Especially when my house is clean, my yard is neat and tidy, and it rains on Sunday.
Saturday was a yarn selling day at Ewe Knit Kits and Yarn. We were nicely busy with lots of new customers stopping in while on vacation.
The drawstring Party Bags from LBEvans came in. I couldn't resist a peek into each of the kits. Each kit has a different Fair Isle pattern. But don't be put off, the instructions and chart are easy to read. And if you don't want a pattern just knit stripes. They all use ribbon and recycled sari silk. The beads are glass and very pretty. The suede is nice, not a cheap imitation. I knit the purple one this weekend. It was quick (about 50 rows of knitting) and easy. And I want to keep it....but it will be a store sample. I'll visit on Saturdays.
But I have my own to knit, The French Market Tote..Swirly Tweed with the red leather.
The bad news was the chart was left out of the instruction leaflet....the good news was the chart was left out of the instruction leaflet. (A call on Tuesday had the chart sent via email the same day and also sent via US mail)....
....or I wouldn't be working on the Oat Couture Auntie's Afgan. I'm up to 500 stitches per row now. Takes about 30 min per row without interuptions. It's a great pattern, simple 2 row repeat with a nice border. I have about 16 rows left to knit.
So my plan is to finish the Auntie's Afghan this week and hopefully begin the French Market tote on Sunday.
I must remind myself of the little Dale of Norway baby hat that I carry around. I haven't had much time to knit on it recently. Maybe I can work in a 1/2 break later today.
Oh wait...if Mr. Johnson brings the bookcases this Sunday there will be no knitting...that's okay, I can live wih that.
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Hrump.....I have this book in my to read pile....
You're One Hundred Years of Solitude!
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Lonely and struggling, you've been around for a very long time.
Conflict has filled most of your life and torn apart nearly everyone you know. Yet there
is something majestic and even epic about your presence in the world. You love life all
the more for having seen its decimation. After all, it takes a village.
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Friday, July 02, 2004
....whelmed?
I have been feeling overwhelmed the last few weeks. I couldn't finish anything I had set out to do. My house needed cleaning, the roof needs to be washed, the gutters cleaned, the yarn weeded, the carpet cleaned, grocery purchased, knitting projects completed, magazines and books sorted and tossed, and well I could go on.
So I made a list. It looked like this:
scrub house from top to bottom
weed yard front and back
clean roof of fungus
clean gutters and replace screening
clean carpets
get final date for TV center or cancel order
stock freezer and pantry
sort magazines
sort books
re-organize yarn back into a semblance of order
clean off dining room table (see organize yarn)
I looked at my list and decided what I could hire someone to do.
scrub house from top to bottom CustomMaid
weed yard front and back
clean roof of fungus Larry Ambrose
clean gutters and replace screening Larry Ambrose
clean carpets ChemDry
get final date for TV center or cancel order Charles Johnson
stock freezer and pantry
sort magazines
sort books
re-organize yarn back into a semblance of order
clean off dining room table (see organize yarn)
Which left me:
weeding
grocery shopping
sorting books and magazines
organizing yarn (again)
So last week I made phone calls:
www.CustomMaid.com had an opening on Tuesday. My house shines! It was the first time I've had anyone clean my house. Wasn't sure what to expect. But at 11:30 3 ladies knocked on my door and at 2:00 they left. They're coming back once a month.
Larry Ambrose, the neighborhood roofing and dryvit guy, can come next week to powerwash and treat my icky roof. If you live in the south you'll understand what I mean. He's even going to paint the rusty vent covers and clean out my gutters. I have those protective screens to keep out the leaves, but the heavy rains from Isabelle pushed quite a bit of it down into the gutter which has trapped leaves and just made a mess.
ChemDry can come on the 5th to clean the carpets that CustomMaid vaccummed really well.
And Mr. Johnson, who promised me last February that he'd have my new TV hutch and bookcases done by the end of March...er, April..May for sure...would deliver said hutch and bookcase the weekend of the 11th. If not, a refund of my deposit. I mean, I can be patient but goodness!
Whew! Just geting that accomplished made me feel more enthused about the rest.
Sunday I spent straightening up, putting things where they belong. I had become lazy and just put things where ever.
That accomplished, Monday morning I weeded both back and front yards. Once I got started it only took me an hour. I guess it was everything else on top of it.
Monday and Tuesday I worked from home. Conference calls beginning at Noon and lasting until late provided me mornings to get things done.
And I did grocery shop on Sunday. I usually don't like to do that. That "day of rest" thing. I think everything should close up once ina while. But I took advantage of Harris Teeter's hours and spent $80 to restock the pantry and freezer. I can now fix a decent meal.
This weekend I'll sort through books and magazines. When Mr. Johnson delivers (see I'm being optimistic) the new shelving ....Oh and I order those things that slide underneath furniture so that your furniture slides easly.
Knitting has been interesting:
I finsihed a Harriett bag. Felted. Now need handles.
Oat Couture's Aunties Afgan is still on the needles. When will I learn to COUNT the stitches? I've frogged 3 times now. Not the whole thing, but 10 rows. 444 stitches. I'm on the last 32 rows now so hopefully I'll be finished this weekend.
But I probably won't because the purses that we ordered from ....arrived at Ewe Knit Kits and I can't wait to get my hands on them. We ordered the party bags from LBEvans.
Well, blogger or the internet or both are acting up. I'm going to log off and review this post later.
So I made a list. It looked like this:
scrub house from top to bottom
weed yard front and back
clean roof of fungus
clean gutters and replace screening
clean carpets
get final date for TV center or cancel order
stock freezer and pantry
sort magazines
sort books
re-organize yarn back into a semblance of order
clean off dining room table (see organize yarn)
I looked at my list and decided what I could hire someone to do.
scrub house from top to bottom CustomMaid
weed yard front and back
clean roof of fungus Larry Ambrose
clean gutters and replace screening Larry Ambrose
clean carpets ChemDry
get final date for TV center or cancel order Charles Johnson
stock freezer and pantry
sort magazines
sort books
re-organize yarn back into a semblance of order
clean off dining room table (see organize yarn)
Which left me:
weeding
grocery shopping
sorting books and magazines
organizing yarn (again)
So last week I made phone calls:
www.CustomMaid.com had an opening on Tuesday. My house shines! It was the first time I've had anyone clean my house. Wasn't sure what to expect. But at 11:30 3 ladies knocked on my door and at 2:00 they left. They're coming back once a month.
Larry Ambrose, the neighborhood roofing and dryvit guy, can come next week to powerwash and treat my icky roof. If you live in the south you'll understand what I mean. He's even going to paint the rusty vent covers and clean out my gutters. I have those protective screens to keep out the leaves, but the heavy rains from Isabelle pushed quite a bit of it down into the gutter which has trapped leaves and just made a mess.
ChemDry can come on the 5th to clean the carpets that CustomMaid vaccummed really well.
And Mr. Johnson, who promised me last February that he'd have my new TV hutch and bookcases done by the end of March...er, April..May for sure...would deliver said hutch and bookcase the weekend of the 11th. If not, a refund of my deposit. I mean, I can be patient but goodness!
Whew! Just geting that accomplished made me feel more enthused about the rest.
Sunday I spent straightening up, putting things where they belong. I had become lazy and just put things where ever.
That accomplished, Monday morning I weeded both back and front yards. Once I got started it only took me an hour. I guess it was everything else on top of it.
Monday and Tuesday I worked from home. Conference calls beginning at Noon and lasting until late provided me mornings to get things done.
And I did grocery shop on Sunday. I usually don't like to do that. That "day of rest" thing. I think everything should close up once ina while. But I took advantage of Harris Teeter's hours and spent $80 to restock the pantry and freezer. I can now fix a decent meal.
This weekend I'll sort through books and magazines. When Mr. Johnson delivers (see I'm being optimistic) the new shelving ....Oh and I order those things that slide underneath furniture so that your furniture slides easly.
Knitting has been interesting:
I finsihed a Harriett bag. Felted. Now need handles.
Oat Couture's Aunties Afgan is still on the needles. When will I learn to COUNT the stitches? I've frogged 3 times now. Not the whole thing, but 10 rows. 444 stitches. I'm on the last 32 rows now so hopefully I'll be finished this weekend.
But I probably won't because the purses that we ordered from ....arrived at Ewe Knit Kits and I can't wait to get my hands on them. We ordered the party bags from LBEvans.
Well, blogger or the internet or both are acting up. I'm going to log off and review this post later.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Did I mention....
...that I saw the original Einstein knit in Touch Me from Sally Melviles Knit Stitch. It still looks great. Not out of shape at all.
...20 hours in a car, 4 women can do alot of knitting
...I know when to bite my tongue (see above comment)
...I'm going to try needle felting
...Trendsetter Yarns: MASAI 48% wool 48% acrylic 4% Nylon 50gr/35yds
...Dale of Norway: ARA 100% wool 50gr/55yds
...Crystal Palace: RAGGEDY 50% Acrylic, 30% Nylon 20% wool 50gr/56yds
...UniqueColors/Colinette: SHIMMER FIVE 50% wool 50% visc 100gr/52yds
...Prism CARNIVAL 50% Rayon 50% Nylon 2oz/72yds
...Trendsetter Yarns JOY 75% Polyan 25% Polyester 25gms/62yds
...Trendsetter Yarns CHECKMATE 100% Nylon 50gr/70yds
...Plymouth: DREAM BABY KNOCKOUT 67 Acrylic 33%Nylon 50gr/126yds
Oat Couture "Auntie Afgan" is a simple 2 row repeat for most of the pattern but I keep fogetting the YO's....glad the baby's not due until October!
...20 hours in a car, 4 women can do alot of knitting
...I know when to bite my tongue (see above comment)
...I'm going to try needle felting
...Trendsetter Yarns: MASAI 48% wool 48% acrylic 4% Nylon 50gr/35yds
...Dale of Norway: ARA 100% wool 50gr/55yds
...Crystal Palace: RAGGEDY 50% Acrylic, 30% Nylon 20% wool 50gr/56yds
...UniqueColors/Colinette: SHIMMER FIVE 50% wool 50% visc 100gr/52yds
...Prism CARNIVAL 50% Rayon 50% Nylon 2oz/72yds
...Trendsetter Yarns JOY 75% Polyan 25% Polyester 25gms/62yds
...Trendsetter Yarns CHECKMATE 100% Nylon 50gr/70yds
...Plymouth: DREAM BABY KNOCKOUT 67 Acrylic 33%Nylon 50gr/126yds
Oat Couture "Auntie Afgan" is a simple 2 row repeat for most of the pattern but I keep fogetting the YO's....glad the baby's not due until October!
Day 5 - Sunday - Heading Home
Walking into "Clara's" for our free hot breakfast we're greated with "Bobbie!". It was the gals from Knitting Sisters. "Small world" discussion ensued. It was the free, hot breakfast sign that had lured them in too.
After a great hot breakfast we were on the road for home. It was a truly wonderful, eye opening trip. All the people I met no matter what their needlecraft were gracious and sharing.
So Ewe Knit Kits and Yarns will have new yarns and patterns in the next few weeks. Brown Sheep, more Collinette, and LB Evans Drawstring purses, lots of buttons, and new ideas to share with our customers.
After a great hot breakfast we were on the road for home. It was a truly wonderful, eye opening trip. All the people I met no matter what their needlecraft were gracious and sharing.
So Ewe Knit Kits and Yarns will have new yarns and patterns in the next few weeks. Brown Sheep, more Collinette, and LB Evans Drawstring purses, lots of buttons, and new ideas to share with our customers.
Day 4 - Sunday - Buy buy buy
Sunday morning class was "Embellishments and Trims for Plain Knitted Garments" by Svetlana Avrakh of Patons Yarns. It was another crochet trims class but this time using novelty yarns. It gave me some ideas on trimming ready made clothes. And I learned that I have been pronouncing Patons wrong. It's Pay Tons with a hard a. I've been saying Pa Tons with a soft a. Hmm, are hard and soft vowels still used?
B and my classes were only 2 hours so we met at 10:00 and placed orders at Collinette (for individual skeins of yarn and more throws in the new colors), Rowen and LB Evans (purses and totes are beautiful!). There was another vendor but it's gone from my brain. L and P joined us at 11:00 and went back for notions (purse handles, felting needles, gauge measuring tool, needles) and new FiberTrends and Oat Couture patterns, buttons from Dills, buttons from 2 other places, sequins and beads, yarns from Seaport Yarns, Cotton Fleece and CottonWool fingering weight from Brown Sheep and about this time B said "there's no room left in the store!" but we kept shopping....of course there were show specials to be had with vendors we already use so those orders were placed. We ran out of time to hit S.W.A.K., KnitWhits and Jamieson..but we have the literature!
My brain was fried!
We hit the road and drove about 2 hours before stopping for the night at a Best Western....it's the one with the sign that says "Free Hot Breakfast".
B and my classes were only 2 hours so we met at 10:00 and placed orders at Collinette (for individual skeins of yarn and more throws in the new colors), Rowen and LB Evans (purses and totes are beautiful!). There was another vendor but it's gone from my brain. L and P joined us at 11:00 and went back for notions (purse handles, felting needles, gauge measuring tool, needles) and new FiberTrends and Oat Couture patterns, buttons from Dills, buttons from 2 other places, sequins and beads, yarns from Seaport Yarns, Cotton Fleece and CottonWool fingering weight from Brown Sheep and about this time B said "there's no room left in the store!" but we kept shopping....of course there were show specials to be had with vendors we already use so those orders were placed. We ran out of time to hit S.W.A.K., KnitWhits and Jamieson..but we have the literature!
My brain was fried!
We hit the road and drove about 2 hours before stopping for the night at a Best Western....it's the one with the sign that says "Free Hot Breakfast".
Day 3 - Saturday - Crochet and Window Shopping
Not that I was anxious to get into the Market or anything, but my Saturday class seemed like it went by in slow motion....and it was a GREAT class.
"Funky Crochet for Kniters" by Kathleen Power Johnson. We crocheted on knitting! We inserted crochet panels into knitting. We added borders. We added beads. It was a wild 3 hours of crochet. I was inspired!
I guess I should stop at this point to add that B, L and P were also taking classes but I can't remember what they were....but they all said they were great classes and they learned. And that's a good thing.
Aside: needlepoint and cross stitch were included this year as part of TNNA market. I'm a former needlepoint addict and it was sooo hard to walk by those canvas but I did...I'm not saying I didn't admire a few ... but I didn't linger.
Since it was our first time L, P and I agreed that we'd meet at the Market entrance at 11:00..right after our classes ended and experice the Market together. Well P and I waited 15 min for L and we couldn't wait anylonger....we were off.
The front of the Great Wall of Yarn booklet has the words...Enticing Textures...Exciting Colors...Extraordinary Possibilities...I think that sums up The Market. I can't begin to tell you all of what I saw. I can say we began at 11:15, stopped no more than 20 min for lunch and a bathroom break and didn't stop again until the Market closed at 6:00 and even then it was 6:15 before we actually left the room.
And the people...Lily Chin, Lorna Miser, Beth Casey and the gang from Lorna's Laces, The Jamisons', Leslye Solomon, Sally Melville, Annie Modesitt (that was me yelling and waving Annie), and many more who's names aren't coming to me right now. Like Diane of the Simple knits patterns, and the young man who invented the gauge guide ruler thingy and Circular Solution inventor...
And the yarn companies...Rowan, Misti, Prism, SouthWest Trading Co, Plymouth, Knit One Crochet Too, Blue Sky Alpaca, Crystal Place, Trendsetter, Louet Gems, Muench, Aurora Yarns, Classic Elite, Cherry Tree Hill, Alchemy Yarns, Dale of Norway, Cascade, Skacel, Interlacements, Artful Yarns, Tahki, Stacy Charles, Red Heart, Himalayan Yarn co, Mountain Colors, and so many more.
And books and patterns...Oat Couture, Fiber Trends, Interweave, Martindale, Jamieson (I sat and looked through the not even printed Simply Shetland book and it's better than the last one if that's possible)
And purses and notions and beads and tote bags and buttons...oh my!
By the end of the second hour I understood why so many shoppers had those bags on wheels..both of my bags were packed full of literature and samples. My shoulders still hurt from the weight but I wasn't about to let a sample go untouched!
What a sweetie the Addi Turbo salesman was. He offered this tip...if your Addi circulars become stiff, put them in a plastic baggie with a damp tissue and they'll right limber up.
By 6:30 the 4 of us were heading down the interstate looking for our hotel. Did I mention because of Hotel.com arrangements we only had reservations for 2 of our 3 nights.
Finding the motel L, P and I waited in the car while B went to see what the problem with reservation was (Hotel.com only had 1 room with a double be for all 4 of us) and it's a good thing they messed up the reservation. While waiting we saw a drug sale, what we think was a prostitute waiting for her John (it was in the way she was dressed that just sort of made us think that way) and then a train goes by about 20 feet from the motel property. At that point I went and got B, told her no way were we staying there...she was already on the phone to Hotel.com ....
At 7:00 we were back on the interstate looking for another hotel without the help of Hotels.com. AAA guide and a cell phone are wonderful. The desk clerk at The Drury talked into his parking lot where we had clean, quiet, kingsize bed bedrooms for each of us. After dinner at a Japanese restaurant we settled in B's room to look through our goodies, discuss our thoughts and ideas for Ewe Knit Kits and Yarnand plan the buying on Sunday.
"Funky Crochet for Kniters" by Kathleen Power Johnson. We crocheted on knitting! We inserted crochet panels into knitting. We added borders. We added beads. It was a wild 3 hours of crochet. I was inspired!
I guess I should stop at this point to add that B, L and P were also taking classes but I can't remember what they were....but they all said they were great classes and they learned. And that's a good thing.
Aside: needlepoint and cross stitch were included this year as part of TNNA market. I'm a former needlepoint addict and it was sooo hard to walk by those canvas but I did...I'm not saying I didn't admire a few ... but I didn't linger.
Since it was our first time L, P and I agreed that we'd meet at the Market entrance at 11:00..right after our classes ended and experice the Market together. Well P and I waited 15 min for L and we couldn't wait anylonger....we were off.
The front of the Great Wall of Yarn booklet has the words...Enticing Textures...Exciting Colors...Extraordinary Possibilities...I think that sums up The Market. I can't begin to tell you all of what I saw. I can say we began at 11:15, stopped no more than 20 min for lunch and a bathroom break and didn't stop again until the Market closed at 6:00 and even then it was 6:15 before we actually left the room.
And the people...Lily Chin, Lorna Miser, Beth Casey and the gang from Lorna's Laces, The Jamisons', Leslye Solomon, Sally Melville, Annie Modesitt (that was me yelling and waving Annie), and many more who's names aren't coming to me right now. Like Diane of the Simple knits patterns, and the young man who invented the gauge guide ruler thingy and Circular Solution inventor...
And the yarn companies...Rowan, Misti, Prism, SouthWest Trading Co, Plymouth, Knit One Crochet Too, Blue Sky Alpaca, Crystal Place, Trendsetter, Louet Gems, Muench, Aurora Yarns, Classic Elite, Cherry Tree Hill, Alchemy Yarns, Dale of Norway, Cascade, Skacel, Interlacements, Artful Yarns, Tahki, Stacy Charles, Red Heart, Himalayan Yarn co, Mountain Colors, and so many more.
And books and patterns...Oat Couture, Fiber Trends, Interweave, Martindale, Jamieson (I sat and looked through the not even printed Simply Shetland book and it's better than the last one if that's possible)
And purses and notions and beads and tote bags and buttons...oh my!
By the end of the second hour I understood why so many shoppers had those bags on wheels..both of my bags were packed full of literature and samples. My shoulders still hurt from the weight but I wasn't about to let a sample go untouched!
What a sweetie the Addi Turbo salesman was. He offered this tip...if your Addi circulars become stiff, put them in a plastic baggie with a damp tissue and they'll right limber up.
By 6:30 the 4 of us were heading down the interstate looking for our hotel. Did I mention because of Hotel.com arrangements we only had reservations for 2 of our 3 nights.
Finding the motel L, P and I waited in the car while B went to see what the problem with reservation was (Hotel.com only had 1 room with a double be for all 4 of us) and it's a good thing they messed up the reservation. While waiting we saw a drug sale, what we think was a prostitute waiting for her John (it was in the way she was dressed that just sort of made us think that way) and then a train goes by about 20 feet from the motel property. At that point I went and got B, told her no way were we staying there...she was already on the phone to Hotel.com ....
At 7:00 we were back on the interstate looking for another hotel without the help of Hotels.com. AAA guide and a cell phone are wonderful. The desk clerk at The Drury talked into his parking lot where we had clean, quiet, kingsize bed bedrooms for each of us. After dinner at a Japanese restaurant we settled in B's room to look through our goodies, discuss our thoughts and ideas for Ewe Knit Kits and Yarnand plan the buying on Sunday.
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