Elsebeth Lavold

Babe! I *love* your patterns.



Serious. But, HOLY CRAP! Could you get a better technical editor / quality assurance team?

Seems like every time I knit a pattern I end up with a calculator going "HUH!?!" and then checking your website for errata.

Every.

Time.

Sheese!

sad news (not fiber related)

Sad, sad news.

I recently purchased some books by one of my favorite authors and went to Wikipedia today to try and put them in chronological order with the others I've read.

Come to find out, George C. Chesbro passed away 11/18/08.

I'm so sad.

His "Mongo Mysteries" are truly amazing. I had just finished reading Veil and the Chant novels - I'm just so, so sad.

http://www.dangerousdwarf.com/

Today's my day!!!

It totally crept up on me, but YES! Today is my day in the Stitch 'n Bitch page a day calendar!!!!! (See right)

I'm late...

Remembrance:

The most christian i'll ever get

Especially Sarah McLachlan's version. The only time I'd ever consider using a pre-writing prayer.

there is no god

I'm sitting in my home office, browsing my regular news and entertainment sites and I hear, from the living room, what I can only assume is the beginning of "Sweeney Todd"

Dear god.

I had no idea.

I mean, Johnny! Is it possible you have made a mistake bigger than "21 Jump Street"!?!

follow link for source

March 1, 2015

I can't believe it's almost been a month since Rhinebeck! Oh, the things I saw! Oh the things I made! OH! the things I bought!!!!!

First, there were workshops, then there was an afternoon of fiber adventures with my BIL and his DW who were with me as I tried out my first wheel (see below), bought my first sweater kit (which was also to be my first FairIsle pattern, and which I just figured out this weekend is going to be my first STEEK - EEK!!!). We tried free cheese and wine, had ok fair food, got very very cold, and totally freaked out my BIL - he couldn't believe that every corner we turned THERE WAS MORE "SHEEP [and yarn, and knitting] SHIT!" I asked him what he thought I meant when I asked if they wanted to meet up with me at a "FIBER FESTIVAL" - - ?!?

Then there was a whole day of me wandering alone - I absolutely fell in love with ALPACAS!! They're so tiny! With SUCH BIG EYES! I bet I could keep one or two in my back yard!! (although I have been cautioned that my conservative CT town wouldn't stand for it!)


Anyway: My in laws were with me for my first spinning wheel experience....

I sat at a Golding spinning wheel. My first time sitting at a wheel and trying it. Now, people had been telling me to sit and try wheels before I bought one and I always said to them "but, I don't know what to look for! How will I *know*?"

Well.

With a Golding, even a spinning virgin *KNOWS*; it's an AMAZING experience.

I fell in love. I had to have one!

Spoke to Tom, who was manning the booth, told him the one I wanted (Habetrot, with matching chair - you have to scroll down a bit on each page to see the exact one.)

Come to find out, there's a reason the spinning wheel doesn't have a price listed on the website!!! OUCH! I was prepared for $6-$9K, I mean, it's ART! It's an investment! but when he told me how much, I almost fainted.

Tom offered to work with me on designing my own, using simpler motifs and a corresponding lower price tag - I was ecstatic!! "Do you need a deposit!?"

Well, yes and no. You see, Tom's booked way out - so I could put a $100 deposit on a delivery date. I'm all for it!!! What date did I "buy"?



See the title of this post.

I'M GOING TO RHINEBECK!!!!

Booked a BnB. And I'm registering for these workshops:
http://www.sheepandwool.com/workshop-instructors/sara-burnett.asp#handbag2
http://www.sheepandwool.com/workshop-instructors/nan-crawford.asp#llama
http://www.sheepandwool.com/workshop-instructors/nan-crawford.asp#soaps

I'm treating myself to an adventure and I refuse to feel guilty about it!

No really... I've gotta get outta this place...

Allah Arrested On Drug Charges
POSTED: 6:12 pm EDT August 8, 2008
UPDATED: 6:18 pm EDT August 8, 2008

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. -- South Windsor police arrested Almighty Supremebeing Allah on drug charges.Police received a tip that he was about to take part in a drug transaction, police said. He was arrested Thursday night on John Fitch Boulevard.
Almighty Supremebeing Allah, who lives in West Hartford, was accused of cocaine possession with intent to sell.

Catch Up Time - found camera!

Well, I finally found my camera and have a lot of updates.

First: This weekend I finished the knitting portion of the baby sweater. Here it is before blocking and pinned out after a thorough dunking in cold water:

I've started on the bonnet and will most likely be ready for hemming and sewing tonight if the sweater is dry.

Also, as promised - my new offices! Main office on left. Secondary office on right (corner office with real wood furniture!!

There's even a full blown credenza!

And, I know I bothered a whole mess of you with constant geese stories when I first came on board here, but THEY WERE RIGHT OUTSIDE MY WINDOW doing stuff like this all day!

....Always

I've been dreaming about Minneapolis a lot lately. I moved here to CT[1]about 12 years ago to be with p~. I've never really warmed to CT; now that he's gone, I'm not sure what's keeping me here. I guess it's mostly that he loved our little house and to leave it behind would feel like betrayal.

However, I continue to dream of large warehouse/loft apartments in downtown Minneapolis and pleasant times wandering the bustling streets of Uptown. Occasionally an old boyfriend pops up and I feel guilty.

I know it can't be the same as it was 15 years ago. I know I'm not the same.

But I want it to be; I want me to be.

It's all about loss. I guess that's what the next few years will be all about: loss.

The baby sweater is almost done - pix to follow.

Just had some stuff I had to get off my mind....

d~

[1] aka: "the fifth ring of hell" per Denis Leary in _The Ref_ - and he lives here!

Sometimes...

…I’m convinced I need to leave this place:

Police find pipe bomb stuffed inside chicken
June 10, 2008

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SIMSBURY, Conn. -- Authorities in Connecticut are wondering who stuffed a raw roasting chicken with a pipe bomb and left it on a roadside.
Simsbury police Capt. Matthew Catania says a motorist noticed the chicken Monday morning. He says the bomb was large enough to harm a person if it went off.
The road was closed while the Hartford Police Department's bomb squad came and blew up the chicken.
Nobody was injured. No arrests had been made Monday night.

Babies, babies everywhere...

It seems that everyone is having babies again. My mechanic's son just had a baby girl - my mechanic's first grandchild.

Now, most of you are thinking: "Your MECHANIC!?"

But, you must know one key fact to understand my relationship to my mechanic. My late husband used to own an Alfa Romeo.

We got to know our mechanic REAL WELL. In fact, I know the shop's phone number by heart. When we were married, Mike (our mechanic) INSISTED that I allow him to drive me to my wedding in a vintage (1953) Jaguar.
So, when I found out his son just had a girl - I dug around in my library and through my stash and came up with this:
Cotton yarn that I plan to use for the bonnet and booties as well - if the stash supply holds up.

I've gotten about twice as much lace right now. Made a quick stop to Michaels for some really nice ribbon and a lined basket to use as a gift box.

Unfortunately, they already have my car fixed, so I'm not going to be able to give it too them when I pick it up. :-(

I have about 7 or so projects already on the needles that I'm pretty much ignoring. This gave me a GREAT reason to start something new and get back to the knitting.

Hey, Buddy, can you spare some time?

Hey! I've got a new job that requires me to create surveys. I've been playing around with SurveyMonkey and if you have a spot of time, could you fill out my test survey so I can have some data to play with? There's just some stupid questions - you don't even need to be honest with your answers - I just want to see what kind of reporting capabilities are there.

Thanks! and feel free to pass it on to others!!

ps. Pictures of my office and the geese outside to follow as soon as I get a chance.

5 years

Greetings. I'm finally dragging myself out of the pit of my grief. Decided to bring this blog back into my life.

Thought I'd use today as the re-start point as today is the 5th anniversary of the 'start' of the war we are currently in.

I'm not going to preach or lecture or try to depress anyone. I just want to share some words that have remained with me since a high school English class when our super cool teacher said to us, simply:

"War is ishy"

For those of you with loved ones deployed - - here's to hoping they come home soon and safe.

Quick update

Well, the 2008 Stitch 'n Bitch calendar came out. I'm November 22.

I'm a bit disappointed:
1) I never got my complimentary copy.
2) They didn't print my blog address with my name.

#2 above had me a bit miffed and not quite so motivated to post. That, and (of course) a spot of depression due to grief.

Photos soon of finished sweater and a hat/mitten/scarf set (once I get it back from my SIL who promised to return them after xmas eve....). I've got another sweater (a cardigan this time) and a decorative (as opposed to *warm*) scarf in progress.

More later - as 2008 I plan to be more diligent with the postings.

Buying yarn solves all problems...

...at least most of them.

I have returned to work and have been having a particular issue. Last night I went off my Yarn DIET and today, like magic, my issue has been resolved.

I can only attribute this miracle to the fabulous power of fiber.

d~ (once I find my camera, pix of WIPs and FOs will follow.)

p~'s obituary

I'm not going to have much fiber content for a while. I may even go offline for a time.

http://www.legacy.com/Newsday/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=93206798

and so is love

p~ passed away yesterday.

"And So Is Love"
Kate Bush

And you huh?

You do huh?

We let it in

We give it out

And in the end

What's it all about?

It must be love

I give you my

I give you my

You give me your

You give me your joy

We used to say

"Ah Hell, we're young"

But now we see that life is sad

And so is love

Ooh baby live your life for love

Ooh baby live your life for love

We used to say

"Ah Hell, we're young"

But now we see that life is sad

And so is love

Ooh baby for the sake of love

Ooh baby for the sake of love

And whatever happens

What really matters?

It's all we've got

Isn't that enough?

Life is sad and so is love

You let it slip

You let it slip

I love you more

I love you more for it

Life is sad and so is love

All for love

Just for the sake of love

You set me free

I set you free

and so it goes

greetings!

so, yes - after ripping back the mystery stole to my last lifeline on CHART A for the fifth TIME (my dental floss life line at that point is frightfully frayed!)! I decided that my life was a bit too chaotic for such an advanced / detailed / attentive lace project and I set it aside. I accidentally deleted the photo chronicling this travesty - but I may reload its pitiful little scrappy self in the near future in order to prove that even 'published knit folk' can just fall on their faces every now and then.

well, that and to show off the fancy "lap easel" that I fashioned out of packing material to hold the pattern at an angle on my lap..... with both charts side by side. Non-Knitters have commented that they were surprised that I made it and didn't buy it!!!

of course, that could be a 'comment' on how much I am enamored by purchasing gadgets - especially of the knitting variety - - - dang; for a bit there I thought it was a compliment.

ANYWAY - Instead of working on the MS3, I decided to finish (FINALLY) the "Looking Glass" top from the summer '06 issue of Interweave Knits. (see prior post)

yes. sweaters are commitments. but they really shouldn't take THIS long!!!

however, keep in mind that I've been working on a scarf that I adapted from a Lavold hat/mitten pattern for almost 2 years now... I'm friggin' whacked when it comes to knitting! I LOVE to cast on and design and play away - - I've never been overly hung up on the whole completion thing. Even with other things like obtaining degrees, or finishing other creative projects.... perhaps a subject for a future post?

anyway - I finished knitting my version of the "looking glass top" last week and I blocked it over the weekend and started seaming Sunday over a LARGE cup of tea (2 Lipton bags for one cup!!):

I did my own thing on the front. I didn't like the big hole at the bust (see prior post for original pattern photo) as I don't need additional attention in that area and I'm not real comfortable with the kitchner stitch yet - - so I did my own thing with the front/neckline:
I'm not sure I went the right route with the decreases - running them consistently along the outer 6 stitches of each side of the neckline, but I suppose only real knitters will notice ?? (i hope?)
dang. Those decrease lines are gonna bug me forever. crap.

Other than that. My life has been chaos. I've been working from home - fighting the cats for the most comfortable chairs - - - -

while the love of my life - and my every happiness - is dying from cancer.

more when I can get it together....

d~

I've been working on this sweater (Looking Glass Top) for almost a year now. I don't care much for the hole on the v neck, so I've changed the pattern a bit.

I'm splitting the cable at the "V" and running two cables up along the "V"'s.

I hope to have a photo up soon..... things are crazy here lately...