I Have Become A Junky!

Of what?

Of t.v. crime shows. Yesterday, was the SVU Marathon, today Criminal Intent. I sat most of the day and watched the ones I hadn't seen. It was great for knitting. I finally had to get a shower around 2 but was back in my chair around 3 continuing my habit.

Of blogs. Everyday, I have a list of blogs that I regularly check in on. With the holidays, not everybody has been posting as regularly, so some I have just been checking out periodically. Last night, I happened upon a new site (referred by Zenneedle). The new site www.cast-on.com turned me onto something new. Podcasts. This podcast is about knitting. You can download them to your computer and listen to them, or do as I did and add it to my new MP3Player and listen to it at my leisure. It's interesting and a whole new mode. This particular one is by Brenda Dayne. Can't tell you a whole lot, cause I fell asleep listening last night, but she has some great music intermingled with her talking about stuff. Kind of reminds me of books on tape. I never could fully stay awake while listening to them. But the music is so different than what I have ever heard that I find myself wanting to investigate it a little further. This MP3 has me intrigued and now I see myself being sucked into using it while waiting at appointments, at lunch when I want to be myself, at night when I have seen all of the episodes of crime shows. My family has created yet another monster.

Of Knitting. There is even an ipod mitted pattern that I printed off last night. I am going to try and adapt it to a thicker and narrower MP3 player. Okay, I am going over the edge, but I like it. Speaking of over the edge, can you guess what this is?It is NOT a medical procedure, that's all the hint I am giving you.


As I have mentioned several times this past week, I have totally enjoyed this time off. I read on a blog last night, how someone else out there has been just like me, and finally figured out yesterday that she needed to actually get dressed in somenthing other than sweat pants and do something. That's me today. I am actually going to get a shower, and get out of the pjs before noon. I gotta run some errands before they close down for New Years Eve. I will actually eat right starting today and stop trying to trick my stomach into behaving badly. So far, this past week it has acted a little normal. I wonder if it is Lactose Intolerance. Does that come on all of a sudden? Hmmm.

Tomorrow, I WILL get up at my regular time and act like a human being and go to bed at the normal time too. That way, come Tuesday, I will be ready when I have to go back to work. But until then, it is still the holiday, and I got a whole day of Criminal Intent I can knit by. And of course, I need to make my New Year's Knit Resolutions.

Be safe out there tonight! Better yet, do like we are! Stay in and enjoy good company!

This is what is left of the 27 scarves I made last year. Two! Who would of thought! On Christmas Eve, I took the bag to the in-laws. I told my sister-in-law, mother-in-law and neice they could all choose one. What a hoot, it was, they loved it. They couldn't make up their minds. My mother-in-law, almost up to the time I was taking them out the door, was not really sure which one she wanted. My sister-in-law enlisted the help of her husband, and my neice was pretty sure which one she wanted. It was so much fun, to see them excited over a simple little scarf. That's what I like to see, real excitement and pure joy!

On Christmas, my mother-in-law showed it off at our house. Simple pleasures. I let my mom choose too, she picked the white one right away. She was equally happy. I never thought she would want one, but she really did. That is what the holiday is about. Simple pleasures.

Now, I gotta knit up some more! But, the cool thing? I have the stash to do it.

11 Days of Christmas Update

I know you have been on pins and needles waiting. Quite often, I have pondered why I blog. Yes, I have a few who might read it and see what I am up to, but I think I finally hit it on the head. This is my journal. Knit mostly, but also other things occasionally. The blog will never make the "best" ever contest, but for me it is fun. It gives me a chance to be funny (yea, right), write what I want (well not really, cause sometimes, you don't want friends and family to know everything, just in case they happen upon the blog in a search), and test out web design (okay, I don't think I will ever get that!) I think that takes a whole series of classes!

Okay, now for the update of 11 Days of Christmas. Is it Thursday already? 5 days and I have to go back to work. The work schedule in January brings something every week (several doctors appt for the tall guy, just check ups, and the colonoscopy for me) and then factor in Martin Luther King off and lia sophia meeting in Chicago at the end of the next week. Before you know it, it will be February! And the radio station will be going to Mexico and I will be sitting here.

Oh, sorry an update. It's going well! Yesterday was knit day and as you can see below, I can multi task. Knitting, copying music t my new MP3 player, and dubbing some knit tapes to DVD at the same time. I think I'll do a little more dubbing today and knit until I have wheels at my disposal. I still have 6 things on my list (hey, #1 had several parts to it and I hope to have it along with the errands ran as soon as my kid gets home with the car.

This is what retirement is like huh?

Today Is An All Knit Day!

That is what I am going to do while I get caught up on laundry. I will have the house all to myself today and no car at my disposal. Everyone is either working or off visiting girlfriends. So, I am going to sit in my knitting spot, knit, convert some tapes to DVD, drink coffee and just veg. Doesn't that sound like fun?




I have all of my Christmas decorations put away, my snowman theme is out (until about mid February when I will bring the knit theme back out) and my yarn is back where it belongs. Things are back like normal, except I don't have to work or do anything I don't want to! Now this is a vacation!

11 Days of Christmas Update tomorrow. I know you can hardly wait to hear how I am progressing.

I Know I Say This Almost Every Christmas

But this was a good Christmas. Since my mom stopped having Christmas, and comes to our house at noon and to my brother's that night, things have been so much calmer. The morning is fast and furious, but along about 4:00, we can sit back and enjoy the calmness and the holiday. Who knows how long this will all last, but it sure is nice for now. Part of it could be that there is no work the next day too. Here's a little of the Christmas morning fun at our house.










And this is my present. The tall guy always manages to surprise me. I never would have asked for this MP3 player. But boy do I love it (at least what I can figure out so far). The clarity of the sound is unreal.





And the 11 days of Christmas are dwindling, but I am having so much fun, I am just like a kid out of school. Today, I slept all the way to 8:45! I haven't done that forever!

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Holidays To All of My Friends!
Norma, Jan, Jo, Char and Linda--You're the Best!

The Eleven Days of Christmas

You read it right. I have 11 days of Christmas. That is I have 11 whole days OFF! Yes, that includes weekends and holidays, but I'm counting em. And of course, in keeping with my never ending list making, I have compiled 11 things I ABSOLUTELY want to accomplish!

Here is my list!
1- lia sophia tax stuff ready, lia returns ready to go back, lia sophia newsletter for January/February ready and the website updated
2- Some post xmas knitting projects complete (can't tell you what it is, cause they are a surprise for some people I know)
3- My knitting tapes converted to DVD
4- 2004/2005 lia sophia customer/hostess data base update and complete (okay this may take a while, but at least have it started or maybe just set up)
5- A Retirement Party kind of sort of Planned at least the invites ready to go
6- Finish Harry Potter or at least read some more of it
7- My knit camp project decided and maybe started
8- Stuff around the house, like cleaned, xmas put away (once it over and back to normal) and my snowmen/knitting themed stuff back up. And my yarn cabinets back in the living room out of the boys room
9- Digital Pics off of the disk and onto CD and printed
10- lia sophia new jewelry order ready, along with some clean up of what is being discontinued
11- And last a couple of errands ran, which means I actually have to get dressed and out on the streets in the next 11 days

Looks like alot of lia stuff, but I have been letting it slide a bit, and I need to take advantage of the time to get ready for next year! What I didn't mention in my 11 days of Christmas is that every day will involve KNITTING! Every single day and that includes Christmas itself! I love it, could it be any better? Well, yes, it could, I could be sitting on a beach somewhere KNITTING!

Do My Friends Know Me Or What?

And they always come up with something new to surprise me. I do work with a great bunch. Not only do they worry about me and listen to my unending problem (so it would seem), but they know just what to get me for Christmas. And never a duplicate among them. Now, for 11 days off! Yippy Skippy!

Are these way cool or what? These are a Xmas Gift from my friend Kathy at work. She knew when she saw them they were for me. Lime green and Palm Trees! And they are so comfy. I had them on at my desk yesterday for just a little bit. They are cushy and warm too. She knows me so well! Several years ago, she bought me a big snowman sitting in a lounge chair with flip flops on, and had put a sign Penny at Christmas on a Beach! Don't ya just love Christmas?!

I'm working on the Pyth Jacket tonight. And wondering if ever will be finished and what I could/should be working on next. Can you tell I am getting itchy to do something else? This is how I keep track of what I am suppose to do on each row. When I pack it up to take it with me, I put a colored paper clip with the large head facing out on the row I am suppose to be working on.


I bought the block of wood with a slit in it from Meg Swansen's Knit Camp many years ago. The slit cut in it is wide enough to hold one of those magnetic boards upright in. It's perfect sitting next to my knitting chair.

Knit Camp,hmmmm, I gotta get started on something.

This is a birthday present from my friend Jan who lives in Texas. This is nice to read just one story at a time. I am savoring it that way. Kind of like a Advent Calendar. And Jan wrote such a lovely note in it too.

Tonight I am working on the Pyth Jacket sleeve. Only one more week and then I have a whole 10 days off! I am going to so enjoy it. Sitting around in my jammies til whenever and knitting and doing a little lia sophia organizing too! Can hardly wait. I am just like the kids are when they know Christmas and Christmas vacation is coming. I guess I never grew up!

The Weather Is Like My Knitting

It's snowed again, and this afternoon it is suppose to rain and who knows what that will bring as far as driving conditions. That's how my Twisted Sisters knitting goes. Always changing, never knowing which way it is going to go. I have been working on the Desdemona all weekend long until I hit a snag. Between my knitting and the pattern, something is just not right. I checked the website for corrections and there were some, but nothing that I couldn't handle. So back to knitting it, and it just isn't making sense. So after a couple of nights, I picked up the Pyth jacket, and said what the heck keep knitting on it and see where it goes. I really liked it better anyway.

Maybe I ought just put both of them away and knit on something else, ya know, just ignore them both....but I have imposed on no new yarn (read as big yarn) purchases until the Twisted Sisters is done in some shape or form!

I Accomplished A Couple of Things Yesterday

Got my tree up and wrapped presents. And I hate wrapping presents.


Finished this Carumba scarf. This is scarf #27 this season. It is so soft and comfy feeling. The recepient is Maria at work. She had this cool orange sweater on Friday and I told her how this scarf was hers once it was finished. It looked so neat up against the orange.

This is what watches me at my computer until after Christmas. I brought out a few more decorations yesterday. And thought this is a perfect place for this stuffed animal my mom bought me sometime ago. She likes shopping for these things and I am getting quite a collection of them. I am running out of places to put them.

Late last night and today, I am working on the Desdemona Jacket from Twisted Sisters. Will report more on that later next week.

Threadbear Fiberarts has all of their kits on sale this weekend. I have been lusting over these two colorways from Hanne Falkenberg.
http://www.knit.dk/mermaid4.htm or http://www.knit.dk/mermaid3.htm

I did a little investigation--- $249.99 on some sites! At 20 % that would make it $199.99! There is not enough Christmas money for this one. But upon further investigation there are some Ebay sites that have it for around $140. Things that make you hmmmmm? But, even at $140, I cannot, I will not buy until I have Twisted Sisters done!

Just had to take a little time out for a little yarn looking. Today, I am gonna put my tree up and finish putting some things away, wrap some presents and watch/listen to Elvis movies on A&E. And not going outside for nothin!

When doing a simple scarf all in garter stitch, I usually slip the first stitch of every row as if to purl. Above is the exception, I tried it with this Crystal Palace Treo scarf. As you can tell from the pic, it just leaves a big unsightly worm up the side. So, I ripped it out and started over. I also ran out of yarn. The gal at the yarn shop said she only used one. I doubted that given the yardage. I should have went with my instinct, cause now I have to make a trip back just for this one skein of yarn.

The Tuesday at Noon Knitters Group

Earlier this Fall, a group at work asked me if I would do a knitting group at work on lunch on Tuesdays. Since we have to stay in and eat (cause the weather is too rotten to sit outside), I thought it would be fun. And it has. We even attracted some who just want to sit with us.

This is Maria's knitting. Don't ya just love the colors!


And finally, I exchange Christmas presents with three of these ladies from Tuesdays. Since they all three are either very new knitters or a knitter who does not have any supplies, I went shopping last week for some supplies for their Christmas present. I'll include one of those Lancome make up bags I seem to collect so many of so they will have something to put them in.

I Love This Poof Stuff!



This is like the 4th scarf I have used Poof with Encore Chunky to knit them with. The pattern is just 26 stitches in a K2 P2 rib on a size 13 needle. The combo of this particular one reminds me of those Bun candy bars that were my favorite as a kid. The Encore and the poof are so soft together. This particular scarf finished out with about 58 inches long. I used 1 1/2 balls of each. I had a tad bit left on each one, so I started a smaller version on 18 stitches with K2P2 rib. But ran out after about 12 inches, so I am thinkin I might have to get one more ball of the Brown Encore to finish off the poof and the scarf.

This scarf is for one of the gals I work with. I think I am done with the actual scarf present knitting. I am not finished with my holiday knitting, but the scarves that I absolutely have to have done are done!