Yes, that's me! At least the last sentance.

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Merino Wool.You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to keep you close because you are so softhearted. You love to be comfortable and warm from your head to your toes.
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Something New

I have began and completed something new on the cabled riding coat. There is a different twist to the cables for the waist on up. Also in the waist section, the cables are twisting more often. I am so excited and scared right now. I am moving on to new different things. The pattern has about 4 "AT THE SAME TIME" sections. It is a lot to pay attention to. I made an excel chart that just lists each section I need to do on each row. That way, while I still have to read the pattern, I can just check off each row as I do it and follow the notes to which section(s) I need to follow from the impossible pattern. It will be fun, I can't wait to finish the sweater. It seems a little snug. I may not be able to button it (until I lose some weight) but I don't usually button my sweaters anyways.

So far my big accomplishment today has been weaving in some ends. I hate doing it, and I know there are going to be SO many for this sweater. I just attached my 7th ball (at least) and have 29 more to go. So I has to weave in 14 ends. WOW. But as you can see in the top photo, there is a little pile of ends - that is the back side of the sweater.

The brown is much darker then it is showing in these photos, it is such a beautiful sunny warm (not hot) day outside. Perfect for taking pictures of cables and showing their detail. Not so good for doing this warm chocolate brown any justice. Think candy bar brown. I just checked the name of it... Chocolate!! Surprise.

Anyways, I am off to knit the first significantly different row. Wish me luck ;)

Boring Work

Everything is going just a little bit slow at work right now. The computer, my attitude. I just don't feel like doing anything. But the problem is, is that it is the last day of the pay period for this month. Yes - I only get paid once a month. And I want to get in as many hours as possible. I am aiming for working a whopping total of 70 hours this month. I would say wow - how little that is because I took some extra time off for finals. But that has been my norm (Or even above norm) the last few months. I used to work much more, but I really cut back this semester for school. My original plan was to not work at all, but somehow I just could not quit. It seemed entirely too lazy. Plus, it would not make me a better student, I just have no study motivation. This is all pretty boring I'm sure, but this is my life.

I am plugging away on the cabled jacket. I will try to update the meter tonight or tomorrow. I haven't made much progress from last week, I was busy celebrating my birthday. I had a good time, I made a pesto lasagne for dinner on my b-day (last fri) and my friend came over with a case of beer and we hung out (Hubby too). Then Kyle and I went to a beer festival on Sat. (Wow - a lot of drinking!) that was only so-so. It was outside in the hot sun with little water, we were not in the best form. About two weeks ago Kyle took me to see Cat's at this cool dinner/show place here in town. The dinner was good, but neither of us were so fond of the show. I had seen it once before and remembered liking it a lot more than I did this time. I seem to have gone off musicals, I still really enjoy plays. Movies are Kyle and my real passion. We are watching Six Feet Under right now... Love it!! We don't have cable so the good stuff we have to rent a year after the season is over. Anyways, I should go do some work... people to call to get the bills paid!! Why can't people just pay their bills on time?? Why do I have to hunt them down and MAKE them pay??

Since I am not at home, I have no fantastic picture to post, but I hate a post without pics. So how about some cute martial-artists from the school!

Not a whole lot going on... Almost done with school.

Progress on the sweater. But not really anything worth showing. It all looks the same, however, I will update the meter to the left to show where I am as of today. I have knit a little pretty much every day except yesterday. Yesterday I did sew a little. Actually very little, I designed and cut out a basic handbag. But then it was time to watch the Amazing Race season finale. I have seen ever episode this year, I LOVE the show. Kyle and I always joke around about wanting to go on it, how much fun! So all I had time to sew was the handles. I would like to go sew some right now, but feel that would probably wake up Kyle and he would not be happy. He rarely gets mad at me, but that would probably be THE straw!! :)

Instead of studying for the two finals I had yesterday, Kyle and I did not work and went to the movies and out to lunch. He was sick...ish.

It is getting hot, we have been above 95 degrees all week. They are saying it should cool down some, back into the 80's. That is good to hear!!

I did get a postcard from my tea swap pal. She is from Sweden, how exciting! I sent a little teaser to mine, nothing fancy, but I wanted to let her know I was out there. I love this whole tea swap thing, my sister sent me a gift also. She is getting all into the swap. She sent me some handmade scones, some yummy tea... Samovar tea, and a supper nice card. She has started up a new blog, I put a link over to the left but you can find her here. She wanted to be Little Pink Houses (Blog Name) but that was taken and has not been used in about two years. How long do people get to keep the names?? Oh well, she made do.

I feel utterly boring today, so I am off. I'll post with more excitement soon (or not).

So many hours... So few inches

I have been meaning to post. In fact I think about it nearly every day. I keep wanting to show my progress on the Cabled Riding Coat by Loop D Loop. But every day I knit more and more, I realize that it all looks the same. Yes it is getting a little smaller due to decreases and of course I have knit two of the button holes, but other than these two barely noticeable differences, it is just longer. I am obsessed and can't put it down. Even taking it with me to Visalia (City 45 min away) when Kyle and I went to dinner there. We have a friend, someone from Kyle's band who plays there every Thurs night. So we went to see him play and Kyle took his bass and I took my knitting. I was not feeling well, so I didn't have beers like I usually would. But I felt good enough for my favorite dish... Ruben with garlic fries. And to sub the beer, I had orange cream soda (brewed on site). SO GOOD.


My computer is acting all slow and funky these past few days. I am pondering the purchase of a laptop. You know... for school! With my student loans. Hmmm... Wise investment??

So on with the pictures, not much else to say. Other than it is now HOT!! 94 was the official high yesterday, I am thinking it was up to 97 in some areas. Summer is here, where was spring, I don't remember spring.


Plus... all I have left is finals and one paper to write. Then no more school for three whole months. WOO HOO! I am going to check on the Wed night Stitch n Bitch group here in town. My summer project is this sweater, I may have to abandon the 5 plus pounds of wool that will be sitting on my lap on the hottest days. It will be a good summer. Kyle is calling it "the summer of Us".

Pictures: Top - 5/7/06 Cast On
Middle - 5/9/06 Approx Two Cable Repeats
Bottom - 5/13/06 Just over Five Cable Repeats

Time for Tea: the not so strange brew

For a photo class I took a couple of semesters ago, we had to make a "to do" book and illustrate the whole process with pictures. I decided to make one on how to brew tea. And because of the knitters tea swap am posting the whole book here.

Here is the cover of the book:

And here are the guts. It is set up in an accordion fold format and once you read from front to back, the book gets flipped over and the second half of it is on the back pages of the front half. Very ingenious, the teacher showed us how to make the book this way. (I have been meaning to make a wedding album in the same style, just need to make the time and effort.) Anyways, I have posted all the pictures form the book and will type in the captions instead of photographing the book and putting those pics here.

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Time for Tea:
the not so strange brew

A fine assortment of teas.

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Kyle decides to have a cup of tea. His search begins at Albertsons... the selection is very disappointing.

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Kyle finds what he is looking for at Whole Foods. A great red tea with a hint of citrus blossoms and nuts.

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Back at home Kyle begins the brewing process. The first step is to fill a kettle with fresh water.

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Next he lights the burner and sets the water boiling.

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It is important to fill the tea pot with fresh hot water to bring it to temperature before actually brewing the tea.

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Now Kyle dumps out the water used to heat the pot.

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Kyle pauses to smell the tea. "This tea smells so good, I can't wait to taste it!"

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Kyle adds two heaping teaspoons of loose leaf tea to the pot.

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Next he adds fresh hot water to steep the tea.

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Now all Kyle has to do is wait for the tea to come to full flavor.

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Finally he can pour a cup to enjoy.

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But wait... Some people like their tea with accoutrements. Kyle likes honey and lemon.

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Now he can sit back, relax, and enjoy his tea. "It's delicious."

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OH NO!! Kyle spent so much time preparing his tea, he is now late for work. Hurry Kyle!!

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So this is my book, sorry to any mistakes I may have made in the process to really brew tea. However, this is not how I do it. I put the bag in my cup and poor hot water straight from the kettle. I am looking into getting some loose leaf. Maybe I will like it done up all fancy. I don't like putting anything in the tea, like lemon or honey, in fact, I hate stuff in my tea. I had a lot of fun making this book and love Kyle for willing to be silly for me as my model!!

I call these an ice cream sandwich

They are the strawberry ice cream sandwich mittens that I was happy to deliver today. Jessica LOVED them. She said how funny I am, because she will ask for something... like these mittens and expect them soonish. Then I will take forever. I think she told me she wanted mittens in like October. Then I tell her on Tuesday night, I had the knitting urge and decided to go for it on the mittens. This morning when I show up in Barnes and Noble for a cup of coffee and a book she does not expect these mittens. So while I am talking to her, I have my hands digging around in my bag, she is giving me weird eyeballs, but she probably thought I was looking for chapstick or something. But really I am putting the mittens on. And wa-la, I pull out my hands and she screams in delight. (I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream... mittens!!) She then told me she expected them about a month after I told her I got them started. Little does she know that I have a tendency to become compulsively obsessed with projects. So I am happy to say they are done, she loves them, and I am happy. I think I was motivated to get these mittens done so fast because I wanted to free up the yarn for the bag that is bouncing around in my head.

Okay, I really have to go. I need to be writing a paper, not blogging here.

I am excited though because I got my tea swap partner and checked out her blog. I feel bad because my fave tea is cheap-o, generic grocery store stuff and really want to send something fabulous and unique. Oh well, I love it and should embrace that love!! Ohhh... and the second picture, that is our new chamomile plant, speaking of tea!

Some knitting

Finally, I have begun the mittens. It is only May and the temps are now in the high 80's... not a single need for a pair of thick wool mittens. But it is now that I choose to begin them. And they are coming along spectacularly! I love the pink and brown combo. However, this pink is awful pepto colored.

I am thinking of a little brown and pink polka dot felted hand bag with what I will have left of this stuff. Something very basic, more emphasis on the color/pattern then the bag.

School is rapidly coming to an end... SO EXCITED! I am just ready for a little break. I am happy with school right now because I just got full score on a paper I thought I did only okay on!! That is good news (means I don't have to do as good on the test)

I think I am going to take the first day after school is over off from work. I will cast on for the cable sweater, lay in bed, watch movies, read books, laze about and take it easy. It also happens to fall on my birthday... so I guess I really must!

Well, I am very tired, so this was just a quickie.

I just got the picture up. I hate how light they are on my camera, but become so dark on screen. You can hardly see the brown of the mitten against the dark background. But I am too lazy most of the time to open the photos in photoshop and dr. them up. I don't even put them on the hard drive, they go straight from the memory stick to blog!