Flattened Knit Pick Needles

This is what the USPS does to needles shipped in an envelope by Knit Picks. How dumb can Knit Picks get?

Dyeing Yarn Class

I took a Dyeing Yarn class at Knit One in Squirrel Hill. It was so much fun. I would like to do more of it. We used Dyes from Louet. Another option is to use Koolade. Flo and Stacey taught the class. The technique used is we squirted the dye on the yarn that had soaked in warm water for 20 minutes and worked the dye in. Then we nuked the yarn for 2 minutes, let is rest 2 minutes, repeated this two more times, then nuked it for 1 minute--for a total of 7 minutes in the Microwave. We hung the hank of yarn up to dry. I wound the yarn today and here it is:

Love From Knit One & Horror Story From Knit Picks

This is NOT the Horror Story. This is me picking out the yarn for my first sweater at Knit One in Squirrel Hill. The yarn is Shannon from Tahki Yarns in Blue Multi-color.

The Horror Story began when I opened a package from Knit Picks which contained several needle tips. They arrived in a bubble wrapped enveloped and all the needles were flattened. Boy was I angry. I am eager to start my first sweater....the yarn is bought, the pattern is picked out, I signed up for a "Knit Your First Sweater" at Knit One with Linda Voss Plummer. If you know me, I get very angry. And I am angry. I opened the package after the customer service line at Knit Picks was closed. Customer service received a very angry email from me tonight. I am eager to see what their response is going to be. I knit a swatch with dented needle tips. Here is the pic.

Life Is Good.....Very, Very Good

More Camping Pics

This is Molly and me at our campsite.

I thought someone transposed the 5 and the 7. When gas was going for $2.75 everywhere else, I found this station off on I-80 that was selling it for $2.57. I double checked my receipt to confirm the cost was actually $2.57.









This is a carved tree on the way to Cook Forest.

A F.O.

A FO. This was a gift to someone who is moving out of state. The pattern came from knitty.com. I used Patons wool. I knit most of it while I was camping in Cook Forest with Molly sitting in my lap. So there is a little of Molly knit into it. This was my second felting project.

I bought yarn for my first sweater. It is official. I am knitting my first sweater. I am taking a class "Knitting Your First Sweater" with Linda Plummer at Knit One. I will post pictures of the yarn and the sweater as it progresses.

I Need More Hours in My Day....

I have been up since 4:30AM and I still have not gotten everything accomplished I planned for the day or should I say that I would like to do. I've been updating Knit One's Web site....I could do that for hours and I did, but there are other things that need to get done also.

Another Terrific Day!!!

Stacey, the owner of Knit One, and I got the e-newsletter out on schedule yesterday. I had fun learning how to create the newsletter, polish it up and then send it out to all the subscribers. Stacey did the hard part of writing the narrative, while I inserted the photos and did a few behind the scenes tasks. It was fun. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter go to the Knit One web site and click on the subscribe button on the Home Page.

Terrific Day!!!!!

I did some computer work for a LYS. It felt good using my computer skills again.

While there I learned the I-cord bind-off for my current UFO.

I visited Heather's Blog and found that like her I am pure Nerd.
I'm 69% Nerd, 30% Geek, 47% Dork.

Take the test for yourself....

I am currently reading The Secret which I got from work. I finished The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd which was absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend the book for women, especial women who are spiritual journeys.

Let's try this again

More Chemo Caps

All these Chemo Caps were knit on size 9 needles from the same skein of yarn. I like that every one came out differently.

Camping Pics

I Am a Happy But Wet Camper

Just returned from a 4 day camping trip in Cook Forest. I don't have the time to post pics tonight I will try to get to it tomorrow. What did I do for 4 days in the woods with only my dog? I read and read and read and read. I could not stop reading. I finished The Other Boleyn Girl. I read most of a book about creating WEB sites. I started The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd which I absolutely love and can't wait to finish. I started Virginia Woolfe's book The Voyage Out. I learned HTML and hope to make improvements to my blog in the near future. I was so relaxed this week. Now I am back and have to face reality. Not that what I experienced this week in the woods was not reality it just was not the typical reality for me. Monday I start a new job. Need I say more about anxiety? I did not think once about that while camping. Only on the drive home did I start to think about it. I hope I am brave enough to say more about the Sue Monk Kidd book I am reading. Yes. I did do some knitting this week while it was dry and dusty but not muddy yet. Once it rained and got muddy the yarn went away. I will soon need to learn the I-cord bind off on my current project. I started a new project before I left on my trip....I am Branching Out again, only this time with Lace weight yarn. this is a little challenging. Enough for now....

Posting a pic of self for my profile

I Am a Happy Camper

I went camping from Tuesday through late Thursday night. Molly and I had a wonderful time. I loaded up and set up camp in 90+ degree heat on Tuesday afternoon. Good thing I don't mind the heat. It was so hot I did not even consider having a fire that night. It cooled down overnight, as the weather forecaster on the radio said "A cold front is moving in on Wed." It cooled down quite a bit on Wed. and Thurs. There were a couple of thunderstorms Wed. afternoon but nothing that ruined a camping trip. Thursday was beautiful. Sunny and cool in the shade. I started knitting the satchel pictured below...it was a good color it did not show the dirt it picked up from the dusty campsite and molly's paws. It does contain quite a bit of Molly's fur. I hope my friend is not allergic to dogs. I read the book The Other Boleyn Girl also pictured below. A totally enjoyable read. I read the paper and took walks with Molly around the campground. I ate a little. Nothing fancy like I usually do. I just did not feel like cooking. I woke Thursday morning feeling such a peace and happiness that I kept telling Molly how happy I was. It was remarkable. Nature definitely soothes my soul. I will try to go back as much a possible before winter comes. It does my soul good.

Current Stuff

This is a close up of the stitch. See entry below for more detail.

I knit this too pretty to be a dishcloth out of Creative Knitting magazine. I learned to carry a yarn up the side. I switched colors every other row. I'll take another pic to zoom in on the pattern. This pic does not do justice to the stitch.





I am knitting a felted satchel for someone who is moving out of state soon. I hope she likes the colors. It is hard to knit for other people.







I am reading this fabulous book The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory. It is a fast read and absolutely enjoyable. All 660 pages.

Sophie & Angel Pics

This is Sophie relaxing in Molly's crate.
Angel relaxing in the living room.

Reading Diary

Khaled Hosseini author of The Kite Runner did a splendid job in A Thousand Splendid Suns that depicts life for women in Afghanistan. A heavy book. Not to be read if you are in a down mood.









My Current read is The Devil in the White City about the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893 and a serial killer who preyed on vulnerable young women visiting the city alone. Again, Not a light read. Though very interesting, especially for me for I once lived in Chicago.

More Knitting

I turned the heel on Jennifer's first sock and worked the gusset. All I need to do is knit the foot and then decrease for the toe.







This is my fourth Chemo Cap. My first goal is 45 caps set facetiously by Vivian at Knit One.







I bought 12 oz. of Bernat UltraSoft Cotton for less than $4.00 to make many more chemo caps.

More Knitting Today

I knitted at Knit One this afternoon. Had a great time. It is a great gathering place for knitters of all ages and abilities. I am lusting after some silk alchemy yarn which I want to knit a scarf out of. Maybe next month. I am thinking about knitting a shawl....but I don't know who would wear it. Definitely not me. My mom and sister don't seem like shawl type of ladies. So maybe I won't knit a shawl. Everyone wants me to knit a vest. I am looking for the right pattern. I have yarn. Today I worked on a chemo cap and I knit the heel flap for Jennifer's first sock.

I'm Addicted to Chemo Caps

I am on my fourth Chemo Cap. I cannot put them down. I went to Knit One's Inventory Sale and bought a little yarn. Not much, but enough to have fun with. I love quality yarn at affordable prices. Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the afternoon knitting group at Knit One. I love knitting with these ladies. They are fun and make me feel welcomed. I like the charity aspect of the group. I like helping others.

I finished A Thousand Splendid Suns tonight. A heavy book, but life is heavy sometimes. It depicts life for women living in Afghanistan during the 1990's up to 2003. Life was not very pretty for women much of that time. We have a lot to be grateful for in America. Life is not what I wish it was, but relative to what life is like in other countries, we have it pretty good. Next I am starting Devil In the White City for a book group at the Cranberry Library. It is a heavy book also. Non-fiction. I am into heavy books. Life is heavy. I would like to start a new book group if anyone is interested. I want to read Pulitzer Prize winning books. Not just novels. Memoirs. Anything and Everything. If any one is interested please post a comment.

New Family Member

This is Angel. Notice Sophie's leg coming under the door.

I'm Knitting Again

I knit with the ladies at Knit One in Squirrel Hill Tuesday and I started this Chemo Cap, which I finished this afternoon. It is my first cap I've knitted. It was knittted on circular needles.





I also worked on Jennifer's sock. The pattern is from Sensational Knitted Socks, the braided cable pattern.

Favorite Pics

Sophie playing on the baby blanket













View from Mt. Washington in October Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Notice the pink water in the fountain.

Update

I am currently reading Anna Karenina by Tolstoy and loving it. I need to put it down for a few days to read Oliver Twist by Dickens, the B&N Classics Book Group for Febuary. What a difference in writing styles. It is interesting to know that Tolstoy highly respected and admired Dickens and writings. He even mentions Dickens in Anna Karenina.

I started knitting a pair of socks for a special friend who lives in Chicago. I'm going to knit a braided cable pattern. I don't know when I will get around to knitting a vest or a sweater, I have two pairs of socks I want to knit for friend and relative first. It is not procrastination. It's called giving to those who have given to me.

Today was our first unofficial day of Winter complete with temperatures below freezing and snow flurries all day. Very little accumulation though.

Life is good at Glade Run. I was totally miserable my first 4 months I spent in the cottages due to stress and anxiety. I bottomed out personally in December and gave two weeks notice. A week later as my level of stress decreased and my true hearts desire increased back up to the surface of my being, I contacted HR and let them I very much wanted to stay at Glade Run. They welcomed me back and have treated me very well. I am glad I made the decision to stay. I need to work on keeping my stress level reduced. Since my shift on Christmas Eve...that was the pivotal night for me, when I saw clearly that helping these hurting kids is what I want to do with my life.....I have not been miserable anymore. I've been enjoying my work. Yes, I still get stressed out, but it is not a day of stress added on top of another day of stress added on top of another day of stress.... I get stressed out. I talk and cry with a friend. I soak in the tub. I relax and read. I spend the day with a friend visiting a museum and going out to eat. I'm getting breaks from my stress and relief from my stress.

I'm Back

The baby blanket is finished and gifted to my manager at Barnes & Noble and brand new mom.









The Branching Out Scarf has been blocked and gifted to my mom for Christmas.










Beloved Rosie Died of Cancer last month. We all miss her very much.