Birthday Stitch + Bitch

Last night, I got to hang with the knitters to celebrate my 41st b-day. Who cares if I'm 20 years older than my party guests?

I am In A Kidsilk Haze...

Whew, today was one doozie of a day, to say the least. Woke up at 7:30am to entertain and love on the Baby...here we were, me drink'in coffee, singing Old Macdonald in my PJ's and Baby tap dancing and chewing on stuff, a bomb of toys gone off, Purl is chewing up a paper towel into 74 pieces on the floor...the house is a complete wreck.



Then the phone rings. I had somehow forgotten that my Rowan Rep, Peter, had an appointment with me 15 minutes ago at the Shop. Now what were the first words out of his mouth? "And you were a Rep?" Good question. Was I a Rep? So I asked nicely if he could come to my house! He agreed and said he'd be there in 15 minutes. F#$% M%! So I needed to clean the first floor of my house, get dressed, get the dishes in the dishwasher, sweep the floor, change Baby's diaper, all in 15 minutes. All Hell broke loose in my brain. I just kept repeating over and over "Ohmigaudohmigaudohmigaudohmigaudohmigaudohmigaud" as I tore thru the house with swifters and a broom and Windex. Here I kept thinking to myself, Self? He is going to tell everyone how I've lost my mind, living in filth, used to be a professional woman, now gone to seed. Gina used to be professional. Gina used to tidy herself up. Gina used to wear makeup. Gina used to brush her hair. By the time he rang the doorbell, the sweat was pouring from every square inch of my body. I had used grand arm sweeps to clean off cluttered counter tops into garbage bags...if he had opened any closet, you can imagine. Just as long as he didn't open a closet, a drawer, or look under anything, we'd be fine. So he walks in with his suitcases and that's when the screaming began. Baby started crying and didn't stop, except when he was throwing Peter's yarn around the room or sitting on his Rowan books, for 2 solid hours...I have got to tell you, I was losing my mind. Big Time. I'm sure Peter wanted to run as fast as he could away from us and was wondering whether he even wanted to be a Rep anymore.
Funny, it reminded me of the time I went to a Shop Owner's (who shall remain nameless, duh) house...she answered the door in her PJ's, her eye makeup was all over her entire face (it was 1 pm in the afternoon). She was a train wreck. We sat down to work, I got out the Debbie Bliss, ready to woo her with fiberlicious goodness, when she threw herself on the floor of her dining room,
"Oh My God, Business is soooooo bad, I don't know what I'm going to do! How can I go on!?!? AAAAGGGGGG!"
And she sobbed and sobbed and sobbed and sobbed.
I choked out,
"Listen, ok, Honey, Get a grip! You need to focus here! Let's talk colors! bag amounts! Delivery! Focus! Focus!"
It wasn't too long long after that that I resigned. I was whipped.
I did send her flowers later that week...



So I felt a bit like that Shop Owner today...at the end of her rope. All washed up. But I wasn't and I'm not...it was just one of those days. I did finish another Capecho Pentagon. (Who was that woman that was married to Henry VIII, Anne Bolyn? Who had 3 boobs? )



I am going at a pretty good clip, I should have that sweater done definitely by the time Baby goes to Community College. Oh, and I got some "Soak" from Peter and my pattern for the "Urban Aran" sweater came in the mail today. Perfect. Another project to start. My body is tingling with excitement. I just don't have the yarn for it yet so I have to cool my jets at the moment.

Time for a glass of wine, put my feet up and knit...I think American Idol is on tonight. Pure guilty pleasure after a freakish hell day...Sorry Peter, I promise to brush my teeth and hair next time...or better yet, I promise to try!

No Darkness This Night

Ever have one of those days when all that is spoken around you is disturbing stuff? ie. Our knitting group today recounted all the murders in Blacksburg dating back 40 years ago. They also discussed particularly gruesome recent national murders with Mothers and Babies brutally beaten and killed in their homes...then as I was leaving, one of our customers chimed in that she had been raped by her father every night since she was 3 years old. It continued until she left home at 18. I left the shop dazed, sickened, and really freaked that we share the same planet with such disturbed, sick people (who hate children so much). My son shares the same planet. So when I got home tonight, Baby and I went for a walk to the Farmer's Market downtown. We waved at all the folks and ate some mocha ice cream. When we got home, he took a nice bubble bath, then we read fun stories until he drifted off to sleep in my arms. I just can't bring myself to open Harry Potter book 7 right now. I need to get some happy, light images in my head...I can't go see Tom Riddle tonight...if you catch my drift. Now I need to go check to see if my front door is locked...

Charlie's Angels

The drummer in the Suffragette City video is the blond on the left. And yes, I am winking in the picture, not having a seizure...

I Love These Creatures

Yay Or Nay?

A Little Road Trip

Becky and I headed to Wytheville, Va. today to check out a new yarn shop that reopened in a new location. Becky has owned 2 yarn shops and both times she's had to relocate for her husband's career and leave them both behind. So, we are not your typical afternoon customers. We're hard to please...need inspiration...and dying to see something new. A yarn shop...pure potentiality.



Sadly, the shop had very little yarn, I had everything they had (x a zillion). Having my own LYS, which I never stop trying to figure out how to improve, having been a KFI rep for 3 years, my eye gets bored without fresh ideas. I also want the owner to be present and working in the shop. It makes a huge difference between a successful shop and one that limps along. I want selection, I want pattern ideas, I want a comfy sofa!





I did do a bit shopping (@ Woofville) and found Purl her own designer handbag (a chew toy) to match her Mommy's! I also got her a lovely coat with fleece lining to keep her warm during our chilly morning walks to the shop.

Chili Today, Hot Tamale...

It's crazy around these parts tonight...Bfriend is making chili from a recipe out of 'The Joy of Cooking' classic! I have to admit, some of the best chili I have ever had. But maybe I'm just starving to death! Hey, Beck, this chili is world class, get the new Joy cookbook and cook the 'Chili con carni" for Jorge, he'll heart it so much! I promise! Promises! Promises! All of your promises! How can I believe? (oh, crap, now that song is in my head!)



Baby is playing his Blue Man Group piano and wearing these new Crocs I bought for him. They are the size of half of my hand! He looks alittle Euro tonight, if you get my drift.



And I am channeling Madonna's Blond Ambition with my two pentagons from Capecho. It barely fits my DD Breasts,oh, the agony!



But we are all smiling. I guess that's what matters most. Oh, and Purl is chewing my Danskos. Bad Purl Bad! (screamed at top of lungs!). I just finished laughing my head off, I got Bfriend to try a piece of Ghirardelli chocolate, 100% Cacao unsweetened chocolate...he started gagging, wiping his tongue with paper towels and rinsing his mouth out. What a comedy of errors we've got going on tonight!

I'm Going To Dye Someday...

I have to say, never having had a "Hater" on my blog before, it sure is an interesting experience. For one, having some of my readers respond and come to my verbal rescue is so touching. I feel very loved and at least very liked. Thank you, Friends! A couple of nights ago, Bfriend and I made up the Funbutton's button at the side of the page, and when we were done with it and had uploaded it and saw it on the blog, we started snickering, then laughing and then before long...Bfriend was on the floor clutching his chest laughing so hard screeching that he was going to have a heart attack! I was doubled over laughing so hard, tears were streaming down my face. I haven't laughed that hard and long since the Beckmeister/Kaisa/Guy in Urn days. You know when you start laughing really hard and you can't stop? So...all in all...great experience having a "Hater". Of course I don't want one everyday, mind you! Hey, Funbuttons (the name he/she/it chose makes me howl with laughter, I don't know why!?!)why don't you step out from behind the curtain and drop by the shop and introduce yourself? You can tell me how fat Iam and how I need to dust, vaccuum and take out the trash...enough forever of Funbuttons.
Here is a picture of some of the undyed wool I'm planning on experimenting with.



I am still waiting on all of the Gaywool dye colors from Louet. I'm not in a huge hurry. Enormous amount of UFO's waiting, an 18mth old child that loves to bust my b#$%s (who starts day care tomorrow. Thank you, Heaven above!)so I'll dye when I dye.



Doesn't it feel like just yesterday, Knitless, that they were this little? Oh Crapola, it's 8pm, gotta turn on Fox...Americal Idol, of course!

It's Not Easy Being Green

I've come to the realization that I am obsessed with the color green. It used to be red. I bought a red car. I bought red shoes. I knit red things. But lately, green shades have made my heart flutter, maybe I'm just growing mold, who knows.



Slight progress has been made on Hanne's Mariager, color way #6 (green). The little details she adds in the pattern are lovely, like this I-cord edging around the neck...



Yesterday, Knitless and I, with our children (that will be married someday) went to the mall in Roanoke to buy more clothes for them. It's truly amazing how adorable the little girl stuff is and how, er, well, unadorable the boy stuff. In fact, all the boy tees had San Francisco written all over them. Hey, nothing against that cool city...but it might well get him stuffed in a trash can if he advertises it everyday. This is a small town after all. Got to think about that stuff, unfortunately.


The children's first game of Footsie, before the naked version 14 years from now...



OMIGAUD!!!! JORDAN OR BLAKE????? Blake is the Man! Let's hope!

Much Like Crack

With little more than 4 hours of off and on knitting, I finished the One Skein Wonder (with 2 skeins, ironically). What a delightful pattern and I feel as if I knitted an entire real sweater (albeit small) in less than 24 hours...which is always my goal in life. It's so cute, I want to squeeze it's woolly cheeks. Still alittle deformed, I haven't blocked it yet. I can't wait to wear it over a tight black tube top and my Stella M. petal pushers! Kidding! Gina's 40! Please!





Without missing a beat, a lone, possibly discontinued color, hank of Noro Kocheron (left over from my KFI days) in now being whipped up into my second One Skein Wonder.
I...can't...stop...knitting...this...mini...sweater!

Thanks, Wenlan for Making Me Feel Phat.

I've found 2 models for the finished Wenlan Chia Skating sweater (the medium size was knitted, thanks, Aunt Chrissy)...it's alittle snug on her but maybe if she doesn't eat or shave for a week, it will fit her better...meet Miss Right Thigh. Left Thigh, her twin sister, can barely fit into Groovy sweater.

Oh, guess what I started knitting today while waiting in the Doctor's office? LACE!



I'm a mess! Up and down! Up and down! And my son looks like Audrey Hepburn! Oh, the humanity!

Klaralund...Where Have You Been All My Life?

I have worked more in my store in the last three days than I have in the last 3 years. And I gotta tell ya...its fun selling stuff...but I'm not one to be tied down to one place and I definately won't teach someone how to knit. I know that sounds ugly. And cold. But I have taught hundreds of people how to knit over the years and frankly, I am done. Finis. Don't hate me for it. I'd much rather encourage people to take the next step and really expand their skills.
So I am cranking away at Lizard Ridge, when my eye caught the corner of the Cornelia Tuttle Noro Book #2. Someone was buying it and Beth was ringing her up. Oops, the seed was planted...I grabbed another book and read the instructions. Is Cornelia kidding? Could it be that simple? Oy Vay! So I snagged me some Cascade 220 and I'm making Klaralund in a beautiful dark green color. Knitted with the Ebony Lantern Moon needles, life couldn't be finer. Of course now my afghan is on hold. C'est la vie. Happy New Year Everyone!
New Years Resolutions:
1. Finish some UFO's
2. Call my friends more
3. Work out more
4. Eat less
5. Spend more time with the Baby
6. Give Bfriend more lov'in, more often...
7. Don't spend so much daggone money!
8. Floss, Gina, jeez! Floss
9. Wear pretty nighties to bed instead of a big ole sweatshirt and leggings
10.Don't eat sausage (supposed to be the worst food you can eat)
On a sports note...what the F#$% happened to the Hokies last night in Atlanta?

A Cute Age

Bash'in Fashion!

Off some runway in Europe...wow...you think you've seen it all (head scratching). Hum. I saw a purse by Ferragamo in Neiman Marcus at Tysons II a couple of weeks ago. I was intrigued, it was sort of cute (meaning that if some dear friend gave it to me, I'd carry it for awhile). But the price tag on the purse was somewhere between $2500-$4500. I can't really remember, I must of blacked out after I looked at the tag. I woke up on the floor in a cold sweat, my Prada bag upended, tampons and coins everywhere.


Mr. Ferragamo, sir, may I help you pay for your international multi-million dollar image branding and advertising? If you want my opinion, that purse is fugly. And whoever actually buys it, doesn't deserve to have that much money or that much credit on their cards. No knitter would buy it, that I am positive of. Am I right? Right? Anyone? Anyone? Just nod if you can hear me...
Short and sweet tonight, this coming week promises to be full of unforseen challenges, I'll fill ya'll in as it unfolds. Kiss Kiss!

Crocheted version anyone? Anyone?