Category Archives: Music

There is Always Time for a Quickie….

24 Replies

Post! Your dirty minds should have seen that coming a mile away! 😉

I cannot believe I have somehow managed to neglect my blog for a week and a half – it this blog was a child the state would be involved. There was drama but frankly I am just not in the mood to dissect all of it at the moment (or ever). Not to mention the fact that whenever I go near my computer I am bombarded with all the things that need to be done of the silly machine like:

  • Making new business cards.
  • Making care instructions for all the new knits.
  • Updating my Ravelry page.
  • Updating my Etsy page.
  • Replying to a million emails I would rather avoid (the ones I want to respond to I try to do in a more timely fashion).
  • and of course…Updating my blog.

It’s been a bit of a struggle since I’ve been on a ruffle scarf binge again. I wanted to be able to buy a pair of needles for the Katniss Cowl. I got the needles but managed to much up the pattern so badly that I am seriously considering just doing it all over again – I owe it to my niece  and more importantly I owe it to Lolly over at Lolly Knits. Silly genius made me a perfect pattern and I’ve mucked it up.

Let’s talk about what the hell I’ve been up to – if you’d like to, of course.

** BOOKS **

  • I read Delirium to see if it would be something Gloria would be interested in, since I have heard such wonderful things about Before I Fall. The whole romance thing is something she wouldn’t be interested in and I found it a bit lacking, especially since reading quite a bit of really good YA fiction. If this can count as a review here it is – this book is the first in a trilogy and I haven’t bought any of the other books yet. Enough said.
  • The End of Your Life Book Club was…Amazing. It is one of those that after you finish reading you almost cannot start a new book, it feels too close to cheating. I love this book, and if you are a lover of books, reading, family and life then seriously go find a copy.
  • I am so glad I am almost done with The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club – it’s bloody awful! Set outside of London the completely formulaic story may not have sucked that bad if the author would capitalize ever-single-solitary word she wants to emphasize. Every time I saw something Capitalized it took me right out of the story.

** MUSIC **

I could try to explain why I love this music but eh, I just wanna share what I’ve been listening to. Here is Imagine Dragons Radioactive though, the music video is painfully stupid but if you just listen to the song it’s all good!

** KNITTING AWARDS **

The lovely bloggers who’ve nominated me for these wonderful awards deserve a proper “Thank You” shout out, which I will put in the Award section on the upper part of my blog. But if I blog it here their blogs might get read twice!

Go check out some amazing blogs and keep posted for their long overdue tributes on the Awards section of the blog.

** KNITTING **

  • The Reversible Cabled Scarf was a stash-buster which made me so utterly happy that I made two. I found it on Ravelry originally, but when I went to find the link it’s gone. I remember it was free though so if you have an interest lemme know.
  • The Herringbone Stitch cowl is made with the same roving yarn was the cabled scarves, in honor of Lolly and her Katniss Cowl pattern. Plus, I wanted the yarn out of my stash.
  • The cowl was a purchased pattern from my LYS and it turned out amazing! And yes, I did find another WIP in the bottom of my bag – it’s like Mary Poppins’ freaking knitting bag!
  • The baby hat was from Itty-Bitty Knits with a few alterations on my part, when the I-cord is place I will get a proper picture. I am pretty sure it is going to be adorable.

** THE END CREDITS **

If you’ve made it through my ramblings good for you because I don’t think I could! I can’t wait to get down and dirty with the Knit Along details, get some more knitting under my belt and do Lolly some justice with that cowl. You know, if I didn’t have a full-time job I could get a lot more done! 😉 Well Friends and Neighbors, hope all is well, cannot wait to catch up with all of you and hope to hear from you soon!

9713274884_55e3788988_z

This is the scolding look I get from Max when I don’t blog enough. Scary, isn’t it?

Breaking the Ruffle Scarf Diet

29 Replies

I broke my ruffle yarn diet after I hit 100. Yuppers friends and neighbors, this girl right here has made 100 ruffle scarves – and all but 7 are sold! There are still orders for 5 more and I am waiting to hear back from a few groups, but I have decided to put them aside for a bit. Here’s how it happened….

** The Break-Up **

I awoke to Trevor and Gloria unfurling ruffle scarf yarn for me on Saturday. I am not ashamed to admit that I teared up looking at the two of them pondering the inner-workings of the complicated yarn, as if it was an awesome mind puzzle. I can knit the scarf in less than an hour if I don’t have to pull apart the yarn so this saves me a ton of time! I decided right there and then that I was going to take a break, I was going to be able to knit them so much quicker that it was time to do what I was dying to do. I guess you could say the ruffles and I are on a break.

So I got up my needles and made three baby hats!

I have a love/hate with making baby things – I am choosing to look at the love part at the moment. The hats are adorable and they knit up so quickly. Working with circular needles, heaven! I was going through all my baby patterns trying to find my next thing to conquer when something changed…..

** The Email **

So this morning I received an email from Lolly over at Lolly Knits and (take a deep breath) it was the Katniss Catching Fire pattern! If you are new to this blog or didn’t read the post, I made a desperate call to anyone that could help me figure out how to make this for my niece. She did it and it is fabulous! I was so excited that I printed out the pattern, got in the car and bought everything I would need to make it.

I got home in a mad flurry, rushing around trying to plan how to make this as quickly as possible when I saw my loving hubby shooting me the stink-eye. When I asked what was wrong he said ” you have so many things started and you haven’t finished them”. I tried to explain that I was NOT a monogamous knitter and that I just had to make this Katniss Cowl right now! Trevor being the sage that he is proposed something then….

“Why not use the pattern as a way to motivate you to finish started projects?”

Well that adorable butt-head had a point, and I’ve started to run with it.

** So Much to Do. So Little Time (and Patients) **

So I sat down and looked at my UFOs, and tonight I finished my super thick, warm and comfy scarf.

I have quite a few other things on my list to do before I get to knit the cowl, but with the motivation instilled in me by Trevor I am hoping to plow through them. Imagine, an empty UFO basket! It won’t last but I am going to run with it!

** UFOs Begging to be Finished **

My First Sock! – Needs a Sole Mate
Magical Thinking Scarf
Super Soft Scarf
Roman Pillar Baby Blanket
The Fault in Our Stars

I think that is all of them (oh God PLEASE let that be all of them!!!!)

** For Your Viewing Pleasure **

Well friend and neighbors, you’ve made it through my rants and my newest goals. Coming soon to a computer near you will be a segments on: What I am Drooling Over on Ravelry and if I can manage it Interviews with Bloggers. Until then, here are some super adorable pictures!

Have a great Wednesday!

Flowers in the Park – Before the Foot Injury.
Look Who I Found Again!
Manly Duck…Just Relaxing.
The Heron.
Hello Babies!
Hello Squirrel!
Bird on Fence
I Love My Camera, Look at this Bug!
Sky at Sunrise

Welcome Distractions

10 Replies

As anyone who has been made redundant, or has lived with someone who has lost their job you’ll understand that it can make someone quite jittery. As good as a mood as I’ve been it, it has been a bit hard to keep my focus on just one thing – my mind is a tad jumpy these days. I am combating all this with a few simple (or lots of not so simple, depending on how you look at it) things to keep my mind busy.

˜From My iPod to My Ears˜

  • In audiobook world I am listening to Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth. I always wanted to read this book, but the epic tome is over 1,400 pages long and more than a little daunting. When I found the audiobook at the library I was delighted to see that the narrator was well-known and well-respected, so I snatched it up. Twenty-nine, yes 29 CDs later he was all queued up for my listening pleasure – which so far it has been.
  • The xx are my go to band for pumping me up. I know all the words to every song, both on xx and Coexist. Sometimes you need to sing out loud – in some cases very loud – to relieve unwanted stress. I just try to be careful that I am not causing anyone else any stress with my singing! *Blushing*
  • The Complete Goldberg Variations on Bach by Glenn Gould is another one of those things that I just couldn’t live without knowing it exists. Spanning several decades (1955-1981) the recordings are fantastic, you can hear Gould talking in the background (which doesn’t take me out of the moment) and the music is divine. I can do anything with this playing in the background – if anything it helps me concentrate. I am so glad I grew up with a next door neighbor that played in the symphony, I’m a total classical music whore! (Yup, try to reconcile that statement in your mind 😉

˜On My Bedside Table˜

If you thought I was monogamous with my knitting, you should see how many books I balance at any given time!

  • Platform: How to Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt was recommended to me when I first opened my Etsy shop ( I dearly wish I could remember the blogger). Non fiction that reads like a college text-book, it outlines the best ways to start a business – and more importantly how to be successful in this endeavor. Mine is highlighted, bookmarked, written in, post-it-ed and anything else you can imagine. I like going back and rereading certain sections when I feel it is necessary.
  • Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris is also non-fiction, but of the short (and mind-blowingly hysterical) essay style. This is great to read before bed when you know you won’t be able to log serious reading time. Just read an essay, wipe the tears from your eyes from laughing too hard and turn out the light.
  • A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin is something I never expected to get into. I was at a baby shower for a friend of mine (she’s on her fourth baby by the way) and she ranted and raved about how good these books are. So I figured if someone with four kids had time to read, and enjoy, these books then I should give it a go. So far it is actually quite enjoyable – I just hope it keeps it up, once I start a series it is a OCD thing that I have to finish it. This means if it sucks, I suck it up. So….fingers crossed!

˜On My Knitting Needles˜

So many projects, so many different gauges and techniques needed – I love variety. If I had to knit just one thing at a time my poor head would explode, I need the option to change routes when A) my hand is sore B) I simply cannot do another cable or color change or C) I want to watch a movie at the same time.

Men’s Cabled Beanie
Length-Wise Scarf
Another OSU Buckeye Hat
Roman Pillar Baby Blanket
The Fault in Our Stars
  • Men’s Cabled Beanie – This one is great because every row is different, no repeats on this baby. I tend to gravitate to this pattern when I need a solid distraction from the world. Just me, my needles and my counting.
  • Roman Pillar Baby Blanket – This is a 6 row repeat that I just can’t seem to finish – it’s like I develop ADD the moment I pick up the needles. Luckily, there is only 7 more inches to go. I just need to push through.
  • Length Wise Linen Stitch Scarf – Nice and neat, easy to repeat. I like working on this sucker when I am watching TV or find my mind is a little distracted. It is also great to work on in the car when going to see my mother and father-in-law.
  • The Fault in Our Stars Scarf – I have no idea what I was thinking when I casted on seventy (70) stitches in the round for this scarf. All I know is that Gloria and I loved the idea, wanted it made and so shall it be. I just have no clue how long it is going to take, knitting endlessly in the round can be really tedious.
  • Another OSU Buckeye Hat – You guessed it, a family member asked me to make them (for free…grr…) the hat I have on my Etsy shop site. Since I have no backbone – and I was in a spectacular mood this week, I relented. I am just hoping for good word of mouth at this point.

˜In Which I List Everything Else I Do to Keep From Pulling My Hair Out˜

  • Learning to spin.
  • Working – Have I ever mentioned my job? Eh, it’s not really worth mentioning.
  • Playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf – OCD porn I tell you! Collect things, cross them off lists….amazing. Plus, Gloria loves it so when I play too much or too long I just send it to her house.
  • Cleaning the house.
  • Organizing my workroom.
  • Cooking all sorts of new things, within our budget of course.
  • Long walks.
  • Taking/Editing loads of photographs.
  • Gardening and drying fresh herbs.
  • And of course…Making Lists.

I think that may be all I have to start this Monday morning with a bang. I sincerely hope I haven’t bored you into a coma. It feels good to write, to share – cathartic is the wrong word but the best I can come up with at the moment.

So, friends and neighbors, what do you do to keep yourselves busy? I love new ideas!