Runs With Needles

Moving on out.

2006-09-07T16:11:00.001-06:00

It's moving day!

I've packed up and moved here.

(If the link doesn't work the new site is: http://runswithneedles.wordpress.com and the new site feed is: http://runswithneedles.wordpress.com/feed/ )

The coffee is hot, the couch is comfy and there's plenty of yarn. I hope to see you there!

Falling in love again.

2006-09-06T22:52:00.000-06:00

For a few months, I set blankets aside to knit socks. I loved socks. Now, I have once again fallen in love with knitting blankets.

The new blanket has been named Minty Fresh and I've started the cables:

Here's a closer look:

So far, this pattern is a joy. It's easy enough to do while watching TV/surfing the web, yet complicated enough that I'm not bored at all.

Driving home from work tonight I had to pull over and snap a picture of the sunset:

Our sky has been hazy the past couple of days due to wildfires in nearby states. The hazy skies during the day are kind of a drag, but the spectacular sunsets definitely make up for it!

Long weekend

2006-09-04T22:31:00.001-06:00

I can't believe the long weekend is over already. It was a wonderfully relaxing weekend, full of knitting.

Log Cabin #2 is coming along:

I also started a new blanket:

And a close up:

The critters have enjoyed the weekend, too:

Short and to the point.

2006-09-02T18:49:00.001-06:00

The Saturday Sky picture for this week is pretty dreary:

Today's weather was perfect for the first pot roast of the season:

Log Cabin #2 is coming along:

I plan to spend my evening knitting and watching old movies I have saved on Tivo. I feel a food coma coming on, so I hope I can stay awake.

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

2006-08-31T20:20:00.000-06:00

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:

Drumroll, please.....

2006-08-27T18:59:00.001-06:00

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:

Saturday full of sky and yarn.

2006-08-26T16:34:00.001-06:00

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.

Make the lambs stop screaming.

2006-08-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

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.

I'm just not that into you.

2006-08-22T22:17:00.001-06:00

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.

Knitting right along

2006-08-21T23:46:00.001-06:00

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. :)

Activation of the Blog Alert System

2006-08-21T14:47:00.000-06:00

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!

Sunset, a sweater and dogs (of course)

2006-08-20T23:20:00.000-06:00

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.

Sky, knitting and dogs for Saturday

2006-08-19T23:35:00.000-06:00

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:

No knitting included.

2006-08-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

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.

Slacking

2006-08-17T17:20:00.001-06:00

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

Four down, one to go.

2006-08-16T23:06:00.000-06:00

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

Summertime

2006-08-15T22:22:00.000-06:00

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:

Belated Saturday Sky

2006-08-13T19:14:00.000-06:00

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:

Let's feast!

2006-08-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

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?

Knit gods, we have a problem.

2006-08-10T20:23:00.000-06:00

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.

Instant gratification

2006-08-09T22:09:00.000-06:00

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?

Drive by posting.

2006-08-08T21:54:00.000-06:00

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.

Saturday: It's not just for sky anymore.

2006-08-05T22:51:00.000-06:00

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.

Slow and steady knits the blanket.

2006-08-04T22:36:00.000-06:00

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?

Finally, relief.

2006-07-31T22:01:00.000-06:00

A storm rolled in earlier this evening. It's now 57 degrees. It feels so wonderful. Especially since my thermometer looked like this yesterday:

Just before the storm rolled in the sunset looked like this:

And when the storm started (it was LOUD), I was suddenly very popular:

The blankets are coming along nicely:

At work today, my boss gave me this for a job well done:

Hmmmm....I wonder what I'm going to buy......

Any guesses? (Blogless MJ - You may not guess!)

Sky for Saturday

2006-07-29T20:54:00.000-06:00

And last night's sunset:

Today at knit group Blogless MJ loaned me one of her super cool needles for the morning. These needles are as wonderful as everyone says they are.

The join is perfect (hard to believe they're interchangable), the needles did not unscrew from the cord and the cords are far superior to both the Denise needles and the Needlemaster.

MJ had never knit with this cord before and there was no memory at all. No kinking, no stiffness, no nothing; just a perfect cord that did everything I wanted it to. (On another note: MJ let me break in her brand new needles! Is there a higher sign of love from a fellow knitter?)

My favorite part of the needles is the point. It is perfectly pointy. Picking up stitches on the Log Cabin Blanket was a piece of cake.

Also at knit group this morning, Blogless Ellen gave me a charm for my crocs.

Thank you, Ellen!

I think Kishka is trying to get a job as a model:

I wish she would. My dogs deserve a stay at home mom.

Completely out of ideas for a title.

2006-07-27T23:45:00.000-06:00

I sat still tonight long enough to make some progress on Log Cabin #2:

I actually had an enjoyable drive home from work, snapping pictures along the way:

Tonight's sunset didn't disappoint:

However, Kishka is not impressed:

A slight tangent

2006-07-27T15:05:00.000-06:00

I usually keep this blog politics free, but every so often, I just can't keep quiet.

The death penalty is a controversial topic. I've always been in favor it.

This is why.

Someone like that does not deserve to live.

Torture isn't legal, so I believe someone like that should die.

The knitting chat and photos will resume; probably later on today.

Slow and steady.

2006-07-26T23:29:00.000-06:00

I want to thank everyone who responded to my request a couple days ago for feedback. I appreciate all the comments. The theme seems to be that pictures and regular posting are the key ingredients for a good blog. I think I do okay with the pictures, and will start posting more regularly. Any additional comments would also be appreciated.

And now, on to your regularly scheduled blog post....

I'm a fidgety person. I always have been. One reason I picked up knitting again was to tame the fidgetiness. Most of the time, it works.

Lately, though, I've been fidgeting more that usual and can't sit still long enough to knit. As a result, the first Log Cabin is at a standstill and Log Cabin #2 is only this far:

Summer afternoons are usually stormy in Colorado and today proved to be no exception. I snapped these pics on my drive home from work..

Here's Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak:

There's Cheyenne Mountain off in the distance:

And a little closer to home:

Reflection

2006-07-24T21:29:00.000-06:00

I was fiddling with the blog today and noticed that I've made 202 posts. 202! How on earth did I manage that?

Shortly after I took up knitting again back in the Fall of 2004, I discovered knitting blogs and was hooked. This led to starting this blog a few months later.

I started this blog for myself, to record the details of my knitting projects.

I never expected that anyone would read this blog and I expected to lose interest in it quickly.

Fast forward 17 months and I was wrong on both accounts:

I have a handful of regular readers and I haven't lost interest in posting. This blog has become a valuble resource for me. I often refer to old posts to see what yarn, needle size, etc. that I used on a particular project.

This blog has also led me to wonderful people I have 'met' in this always entertaining world of knit blogging. Reading other blogs inspires me, makes me smile and often makes me think about life and the world a little differently.

All this rambling is leading to something. I promise.

My blogging has become more interactive than I ever expected. After almost 18 months, I'm feeling a bit repetitive, a bit predictable. At times, I'm bored with myself.

So, I ask you, the readers of this blog, these questions:

What do you like about my blog? What do you dislike?

What do you enjoy seeing? Is there anything you never want to see again? Is there anything you want to see, but haven't?

Thank you for indulging my narcissistic request. I look forward to your responses.

Log Cabin-ing Along

2006-07-23T23:32:00.000-06:00

The logs on the first Log Cabin are so long that there's not much visible progress:

(CD is for size comparison.)

Log Cabin #2 is shaping up nicely. I'm still not sure if my color plan is going to work. I think it will, but it's still a bit to early to know for sure.

"The summer night is like a perfection of thought." - -- Wallace Stevens

2006-07-22T23:43:00.000-06:00

There's a cool breeze wafting in through the window; I'm listening to podcasts, surfing the web and Samantha is sleeping with her head on my feet. Does life get any better than this?

Today started with knit group and this morning we met downtown. That's where I took my Saturday Sky picture:

At group this morning, Blogless MJ finally finished binding off her shawl. She has over 1200 stitches and was doing an i-cord bind off. It took her over a week to do the bind off, but it was worth it:

The picture doesn't do it justice. This shawl is absolutely gorgeous.

I worked on the Log Cabin Blanket this morning:

While knitting this morning, a minor tragedy occured:

Yes, that is a Denise needle cable that snapped. After a ~~bit~~ lot of cursing, Blogless MJ lent me a needle so I could continue. Thank you, MJ!!

I've also been knitting on a new project:

Yes, the obsession continues. Right now, Log Cabin #2 looks very similar to the original. It's not, though. It's going to be totally different.

For both of these blankets, I'm picking the color sequence by using the random number generator. I may eventually plan out a color pattern for a Log Cabin Blanket, but for now I'm enjoying the random method.

I'll leave you with tonight's sunset:

Friday, finally.

2006-07-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

I'm home from work having my telephone line repaired, so I thought I'd do Friday’s Feast.

Appetizer
Fill in the blanks: I ____________ when I _____________.

I am very loud when I laugh.

Soup
Name something you use to make your home smell good.

Vinegar and scented candles. I place bowls of vinegar out when the house starts to smell 'doggy'. I also have scented candles on the candle warmer almost every night.

Salad
If you could receive a coupon in the mail for 50% off any product, what would you want it to be for?

Yarn. Duh.

Main Course
Besides sleeping, what do you spend the majority of the hours of your typical day doing?

During the week: working on the computer. On the weekend: knitting and just putzing around the house.

Dessert
What can you hear right now while answering these questions?

The hum of the window AC unit, CNN updating me on all the depressing news in the world and the phone guy pounding on something outside.

I'm heading into work as soon as the repair is done, so no time for pictures. The Log Cabin continues to grow (I'm just going to knit it until I think it looks finished) and a new project appeared on the needles last night. Hmmmm....I wonder what it is...........

Summertime and the knitting is easy (and still addictive).

2006-07-18T22:53:00.000-06:00

It seems like every knitblogger out there is bitching about the heat. It's the same here in Colorado.

In my house, a sure sign of oppressive heat is a glazed look in the eyes:

The Log Cabin continues...........

The logs are getting quite long, but I'm not minding it at all. I'm on a classic movie binge and the long garter rows are perfect movie knitting. In the past week I'm watched Gone With The Wind, Casablanca, and Key Largo.

Next up is To Have and Have Not.

Summer sky

2006-07-15T20:53:00.000-06:00

When most people think of Colorado, they think of the mountains. I think the plains are pretty spectacular, too:

And the log cabin obsession continues....

It's hopeless.

2006-07-13T23:23:00.000-06:00

With apologies to the late Robert Palmer .........

The lights are on, and I'm at home
My mind is not my own
My heart sweats, my body shakes
Another row is what it takes
I can't sleep, I can't eat
There's no doubt, I'm in deep
My throat is tight, I can't breathe
Another row is all I need

Whoa, I like to think that I'm immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say I can't get enough
I know I'm gonna have to face it, I'm addicted to this......

I hate to sound like a broken record, but I love this blanket! It's so much fun!

Kirsti hit the nail on the head with this comment: "... and I can understand the addiction - just one more strip, right?"

That's exactly it. Every night I just can't go to bed until I finish a log and start the next one. I'm doing the colors randomly and I just have to see what the next color will be before I can get any sleep.

This blanket is perfect TV knitting. I love knitting socks, but they require a bit more attention than this project. I've been getting caught up on some documentries and old movies I have on Tivo.

I'm also planning my next log cabin blanket in my head.

If I could knit socks with one hand and knit a log cabin with the other hand, my life would be perfect.

Obsession

2006-07-12T20:53:00.000-06:00

You are an obsession
I cannot sleep
I am a posession
Unopened at your feet
There is no balance
No equality
Be still
I will not accept defeat

Thank you for all the compliments on this blanket. The yarn is Cotton-Ease. I have ten colors and will be using them all!

Falling on my head like a memory.

2006-07-10T19:22:00.000-06:00

Here comes the rain again:

I've been bitten by the Log Cabin bug:

I am positively obsessed with this blanket. It's so much fun!!

The Shepherds are not impressed:

Kishka is only mildly interested:

Saturday Sky, and some knitting

2006-07-08T16:56:00.000-06:00

It's another grey day here:

We're had an unusual string of grey/rainy days lately. The last string like this I can remember was in 1999. It's a nice break from our usual summer weather of hot and dry.

The sock is coming along nicely:

I'm going to be starting another project, hopefully this weekend. I've been reading blogs and planning it out in my head. You might say I'm obsessed.

Kishka has the right idea on what to do today:

Storm on the prairie.

2006-07-06T21:52:00.000-06:00

Another severe thunderstorm rolled through here this evening. Just before the rain started, I took this picture, looking southwest:

Once the rain stopped, the storm had moved on to the east:

I was working on the new sock:

And decided that I didn't like it:

I started another sock with this yarn, but forgot to take a picture.

Cuteness overload

2006-07-04T17:38:00.000-06:00

There's been a bit of knitting today, too.

Independence Day

2006-07-04T10:55:00.000-06:00

When in the Course of human events it
becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth,

I've started the second sock:

the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them,

And I've started another pair of socks:

a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

I've also aquired some new sock needles from Knit Picks:

We hold these truths to be self-evident,

I've been using Susan Bates dpn's and the Knit Picks needles are very similar.

that all men are created equal,

The Knit Picks needles are bit lighter, a little pointier and a tad shorter:

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,

They aren't different enough for me to replace all my current dpn's, but I like them enough (and the price is right) so when I purchase new dpn's, I will be buying them from Knit Picks.

that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Happiness is my puppies:

Is there anything better than a long weekend?

2006-07-02T19:15:00.000-06:00

This afternoon I was kicked back on the couch, knitting and watching "Gone With The Wind". A thunderstorm rolled in and it was quite spectacular: crashing thunder, crackling lightning and heavy rain beating against the windows.

Now, me? I love thunderstorms. The dogs? Not so much.

When the storm rolled in they all kept shooting me these worried looks. Their faces seemed to say, "Um, Mom? You may not have noticed but we are quite certain that the sky is falling."

There was one very, very loud crash of thunder that was followed immediately by a very close lightning strike. Before I could check to see if I needed to change my undies, there was a dog sitting on me. Not on my lap, on my chest.

I won't incriminate the guilty party, *cough*Kishka*cough*, but it was one of the funniest things any of my dogs have ever done. I had to literally toss the dog, *cough*Kishka*cough*, off of me. She would not move!

All is calm now, though:

This sock is 60 stitches, heel on 30, toe knit to 6 stitches and 6" knit before the toe decreases. I must give huge thanks to Blogless MJ, Anne, Chery, and Linda for their assistance, input and tolerance of my minor (hah!) melodramatic moments. Special kudos to Anne, who calmly took my needles from me when I dropped stitches and fixed it for me. (I tend to kind of freak out when I drop stitches.)

The second sock will probably go on the needles tonight. I'm just about zeroed in on the perfect sock pattern for my feet. Once that's done, I'll start experimenting with different patterns.

Saturday Sky

2006-07-01T23:56:00.000-06:00

I've joined Sandy's webring that's devoted to Saturday Sky.

My first contribution:

Distraction

2006-06-15T23:23:00.000-06:00

My Internet connection is wonky tonight, so I have no pictures to share. Instead, I will attempt to distract you with other topics.

I've been leaving one word comments on other blogs, so figure I should post this here:

Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me — it can only be one word long. Then copy and paste this into your blog so that I may leave a word about you.

I haven't done this in ages, so here's Friday's Feast:

Appetizer
What is a word that you use that would not be considered common?
Befuddled. I think I use it more in email that in speaking, though.

Soup
What theme of calendar do you have on your wall this year?
At home: The Far Side
At work: Dilbert and George Carlin

Salad
Name 3 people you speak with by telephone a regular basis.
I'm not a phone girl at all. I don't generally enjoy talking on the phone. I'd rather email or IM.

But, to answer the question, I would say my parents (that's two people!) and my customers at work. That may be why I'm not a phone girl: I'm a slave to the phone at work all day and don't care to be near a phone once I get home.

Main Course
If you could buy a new outfit for someone you know - who would it be and what would you purchase for them?
What an odd question. I would say for my mom and I'd purchase whatever she wanted. She's a casual person, so it would probably be jeans and a polo shirt.

Dessert
What is the last beverage you drank?
I'm drinking Diet Pepsi right now.

Does anyone else ever get the urge to do something a little odd? For instance, has anyone else been so inspired by a show on The History Channel that you decide to memorize The Gettysburg Address?

No? Okay, nevermind.

The Weather Geeks are promising that the heat wave will break tomorrow. It's been in the 90's for a couple of weeks now and the forecast is for a high of 72 tomorrow.

I'll believe it when I see it.

2006-06-14T22:58:00.000-06:00

My third pair of socks is finished!

What: My third pair of socks!
Yarn: Crazy Monkey yarn: less than ½ skein of each color.
Needles: 2
Pattern: Basic cuff down in stockinette stitch. 58 stitches, with heel on 29.
Lesson Learned: See below
Destination: Already in my sock drawer, waiting for fall

I’m going to knit socks with this pattern until I zero in on the perfect sock pattern for me. I’m making little tweaks with each pair that I knit. After just three pair of socks I’m close, but not there quite yet.

To review my lessons learned from my last pair of socks : “I lengthened the heel by adding more knit rows between decreases. Also, don’t decrease so much, or the heel gets pointy!”

These modifications worked well again and I made a couple more changes.

On the second sock I switched to the toe color much earlier than on the first sock:

I like the second sock’s toe better, so will continue to change colors earlier rather than later. The uneven toes would make Leisel’s head pop off, but I don’t mind. (Leisel is a bit of a perfectionist. I tease her endlessly about it, but I really find it quite charming.)

On the second sock I also made the sock a touch longer in the toe and also ended the toe on nine stitches instead of six. This change was subtle, but made the sock just a little more comfortable.

For the next pair of socks I’m going to move the location of the heel. It’s sitting a bit low:

I’m going to move it up a few rows and that should make the heel fit even better.

I cast on for the next pair of socks tonight and cast on 60 stitches instead of 58. That should make the socks just a hair looser on my big clown feet.

All in all, I’m really happy with these socks. I have to put them away until fall, but look forward to wearing them when the cool weather rolls around.

The Damn Heat Wave (yes, I’ve named it) continues so most of my free time is spent in front of the swamp cooler doing this:

Knitting socks and watching the puppy cam.

The dogs continue to enjoy the swamp cooler:

And the cool evening breezes:

Max, as always, keeps watch in the yard:

Kishka needs to learn that it’s too hot to sit in my lap!

Almost finished.

2006-06-13T00:05:00.000-06:00

The second sock is almost finished. It just needs a heel:

More storm clouds tonight:

The storm didn't come this way, so the dogs were able to play outside:

Whole lotta knitting going on.

2006-06-11T20:04:00.000-06:00

The beastly hot heat wave continues. What's a girl to do? Why, sit in front of the swamp cooler and knit!!

I should have this pair of socks finished within the next couple of days. Yay!

Last month I knitted some squares for Grace. Cynthia (Grace's aunt) held a drawing for people who sent in squares.

I won this!

It's handspun, hand-dyed yarn from The Gabby Knitter. It's gorgeous. The skein is 330 yards, so my question is: what should I do with it?

Blogless MJ and I both love Crazy Monkey yarn. We also both have a lot of it! We've been coveting each other's stash and decided to have a swap. I came home with this:

The dogs are the stars of this blog and frankly, it's going to their heads. So today, you get kitty pictures:

Here's Parker....

Here's Romeo....

Just as I was finishing up this post I looked out the window and saw this:

It looked the storm was going far north of here, so I left the bed linens out on the clothesline.

A few minutes later, it started pouring.

Looks like I'll be firing up the clothes dryer after all.

Slow and steady.

2006-06-08T23:50:00.000-06:00

The second sock is coming along slowly. Here it is, posing with Almanzo Wilder:

There was a brief break in the heat wave tonight so I took advantage of it and cooked up a bunch of food:

There's a loaf of cheese bread, scalloped potatoes, fake fried chicken and lemon-lime-garlic-horseradish chicken. This will get me into next week. Yay! No cooking all weekend!

Max has been enjoying the new swamp cooler:

And so has Sam:

Parker refused to pose for the camera. Instead, he tried to head butt it:

I found this meme over at Kaffeinated Knits and it looked like fun:

Ode To Senior Year:

1. Who was your best friend?: Kristi, who I lost contact with about 14 years ago. We briefly reconnected via email a few years ago, but it just wasn't the same and we drifted apart again.

2. What sports did you play?: Yeah, right. I wasn't involved in sports at school, but skied several times a week during the winter.

3. What kind of car did you drive?: A red Toyota Tercel Corolla. This car was a hoot: in the winter it would freeze shut and I would have to climb in through the trunk. Winters are long in Michigan, so I would do the trunk dance for about five months out of the year. I didn't care, though. I was just so happy to have a car!

4. It's Friday night, where were you?: With my boyfriend.

5. Were you a party animal?: Not even close.

6. Were you considered a flirt?: Again, not even close.

7. Ever skip school?: Not even an hour. Yes, I was a good girl.

8. Ever smoke?: Not even a puff.

9. Were you a nerd?: I guess you could call it that. I was more like the girl who never, ever spoke in class.

10. Did you get suspended/expelled?: No, although I did get kicked out of the National Honor Society.

11. Can you sing the Alma Mater?: I'm assuming "Alma Mater" means the fight song and yes, I still can.

12. Who was your favorite teacher?: I don't think I had one. I can't remember one that stands out.

13. Favorite Class?: Math

14. What was your school's full name? Traverse City Senior High School, now called TC Central High School.

15. School Mascot?: Trojan. Yes, I've heard all the jokes.

16. Did you go to Prom?: Yes.

17. If you could go back and do it over, would you?: Hell, no. Not for all the sock yarn in the world.

18. What do you remember most about graduation?: That it was long, very long (I had over 700 kids in my class).

19. Favorite memory of your senior year?: Spring break with Kristi in the U.P. Say ya to da UP, eh?

20. Were you ever posted up on the senior wall?: I have no idea what this means.

21. Did you have a job your senior year?: Yes, I was a line cook at a diner.

22. Who did you date?: My ex-husband.

23. Where did you go most often for lunch?: Home. (I lived a block away.)

24. Have you gained weight since then?: Oh my god, yes.

25. What did you do after graduation? : Two years of community college followed by two years of university.

26. When did you graduate?: 1990

I am speechless.

2006-06-07T17:29:00.000-06:00

Have you ever seen something so unexpected and so bizarre that you can’t even begin to explain it to someone?

I was watching The Tonight Show last night and had such a moment.

Thank goodness for YouTube. I don’t have to try to describe it. You can just watch it yourself.

EDITED ON 6/8/06, 20:48

Blogless MJ let me know that my above link is gone. So, check out it out here,here,here,or here.

Summertime and the living is easy.......

2006-06-04T22:18:00.000-06:00

I finally started the second sock.....

And this is my new best friend:

It's a portable swamp cooler and I am in love. It cools off a room (unlike fans) and humidifies the air (unlike AC). I've had it running for three days straight and I just may survive the summer.

I think my dogs are spoiled. What do you think?

Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language. - - - Henry James

2006-05-21T19:27:00.000-06:00

I looked at the calendar today and it told me that it’s still spring. The calendar is wrong, though. Summer is definitely here.

How do I know?

Laundry drying in the breeze:

Friends sharing a cool drink:

Shaved legs:

Puffy clouds dancing across the sky:

The doggy pool is in full operation:

Rainbow after an afternoon storm:

Bare feet:

Dogs digging holes:

And the dirty paws to prove it:

The furry kids enjoying the day:

Max….

Sam…

Kishka….

I picked this up on Craig’s List for $15:

As expected, no one has used it yet, but for $15, it’s worth it as outside toy storage.

A pair of socks is finished!

What: Plum socks
Yarn: KnitPicks Parade in Plum
Needles: 2
Pattern: Basic cuff down in stockinette stitch. 58 stitches, with heel on 29.
Lesson Learned: I lengthened the heel by adding more knit rows between decreases. Also, don’t decrease so much, or the heel gets pointy!
Destination: My feet!!

The next pair of socks is halfway done:

Can you stand even more canine cuteness?

Fire, knitting and the furry beasts.

2006-04-17T21:13:00.000-06:00

In most parts of the country, April showers bring May flowers.

In Colorado, lack of showers brings wildfires. There were at least three wildfires burning around here today.

Here are some shots of what the sky looked like when I got home:

It looks cloudy, but that’s smoke.

My second cuff down sock is coming along nicely:

And, Christy taught me toe up socks!

I’m using yarn that Brie gave me. I love this yarn!

Also new on the needles is the Spring Blanket:

Most of my knitting these days is focused on squares for Grace:

I’m really enjoying making these quick little projects. I love experimenting with different yarns, needles sizes and patterns. These are all made out of cotton or wool yarn and size 7 or 8 needles. I’m using some patterns I’ve found on the web and making some up as I go along.

Tomorrow my knitting buddy Felicia is having surgery. If you have a minute, could you stop by and wish her well? Thank you.

I’ll end this post with some adorable (if I do say so myself) puppy pictures. Don’t you just love it when dogs sleep all cuddled up together?

Friday: the loveliest word in the world.

2006-04-13T22:39:00.000-06:00

It's Friday! It's been awhile since I did this, so let's Feast!

Appetizer
What movie soundtracks do you own?
Just one: Somewhere In Time

Soup
How much cash do you usually carry with you?
Less than $5. I'm a debit card girl.

Salad
Are you more comfortable around men or women? Why?
I think I'm equally comfortable with men and women. However, I tend to get along better with men. The notable exception to this is the lovely ladies in my knit group. I get along with them so well, it's almost scary.

Main Course
What is the most mischievous thing you remember doing as a child?
Lots of stuff and it all involved getting my older brother in trouble.

Dessert
Who is the funniest member of your family?
My brother. We have a very similar sense of humor and he can almost always make me laugh until I cry.

Spring has sprung here in Colorado. The days are warm and sunny with that Colorado blue sky that George Strait sings about and the evenings are just as pleasant. Last night I sat outside on the back steps and knit in the moonlight. The world was still and sleeping (it was late, around midnight), the dogs were roaming the yard and the moon gave just enough light for me to see my stitches. It was perfect.

I have no pictures today. I've taken lots of pictures (of both knitting and puppies) lately but haven't downloaded them yet. There are several new projects on the needles (and two have already come off the needles!), but I'll wait until the weekend to share them. I haven't been sleeping this week and need to get to bed.

Finally, it's finished!

2006-04-07T22:59:00.000-06:00

The Touch of Red Blanket is finished!!

And another view of it with Parker checking it out.

What: Touch of Red Blanket
Yarn: Unknown acrylic from my Warm The World stash.
Needles: 5 and 15.
Pattern:Ruffled Garter Baby Blanket. I modified this pattern by using size 5 and 15 needles and doing 10 rows in each needle size, instead of 7 rows.
Lesson Learned: None. I still love this pattern! It's perfect for TV watching.
Destination: Warm The World

Max says.....

This space intentionally left blank.

2006-04-04T22:40:00.000-06:00

I'm totally blank when it comes to a post title, so I'll distract you with puppy pictures:

No second sock syndrome around here!

My progress is slower on this sock because I've been spreading my knitting love around. I tried knitting monogamy, but it wasn't for me. I'm more of a Big Love kind of knitter.

The Touch of Red Blanket is almost finished:

I also started another pinwheel blanket:

However, it looks like ass. It will be frogged and restarted soon. It looks okay in the picture, but in person it looks like crap. Seriously. It looks like I was drunk when I knit this. That would be a good excuse, but sadly, I was stone cold sober.

Max, however, does not look sober:

Where I knit:

I've seen this on several other blogs and thought I would join the fun. With the exception of knit group, all of my knitting is done here:

The corner of my couch is the perfect area for knitting. My laptop and remote are close at hand. Kishka is by my side and the Shepherds are at my feet.

Another sock! And some stash enhancement.

2006-04-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

One week = one sock!

And, it fits!

This one is 58 stitches and the heel on 29.

This morning at knit group, Christy arrived with a 'metric assload' (direct quote from her) of her hand dyed yarn.

Did I succumb to temptation?

....really........

....is there any question?........

.....I think you know me well enough to figure it out.....

Of course!!!

And, a close up:

When I arrived home, I decided that all of my Crazy Monkey yarn should live together. I had no clue how much of it I have:

Ah.....the Monkey Yarn stash!

Sock it to me.

2006-03-30T23:31:00.000-07:00

The sock is almost done.

It just needs a heel:

I've very happy to have (almost) completed this sock. Kishka, however, found it quite boring:

What do you think?

2006-03-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

Is it too soon for this?

I'm not talking about the 'right' anyone has to make these types of movies. This is America. They can make any darn movie they want to make.

What's your personal feeling? Will you be seeing this movie?

For me, it's way too soon.

I'm a big fan of historical type movies (Escape From Sobibor is one of my favorite movies.) I also loved Schindler's List and found Pearl Harbor enjoyable.

I think the difference is that I don't have memories of those events. To me, they're historical events.

However, it's not even five years since 9/11. I can't understand a movie about that day. I remember every second of that day (probably because I was on a plane, flying across the country) and don't care to see it on the big screen.

Is it just me? Or are there people out there planning on going to see the movie?

Completely....utterly.....obsessed.

2006-03-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping to have this finished down to the toes by the weekend. Blogless MJ is going to give me (another) lesson in afterthought heels on Saturday. She showed me how to do the first one, but then the one I did on my own looked like total crap. I understand how to do it, but my hands just don't move the needles the right way. I'm sure another lesson under Blogless MJ's watchful eye will show me the error of my ways.

A crime. And a sock takes shape.

2006-03-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

I arrived home from work tonight to find a crime scene:

When I left the house this morning the yarn was in this bag, which was on top of the laptop:

I had my usual suspects, but quickly zeroed in on just one:

Kishka was put on trial based on the following evidence:

1. Samantha and Max eat things that they steal and the skein of yarn was intact.
2. The yarn was soaking wet and Kishka has a history of sucking on yarn.

The verdict?

Guilty of yarn theft and the defacement of said yarn.

The punishment: me wagging my finger in her face and saying "You're damn lucky you didn't hurt Mommy's yarn!"

The yarn is currently drying out. It should be back to new when I'm ready for it.

Here is the current sock progress:

And some action shots of The Three Stooges:

Check out Sam's face in this picture:

More! Socks!

2006-03-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

The obsession continues. I completed this while parked on my couch today:

Just so you don't think I knit on my ass all day, I also vacuumed, did laundry, baked bread, and made enough chicken for my lunches this week.

Whew. Was I channeling Molly Homemaker or what?

Socks!!

2006-03-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Presenting....my first pair of socks!!

What: My first pair of socks!
Yarn: Crazy Monkey yarn, in the color “Tiptoe through the Tulips”.
Needles: 2
Pattern: None. It’s just a basic sock with an afterthought heel.
Lesson Learned: Lots. There are many, many ~~mistakes~~ design features in these socks.
Destination: Moi!

Look at how much yarn I have left over!

I knit the first sock on 56 stitches and did the heel over half the stitches. The result was a sock that was a bit too tight, with a heel that was a bit too small.

For the second sock, I knit on 60 stitches and did the heel on 34 stitches. The result was a sock that was a bit too loose and the heel was definitely too big.

So, for my next sock, I think I’ll do 58 stitches and the heel on half the stitches. Stay tuned for results.

Last Saturday, Kishka spent the day with me, running errands and going to knit group. The dog was pooped when we got home!

She didn't even open her eyes to scratch an itch:

Hooked on a cable (or two).

2006-03-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

The winner of my blog contest is Brie! She guessed that I had 217 skeins of yarn. The actual total is 295.75. Since Brie was the closest (without going over) she is the winner of two skeins of Crazy Monkey yarn.

Brie’s in my knit group, so I’ll hand deliver the yarn to her on Saturday.

Inspiration is coming along wonderfully:

I had a comment asking for details about this scarf. (Blogger won’t let me access my comments, so I can’t link to the blog of the person who’s asking.) I found the pattern for this scarf here. The yarn I’m using is plain ‘ole acrylic:

A gold star also goes to the person who asked if my last blog title was from the song “Reunited”. Yes, it is! (And, since Blogger isn’t playing nice, I can’t link to the person who correctly identified the song.)

Cute critter pictures alert!!!

I think Sam has a new favorite toy:

Here’s Parker roaming the hall:

Here’s Max, attempting to guard Sam’s favorite toy (he was not successful):

Kishka often hides her head while sleeping:

The other night I was relaxing on the couch and Kishka kept looking at me upside down. So, (of course), I had to snap some pictures:

Please ignore my wild hair. It had a mind of its own.

Inspired, and it feels so good. *

2006-03-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

Monogamy (in knitting) is overrated.

Presenting....Inspiration!

I found this scarf while surfing blogs and just had to make it. So, I cast on in this yummy coral yarn (color not accurate in the picture) and cabled the evening away.

Don't you just love doggy kisses?

* A gold star is yours if can id the song lyric I ripped off.

Monogamy

2006-03-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

This has never happened before. I'm a monogamous knitter.

A Touch of Red will be my only project until it is finished. I frogged everything else that was on the needles.

I ran Pinwheel through the washing machine and it worked! It's no longer puckered in the middle:

I frogged all of my other WIP's because they no longer inspired me. Then I spent two hours going through all of my blanket patterns and NOTHING inspired me.

Zilch.

Nada.

Nothing.

:: sigh ::

So, I'm asking for your help. Is there a blanket pattern that you love? If so, please let me know.

Reminder: the Guess My Stash contest ends in three days.

Friday is for feasting. And this week: an FO!

2006-03-09T23:53:00.000-07:00

As always, I'm feasting on Friday:

Appetizer
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how intuitive do you think you are?
7
My gut reaction to people and situations is usually very accurate. My problem is learning to listen to my gut.

Soup
What is your favorite kind of gum?
Extra. And now they have Watermelon flavor!

Salad
Name a CD you own that you would never get rid of.
The soundtrack to Somewhere In Time. This is my favorite music in the world. I fall asleep to this CD almost every night.

Main Course
When was the last time you said something you didn't mean?
Today at work and that's all the detail I'll give.

Dessert
What is the sum of the numbers in your birthdate? (Example: 3 + 2 + 1 + 9 + 7 + 9 = 31)
27

Finally, Pinwheel is done!!

What: Pinwheel Blanket
Yarn: 2.5 skeins TLC Essentials in the color Citrus
Needles: 8
Pattern: Pinwheel Blanket
Lesson Learned: I really enjoyed knitting this blanket. It became a bit tedious near the end, but I will definitely be making more Pinwheels!
Destination: Warm The World

The yarn is doing something funky with this blanket. It's not spreading out as it should. I'm hoping a trip through the washing machine will help, even though it's acrylic.

The toys around here got quite a workout tonight:

I may be biased, but this is one of the cutest faces I've ever seen:

Required reading

2006-03-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

This column is brilliant.

It should be required reading for every politician in this country. The politicians with a Y chromosome should be required to memorize this information.

The end is near!

2006-03-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

It's edging time for the Pinwheel Blanket! I'm doing a seed stitch edge. I should be casting off this weekend.

To mask my lack of knitting content, I will distract you with cute puppy pictures:

A prize, a couple FO's and stash enhancement

2006-03-05T01:33:00.000-07:00

Here's the prize for the winner in the Guess My Stash contest:

Of course, I had to buy myself some Crazy Monkey yarn:

When I was computer-less, I felted the Fruit Loops bag:

What: Fruit Loops Bag
Yarn: 1 skein of Crazy Monkey yarn
Needles: I don't remember
Pattern: My own. It's i-cord that's then knitted.
Lesson Learned: I love this technique and will do another bag like this. (Only bigger!)
Destination: Me

Tonight, I finished my neck warmer:

What: Neck warmer
Yarn: 1 skein of Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Oxford Grey and 1 skein of Cascade 220 Superwash in color 802
Needles: Size 7
Pattern: My own
Lesson Learned: Next time I'll do it wider and not as long
Destination: Me!

The Pinwheel Blanket is coming along nicely:

I'm hoping to cast this off during the Oscars. Blogless MJ made one of these and it took her a couple of hours to cast off. I figure Oscar-watching is the perfect time to do such a mind-numbing cast off.

Feasting on Friday

2006-03-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

As usual, here is Friday’s Feast:

Appetizer
How many pillows and blankets do you sleep with?
Four pillows (one king size, one regular size, one body pillow and one contour neck pillow) and usually one fleece blanket. I sleep with at least one dog, so don't need a lot of blankets!

Soup
What are you currently "addicted" to?
Tivo

Salad
If you could make a small change to your current routine or schedule that would make you just a little bit happier, what would it be?
Sleeping later during the week. I am not a morning person and getting up at 5am just about kills me.

Main Course
Which adjective do you find yourself using often?
I think it's probably either 'cool' or 'awesome'.

Dessert
Have you ever picked up a hitchhiker?
Hell, no!

I should finish this tomorrow:

Knit group is also tomorrow. Yay! Christy should be bringing her ~~yarn~~ crack. I'm going to be awarding some of her hand dyed yarn to the winner of my Guess The Stash contest. I'll probably end up buying yarn for myself, too. I can never resist Christy's yarn!

It's baaaack.

2006-02-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

My show is back!

Happy times.

Here's Kishka with a never-before-seen project:

What could it be? (Blogless MJ....you should know. I got the idea from you!)

Progress and a contest

2006-02-28T00:59:00.000-07:00

I took today (well, actually yesterday since it's so late) off of work so I could work on unpacking. After much procrastination, I made a lot of progress.

Part of that progress was a full inventory of my yarn stash. I got a bit carried away. I even made up a detailed Excel spreadsheet. This is something I never thought I would do. But, since I live in a small house, I have to know exactly where everything is located. Storage space is at a premium around here.

Now, here comes the contest.* How many skeins of yarn do I have? Here's the stash:

I counted skeins in 1/4 skein increments, so fractions are possible.

This includes my stash of Warm The World yarn.

Whoever is closest (without going over ™Bob Barker), wins a prize (identity of the prize is still unknown).

Contest ends March 15, 2006.

Cute dog pics ahead!

* I haven't forgotten about my last contest. The list of entries for that contest is still packed. Somewhere.

As soon as they're located, I'll draw for those winners.

Like a bad fungus.......

2006-02-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

......I have returned.

Wow. I've been gone for over 2 months. It seems like a lifetime. I've got a brand new Dell laptop and I'm ready to blog again!

Let's get caught up, shall we? Since we last met, I've been laid off from my job (effective in August), found a rental house, moved into that house, fallen in love*, and am in the process of selling my old house.

Sadly, knitting has been sorely neglected. It's embarassing, really. I don't even have any cool pictures. I just found my camera a couple of nights ago. (I've been moved for almost two months and am not unpacked yet.)

So, let's start off slowly, with Friday’s Feast.

Appetizer
Choose one: moving to another state, having triplets, or never being able to eat chocolate again.
Moving to another state. I've done that and it's actually a lot of fun!

Soup
Name a news story that truly shocked you.

It's pretty hard to shock me. At the risk of sounding cliche, I'd have to say 9/11. I was flying to visit my parents in Michigan that day. My brother met me in Chicago (where I had a layover) and told me what had happened. It wasn't until several hours later, when I saw the footage, that I was finally able to get my head around what had happened.

Salad
What was your very first job?
Picking cherries the summer that I was 14. I made $5 a lug and those damn lugs are big! The job sucked and I think it has something to do with my dislike of cherries.

Main Course
If you had the chance to read the diary of someone you're really close to, would you? Why or why not?
Absolutely not. If it's someone that I'm really close to, I assume that I already know a lot about that person. Why on earth would I violate that person's trust just to be nosy?

Dessert
What's something you're looking forward to?
The weekend.

So that was really trite. I'll be serious.

:: thinking ::

I'm looking forward to the day I finally meet my nephew. I was going to fly to Atlanta in March for a long weekend, but my impending layoff has put those plans on hold.

* Okay, so I've fallen in love with Tivo. But it's a love like I've never known before! In fact, just the other night, I gazed at my Tivo and screamed, "I wish I knew how to quit you!"

Hiatus

2005-12-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

Due to circumstances beyond my control, (my computer died), my blog is being forced into hiatus.

I will be back, though. I just don’t know when.

Probably later rather than sooner, though.

Happy knitting!

Friday's Feast

2005-12-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Before I get to today's feast, just a clarification on the Lost picture I posted last time. Sayid is on the TV when Kate goes into the Army office to speak with her father.

Larger picture is here.

Now, on to the Feast!

Appetizer
When was the last time you did something you would consider courteous, what was it, and who was it for?
On the way home from work tonight, I let a car cut in front of me so it wouldn't have to wait for the huge line of traffic beind me.

Salad
If you were to have a painting done of you alone, what would you want the background to be?
The plains leading into the mountains.

Soup
Describe your voice.
I have no freakin' clue.

Okay, seriously.....to me, it seems like it's deeper than most women's voices. I'm also loud. Especially when I laugh.

Main Course
What is something you would like to do, but you're afraid of the risk(s)?
Skydiving.

Dessert
What was the last television show you watched?
A rerun of Sex and the City, last night, when I should have been sleeping.

Ta-da!

2005-12-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

I'm knitting with the i-cord.

Thank you, Christy, for the idea!

I won't give anything away, but I'll just say that I really enjoyed Survivor tonight. Specifically, tribal council. :)

Things that make you go hmmmmmm.....

2005-11-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

What on earth is this?

Why am I making a boatload of i-cord? And why am I making the i-cord so loose?

Samantha wants to know what I'm up to, too. She's threatened to bite Max unless I tell her my plans.

And, for my fellow Lost addicts, did any of you catch this:

(Look at the television.)

I didn't catch this while watching the show. I found this pic on an Internet message board.

Yes, I'm that dorky.

And now, I'm off to watch my tape of Lost so I can see that scene for myself.

I'm also going to rewatch the scene of shirtless Jin.

I'll probably pause the VCR.

I have no shame.

On a down note.

2005-11-27T23:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, the four day weekend is over. I refuse to even think about where I must be in just eight short hours.

:: sob ::

This afternoon's double feature:

Ever since it was released, I've heard nothing but raving reviews for Garden State. I was so excited about finally watching it.

Eh, it wasn't so great. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't anything out of the ordinary. I almost turned it off about 20 minutes into the film, but it did get better.

Casablanca, of course, was wonderful. I love this movie! An added bonus was all of the special features on this two DVD set. If you're a fan of Casablanca, make sure you see all of these extras.

The helmetliners were progressing quite well earlier today:

Then, a series of unfortunate events occured:

I don't even want to think about it. I've put the yarn and pattern away until I can think about this event calmly.

After the Helmetliner Incident, I did have success.

Presenting, We've Got Cables!

Yes, I can cable. I can't knit socks or a helmetliner to save my life, but I can cable.

I'll take victories where I can get them.

Finally, puppy pictures!

Here's sleeping Samantha:

She was snoring when I took this picture and didn't even wake up when the flash went off.

Here's Max and the Favorite Dog Toy:

They all love that toy and more than one fight has occured because of it.

Finally, some adorable (yes, I'm biased) Kishka pictures:

New projects and a huge 'thank you'.

2005-11-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

Last night there was a triple feature around here:

There was also a ton of laundry:

Doesn't Samantha look disgusted by the sheer volume of laundry?

There's an advantage to living alone: if I don't want to do laundry, I don't. However, then it piles up and I'm left with a mountain of it!

Between the movies and the laundry, there was a lot of knitting last night.

Here's my first helmetliner:

And the second:

Here's the homework for my cable class today:

Yes, Felicia gave us homework. What a slave driver!

Finally, Max is modeling a brand new project:

Hmmmmm........a bunch of icord. What on earth could it be?

Stay tuned to find out!!

Yesterday, I mailed this off to Warm The World:

That's 39 pairs of needles and 6 crochet hooks.

Thank you.

You guys are awesome. Thank you so much for supporting Warm The World.

The needle drive is continuing, so please send any extra needles you may have.

I've decided that the yarn drawing will be on New Year's Eve. So, if your needles get to Warm The World (or to me) by NYE, you'll be entered in the drawing for Crazy Monkey Creations' hand dyed yarn.

I'll leave you today with two pictures that I love.

First, is Kishka.

Don't you just love it when dogs rest their head on their paws?

And finally, Max. His expression in this picture seems to say "You lookin' at me?":

Gobble, gobble

2005-11-24T23:54:00.000-07:00

I was going to skip posting a Thanksgiving themed post today. It's not that I'm not grateful, it's just that I read so many of those posts today and didn't feel like adding my own to the mix.

Until I read this one.

Jesse's post really struck a chord with me. I read his post a few hours ago and I can't stop thinking about it. It's not his words that has stuck with me. It's his attitude.

I really needed an attitude adjustment. Thank you, Jesse, for pointing me in the right direction.

After thinking about what I'm grateful for (beyond the obvious things of family, friends and health), I've come up with something quite unexpected.

I'm grateful for my divorce.

My divorce led me to take up knitting again.

Knitting led me to knitblogging.

Knitblogging led me to Felicia.

Felicia led me to knit group.

Meeting this group of people has enriched my life beyond anything I expected or even dreamed about. They're more than a knit group. They're my friends.

And for that, I am thankful.

Life, in a nutshell.

2005-11-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

To quote one of my favorite websites: I am Lost's bitch.

Damn. Tonight's episode was good. At the end when Vincent started running towards Michael I just lost it. Throw in Bernard/Rose, Jin/Sun and Sayid carrying Shannon's body and I admit it: I was bawling like a baby. I love this show!

I'm staring at a four day weekend. How can I convey my happiness? I don't think there are words. Here is what I'm doing this weekend:

Knitting, wine and movies. . . . . . . what else does a girl need?

I'm going to be a hermit this weekend. I will leave home on Saturday, when Felicia teaches us how to cable, but beyond that I am holing up at home and enjoying life.

Finally, it's done.

2005-11-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

What: Purple and Green felted bag
Yarn: 1.5 skeins of Crazy Monkey Creations yarn
Needles: 10.5
Pattern: my own
Lesson Learned: Take note of the circumference of the bag you're knitting. Otherwise, you get something resembling a wine bottle carrier.
Destination: Me

I must be the most unobservant knitter in the world. I didn't realize how skinny this bag was until it was pointed out to me at knit group yesterday.

In fact, before the felting occurred, this bag looked just like a condom. Reservoir tip included.

Like all of my bags, I don't know how I'll use this bag, but I will. I always use my bags. I'm addicted.

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine.

2005-11-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

Have you been thinking about going to see Walk The Line?

Stop thinking about it and go see it.

I went into the movie with guarded expectations. I expected the movie to gloss over Johnny's drug and alcohol problems and show a perfect romance with June. I was wrong on both accounts. The movie showed the early years of Johnny's life, warts and all.

The most pleasant surprise was the performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. They didn't imitate Johnny and June, they truly became them.

This is a movie I look forward to adding to my DVD collection.

Why, what's that?

What: Luci's Scarf
Yarn: One skein of Lion Brand Chenille Thick & Quick in the color Terra Cotta
Needles: 11
Pattern: Garter stitch
Lesson Learned: Zippo
Destination: Luci

The story behind the project:

My co-worker, Luci, gave me this yarn. She said she bought it because she loved the color, but realized that she'd never learn to knit the scarf that she wanted to make with it. (Damn, is that a run on sentence or what?) I offered to teach her to knit, but she wasn't interested. She just wanted the yarn to go to someone who would enjoy it. So, I took the yarn home, knitting up this quick scarf and surprised her with it the next day!

The Green and Purple felted bag is finished:

It's felted and is dry. I just have to attach the straps and I'll have FO pics.

And for my nags:

Needle drive

If it's Friday, I must be feasting.

2005-11-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

It's time for Friday's Feast!

Appetizer
When do you feel impatient?
I'm a very impatient person so this happens a lot. I get most impatient when I have to stand in line. I detest standing in line and do everything I can to avoid it.

Salad
How many times in your life have you had a broken heart?
Three.

Soup
Name a book you would like to see made into a movie.
I'm not a big fan of books being made into movies, so I don't have an answer.

Main Course
If you could thank one teacher for what they taught you, who would it be and what would you thank them for?
My ninth grade biology teacher. Up until that point, I HATED science. She made me see why science is so fascinating. Even though I don't use my Wildlife Biology degree, I still love science and hope to one day return to working in that field.

Dessert
What is your favorite kind of pie?
It's a tie between pumpkin and peanut butter.

Don't forget!!

My map:

Needle drive.

I am such a lemming.......

2005-11-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

I've seen this on many blogs and think it's a cool way to see where people are out in blog land. I also love maps. Seriously. If you ever want to shut me up, hand me an atlas.

Anywho, would you please take a second and mark yourself on my map?

I will post knitting pics soon. There's just not much to post. I'm obsessed with my felted bags and since they're still being knit, they just look like big globs of yarn.

I've also been lazy about taking pictures lately. Yup, the winter laziness is setting in already!

A great start!

2005-11-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder: the needle drive for Warm The World is an ongoing project here at Runs With Needles.

I'm going to send 26 pairs of needles off to Nan this week. Thank you to Birdsong,Christy, Felicia and Melissa for making this possible!

These ladies have been entered in the drawing for hand dyed yarn from Crazy Monkey Creations. Well, I didn't enter Christy in the drawing. It is her yarn so I figure she can just dye some for herself. :)

I haven't decided on a date for the big yarn drawing, but I will be giving away at least three skeins of yarn. If you're good at the maths, you'll see that I have three people entered in the drawing. This really isn't going to be suspenseful...... Why don't you donate some needles (even one pair!) and give these ladies some competition?

Nan also needs yarn, so if you have any yarn in your stash that you know you'll never use, please consider donating it to Warm The World.

Extreme Blog Makeover

2005-11-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Last night I sat down to tweak a couple of things in my sidebar.

Too many hours later, I revamped the entire thing.

Besides the obvious, I changed my sidebar around.

I added a Flickr badge of my finished projects. Every FO I've ever knit is in here. Along with yarn, needles and pattern details. The badge will also take you to my Flickr account. So, if you're looking for puppy pictures or cool weather pictures, you can find them there.

I also trimmed the number of blogs listed on my sidebar. I have 218 feeds in Bloglines. For my sidebar, I'm showing the ones that I read daily. I've also split out my knit group blogs. So, if you want to stalk us, it's a bit easier.

Finally, if you see something wonky, could you please let me know? I'm an html novice, so am pretty much flying by the seat of my pants. It all looks good to me, but I'm pretty bleary eyed from staring at this damn template!

I've got many things I need to post. I'm so behind! But, for today, I will be knitting. It's cold and windy. I've got the space heater cranked up and the DVD's ready, so I'm heading for the couch!

Update: Monday 11/14/05 8:15am
I just checked the blog from work, on Internet Explorer, and it appears that my sidebar is wonky in IE. I checked it at home in Firefox, Opera and Netscape and it looks fine. So, sorry to the IE users. Perhaps it's time to upgrade to a better browser. :)

When the gales of November came early

2005-11-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

November 10th is a date that's burned into my memory.

30 years ago today, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank.

If you're not a Michigander I'm sure you're staring at your screen right now thinking "huh?".

Since I moved to Colorado, I have not found one person who's ever heard of the Fitz.

At first, this was odd to me. When I lived in Michigan, November 10th was always marked with at least a brief news story and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was always heard on the radio.

If you've never heard of the Fitz, it's a mysterious and haunting story.

Or, maybe you have to be from Michigan to feel this way.

Regardless, here are some links about the Fitz and what happened 30 years ago tonight.

Overview from CNN.

The best detailed site I've found about the Fitz .

This site takes the lyrics of the song and uses them to describe what actually happened. .

Another good overview of the shipwreck, as well as information on recovery of the ship's bell.

If it's Friday, it's time to Feast

2005-11-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

Due to the lack of knitting pictures, this post will consist solely of Friday's Feast.

Appetizer
What was the last game you purchased?
Wow. I have no idea. I think it was some card game I bought with my ex.

Soup
Name something in which you don't believe.
God.

Salad
If you could choose a television personality to be your boss, who would you pick?
A television personality? Does that mean a news reporter or someone like that? Lame question. Next!

Main Course
What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?
Trust me my gut.

Dessert
Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.
A warm room with a fireplace and lots of windows. Comfy furniture and the wall lined with books. A cozy chair for knitting.

Friday's Feast wasn't so great today. My apologies. A knitting post will occur this weekend.

Hopefully.

State of the knit.

2005-10-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

I decided to inventory my works in progress tonight. I'm shocked: I only had ten. I thought I had a lot more. Guess that means it's time to cast on for something new!

Without further ado...here's a parade of my works in progress.....

Morning Glory:

Falling Leaves:

A Touch of Red:

Roger:

Cozy:

My Scarf:

Lilac:

Purple/Green bag:

Fruit Loops bag:

Pinwheel!

The needle drive continues.

I've had some questions about when the deadline is to be entered into the yarn giveaway. Honestly, I have no clue. When I do decide on a deadline, I will announce it here, with plenty of notice.

I'm not just being a yarn tease.

Honest.

Several skeins of this yarn will be given away.

Colorado

2005-10-29T22:26:00.000-06:00

I've lived in Colorado since May of 1997 and am still in awe of its beauty.

Here's some pictures I took this week to show you what I'm talking about........

I took this picture Thursday morning (10/27/05) at sunrise, looking west. You can see Pikes Peak and the front range in the distance.

This next picture was taken the same morning, as the sun came over the horizon:

This next picture was taken in Colorado Springs (also on Thursday morning), just down the street from where I work:

That's Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak.

Here's a similar view, but shows more of Garden of the Gods and also some of the foothills:

Today when I arrived home after knit group, I was greeted by this:

If you enjoyed these pictures, I have more Colorado pictures here .

Just a reminder..........the Warm The World needle drive is an ongoing project. Please give what you can. If you have extra yarn in your stash, they'll take that too!

Bag lady

2005-10-26T20:14:00.000-06:00

My obsession with felted bags continues and it's all Christy's fault.

Christy showed up at knit group on Saturday with a bunch of her hand-dyed yarn.

I resisted the siren call of the yarn.

For a couple of hours.

And then, I came home with this:

Isn't it gorgeous?

The bag is in the floppy stage, but here's a shot of it:

And a close up:

I love how it's striping. I can't wait to see what this bag looks like when it's finished.

Thank you to everyone who's contacted me about donating needles (and yarn!) to Warm The World.

I've had a couple of comments from people that they only have one extra set of needles, and don't feel like they can participate. That's not true! Each and every set of needles will help Warm The World. If you only have one set to donate, that's fine. This isn't a contest. :)

To refresh your memory, details of the needle drive are here.

Got needles?

2005-10-21T15:24:00.000-06:00

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, or perused my sidebar, then you know that I knit most of my projects for Warm The World .

Some highlights from their website (reprinted with permission):

“Warm the World is a privately-funded organization with 501(c)3 nonprofit status.”

“With the economic challenges many of us face, people simply do not have the resources to donate completed quilts or afghans. Not to worry, Warm the World solicits donations of material goods to supply to our volunteers making it no cost to volunteers.”

“Another benefit of working with Warm the World, we have no size, pattern or time requirements. You pick the pattern, size, color, and work on it at your leisure. We refuse no one and novices are encouraged to join the fun.”

“Every dollar donated goes directly to supporting our organization—we have NO paid employees. Our group is different than most, because we provide all the material to our volunteers, it does not cost them anything except their time.”

Does this sound too good to be true?

It’s not.

I’ve met Nan, the founder of Warm The World and have even done some investigating on my own. :) Nan runs a first class organization and is helping so many people.

And now, Nan needs help. Our help.

Nan has the yarn and the knitters. She just needs needles.

Nan asked me to assist her in rounding up knitting needles and so I’m turning to you: my blog friends.

I’m sure you have knitting needles that you no longer use.

Maybe it’s those aluminum straight needles that you bought when you were just learning.

Maybe you scored a whole bunch of needles at a yard sale and don’t use most of them.

Perhaps you’re like me: you have a ton of circular needles but use your Denise or Needlemaster sets for all of your knitting.

Whatever needles you have lying around are needed by Warm The World. By donating just one set of needles, you will enable someone to knit a blanket for Warm The World.

If you have more than one set, that’s even better!

Please, contact me at: runswithneedles at gmail dot com . I’ll help you get your needles to Nan.

To make this more fun, I decided to add a contest twist to my donation plea. What knitter doesn’t love a blog contest?

For every set of needles you donate to Warm The World, your name will entered into a drawing. Donate one set of needles and you’ll be entered once. Donate ten sets of needles and you’ll be entered ten times.

The prizes? (And yes, there will be several skeins of yarn given away!)

Hand dyed yarn from Crazy Monkey Creations!

Please, check out your needle stash and see what you can donate.

Coming soon, to a blog near you.......

2005-10-21T13:40:00.000-06:00

A yarn give-away!

I'm giving my blog readers a chance to win some yummy yarn.

Details are being worked out. I will post details asap.

Friday's Feast

2005-10-20T22:08:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's edition of Friday's Feast!

Appetizer
Do you button shirts top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top?
I had to think about this for a second! I button from top-to-bottom

Soup
What is your favorite sandwich?
Hmmmmmmm......I'd have to say grilled cheese. Bologna and BLT are up there, but grilled cheese sandwiches are my favorite.

Salad
What was a family project you helped work on as a child?
I'm not sure what this means. A family project? To me, a 'project' is something like building a deck. My father built our deck when I was about 8. I wasn't allowed near the construction area. I'll have to take a pass on this question.

Main Course
When have you acted phony?
This afternoon, at work.

Dessert
Do you write letters or postcards? If so, to whom?
Not often. The majority of my family and friends have email so that's my main form of communication. However, this question did remind me that I need to mail a birthday card off to my Great Aunt, who turns 98 at the end of the month.

Amazing stupidity

2005-10-18T21:06:00.000-06:00

If you don't watch The Amazing Race , you might want to skip this post. I'm going to rant about my once favorite TV show.

I've ranted about Team Jesus before, but tonight's show took it to a whole new level.

In this episide, the teams had to drive over Lake Pontchartrain .

While Team Jesus was driving over the lake (IN LOUISIANA), this conversation took place:

Team Jesus Mom: "This is one of the Great Lakes"
Team Jesus son: "Is this bigger than the Great Lakes?"

What the hell?

One of the Great Lakes?

Someone needs to stage an intervention. Immediately. This woman is too stupid to be allowed out on her own. And the fact that she reproduced three equally idiotic children should get her arrested.

Seriously.

Granted, I spent the first 24 years of my life on the shores of Lake Michigan, but don't most Americans know the generally vicinity of the Great Lakes?

Want to know what's scarier?

Mom Weaver is an elementary school teacher.

Let's recap........

This teacher didn't the location of Pennsylvania.

Her daughter thought Washington D.C. was in a state.

She told her kids that Lake Pontchartrain was one of the Great Lakes.

Ladies and gentlemen: If you live in Ormand Beach, Florida and have children of elementary school age, I suggest you take a look at this woman:

If you've seen her at your kids' school, run.

Run and don't look back.

By hook or by crook.

2005-10-17T20:47:00.000-06:00

Do you ever have a weekend so fantastic that you just keep thinking about it and smiling?

That's what this past weekend was for me. There was a ton of knitting and many hours of this:

That's Season One of M*A*S*H, my all time favorite TV show. How much do I love this show?

Just ask him:

His full name is Maxwell Klinger.

Saturday, of course, was knit group. After the knitting ended, Christy and I went out to lunch and then hit Barnes and Noble. Christy and I had a blast reading the knitting books and magazine.

Well, I'll be honest: there wasn't a lot of reading going on. It was mostly mocking the butt ugly patterns in the magazines. Have you seen what's out there? It was horrifying. One pattern was a sweater with pom poms hanging off of it!!!!!

Christy and I both succumbed to the lure of knitting books. I bought this one:

I also bought the book weight. I've been avoiding buying one (because I'm such a cheapskate), but everything else I've tried has just irritated the heck out of me. I'm very happy I finally bought the weight. It's works perfectly!

I have started Lilac (again) and am thrilled with how it's developing:

And a close up:

Unfortunately, there's been backwards progress on my socks:

I cast them on for the fifth time last week and frogged them a few days ago. I had dropped stitches and was short rowing instead of knitting in the round. I was having trouble coming up with a name for these socks. Tonight, the perfect name hit me: The Damn Socks. I'll cast them on (AGAIN!) once I stop hating even the look of dpn's.

I've been obsessed with a new project lately: My Scarf:

And a close up:

This is being knit with one skein of Noro that Christy gave me and one skein of Noro that she helped me pick out. I LOVE how the scarf is turning out.

And lookie here, what's this?

Yes, I am crocheting! Maus and Felicia taught me at the bonus knit group on Sunday. I'm having so much fun! I'm slow and awkward, but am loving it so far.

Also at the bonus knit group, Maus gave Felicia some yarn and Felicia shared it with me:

There’s been an odd dog development around here lately. The girls are hanging out.

All of my mutts get along, but usually the Shepherds hang out together and Kishka hangs out with me. For the past few days, though, the girls have been inseparable.

It’ll be interesting to see if this is a permanent development.

Friday's Feast.

2005-10-14T22:18:00.000-06:00

I've been reading this website for awhile now and answering all the questions in my head.

I just realized that I'm being silly. I need to blog about it! Then I can record my thoughts for myself (which is one reason why I keep this blog) and also so I can fill the space between knitting posts. :)

So, without further ado, here is this week's edition of Friday's Feast:

Appetizer
Who is someone you would consider to be a calm person?

My mother.
My mother rarely gets riled up. I think the last time I saw her really angry was when I was 16 and came home at 5am.
But let's not talk about that.

Soup
What was your last "gut feeling" about? Were you right?

My ex-husband. And yes, I was right (he was up to no good).

Salad
List 3 words that you really don't like how they sound.

Slacks.
Ain't.
Scrappy.

Main Course
What kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use?

Whatever is the cheapest.
In my shower now is: Prell, VO5, generic version of Pert Plus, generic version of Pantene and Suave. (Yes, I like to vary my shampoo!)

Dessert
If you found out that you definitely do have a guardian angel, what would you name it?

Stan.
Seriously, I have no clue. I don't believe in that kind of stuff, so I can't even consider a serious answer.

I won't officially tag anyone, but if you care to participate please drop me a comment so I can stop by!

There's been knitting this week, but no new pictures. I'll post some pics this weekend.

Playtime

2005-10-11T17:52:00.000-06:00