Glass of Wine Well Earned

Today I worked at the shop all day! Everyone that walked in loved my vest so I am going to post the pattern, though, I am not the best pattern writer in the world. I ain't no Eunny Jang, Sisters.

Use a Bulky yarn like Limari from Araucania or Blizzard from JCA, uses about 5 skeins for a Medium size. You won't believe how flattering this is...
Cast on 120 stitches on a size 13 needle
K2P2 each row for 7"
K2TG across next K row, so now you have 60 stitches
K1P2 for 25"
Pfb of each stitch on next p row, now you are back to 120 stitches
K2P2 for 7"
Bind off.
Fold in half and sew the 7" sides together. I wish I could draw a picture but my computer skills are crude. Hope you get it. It's a beginner project, fersure.


Isn't this Kocheron pretty? Not for the hard contact lenses wearers out there!


We have had 2 Mormons come into the store to knit, lately. They are really interesting people. They are here at Va Tech to Mission the students but the students are gone. They are not allowed TV or radio, or to stay in the apartment. So instead of wandering the streets, they wandered into the yarn shop and learned to knit. There is no discussion of religion and they just sit quietly and knit. Occasionally I'll give them an address of someone I dislike and tell them to drop by their house. We all laugh and they swear they will. So much fun. I feel sorry for them too, like they are orphans or little matchstick boys about to freeze to death in the 55 degree weather...Virginia was amazed that they both had the same first name 'Elder'. Duh.



Well after a long day at the salt mines, I came home and Bfriend made me a big pot of Gumbo with shrimp and sausage and poured me a glass of "Toasted Head" Yum. To give you an idea of how good the Gumbo is, Bfriend is 100% Louisiana Cajun. Thank you very much! Good thing okra is one of my favorite veggies. That isn't bfiend to the right..thats a 20 year old virgin Mormon knitting his first hat. Peace out.

Third Time's the Charm

Married September 21st 4:30pm EST

He married me despite my addiction to yarn and my affinity for buying high ticket items on a regular basis...

Head Way

So I locked in two of the designers (one I promised many many martinis once she arrives) I desperately wanted for Purl Jam, more to come on board soon...I am starting to get really excited about it and relax ever so slightly. Head on over to the shop blog to see what I have developing...(dancing jig)

Obama Win Causes Obsessed Backers To See How Empty Lives Are

Knitous Interruptus

Juliet is 2/3rds done. I have 1 ball of Bunny left (88 yards). I am screwed.



I need to call Tahki tomorrow first thing. Criminy.

Scared Out Of My Mind

Ok, let me explain the misery of a day or so ago. My Dad has had a chronic cough for awhile now. Like a year, maybe. 8 months ago, he had a chest X-ray to check for pneumonia and he was fine and clear. But antibiotics didn't work to get rid of the cough, allergy stuff didn't work, nothing was working. His general demeanor has slowed down with lethargy and he has been going to sleep every night at 7pm. He is 71, but has always been pretty vivacious. His body is definitely struggling.
A couple of days ago, with my urging, he went back to the Doctor and had another chest X-ray. This time, the results showed a spot on his lung that wasn't there 8 months ago on the previous X-ray. Once I heard the news, I was so gripped by panic and fear, and found myself mentally going to a very dark place. ( My dad started smoking when he was 9. Quit when he was 12. Started again in his 20's and smoked for another 30 or so years until he finally quit 20 or so years ago. He has never had any serious illness. He doesn't drink or take drugs or any medication of any kind.) Hum...
He had a CT scan yesterday and the Dr. thinks it looks like scar tissue. But he needs more testing. So that's where we are now. But I'll tell you one thing, my greatest fear (besides anything happening to my son) is my Dad not being here anymore. I know everyone has to go thru it. But I'm not ready. My son needs more memories. What will we do without him? I'm an only child and I need all of my family. I don't have room to lose a member of this really small club. I'm going to that dark place again...he also has worked so hard his whole life to provide a comfortable life for his family. If he isn't here, I somehow have to make sure all he has built won't fall apart. But I'm not him and that is a great fear of mine. Not being destitute necessarily, just pissing all his hard work away. I don't have a PH'D in Economics from Brown University. I'm not particularly savvy financially. I'm not a bank consultant. I don't possess the mental assets my parents have...it's a huge burden. But here I am. So that's all I know for now. I need to get to work and keep busy. I need to sell some yarn.

ps. Purl Jam is now open for business...

Amnio Spamnio

I want to tell you the story of when I went for the Amnio last week

I was a nervous wreck. My stomach was in knots and I was sweating alot, feeling like I was going to have a panic attack at any moment. Mr. Cocaine was there with me in the waiting room, rubbing my back. The room was full of pregnant teenagers. I was 25 years older than most of them. When I went up to the counter to check-in, I had this exchange,

"So what is the plan for me today? "

"You are meeting with the genetic counselor and then you'll have an ultrasound. Then you can decide whether you want an Amnio or not."

"I'm not meeting with the genetic counselor. Period." I put my foot down.

"Who did you have? The young one or the skinny one?"

"The young one."

"She quit. She's gone. You'll be meeting with the skinny one."

High five in my mind

So I met with Skinny and she was very sweet and calmed me down. She essentially said, that most women over 40 will have positive results on those blood tests because the age of the mother is always factored into the results. Then I went in and had an ultrasound.

"Remember that I am not allowed to tell you anything I see." said the technician.

My response to her was, "What's that? And that? Is that good? Is there a brain? Does the baby have both arms and legs? Are the kidneys there? Does the spine look Ok? What are you seeing there? Seeing a nasal bone? Girl? Boy?

" Remember that I am not allowed to tell you anything I see...but I cannot see the sex."

The Doctor came in and we started the Amnio. As the technician used the ultrasound image to find a big pocket of amnionic fluid, he stuck the needle in and I felt some burning. When the needle went through the uterus, I felt mild cramping. He filled up two large vials of amnionic fluid and then he was finished. Truthfully, the procedure is much more psychologically painful than it is actually physically painful. But I'm glad it is over. And I'm glad of the peace of mind it has now given me for the rest of my pregnancy.

Tomorrow is Destination Maternity in Charlotte NC for me . I've officially grown out of all my pants.

Those Wacky Italians!

Fendi Fall 2007...is that Gedifra Gigante?

The Nipple-Diapie Family