Posts from — October 2005

I sit here barely able to turn my head and yet still planning my little yarn tour for the weekend. I shall elaborate. Anyone remember that I had shoulder surgery in June? Overall, recovery has been pretty good, but I still have good and bad days. Prior to the surgery, my left side was my favorite side on which to sleep. Often my left side was the only position in which I could fall asleep despite the pain of the injury. Habit, I guess. Immediately following the surgery, I wasn’t allowed to sleep on that shoulder for obvious reasons. I have just recently begun trying to sleep on my left side again. It always hurts to varying degrees when I wake up but the pain usually dissipates pretty quickly. Yesterday, pain? Yes. Dissipation? Not so much. I planned to meet a friend to work out on a trial membership I just received to Mercy Healthplex. It’s only two miles from my house so I ran up there to meet her (yes, I am still easing back into my running routine which was also limited by the injury/surgery) and thought that my shoulder would surely loosen up as I went. It seemed a little better when I got there so we proceeded to lift and do some machines then I ran back home. By the time I left lunch with another friend, I couldn’t even turn my head to back out of the parking space. Since we were going to a wine tasting last night, pain pills weren’t an option. I thought maybe the wine would help, which it did, a little. So after wine…pain pills still not an option. Fortunately I was able to get to sleep (ah, the miracle of alcohol) but woke up practically screaming at 3 am. Now pain pills were in order! To cut to the chase, I can turn my head a little now which means I will probably be able to drive tomorrow.

So back to the original thought of this post…KH knitfest in Chicago. My knit geekiness much confirmed by the fact I am willing to drive five hours to knit with people I have only met online. They are REALLY great people, but still, five hours??? My brain must’ve turned to wool. This meeting has been in the works for weeks so I would hate to miss it. Especially since two of the first people I met through KH are hosting a knit “slumber party” in my (and Wendie’s) honor Friday night. We are planning food, wine, KUI (knitting under the influence), staying up late and bra freezing (um, how old am I?). Then more knitting with serval other great KH ladies on Saturday at a LYS where we will be eligible for 20% off our purchases!

Knitters are a really special group of people. How many people do you know that would offer lodging in their home to a stranger; someone they’ve never met in person? Not many I’m sure. However, Kelly is a brave, sweet, trusting soul with a big strong husband and a couple of scary watchdogs. I can’t believe how generous she has been offering to let me stay with her and I’m really looking forward to finally meeting her in person. Oh, and Kelly, I promise the only thing in your house that might be in danger of this major Cincinnati knit geek is your yarn. Lock up your stash and put the dogs on alert!

Before my good camera died (battery dead, of course) I did get one shot of the “yarn side” of Yarn and Fabrications. When I went back to the car I used my camera phone to get a picture of the outside. It’s in a little strip mall and would be easy to miss unless you are looking for it (my camera is being a pain…stupid T-Mobile network won’t send the picture. It’s really not that exciting anyway).

My second stop of the day was Lambkins Hideaway (again, I apologize for the crappy camera phone photos). I can’t believe I haven’t been to this store before now. We are blessed with several really great yarn stores in the Cincinnati area so saying it is the BEST yarn store I have ever been to is saying quite a lot. The store has a great selection, is very organized and has a very comfortable feel. It is also a felting haven! She had the full line of colors in Cascade 220 and tons of Lopi. I would say prices were about “average” for a specialty yarn store, but there were definitely deals to be found. The store is in an old two story house and the second floor is devoted to a relaxing knitting space. My big score of the day was several Artful Yarn 100g skeins of 100% wool for 50% off. Looks like some felted bags are going to be included in Christmas production. Another great find was hand dyed merino wool by Malabrigio of Uruguay. This 100% Merino is the softest I’ve ever felt! I don’t know exactly what I am going to use it for yet, but whatever it is will be heavenly! Finally, my first purchase ever of Noro Silk Garden. My mother in law requested a purple scarf to go with a brown coat, and this colorway just happens to blend the scheme she wants.

Self Portrait Tuesday is just not happening today. This month’s challenge was definitely not my favorite…I just haven’t been inspired by the documentary series. Hopefully next month will bring something more suited to my simple photojournalistic taste.

So, lots of catching up to do. I think I’ll begin with my successful and satisfying SEX. :satan: Get your mind out of the gutter you non-knitters! SEX is a perfectly acceptable acronym for one of the favorite activities of a knitter…Stash Enhancement eXpedition. In fact, I’m not even sure you can call yourself a knitter if you don’t enjoy SEX. Too bad the last time I had SEX was two whole weeks ago! At least it was good.

First stop: Yarns and Fabrications, a new knitting/fabric store in the Cincinnati area. This store isn’t very big, but had some nice stuff. It’s hard for me to remember since it’s been a while but they carry almost all of the Cascade 220 colors, Cherry Tree Hill, a good selection of needles, KnitWhits felting kits and several brands of Italian yarn. All of the yarn and knitting stuff is on one side of the store and the fabric is on the other. They specialize in quilting fabric…lots of patterns and variations within each color family. The fabric is organized really well (from a non-quilter’s perspective at least) and they have some very cool prints. It is one of the rare times I visited a yarn store without buying yarn. I did however buy some fabric and a great purse book for when I finally open up my new sewing machine (I’ve been wanting to buy one for a long time and I got an email from Tuesday Morning a while ago advertising a shipment of sewing machines…I got the last one and the store had only been open for ½ hour…GREAT prices). I’ll be doing that any minute now.

*Begin unplanned tangential thought*

Oh, and I am trying to get over my aversion to taking photos in public at what others might think a totally bizarre photo subject. I even remembered to bring my camera (my “real” one, not just my camera phone) this time instead of saying later, “I wish I had my camera so I could have at least thought about taking a picture for the blog, even though I’d be so embarrassed about taking pictures of yarn that I am sure I wouldn’t have done it anyway.” Not only did I remember my camera but I actually whipped it out in Y&F. I asked the owner if she mind and she said “Of course not.” However she then asked, “Do you mind telling me what it’s for?” To which I replied, “I’ll probably put it on my blog.” Me. Big geek. Right here. The worst part is, I took one picture and the camera shut down because I forgot to charge the battery:doh: (all that psych up for nothing). Normally I could care less about what people think of me but for some reason this whole blog thing has me at a loss for confidence. Guess I’m afraid non-geeks will just think it’s stupid (Who cares??? I normally do not but unless you’re one of the famous knit blog people it probably does seem a little strange). Maybe people think, “Not only is it a blog, but a knitting blog? Jeesh, could she be more of a geek?” Or maybe they don’t even give it a second thought. Or maybe it’s just me…more issues than Sports Illustrated???

*end thought purge*

Wow I digressed so much I ran out of time today. Stay tuned for stop two of my SEX tomorrow.

Lucia is the grand prize winner of the Diva Knitting Challenge.:cheer: She wins the fabulous (I found another ball…there are actually 14!) Jo Sharp wool. I used an excel spreadsheet too keep track of entries and used the random function…the techie version of names in a hat:smile: The final count included 17 entrants and 60 squares. I am amazed how many people decided to participate! To show my thanks, I am going to send a little something to everyone.

Most entries: 20 for Michelle

Runner up drawing: Denise

Second Runner up: Claudia

Everyone else who entered in no particular order: Lori, Bonnie, Julie, Karla,
Angela, Meredith, Rebecca, Janin, Tori, Christina, Lori and Kelly.

I *just* (mailman came) received two entries each from Jessica and Laura.

Thanks again for participating! I can’t make any promises about when I’ll get started on the afghans (you know, Christmas presents and all). I’ll post progress though as soon as I begin.

Finally…Palm Springs. Many of you will find this post pretty boring. However, I feel it is my duty to report on my travels just in case you ever decide to vacation there. It’s always great to have a few “insider” tips! This was our second annual “take mom somewhere new” trip. Last year, we took her (Jim’s mom) to Scottsdale, this year to Palm Springs. Jim and I have been there several times before and since we are all golfers this was a perfect fit. I hope I am still swinging the club at 81!

Whatever did we do before the internet? I could practically be a travel agent with as much experience as I have at booking trips online. I found a fantastic house to rent through Vacation Rentals. Since we were there for a week, it was cheaper to rent a house than to get two hotel rooms. Not only was is it less expensive, but you won’t believe the fantastic accommodations we had…definitely worth booking trips in the off peak season; more bang for your $$$.

The house was set up to be party central: (although with me, Jim and his 81 year old mom…partying…not so much) three bedrooms, pool, spa, big screen tv, stereo, dvd, pool table, darts, poker table, bar, full kitchen and a fantastically comfortable bed (ever stayed in a Westin Heavenly Bed? MUCH like that…ahhhhh). I guess Jim and I did do a little *partying* before Mom got there. Pool, spa and a 6 foot privacy fence…just use your imagination. Enough said.

Jim and I hiked every morning at the Bear Creek Canyon trail. The area (Santa Rosa Mountains/Foothill) is an important reserve area for Bighorn Sheep. Hiking in the area is restricted at certain times of the year, but we were right on the shoulder season so it was no problem and no, we didn’t see any. There is also a great paved trail that connects to the hiking area with water stops every mile or so…great for running or biking. Just go into La Quinta and head west towards the mountain. The trail is located along Avenida Montezuma and is pretty hard to miss.

Once my mother in law arrived, we decided to check out Joshua Tree National Park…named after the Joshua Tree (duh). It’s about a one hour drive from the La Quinta area. I was lucky enough to have my knitting in the car since the trip was a last minute decision over a snack at Sammy’s (see below) after golf at Landmark (nice course with great off season rates). Of course, I did not knit while we were actually in the park (that would just be wrong with all the beautiful scenery)…but it was great to have on the way to and on the way home.
Like every national park I’ve seen, it is a real treasure. I can’t believe it took us so long to finally visit! Oh, wait a minute…we were always too busy playing golf all day. If nothing else all the surgeries this year have given us more time for other adventures! The park includes both the Mojave and Colorado (which is an extension of the Sonoran desert) deserts, each with its own unique look. There were lots of very cool camping areas and trails…not too easy to do any serious hiking with an 81 year old though, so we stuck to exploring by car only. Boy does all that sightseeing make a person hungry! Soup can’t hold one over forever. (Nice segue, huh?)

Las Casuelas, which serves very tasty Mexican foodat a reasonable price. They also happen to have wine by the carafe (always a good thing). They have a few locations around the desert but we tend to visit the La Quinta location since it is close and has great atmosphere. We also found Sammy’s Pizza on this trip. It’s a California chain with great food and a convenient location on El Paseo…the BEST tomato soup. EVER. It was so good we did a couple repeat visits just to have the soup as a “snack”.

I am still behind on my posts, but this one had to move to the top of the list. The entries for the Diva knitting Challenge have been rolling in! In the last couple of days I have received entries fromKarla, Angela M, Meredith Shaner, Rebecca, Janin (all the way from Germany!), and Denise. I have also yet to reveal Michelle’s entries. I didn’t want anyone to get scared away…because Michelle sent 20 squares! How generous! Apparently she had been working on a project that wasn’t working out so she decided to donate the squares to my little contest. Some of the squares are still attached in a form that I think could be donated as a baby blanket to the Katrina relief effort with a little finishing. The other squares she was kind enough to separate. I have listed whatever information was given with the entries in the gallery detail. If there is anything else entrants would like to add, please let me know. Beautiful squares everyone!

I was beginning to get worried that I wouldn’t have enough squares to make an afghan, but the entries have begun to trickle in. Nine days to the deadline as of today…still plenty of time to send your entry and get the chance to score some lovely yarn! Claudia sent me five gorgeous crochet squares…one with a pretty pastel flower in the middle…definitely need the pattern for that! Lori (feministmama from KH) sent two very pretty squares made of nice shiny, soft something. Finally, Michelle sent in her entry along with a yummy bar of her handmade soap. I’m going to wait to show her entry later (insert big suspense here). Oh! Here comes the mailman!

*begin scene*

*end scene*

…is from Bonnie. This is the same yarn she used for claptios cleverly repurposed as a square for me. She wasn’t wild about this yarn as a clapotis, but it makes a damn fine square.
In other mail news, I received a fabulous package from my Secret Pal. She really sent some gorgeous things. The baby silk (80% alpaca, 20% silk) yarn feels amazing! It is softer than a baby’s butt. I noticed it is from Elann and at $2.50 a skein is quite a bargain. Get some…you won’t be disappointed! She also sent these fabulous glass stitch markers, a cute tape measure, some tea and this felted flower kit. LOVE IT! Thanks again secret pal.

I have WAY too many things about which to post. The pressure to keep up with my blog starting to get to me (don’t be worried )! So for today, I again will take the easy way out. I really, really, really, really need to start some crucial house cleaning since my brother and sister in law are staying with us on Friday night and my Dad and his wife (not my mom and I wouldn’t really call her my step mom since I never lived with them and really don’t know her well…long story) are coming for dinner at Chez Kemp on Saturday.

The knitting has been prolific the past week…really the past 5 days. It began with a dog sweater I am knitting for Annie Modesitt. Yep…you read that right. Little ole me knitting for Annie Modesitt…published author of no less than three books and knitting teacher extraordinaire. My assignment is a dog sweater for the MWK&TDWLT project; a joint collaboration between Annie and the fantastic Drew (aka the crochet dude). If you know any male knitters, be sure to pass along this link. They’re looking for stories to include in the book. Unfortunately, I began the sweater in the hospital waiting room on Friday (Jim was in AGAIN to try to reattach the lead that had fallen out of place) and didn’t notice a couple of “inconsistencies” in my knitting. I am use to doing the bar increase and the pattern calls for a different increase. Although I am doing the increase she specifies correctly, for some reason it is looking a little wonky. I’ll be starting over (any minute now).

Saturday I realized a friend’s birthday was the 10th and of course, the present must be knitted. In this case it actually does make sense to knit for her. I taught her to crochet and knit a couple of months ago, but in the meantime she has had twins and is working on her dissertation so there has been understandably little fiber fun in her house. I made up a pattern for a scarf using Knit Picks Palisade (30% Superfine Alpaca, 70% Wool, color: Garnet) and it only took a couple of hours to finish.

Once the scarf was finished, I didn’t quite have the stomach to frog the dog sweater yet. So I continued to work on Jim’s sweater. I haven’t mentioned that one yet…remember the chicken post? Well, I cast this sweater on the night before so I’d have something mindless to work on at the meeting (K2, P2 rib). I didn’t pick it up again until this weekend and I have been working on it each night as we watch DVR’d CSI, Gilmore Girls, etc…This pattern makes me feel like such a “fancy” knitter. The cables are really pretty…definitely click for big on that one!

Oh and OMG, OMG, OMG…my “soul mate” has left me a comment. Bliss :jump:

Coming soon: Palm Springs, Knitting Road Trip, Diva Challenge Entries, Secret Pal Package, a Tale of Two Yarn Stores, and whatever happened to that Filatura di Crosa Ruffled Jacket?

October’s assignment: “Self documentary - document yourself for a moment, for a day, for a week. Document a specific event or an ordinary day. Be honest, be real, be true, try to be a little gritty, do not gloss over, do not only show the pretty images. Series - 3 images or more - a sequence of events, tell a story. Try using text to add to the story or explain an image.”

The after shower series:

I am sure this is an extremely valid personality test. Try it. If nothing else, it was amusing despite my inability to draw.