was just horrific. I still don't know what the plot of this movie was supposed to be. I fell asleep about an hour into it.

Mr. Jones: Another movie that I still don't understand. My mom and I rented it and about 20 minutes into it we looked at each other and said, "This movie sucks!" and we turned it off.

Eyes Wide Shut: I watched this entire movie and I'll never get those hours of my life back. I'm still bitter. This movie was one big wtf? As I was watching it, I thought the movie sucked and made no sense, but I hoped it would get better. It never did.

Salad
Using the letters from your favorite number, write a sentence. Example: Tomorrow has really easy experiences.
Lame question. Next!

Main Course
What was the most interesting news story you have heard this week?
Scientists have made a huge discovery in the treatment of melanoma. Their rate of success is very low, but it's quite a step forward.

Dessert
Which word(s) would you choose to describe your wardrobe?
Dull and predictable.

It's a windy night here in Colorado. I love sleeping with the window open on windy nights. I'm going to sleep well tonight. Look how hard the wind is blowing:

posted by Kathy at 8/31/2006 08:20:00 PM | 3 comment(s)

Drumroll, please.....

What: My first Log Cabin blanket
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease, more details below
Needles: 8
Pattern: Inspired by Mason Dixon Knitting.
Lesson Learned: None. I adore this method of making blankets.
Destination: Warm The World.

From corner to corner, the blanket is 50.5”.

I used the following colors of Cotton Ease: Banana Cream, Popsical [sic] Blue, Pineapple, Sugarplum, Blueberry, Cherry Red, Pistachio, Orangeade, Candy Blue, and Bubble Gum.

I started with one skein of each color and had this much left over:



I’m very happy with how this blanket turned out. Even though it got a bit tedious near the end, I loved knitting it.

The Shepherds are a bit tougher to impress:





Last night it was stormy and I snapped this shot out the back door:

posted by Kathy at 8/27/2006 06:59:00 PM | 12 comment(s)

Saturday full of sky and yarn.

Saturday Sky:






This morning, Felicia, MJ and I had a yarn swap. Here's the yarn that was up for grabs:



All of this yarn found a new home, except for one skein. Can you guess which one?

MJ and Felicia also donated to my Warm The World yarn stash:



Also this morning I finished the square from hell:



I briefly considered tossing it into the fire. However, I didn't and as soon as I get the squares washed they'll be winging their way to Samantha.

On the way home today my car hit a milestone:



I bought this car in October of 2003, when it had 24,000 miles on it. I hit 100K sooner than I expected.

I drive too much.

posted by Kathy at 8/26/2006 04:34:00 PM | 4 comment(s)

Make the lambs stop screaming.

I'm halfway there.



Moving on....

Friday's Feast!

Appetizer
If you could have a free subscription to any magazine, which one would you like to have?
Hmmm. I love magazines so this is a tough one. If I had to choose one magazine, it would probably be Interweave Knits.

Soup
Describe your living room (furnishings, colors, etc.).
Can I cheat and just post a picture?


It's pretty basic: rental property beige carpeting accented by rental property white paint on the walls. Those are blue sheets masquerading as slipcovers. My ex-husband thought it would be a good idea to buy a corduroy couch (with three dogs!) and the sheets are the only way I can keep the couch clean. Dog hair is nearly impossible to get off the corduroy. I decided to keep the couch when I lost the husband because it really is the most comfortable couch I've ever owned.


Salad
What does the shape of a circle make you think of?
The lyrics to Windmills Of Your Mind. Seriously. When I was in elementary school we sang this song for a choir performance. I remember being hypnotized by the song and ever since then when I see a circle I think of that song.

Main Course
Name 3 things in your life that you consider to be absolute necessities.
I'll leave out the obvious (air, food, water,health, pets) and go with: my car (since I live 25+ miles from town), my computer and knitting.

Dessert
What was the last really funny movie you watched?
I can't remember. Lately I've been watching mostly documentaries and serious movies.

I was driving home from work yesterday and saw this:



When I tumbled out of bed this morning I saw this:



I am NOT a morning person, but sunrises like this ease the pain of being up so early.

I am so happy the weekend is almost here.

So is Kishka.

posted by Kathy at 8/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | 3 comment(s)

I'm just not that into you.

Like many knitters, I was entranced when I discovered the Mason Dixon book . This was a surprise to me because the Mason Dixon blog has never held my interest.

The book, however, is another story. I love the photography and the patterns, while quite simple, charmed me. I immediately cast on two Log Cabin blankets and fell in love with the mindless garter stitch and oodles of color possibilities.

I expected to have a similar reaction to the warshrag. With great anticipation (and a nice stash of cotton within my reach), I cast on for my first warshrag a week ago.

Tonight, I looked at the warshrag



and admitted that I'm just not that into this pattern.

I can't even pinpoint the reason. The pattern is interesting, yet simple, and has an endless array of color options. However, I've been knitting it for a week and am not even halfway finished. My four other squares for Samantha have been completed in two days or less. At this rate, the little warshrag won't be finished until Thanksgiving.

I'm going to finish it, send it off to Samantha and then move on to something else. Perhaps I'll discover the charm of this pattern in the future, but for now it's just not for me.

The dogs look pretty bored, too.

posted by Kathy at 8/22/2006 10:17:00 PM | 5 comment(s)

Knitting right along

The sweater is coming along nicely:



Does this look big enough for a one year old? It's looking small to me, but then again ~ babies are small. :)

The sunset tonight was spectacular:










Thank you to everyone who stopped by to welcome (No Longer Blogless) MJ to the blogging world. I know she was pleased to receive so many comments. :)

posted by Kathy at 8/21/2006 11:46:00 PM | 7 comment(s)

Activation of the Blog Alert System

We interrupt this blog to bring you a special announcement:

Blogless MJ is no longer blogless!!!

If you have a moment, please stop by and welcome her to the blogosphere.

She's still getting unpacked and fixing up the place, but I know you'll love seeing her wonderful knitting!

posted by Kathy at 8/21/2006 02:47:00 PM | 2 comment(s)

Sunset, a sweater and dogs (of course)

A gorgeous end to a rainy weekend:



Even the northern clouds were beautiful:




Also tonight, the dogs plotted their escape:




Max struck a pose:




Samantha picked a very dangerous spot to sleep:




And finally, my first sweater:



I'm still unsure about this whole thing, but Blogless MJ promises that it's going to turn out.

posted by Kathy at 8/20/2006 11:20:00 PM | 1 comment(s)

Sky, knitting and dogs for Saturday

The fifth square is coming along:




Earlier today, with Blogless MJ holding my hand, I cast on my first sweater:




It was a stormy and cool day here in Colorado. I spent most of the day knitting and napping and the dogs spent it relaxing:

posted by Kathy at 8/19/2006 11:35:00 PM | 0 comment(s)

No knitting included.

I love Colorado.

I love driving to work and seeing this:



The sky in Colorado is the prettiest I've ever seen.




I love Colorado Springs.

One reason I love the Springs is because of the flowers:





These flower beds are all over the city. They are planted and maintained by volunteers.


I've titled this picture "When Elderly Dogs Fight":



Max is already on his keister and Samantha ended up on hers just after I snapped the picture.

It was an evening of just missing funny moments on camera.

A second after I took this picture:



Max rolled right off the couch.

He says, "Prove it."




It's Friday, that means it's time to feast:


Appetizer
What color is your car?
Dark Green


Soup
If you could wake up tomorrow with full training in another occupation and a job in that field, what would it be?
Wildlife Biologist


Salad
How many times in your life have you had the flu (or something similar)?
Not very often. Only once or twice.


Main Course
What is something that has happened to you this week that you didn't expect?
My insomnia has returned. Ugh.


Dessert
How old were you when you had your first kiss?
17.

posted by Kathy at 8/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | 4 comment(s)

Slacking

Yes, I'm slacking. This meme has been all over blogworld and everytime I see it I go through the list in my head and check off everything I've done. I decided to finally just post the damn thing.

Things about me, I have. . . (I've done the items in bold.)

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink

02. Swam with wild dolphins

03. Climbed a mountain

04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive

05. Been inside the Great Pyramid

06. Held a tarantula

07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone

08. Said 'I love you' and meant it

09. Hugged a tree

10. Bungee jumped

11. Visited Paris

12. Watched a lightning storm at sea

13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise

14. Seen the Northern Lights

15. Gone to a huge sports game

16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa

17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

18. Touched an iceberg

19. Slept under the stars

20. Changed a baby's diaper

21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon

22. Watched a meteor shower

23. Gotten drunk on champagne

24. Given more than you can afford to charity

25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

27. Had a food fight

28. Bet on a winning horse

29. Asked out a stranger

30. Had a snowball fight

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can

32. Held a lamb

33. Seen a total eclipse

34. Ridden a roller coaster

36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking

37. Adopted an accent for an entire day

38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment

39. Had two hard drives for your computer

40. Visited all 50 states

41. Taken care of someone who was drunk

42. Had amazing friends

43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country

44. Watched wild whales

45. Been mistaken for a celebrity

46. Backpacked in Europe

47. Taken a road-trip

48. Gone rock climbing

49. Midnight walk on the beach

50. Gone sky diving

51. Visited Ireland

52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love

53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them

54. Visited Japan

55. Milked a cow

56. Alphabetized your cd's

57. Pretended to be a superhero

58. Sung karaoke

59. Lounged around in bed all day

60. Posed nude in front of strangers

61. Gone scuba diving

62. Kissed in the rain

63. Played in the mud

64. Played in the rain

65. Gone to a drive-in theater

66. Visited the Great Wall of China

67. Started a business

68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken

69. Toured ancient sites

70. Taken a martial arts class

71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight

72. Gotten married

73. Been in a movie

74. Crashed a party

75. Gotten divorced

76. Gone without food for 5 days

77. Made cookies from scratch

78. Won first prize in a costume contest

79. Ridden a gondola in Venice

80. Gotten a tattoo

81. Rafted the Snake River

82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"

83. Got flowers for no reason

84. Performed on stage

85. Been to Las Vegas

86. Recorded music

87. Eaten shark

88. Had a one-night stand

89. Gone to Thailand

90. Bought a house

91. Been in a combat zone

92. Buried one of your parents

93. Been on a cruise ship

94. Spoken more than one language fluently

95. Performed in Rocky Horror.

96. Raised children

97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour

98. Created and named your own constellation of stars

99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country

100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking

103. Had plastic surgery

104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived

105. Wrote articles for a large publication

106. Lost over 100 pounds

107. Held someone while they were having a flashback

108. Piloted an airplane

109. Petted a stingray

110. Broken someone's heart

111. Helped an animal give birth

112. Won money on a T.V. game show

113. Broken a bone

114. Gone on an African photo safari

115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced

116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol

117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild

118. Ridden a horse

119. Had major surgery

120. Had a snake as a pet

121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours

123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states

124. Visited all 7 continents

125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

126. Eaten kangaroo meat

127. Eaten sushi

128. Had your picture in the newspaper

129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about

130. Gone back to school

131. Parasailed

132. Petted a cockroach

133. Eaten fried green tomatoes

134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey

135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read

136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

137. Skipped all your school reunions

138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

139. Been elected to public office

140. Written your own computer language

141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream

142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

143. Built your own PC from parts

144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

145. Had a booth at a street fair

146: Dyed your hair

147: Been a DJ

148: Shaved your head

149: Caused a car accident

150: Saved someone's life

posted by Kathy at 8/17/2006 05:20:00 PM | 0 comment(s)

Four down, one to go.

Earlier this year, I bought the coolest thing: this screen hangs in the doorway, so I can leave the back door open and bugs don't move into the house. This screen has made my life so much easier: the dogs have free reign to go outside/come inside whenever they wish.

Occasionally, Max gets 'barky'* and when he does that, I have to take drastic action:



The dreaded baby-gate-in-the-doorway trick.

If one of them sprouts an opposable thumb, I'm screwed.




* he goes outside and barks at everything: the wind, the leaves in the trees, EVERYTHING

posted by Kathy at 8/16/2006 11:06:00 PM | 1 comment(s)

Summertime

It was another rare cloudy day here in Colorado:



It's been a very relaxing evening, with a variety of activities...

Knitting, surfing and TV viewing:




Relaxing in a favorite chair:




Chewing on a favorite toy:




Personal grooming, the feline edition:




Lining up in the hallway:




Sleeping on my foot:




Looking very solemn, but very cute:




Surveying his kingdom:




Personal grooming, canine edition:




Progress on square four:




Progress on square five:

posted by Kathy at 8/15/2006 10:22:00 PM | 5 comment(s)

Belated Saturday Sky

I took pictures yesterday for Saturday Sky. However, somewhere in the midst of downloading, editing and uploading, the files became corrupted. So, you get Sunday Sky.

I spent all day yesterday out and about, so decided to kick back today and relax. So far, I've watched Dinner With Friends, The Philadelphia Story, and Witness. I've also started and finished a third square for Samantha:



I have to thank Blogless MJ for the yarn. She had a ton of this blue cotton in her stash and gave me a few balls to knit squares.

I have cast on for square #4 and will work on that tonight while catching up on Tivo'd episodes of Civil War Journal

A short time ago, I put the dogs outside and saw a full rainbow:

posted by Kathy at 8/13/2006 07:14:00 PM | 3 comment(s)

Let's feast!

I'm going to feast this week.

Appetizer
Tell about a toy you remember from your childhood.
My Sit 'n Spin. I used to love just spinning around and around as fast as I could. Then I would stand up and try to run across the room. (Little did I know that I would discover the same feeling in ~15 years after a night of drinking whiskey.)

Soup
If you could make one thing in the world absolutely free for everyone, what would it be?
Adequate and complete healthcare.

Salad
Approximately how many times per day do you think about your significant other?
N/A.

Main Course
What is something you believe in 100%?
My ability to survive anything that life tosses my way. If I survived 2004, I can survive anything.

Dessert
Name one thing you have done this week that you would consider a "good deed."
Hmmmm.....a darn good question. I don't think I have an answer. Have I really been totally selfish all week?

posted by Kathy at 8/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | 2 comment(s)

Knit gods, we have a problem.

The third square for Samantha is finished:



Yes, I frogged it.

I must have knit the pattern wrong because it didn't look like an innocent little leaf.

It looked like a pot leaf.

And I refuse to send Samantha a pot leaf square.

posted by Kathy at 8/10/2006 08:23:00 PM | 2 comment(s)

Instant gratification

Another square for Samantha is finished:




Out of all the spots they could pick to sleep, they chose to spoon:



How damn cute is that?

posted by Kathy at 8/09/2006 10:09:00 PM | 3 comment(s)

Drive by posting.

One square down and two more on the needles for Samantha:




My Samantha and I thank you for the good wishes and words of encouragement.

posted by Kathy at 8/08/2006 09:54:00 PM | 4 comment(s)

Saturday: It's not just for sky anymore.

It's for sky and cows.



I've been working on the Log Cabin blankets, but needed a break. Specifically, my fingers needed a break. The long logs were making my fingers stiffen up.

To provide some immediate gratification, I am knitting squares for Samantha:



That's the square for Samantha resting comfortably on my Samantha.

My almost deaf Samantha.

Samantha is 11 years old and has always been in good health. She has some minor arthritis, but has never shown her age; Up until the last few months.

Sam has always been my most obedient dog. She's the one I could control soley with my voice and even with the tone of my voice.

When Sam first started ignoring my commands, I thought she was just being stubborn. So I tested her. I sat behind her and whispered her favorite words in the world: "Do you want to go for a car ride?" Usually, this provoked unrestrained joy. This time, though, there was no response. She didn't even know I was behind her because she jumped when I touched her back.

In the grand scheme of things, a deaf dog is not a big deal. I would rather have her deaf than blind. I'm just making adjustments to accomodate her: no more letting her outside the fence (she used to hear the cars coming and steer clear), no more calling her to bed after I turn out the lights (I have to go and find her since she can't hear me calling her), no more sticking my head out the back door and calling her inside (if she's doesn't see me I have to go get her), etc. etc.

A deaf dog isn't a big deal.

It just makes me sad because it's a daily reminder that my precious girl is growing older.

posted by Kathy at 8/05/2006 10:51:00 PM | 5 comment(s)

Slow and steady knits the blanket.

I'm still loving the Log Cabin blankets, but they make for boring blogging.

So, you know what that means!

Pictures!

Everyday when I come home from work I see this:



One of my neighbors told me that Kishka sits in the window like this for most of the day.

I don't know whether that's sweet or if it's sad.

Either way, I love pulling up to the house and seeing her waiting for me.

Here's last night's sky a couple of hours before the storm rolled in:



When I photograph my dogs, I always have a hard time capturing Samantha how she really looks. When Sam sees the camera she tends to put her ears back or look away. Last night, however, I caught a perfect picture of her:



Earlier tonight the girls joined me on the couch and were snuggling!





It's Friday. The heat wave is over. I have my dogs and my knitting.

Can life get any better?

posted by Kathy at 8/04/2006 10:36:00 PM | 4 comment(s)