Where did the weekend go?

Yesterday we closed on the house - it went very smoothly. Then we helped move a few things over and continued today - moving the smaller, fragile, essential items over to their new house. We will move out of the apartment at the end of May - sure enough it will be here soon! I'm still getting in as much knitting as I can, but have to be careful - Dan commented tonight that I'm not finishing projects!!

See, I have to do some thinking for the rebecca wrap - to make sure I do the right / left fronts properly. I think I can just follow the directions as written... but it needs thinking. And the broadripple has to be completely undone and will wait for some other pattern - the cuff opening just doesn't fit my foot. And the heart sachet also requires thinking.

So what's a gal to do while watching a "non-thinking" movie (Monty Python Holy Grail)? Cast-on and start knitty's x-back ribbon tank. I really enjoy working with the deco-ribbon - it's lightweight and works up well.

In bummer news I think I'm 3 balls short of Filatura Di Crosa "Elena" that I'll need for the web / online shrug from Interweave Knits. I bought 3 balls, but didn't read the yardage requirements... eep.

Aw, crap!

last night I worked on the broadripple a bit more and then decided to try it on to see how much further I have to go -- and it didn't fit!!! *insert a Lucy "Wah"*


So I put it aside, and picked up the yarn and needes to attempt the heart sachet from Interweave knits... charts and I don't mix too well. Is anyone else trying this? I probably could use some back up.

My friend Betsy is knitting a scarf for Sam Watterston - nifty huh?

Short Weeks are still long

It's the end of wednesday - almost thursday! And that marks the end of this week for me - I took off Friday. I'm glad for it as our school is looking to be a little wacky and very "go-with-the-flow". So, one more day to sort through.

I'm still plugging away at the Rebecca eyelet cardi, and my first broadripple sock (I'm fascinated with how those stitches make the pattern!) I'm antsy to cast on for the Heart Sachet - I was hoping that if it's cute enough that I'll make one for my mom for Mother's Day.

I've joined the "back-tack" swap (gotta get the button up on the side) - how cool is this knitting fabric?!

Trips!

I've been busy the past two days. Yesterday another teacher from work and I took the train into New York. We really just wandered around, but did make it to Dylan's Candy Bar, the Hello Kitty store, Ricky's Urban Groove (I got some GREAT magnets and a pin, "Caffeine Queen" and Frozen Hot Chocolate Mix that we weren't able to have at this restaurant (also featured in one of my favorite movies) because the wait was too long!)

I even managed to drag my friend down to Knit NY - it was cute inside - smaller than I thought it would be. They had a sampling of many different things, and while I didn't get anything there yarn related it was nice to check it out. I did try the Naked Berry Blast juice which was yummy.

Today we went into RI to visit my grandmother and make a trip to the zoo. I have been so many times, but this was the best. My uncle works in the human services department and was able to take us "back stage" - we saw Mikey the baby zebra (who wasn't even out because he's recovering from a medical thing), we got to FEED Golden Lion Tamarins and white faced saki monkeys!! So neat! One jumped on my shoulder - they were startled easily, but were gentle and would respond to "Hand" - they put their hand briefly on yours and then you gave them their food - nuts, grapes or live mealworms!! The unexpected kicker of the day was feeding the ELEPHANTS!!!! Their trunks are like a vacuum cleaner inside a mitten! That was so unbelievable to be able to have that opportunity!

So cool, but soo tired now. Nap time made me feel a little less tired but more cranky. Now it's time to play catch-up on the blogs!

New Yarn :^) and book release

Today I met up with Dan for lunch - it was soooo yummy! Such a nice day out too! After lunch I went to my favorite knitting store - Yarns Down Under - I may be a younger knitter, but I am always treated with respect and interest in my current projects. Other yarn stores in CT have people working in them that would like nothing to do with customers or are trying to be too helpful and it comes across pushy or there's just so much stuff in the store I don't know where to start. Y.D.U. is a wonderful little shop - they even had the Filatura Di Crosa "Elena"!! I love it I love it I love it!!

I ended up with yarn to make the knitty ribbon x-back tank, one of the shrugs from the interweave knitters online patterns and the heart sachet.

Turnovers

It looks so nice out, I think I'll walk over to the library (the good one, not the one of frequent rants) and post office in a few moments. Also on tap for today is that I want to complete the ears for the Bobbi Bear (which really is huge. the size of my thigh.), keep working on Broadripple (this is knitting up so nice, although I keep getting "caught" at the join end of the circular needles. I'm using Addi Turbos, but I'm trying to keep those end stitches tight.... oh well. Also keep working on the Rebecca wrap. Swap out the winter clothes for the summer / spring. Find my reef flip-flops. FIgure out what to have for dinner.

While getting RAOKs ready this morning I had on "A Perfect Murder" (it was still too early for spunge or daytime talk tv) - Aragorn is in this movie!!! Never realized that before. He's so cute.

Lazy Day

It's so nice to have a day where I don't have to get lesson plans done before I do anything else. This morning I got up, did yoga (tried to anyway), made a CD, ran the dishwasher and then went back to work on the bobbi bear. I'm working on the 2nd arm, and probably will take care of the ears tomorrow. This bear is WAY bigger than I would like - I wonder how well it would work with different yarn /needles to make one that is smaller, because the shape is adorable.

I'm really getting hooked on the "Showdogs Moms & Dads" show - good things to keep in mind for when we get a dog - I don't want to be on this show~!!

Waiting in Lines

Today I went shopping to pamper myself. Spring Break woo-hoo! I think I got some pretty good deals. There's still no good spunge on tv, although the Discovery health channel has some interesting shows.

I went to the post office to post a few RAOKs and saw that there are Muppet / Jim Henson Stamps - did I know this already? Perhaps.

Bloglines let me sign in, then booted me out - acocrding to their news the problem has been fixed...

AND Target has some great dollar deals - they actually had a lot of beading stuff in the section I went to (wine charm kits, beads (all shapes / sizes / colors) - I got 2 sets of charms that I want to use as stitch markers for my smaller projects. Also, in the same section I got a cd case that I'll be using to store my circulars (some of them anyway) AND they had some very cool bug / frog stuff (magnets, stickers, puzzles) - miraculously, I held back :^P

Lifetime

Dan was up and out early this morning - I didn't sleep in too much, because it IS the first day of spring break (woohoo!) I was trying to log in to bloglines but it keeps telling me my password is no good. When I ask for it to be emailed I get a message that the email is invalid, and the password has been sent. Confusing? yeah.

There's nothing on tv on Saturday mornings. I was hoping for spunge (trash tv, think any reality show on MTV) and found out that we get the Lifetime Movie Network - right now Sally Field is a "Woman of Independent Means" or something like that - she has cried and screamed and been a "lady of society". Meh.

Last night we were watching "Oceans Twelve" (it was slow and choppy and we turned it off half way through) I needed some stupid knitting - low-thinking stuff - I have to pay too much attention to the Rebecca wrap (I screwed up another row, I'm refusing to frog) so I cast on for a pair of Broadripple socks. Holy chickens, I'm stupid or something - I kept messing up that pattern too, so I stopped all together. double meh.

746.4

That's the call # at the library for the knitting books. I went to the library in the town where I teach and browsed their new books, then went up to the "arts" area and found more knitting books. I like the Miller Library in Hamden - but don't rush over there because I took out the books :) For the next 2 weeks or so I am pouring over
*Family Circle Easy Afghans
*Gift Knits
*Debbi Bliss Celtic Knits
*Knitter's Stash
*Vogue Knitting Socks Two
*Left-Handed Crochet
*Hot Knits
*Felted Knits
*Knitting on the Edge

And wether or not if that man-eating-rescued rabbit thing is a joke PETA should still go stomp on his tuckas. They do outlandish stuff like that.

I bought pink tulips today - I love tulips and the shade of pink was sooo springy.

I'm on Spring Break!! To celebrate I'm having frozen strawberry daquiaris with dinner.

Unbelievable

So, while this guy will devour his pet if he doesn't raise enough money, he doesn't say why - not that there could even be a good reason. Why isn't PETA all over this guy? Have I missed something here?

(It's also almost unbelievable that I have update more than once today!)

Wow

We're fast approaching spring vacation - the past few days for me have been okay - I've been showing A Bug's Life and human body / skeleton videos. I'm thinking about setting up a science weblog for next school-year - maybe one for class, one for me as a teacher - have to do it for the CT BEST program anyway - not the blogging, but a technology component and journal. Online is easier for each day. This story just made me stop My days sometimes are tough, but I can't imagine what this must be like... More power to her, and her students.

My Rebecca wrap-cardi is slowly, slowly coming along. The back is ok. My eyelets are not even and I'm ok with that. It's for me, not a gift. My mistakes will be a tribute to the higher powers.

Vents

I'm a library supporter. I have always loved going to the library. However, I really cannot stand the local library in the town I'm moving back to next month. I went there today to get a video for school. Now, I've used that library before, but now I have a new last name / new library card (with my current hometown library, one town over) - so I have to wait while they "re-input" into their system. I went to the library in the town where i teach and had to wait again. So I made a comment about how there should be a "CT State" library card, not this town thing. And the librarian piped up that it is a CT library card (See, how it says it right on the card?) Yes, ma'am I see that - however each time you use it for the first time in a new spot I have to wait while I get "input" into the system. I might as well just get a new town library card. Frustrating, because this really isn't as convenient as it should be. Also, the library has really shitty parking. There is a vote up to expand the library - while I think this is a good thing - expand / update / serve more people, they make no accommodations for parking upgrades, which sucks.

I met up with Betsy (who finally has a LiveJournal - yay!) a stitch and sip at our local tavern. It was fun, but when she moves out to PA this summer, I think I may have to switch my knitting night - there's only 2 or 3 of us (me included) that come out with any regularity.

I think I'm managed the eyelet pattern on the wrap but now I've come to a confusing part involving the increases - I don't see how they add 10 stitches because according the written directions, I see 5 are added. Groan.

And lastly, Gilmore Girls is still in reruns. :^( Not fair. This season hasn't been all that great, but I miss my show!

Wonderings

I'm on my computer alot. Mostly it's for lesson planning / teaching stuff. Frequently it's for email. Anything else it's knitting /crafting. So it's rather amusing when my hubby asks me what I'm doing on the computer - Looking at knitting. Reading about knitting. Finding new patterns I want to do.

Is there a way to see the blogs of those who have "subscribed" to me on bloglines? I'm amazed that 100+ people have "subscribed" and I would love to leave a comment in their blog to say "Hey" - but I don't know how to figure that out.

Today I made banana bread and pizza bread. So domestic.

I've been working on the Eyelet wrap from rebecca #29 - twice, I've frogged. I'm left-handed and this is my first chart pattern experience - I keep screwing up. Bah. But I'm still determined. Any tips for lefties working from charts? I want to avoid re-writing the entire pattern, but fear it may bome to that!

Too random for a title

It's been forever since I've posted - since just before Easter I believe. My mom and Nana loved the Cadbury chicks I made - my mom even brought hers into work to show it off to the knitters she works with - they loved it of course and wanted the pattern :) Spreading the joy!

Apparently the Easter bunny brought me a really icky virus / cold / thing. I was pretty much laid out all last week - no voice, stuffy nose and no energy for knitting! But I'm back on track - my bobbi bear has no arms, but I can start stuffing him tonight. I need to add the handle to the Crystal Palace Deco-ribbon bag. I think I'm going to use the yarn from my secret pal to make the Eyelet Wrap Cardigan in Rebecca #29, and I want to start that tonight.

I listened to the book,Second Assistant, on CD last week in the car - cute, fluffy. I read Laurie Notoro's book I Love Everybody (and other atrocious lies) - hysterical!! And I see by amazon, that there's even another book due out soon We Thought You'd Be Prettier - aside from Jen Weiner Laurie Notaro is my favorite! And she'll be on tour! Wow. No CT dates listed and R.J's is pretty good about getting good authors through, so maybe...