February 10, 2006

I have a new favorite knitting book
Partially because it's my newest knitting book period, but also because it's awesome!
Have you checked out the Vogue Knitting STITCHIONARY? I'll admit, most of my knitting books are still packed up (waiting for the big move to the new house) but I still think I would feel this way if I had access. There are so many pattern swatches in this book, it just gets my mind rolling with ideas and inspiration.
Before this I have been going mainly to Kniting Over the Edge (and will still be checking it out) for most of my inspiration. But this is more ideas for the whole project, and "Edge" is . . well , for the edges! And embelishments.

February 6, 2006

Ok, so someone UP THERE likes me.

Hubby got the call this am that his company car was ready for pick up. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
We went this afternoon and picked up his new Ford Escape. It is a cherry lil' ride. It is copper orange, and has a V6. Pretty nice. I will have to drive it sometime. It is just really nice having my Explorer back right now.
Thanks to everyone who read of my dilema and sent good :
vibes/prayers/wishes - Much appreciated.
Got another row and a half done on the curent project, on the other side of the yellow stripe is now another almost completed stripe of white.

Thursday February 2, 2006

Why is it . . .
That when I have nothing going on in my life, and no where to be, I have atleast one if not two working vehicles sitting around. But when I am sharing my reliable/newer transportation, and using hubby's "antique" bug for short jaunts, the freeeking thing has one problem after another - like weekly!>??
He drove the thing all over for almost the whole first year we were here, with no problems. I have only been drivng it for 3 or 4 months, and have had issues 3 times that required repairs. And once again, it has zonked out on me! And, I have to work tomorrow! I have had to cancel 3 different classes because of this car! It is making me crazy!
Plus, I just dropped my daughter off at the library to volunteer, then have to pick her up at 6 - with something to eat in hand, so I can then take her to a Girl Scout meeting that starts at 6:30. All of this may be real hard to do.
I put in the SOS to hubby's pager, that he needs to make this a short day and have the (MY) car back to me before 6. Hopefully he can swing it, but then what do I do about my class tomorrow?
I need to go knit a row.

Well, it's finally happening ....

I started my blogger back when it started really looking like Yahoo 360 was going to be shutting down. I blogged on 360 for a couple of years - it was my first experience with blogging. Got the confirmation on Friday, 360 will be history in mid July.

So. . . I am going to start slowly moving my past blog entries from 360 over here - starting NOW:


Entry for January 23, 2006

Well, my friend Bobbi bugged the crud outta me to check out her 360* site - so here I am! Since I needed to "connect" to her, I decided to set up my own blog.
As many of my friends know already, I am bad about writing, so my entries may be far between. Also, I started working as a knitting instructor a few months ago at the local Michael's - I wanted to get more people hooked! That takes up what used to be computer time, and I am homeschooling my 14 year old daughter, so that tends to keep me busy too.
I will try to get some pictures up of my knitting, but I have been real awful at remembering to take pics before I give stuff away. I have asked a few people to send me photos of things I have given them, so maybe . . .
I moved to SW Florida a little over a year ago, from a three year stay in the San Diego area My husband (of 16 years) was a career NAVY man, so our "Where are you from?" changed about every three years.
I miss the friends I made there ("Hi Guys!") and all the GREAT knitting/fiber opportunities around there also. I learned A LOT while living there. Including how to spin my own yarn on a drop spindle and a spinning wheel, and how to knit lace from a great teacher, THE Judy . (also known as tiaJudy.com - check out some of her work) and I increased my basic knowledge of all things knitting and fiber related beyond my expectations. I was an active member/participant in three, sometimes four, knitting groups. They met at least once a month, some twice. So I got a "GROUP knitting" fix about once a week, and oh! the knowledge shared in these groups. I've joined a couple of groups here, and the ladies are sweet and very kind. But the level of experimentation is not even challenged. Judy did beautiful lace, Bobbi and Colleen - awesome socks, and Heather . . . a wire knitted bustier, hexagon shapes morphing into gorgeous sweater sets, a bikini from elasticized yarn. Always the edgy knitter... sigh ... I do miss that so.
BUT, we moved down here to be near my husbands family, and it has been nice. We do all our holidays and birthdays with his cousin's, and it has been great. Plus, you just can't top the fact that we are having our "dream house" built, and it is over 2200 square feet - and no where near the " over half a million" it would cost us in San Diego for the same house! Gotta give and take I guess. Considering we didn't have that half a mil, we "took" Florida!
I guess that's the short and sweet of it right now.




"I'm not obsessed, I'm just highly preoccupied. - Anonymous"

She has SERIOUS Bed Head!

I bought a new blow dryer recently, and one of our cats was too interested in the box. But when I pulled the blow dryer out I shoved all the packing material back into it, so she couldn't get in - even though it was see through on one side, and she could see right into it. After her continued attempts to gain entry - through the see through panel - I finally gave in and emptied it out for her. Now it's her favorite spot to "hide", and she seems to be under the impression that we can't see her while she is inside it.

OK. Is May over yet?

Big Sigh . . . . Well, since the end of April I have been in a FUNK. Talking with a friend today I figured it out. It's May! I miss my mommy.

Usually I see it coming, but this year it sort of took me by surprise. Which is actually a good thing. We lost mom to lung cancer 18 years ago, May 23, 1991. :(

I still miss her every day. But this year it didn't hit me like a stack of bricks. I actually thought it would be worse this year, because we just lost Dad a year and a half ago - and just had his ashes buried last summer. But maybe it was that closure - having the two of them buried together, that helped me reach a new place.

I miss them both.

This year WAS easier than others. But I am still ready for June. . . . . . .

Friends, Food and Yarn!

Who could ask for more???????

These are some of the ladies that I knit with on Tuesday nights. (The fun ones!)

Monica, and Adele are part of the local chapter of 'Linus Blankets' where they met Netta (on the other side of me) and Netta met Donna on Ravelry (where she also met me) and they all started coming to my Tuesday night crafting at BAM (Books A Million).
Netta used to live in the Fort Lauderdale area, where she used to knit with most of these other ladies . . . . The Sweet Stitchin' Betties. (That's us, mostly to the right) We all met up at Gabriella's yarn shop in Naples, FL. Seventeen of us!

We had a fantastic time, and Gabriella gave us all a 20% discount. She was a very friendly, helpful shop owner.

If I find myself in Naples, (it's 1 1/2 hours south of home) this is the shop I will go to. We went to another shop after lunch . . . let's just say she didn't go out of her way for us. She balked at the request of matching the 20% off discount, and she even charges for bags! Can you imagine?

We went to Mel's Diner for lunch after the first shop - and funny thing, we were all STARVING! We worked up quite the appetite petting all that yarn!!!

It was a great day with great ladies! I could happily do this once a month!

Oh! And before I forget, this was my combined catch . . .

Well, the freeze we had last month killed a lot of our landscaping, as you can see from all the bare spots in the picture. (and the dead palm leaves creeping into the picture.)

But our family heirloom Amaryllis' held strong (the one thing we covered) and are all in bloom at once this past week. They are beautiful!

I love spring!

I knew it!!!!!

I knew it!!

And now . . . I have "scientific" proof!

My Daughter turned 18 just ten days ago, and today . . . .

she couldn't open a 'child-proof' lid!

Interesting things at the fair . . .

This is an old SINGER that has been re-engineered into a scroll saw! Isn't that cool?!

And this portrait of Abraham Lincoln, was made by a 14 year old boy! He used 3002 pennies, and it weighs 75 lbs.

The cool things you see at County Fairs!

Where does the time go?

My DD turned 18 on Monday. I'm still in a bit of shock.

Where does the time go? I swear it wasn't but last year she was talking about being "old enough to drive soon".

About a year before that, she was excited about being a teenager soon...

It's FAIR time in SWFL!

Did some demo time at the local Sarasota County fair this past week, with some of the ladies from my local weaving and spinning guild.

DD came and did some knitting too (between walkabouts and cotton candy runs!) She even brought a friend one day to knit with her.

I love doing demos! I really enjoy explaining to people who show interest in the wheels or the yarn.

I was there, honest. Just not in any of the pictures because I took them all.
:)

Did I tell you my cat was musically inclined?

Latest Project

This is the first half of an afghan I am making for one of my nieces. She wants to do her new place in "Old Americana". I couldn't resist. When I was there over the summer she sweet talked me...

"Aunt Tammy... I still have the baby blanket that you made for me... (big smile, fluttering eyes) I would LOVE a full size afghan." How can you resist that?!

Anyhow, this is the most recent picture I have taken. I am almost done, having added three and a half more stripes. I still have to crochet the stars and sew them on too. Am thinking I will only do thirteen. More authentic "Americana". I am quite pleased with it so far.

It's been awhile (again). Sorry. Things got a little crazy over the last few months, and I have been very distracted.

But, I want to try to get something posted on here more regularly. So here goes.

Have you heard of ROC DAY? Also called Distaff Day, here is the definition from Wikipedia:

Distaff Day, also called Roc Day, is 7 January, the day after the feast of the Epiphany. It is also known as Saint Distaff's Day, since it was not really a holiday at all. In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work after the twelve days of Christmas. The distaff, or rock, used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women's work. Often the men and women would play pranks on each other during this day, as was written by Robert Herrick in his poem "Saint Distaffs day, or the Morrow After Twelfth Day" which appears in his Hesperides.
Some modern craft groups have taken up the celebration of Distaff day as part of their new year celebrations.

A guild North of us (about an hour and a half) put on a ROC Day celebration this past month, on the 10th; and my DD, a friend and I all joined them. DH had been wanting to go to the beach, so I convinced him to drive us up there and drop us off, then go to the beach for a few hours. :) Such a good guy!

It was held by the Pinellas Weaver's Guild, at the Heritage Village in Largo. We had a blast! It was a beautiful day and we sat outside next to the porch, right next to . . .

This Model T!

The gentleman who owns it was right there answering questions, and allowing people to sit in it for pictures. My DD HAD to get in on that!

We walked around a bit after, and took a few pictures. This register was over 100 years old, and still works!

It was a GREAT day! There were spinners and weavers and VENDORS - GREAT day!