Good times

So yesterday was a very good day!

I found out that there is a new LYS opening that is only a ten minute walk from my job. Dang enablers! There is another one that is close to my job, but it is about a 20-25 minute walk. This walk doesn't exactly leave a lot of room for shopping or eating at lunch. AND the new LYS opens on payday!!!

I also got my new phone yesterday. Which means you get pics! I need to work on this to get the picture quality a little better. For example, light is good, but... here it is. The yellow is a standard 3x3 post it so you can see how small it is.


New phone


I worked on Mariah this weekend and I have been working on it this week in the evenings. I joined the pieces together.

This is Mariah on my lap showing the progress since the join.


Progress on Mariah

Here is a picture of Mariah now.

Mariah

ANNOYED

As a disclaimer, before I write the rest of this, I need to say that there is a definite need for sexual harassment rules and laws. Sexual harassment should never happen! I believe this with all my heart. However, there is such thing as simple misunderstandings as well a women who will use these rules to get their way.

As I said before, my DH was fired from Comcast. When they fired him they said it was because he was doing something wrong (they were specific, but I will spare you these details). What he was doing wrong, he was doing the way he was told and the way everyone else in his department was doing it. They told him this was why they were firing him along with gave him a memo stating this was why they were firing him.

Cut to three weeks later when he still hasn’t received his unemployment checks. Apparently, Comcast was trying to claim that he was fired for sexual harassment. There was a sexual harassment claim made against him last March. It was unfounded, and only he said/she said. Also, because I know my husband better than all of them combined, he didn’t do it. In this case, he said something to another guy about the guy’s fiancé. The guy was showing off his fiancé to my DH, and my DH was commenting positively on her looks. Some woman was walking within earshot of them and assumed my DH was talking about her. She then ran to Human Resources.

Unemployment followed up and then decided to pay my husband his unemployment. Comcast then decided to appeal this decision. Now my DH has to get a lawyer and attend a hearing. Comcast turned in a letter to unemployment stating what had happened. The following quote is taken directly from this letter: “On March 18, 2004… Due to the severity of the claimant’s actions his employment was terminated immediately.” Now, my definition of “immediately” is not ten months later. My DH was fired January 20, 2005.

I just needed to vent. I will update you after the hearing on April 7.

WOW!!! 

I love knitters

So in my blog visiting this morning, I read this post. Knitter's truly are the greatest!!!

I don't understand what happened with yesterday's post. I remembered last night that I forgot to push "Post" and left it in the drafts. Today I try to post it, and the couple of paragraphs became half a sentence! It was all about my wonderful sock I am making with the yarn from my Secret Pal, and my progress on Mariah. It had links and everything! I don't wanna make it again.

My sister is in Utah this week. She goes about once a month for work. Today it is snowing. She took a picture of the PT Cruiser she is renting this week with snow all over it.

I also came across this article this morning.

I am going to push POST this time. Wish me luck.

Camera phone

Well, finally, we are getting camera phones! Which, of course, means pictures on my blog! I know the quality isn't great on phones, but something better than nothing. I am going to get my phones in 5 business days, so maybe Friday, but most likely Monday or Tuesday before you see pictures. YEAH FOR YOU!!!

****Disclaimer****
I know there is some kind of per picture charge on the phones, so I will still use the scanner at work when I wanna show you something.

Spring Break

Today is the last day of Spring Break here, so the office has been pretty quiet this week. Out of the 6 people that work in our space, 3 are out for Spring Break, one is out for her second week of some art thing - she is an artist who has a day job as a receptionist, my boss has been in all week, but today had to drive to a clients location. Each way is a 6 hour drive, and taking a plane wouldn't have saved him any time, so he is gone all day. In case you lost track, that leaves me here today all by myself. HOW NICE! Friday is normally jeans, but dressed up jeans. Today, I made the executive decision to wear jeans, tennis shoes, and a sweatshirt! My radio is not up loud, but louder than normal. The only downside is I have some filing to catch up on. I HATE filing!!!!! There is no reason to hate filing. It is easy, there is no brain cells used up, so, why do I hate it so. Well, I do. With every fiber of my being. I have done some. I even fixed some files that were in a bit of a mess. Yeah for me! Now if I could finish, then I could feel a HUGE sense of accomplishment. Therefore, I am blogging!!!!

Easter weekend means easter egg hunts, easter bunny visiting, dying eggs, making that last minute trip to buy the stuff I haven't bought yet. Waking up at Oh' God-Thirty to hide the eggs. SOUNDS LIKE FUN!!!!

I have made good progress on my Dad's sweater. One sleeve is done, and the back is about 7" up. I have stalled out on Mariah. I think I am a bit intimidated by all the problems people seem to be having with the yoke. I know a lot of people have finished it, and I am making the same size Jodi made, so if the problem in the pattern comes from her upsizing, that shouldn't affect me, but still it sits in the basket, waiting to be a sweater. I want to start Hourglass, but I only have one set of size 7's and they are in Mariah. I have two socks started - that doesn't mean that I am a good sock maker and I am working both socks at the same time, I mean I am making one sock from Stashbuster Sprial and one sock from my Secret Pal gift yarn. One is toe up and the other is not. So much for my WIP challenge! Maybe something this weekend?

Color Card 

Mail

Well, yesterday was a good mail day. Not a great mail day, because that would mean I got a package. A good mail day is three, yes three, flyers from yarn related places. I got two quarterly flyers from two of my local LYS. One from Yarn Garden and one from Lint. I also got a letter and a color card from Abbey Yarns. I think they have beautiful yarns. I would love to make something with this yarn. (I'm kinda suppossed to since I am signed up for the Black Water Abbey KAL.)

That is all, for now.

Monday

I hope Blogger works this time. I don't mean to have two pictures of the same book on my page, but... (praying)

So much for Mariah this weekend. I ordered the yarn for my Dad’s sweater on Wednesday, according to the web site, it shipped on Thursday. I got it on Friday!!! I couldn’t believe it. I ordered the cheapest shipping available! They said like 10 days or something. I am sooo glad I was cheap and ordered the cheap shipping. I would have been upset if I ordered the expensive shipping, and found out that it would have taken the same amount of time.

Anyway, so in my excitement, I started right in on this. I started with the sleeves. Almost done with the first one, and found out that I don’t have enough yarn. I bought 4 skeins, and am not done with the first sleeve, but ready to start the third skein. I hope it won’t be too much trouble to get more dyelot. I am dead on gauge, and bought a bit more than the required yardage, which makes me fear that I will need more of all four colors. The real problem is that my funds are low until payday on the 31st. I wonder if they would hold them for me for 10 days.

I thought about doing the sleeves both at the same time, but of course didn’t think about it until I was a couple of inches in. I guess it is a good thing as my stitches on just the one sleeve kept falling off the ends of the needles. Two sleeves would have fallen off for sure! I guess I need a longer circular size 6 needle - oh, I need!

So, my dad’s birthday is not until June 8, and my son’s birthday is April 28. Why am I still not finished with Malik’s present? I think I started it in February. So, since I had guilt, I worked on Malik’s present. I need a little help, so I had to stop.

In my blogging travels, I found this get together Deb is attempting to put together. Portlanders - take note!

Book cover 

Look at this book

I found it at my LYS. It has some cute cards in it that all have a little (size 2 needles) knitted something on it. The book contains patterns for 3 items and the directions for 32 cards. It is very cute.

I finished Mariah's second sleeve yesterday. It went so much better and easier than the first one! I will start the yoke this weekend. Hopefully, I will have made some progress by Monday. I would really like to wear it to my aunt's house. Her kids birthdays are April 1 and April 8, she does their birthday sometime around there. If I don't make it by then (always have a back up plan) then, hopefully, I can wear it to my son's BD at the end of April.

I also cast on yesterday for some socks using the yarn I got from my Secret Pal.

Inside of book 

St. Pat's

So, my boss is Irish. Not born there, just of Irish descent. Therefore, today is a "Holy Day" and we get to leave at noon. "Per order of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Loyal Sons of Saint Patrick" Don't ask. I don't know. I am just happy about a half day off of work.

Dad's sweater 

patience IS a virtue

I have been waiting and waiting. Looking and looking, and FINALLY I found my dad's birthday sweater! I even bought the yarn for it. My first Elann experience! Total of shipment (inc. s&h and a couple other patterns) is $43.26!!!!

Dad's sweater

KFHC

Found a web site that I thought I'd share...http://www.knitforhercure.com/.

KFHC

Been MIA

Well, it was a busy week at work last week, and promises to be another one this week, so I better get this out while I can.

Wednesday I got to meet a fellow Portland blogger in person. Korin and I met at one of our LYS’s. and she saved my Mariah for me. THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I just don’t have the guts to rip out cables, and find them again and figure out where I am, yet. I know I will. It wasn’t that long ago that I couldn’t rip out stockinette stitch, either, and now I am a ripping FOOL! I started sleeve two.

Friday night I got a gift from my Secret Pal! I got some wonderful chocolates and beautiful sock yarn. It is called Bearfoot and the color is called Winter Sky. It is beautiful. It is a variegated yarn with blues, and purples. It is beautiful. This picture is awful, but it is all I have.


Sock yarn


Sunday I got to hang out at a SnB for a couple of hours. There were only three of us there, but it was fun. I worked on my Stashbuster Spiral Socks, swatched my beautiful sock yarn, and Mariah.

My son’s last basketball game was Saturday, and then the post-season party followed. We won the last game by so much that the refs turned off the scoreboard in the beginning of the fourth quarter. It is so nice when a season ends. However, practice for baseball started last Thursday, so it never ends.

I think that is all for updates. Hopefully more later this week.

Bad Knit a Longs

I never realized I didn't push the post button on this post until today, March 14. So, here you go...

Well, I am stuck, again, on Mariah. Which, I believe (not really), gives me every right to join 3, what!!!???, yes 3 new Knit a Longs...

Bunny A Long I can make a present for my cousin who's birthday is in April
Gansey A Long I wanna make me one of these
and
Tshirt A Long Summer is coming, after all! Plus, it could work (after some modifications) for my Dad's June Bday

I think knitting is addictive, I believe cables are addictive, because I have had no desire to work on anything stockinette since I started Mariah, socks are not addictive to me, yet, but I could see how they could be after I have successfully done a few pairs. However, it seems that Knit A Longs are the most addictive of all!!!

Monday

Our internet was down at work all day on Friday, so I am behind.

In my chance to catch up this morning, I found a knit along that I am excited about. It is in order to help me with my WIP along. My oldest WIP is really screwed up. It is my blue cardigan, and it is knit top down. I don't know how it happened, but the sleeve start area is all screwed up! Royally! There are not enough stitches there to pick up and make the top of a sleeve. There are a total of 20! I am supposed to decrease until I have 34!!!! However, this knit along is for my sweater! Maybe I can keep in touch with them and figure out how to fix it. The arm hole has live stitches on the top and the bottom (of the hole) needs stitches picked up. So, I am thinking, if I P-U these stitches, and then do a 3-needle bind off, then determine where the armhole should be and steek - I have never steeked anything. I don't know if this is right. First of all, the armhole might already be in the right place. And I would only have to steek there to add additional stitches. The whole rest of the sweater is done! Well, except for buying and adding buttons.

Plus, I found the blog for Secret Pals 5. It starts in May.

I am nearly done with sleeve number 1 on Mariah. I made a lot of progress this weekend. No pics, yet. I am going to work on playing with the scanner to take multiple pics and “tape” them together.

I do find it interesting that all my life I was never able to keep a diary, but not only do I make entries in this “diary” often, I also am quite wordy.

I am soooooo proud!! My best bag ever post enabled so many people. (Read this topic.) The people who wanted it, however, could only find it at my LYS. Which is smaller, and only been open about 2 years (maybe only 1 1/2). But these people who wanted this bag called my LYS, and my LYS received rave reviews about their service and is shipping the bag to all who ask. They are also doing everything they can to get more bags. I am so proud that I was able to get this bag into knitter's hands, and help out my LYS (one of many), and maybe make the company keep making them!

I’ve been tagged by Korin.

1. Do you knit continental or English? I have not yet learned continental, however, if the stars align in my favor, I will learn in April at a LYS (providing the class gets some students. - the last time I signed up for this class, there were not enough students).

2. How long ago did you learn to knit? Just over 3 years ago. I was out of work, and decided I needed a hobby. I wanted something portable, as I have kids, and knew the hobby would need to come with me. I checked out Knitting for Dummies from the library and got some gross needles from Fred Meyers, and some yarn from there, too.

3. First FO? A purse that I have since gotten rid of. It was pretty good for a first project, but I didn’t want to knit (guessing the number, as I don’t remember) 400 stitches across for four rows, so I inverted it and knit four stitches for 400 rows. The end result was the most springy strap. Plus, it was in awful off-white acrylic.

4. Favorite yarn? Probably Lamb’s Pride

5. Favorite pattern? Pasha from Knitty. Probably because of my son’s reaction to it when he opened it on his birthday.

6. Favorite pattern source? Knitty.com…unfortunately, because I am cheap and broke, and Knitty is free. I like Interweave Knits, too.

7. Favorite needles? Addi Turbos

8. Nicest thing you’ve ever knit? My brother’s sweater, even though I hated every minute after the body. It got the most compliments, anyway.

9. Most hated project? My brother’s sweater. I don’t think I will ever again do a sweater that has large stripes on the sleeves. Between counting for the next decrease, and counting for color changes, I was going CRAZY!!!

10. Who are you going to pass this on to? Unfortunately, I am not going to pass this on to anyone, because I know some people don’t like these things, and I don’t want to offend anyone, however, if anyone wants it, they can have it.

I forgot to add....

I got my catalog this weekend from http://www.spinology.com/. I loved it! It was their spinning catalog, not their knitting catalog. It had loads of useful information for non-spinners who are thinking about getting into the craft. If you are interested, check it out and have them send you the catalog, too.

Hair cut

Sorry for being gone for so long. Work has been busy. This is a good thing here because in the six months I have been here, that hasn't happened often.

I got my hair cut yesterday at one of the beauty colleges in town ($5!!!!) I didn't tell very many people I was going to do it until I did it. My DH was not too terribly excited. He wanted it shorter than it was, but I went too far for his taste. He doesn't mind too terribly, though. He is a good husband. My shower was soo quick this morning - it was great. I have had my hair long for four years. I didn't like it at all. Most of the rest of my 32 years was spent with short hair. I like it much more!

Knitting content

I finished my hat and scarf set for myself to protect my now very cold head. I didn't make the scarf very long because I was sick of it. I lost interest for some reason and had to force myself to plug along. It is too short. I can wrap it around my neck twick, but there is no "tails" to speak of. I don't really care. Hell - it is March, I don't think I will be using it for a long time. If I want, I can always frog it a bit and add more length. I have more of the yarn. I just don't like forcing myself to knit something if I am not "feeling it."

I started back on Mariah's sleeve yesterday. I saw a good pic of what it is "supposed" to look like at this blog. I wish I had seen that before I frogged. I would be done with both sleeves by now. Ah, well. Moving on.

Rose is sooo sweet to me. She even refers to me in her title from the other day. I can't wait to get the beautiful blue handspun yarn she is making up for me. I feel sooo special.

There seems to be much presence of the Oscars in blog land, and since I watched, I feel I can add my two cents.

First of all, I don’t usually watch the Oscars. I haven’t usually seen many of the movies that are nominated, and I don’t much care for award shows. It is all a bit of a long and drawn out process for me. The award shows I do like, I would rather tape, so I can fast-forward past the boring parts. However, when I found out that not only was Jamie Foxx nominated, but this was the best year for black people, meaning the number of nominations, I knew I wanted to watch. I am not sure what occurred to the muckety-mucks who decided it all, but there sure was a lot of black people involved in the show. Chris Rock hosting - what?!? - I never would have thunk it! Beyonce sure did get a lot of time in. I would have thought the French song would have been done by Celine Dion. I loved it! It is about time! Morgan Freeman deserved an Oscar a long time ago. I can’t believe he only got his first (and only for supporting actor) the other day. (Well, I can believe it, I just don’t get it.) I loved Jamie Foxx’s acceptance speech. I cried (not that that is amazing).

Oscars done.

Stolen from JenLa

bold the states you've been to, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now...
Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /
Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.

I agree, JenLa, there should be one for countries.