Stop and Go Mittens 

Carrie's craft fair

OK so in looking for a place to sell my needle cases and bags and stuff I stumbled upon something and I listed a few things.
It is really great cause it isn't an auction so it is listed until it sells and the fees are much cheaper than Ebay so we'll see.
So here's the link to Carrie's Craft Fair. Carrie's Craft Fair

Stash reduction the Christmas way. 

Reducing my fabric stash in a totally useful, creative and fun way. I am making stockings for local organizations that give them to people living with HIV and AIDS. My neighbor made 11 stockings to use up some of his fabric. I will be making some at a holiday stocking making party at work tonight so that should be fun.
I did see some of the ones that the people at work had already made and I was quite impressed with the museum quality stockings that were on display.
OK peace.
C

Take that consumerism

My Mom came to visit this weekend. On Friday we went to The Crafty Planet where my mom picked up a Knifty Knitter. It is this knitting loom in the shape of a circle and it is a great way to whip a a quick little hat.

On Saturday she was going to go to the Mall of America with the rest of the world but then she decided that she would rather just stay home and work on her hat on her Knifty Knitter.

It will be fun to see what hats she whips up for every one this Christmas.

OK peace

Finally finished socks 

stitching not knitting

After working on my sock the other day I realized how much I miss sitting down and knitting. During the summer I had copious amounts of free time and made the decision to use my free time to make tote bags, needle cases and crochet hook cases. So now when I have copious amounts of free time I sit down and work on that. My closet is getting full of knitting totes and all my projects sit unfinished.

knitting and TV

OK last night for the first time I mixed these two activities. Watching a movie and knitting. My socks are still not finished and so that is what I was working on I am fairly sure that if I can master this skill of knitting and watching TV that I will be able to finish some more of my projects. This may also not help at all because I really don't watch that much TV.
I may try it again on Wed. or perhaps I will bring my knitting to my condo association meeting.

cute kitty 

bags just listed

Hey all
I have a couple cute little purses listed on ebay. check them out. Carrie's bags

What I did on my summer vacation

In the tradition of the offical back to school writing assignment this is what I have been up to for the last week and a half.
Last Satuurday, Aug. 27 I drove to Iowa to meet my Mom because we were helping my brother move to New York. He had gone ahead to get an apartment before all the other students got back.
Upon arriving in Iowa I headed to Whitey's Ice Cream to get a Smurf ice cream cone, my childhood favorite. Then I went and had a visit with my Grandma Berry.
My Mom and I left on Sunday afternoon and drove late into the night and then woke up and drove into NYC the next day. We get there at about 4:30 and my mom drove like a pro in the city.
We checked out my brother's place which was on the 5th floor and then helped him move in. I'm glad I'm in shape, 5 floors is rough.
The next day we helped my brother register and participated in a lot of Welcome to College activities at Cooper Union. I didn't know anything about the school other then that it free. But I guess a lot of people have spoken there in the Great Hall including Abraham Lincoln.
That evening we went to go see March of the Penguins which was a really great movie. I'm glad we got to see it since we had all wanted to see it but none of us knew anyone else who would want to see it until we were talking about it and realized that we all really wanted to see it.
Then next day we went to breakfast with my cousin Katie before leaving NYC to head to Utica, NY. We saw my Aunts, Uncles and cousins. My Uncle Rick took my on a tour of the the Sturges factory where he is the President.
While we were visiting my Mom's childhood neighbor we walked over to look at the goldfish pond that is in the backyard of the house my mom grew up in. While we were there the current owner came out and invited us in to see the place and tell him what it was like when my mom grew up there. It was really exciting to see the rooms that I had heard my Mom talk about but had never seen. It was like walking into someone's childhood.
We got our half-moon cookies at Gingerbread Bake Shop and we ate them at the cemetary. Then we headed out to see my family on my dad's side of the family in Mt. Morris, NY. We had a great time seeing everyone. We went garage saling and to the farm market and for dinner we had fish fry at a place over in the next town. It was a great time. I was really excited to be eating something good and familiar because we ate some not so familiar food in NYC.
The next day we headed home to Iowa, making wonderful time getting there in 12 hours. In Iowa I was able to see my best friend from high school, Kerry. Kerry and I have been friends since 6th grade. Her friend Brandon came with us as well. We went to Maid-Rite because when you are from Iowa nothing says home like a loose meat sandwich.
Then for old times sake we went to see The Metrolites. Scott and Neal had been in our high school and college favorite The Kabalahs. Their klezmer polka evolved into "the hardest rocking lounge band". We table hopped until we got a table right up front. After awhile we decided to go back to Brandon's and play board games but since Kerry and I had a hankering for Candyland we had to go to Brandon's parents house to get the game.
I returned home yesterday and was back to work today.

2005 fringe pony 

Fringe shows

I have been absent from this blog that I keep because for the last 11 days I have been keeping a Minnesota Fringe blog keeping track of all the shows that I have been seeing. I should have brought my knitting to Fringeville last night gut the only thing that I have started and not finished currently is my sock and the spiderweb capelet but the capelet has a stitch pattern that I need to pay attention to. I am also afraid that knitting in public makes me unapproachable. I think that other crafters will come up and talk to me but non-crafters think that I am busy knitting and avoid talking to me.

ponies

My friend Beth is moving and I have inhereted the My Little Pony collection.
I feel so responsible now. I am going to have to be the one in charge of when pimp your pony day is.
Plans are in the works for Christmas carol ponies.

ponies

My friend Beth is moving and I have inhereted the My Little Pony collection.
I feel so responsible now. I am going to have to be the one in charge of when pimp your pony day is.
Plans are in the works for Christmas carol ponies.

Today the Jane Pauley show was about knitting, cake decorating and pottery. While watching I felt the need to knit.
I bought some lion brand micro spun and I am going to make a tank top. If I am lucky it will be done in time for the end of summer and I can maybe get some use out of it this year. Otherwise It will be done for next summer.

I have a bunch of auctions ending in the next couple days bags and cases.
After racing through book 6 I am back to my socks. I began working on the heel flap last night.
Book 6 has a couple good knitting references. Dumbledore comes out of the bathroom and when asked what has taken him so long he said. "I was reading the Muggle magazines, I love looking at knitting patterns." And at Christmal Harry gets a sweater with a golden snitch knitted into it. I wonder if Mrs. Weasley actually knits of if she uses magic to knit all those sweaters for her family.

Harry Potter

My socks have not made any progress since my last post about them. I am at the part where I need to work on the heel flap and I keep forgetting to bring my directions.
I am not sure that there will be any progress to report over the next couple of days either since I purchased my new Harry Potter book last night and will probably spend every available minute reading that for the next couple days.

My second sock of my pair of socks it coming along much faster than my first sock. I have one more inch to knit before I have to do the heel stuff. I can't believe how fast this one has knit up.
I have been sewing up a storm making bags and needle cases to sell on ebay.

my big catch 
It took me three tries to catch this fish.
The first attempt I was reeling my hook in and he followed my bait in and I noticed him because he came really close to the surface. I left my bait in the water and he tried to take it but then he spit it out.

The next cast I was paying attention to something else and I looked and my bobber was completely submerged. I tried to pull him in but he cut my line with his teeth.

The third time was the real deal. When I noticed my submerged bobber this time I reeled him in. He's 22 inches so I got to keep him and have him for dinner.
The other catches of the vacation were less noteworthy. There was a bass that was too small to keep and a couple good sized blue gills.

After spending 10 days in and around national forests(Superior and Chippewa) it is a little strange to be back in the city where the trees look so short compared to the tall pine trees I've gotten used to seeing.

mama and baby loons 

my first sock 

bags and socks

I listed several bags and needle cases on ebay. The last ones sold so I am hoping that these do too.
bags and cases

My socks are almost finished. I just have to "graft" the toe together and then the first one will be done and it will be on to sock #2. I am trying to figure out exactly what it means to graft something together.

After consulting the Stitch and Bitch book I think I have it figured out. and will have a completed sock at the end of the day today.

I bought more fabric for bags and needle cases. I am totally hoping that they sell because I keep making them and if they don't sell I am going to end up with a closet full of bags, tote and needle cases.
Maybe I can get hooked up wtih a craft sale or something.

I have turned the heel and started working on the foot part of my sock. I have about 3 inches more to knit before I start doing the toe decreases. Then I will have to start the other sock. My brother can knit socks in 6 weeks. I wonder if he is just talking about one sock or if he means a pair of socks in 6 weeks. Either I think that is fast.

The Snoop Oven Mitt 

a new look on socks

I started knitting some socks in September. I worked on them until October when I bought the Stitch and Bitch book and decided my time was better spent making armbands. They had originally been in a project bag but had gotten moved out of the project bag in favor of more exciting projects like knitting sushi. Anyway this weekend I reapproached my socks and holy cow. All I can say is that I knit like the wind. I didn't finish but they started out being 4 inches long which had taken me forever to achieve and now they are 8 inches long. Now comes the hard part about turning the heel and all that but I am brave and I can do it.

I thought that everyone in my life, knitter and non knitters alike, would be getting knitting needle cases for Christmas because I started making some to sell on ebay. Fortunately I sold one with a matching tote bag and I plan on making more so this will hopefully not be the case.
I am also going to be making a baby sling for a friend of mine so that is good.
The sun has been shining for three hours. I rollerbladed before the sun broke through but then went on a walk around the park just to get my Vitamin D.
The garage sales were a let down. By let down I mean that no one was trying to unload any yarn or knitting needles. But I did find an oven mitt that matches one of my cats.

knit sushi roll 

Spiderweb capelet.

I am working on the Spiderweb capelet from Stitch and Bitch Nation. I ran out of yarn cause I am not using the yarn from the book so that project is on pause until I can get back to the Crafty Planet for more yarn.
I am working on some knitting totes for selling on ebay.
And I am using up the acrylic yarn that people have given me to make knitted sushi.
Soon I hope to have a done project to post pictures of.

I haven't had time to post in a while and I also haven't really been knitting too much. Too busy working.
One of my cats totally loves non cat toy toys. He likes twisty ties, milk cap rings, pony tail holders and now he is crazy for the end of the yarn.
My other cat was very brave this weekend. My mom visited and instead of hiding the whole time like she normally does she was out playing and visiting and hanging out and watching movies with us. I'm so proud of her.

Pony Day!!
Pony Day was yesterday. My pony is the one on the right with the black lacy dress on. They were inspired by a couple characters in a show I am working on.
It sounds like there will not be time for pony day or any other crafts on the next show.

yarn over

OK for some reason I just could never really grasp the yarn over. But I think I finally got it. I am attempting to make the Spiderweb Capelet from Stitch and Bitch Nation so I'll be tracking my progress on that. First I made a mistake cause I didn't get the whole yarn over thing and I had to unknit it. Now it seems like it will be ok.
A certain Critic at Large that we listen to every week on State of the Arts is going to come to my work to interview the designer of the show. I think that there needs to be a big group picture.

Barb's Birthday fishnets 

I love saving daylight

The eye mask is OK for helping me fall asleep but it falls off at some time during the night. But the personal satisfaction of making up my own little thing to knit and just being all free and easy with my knitting was kind of cool. Usually I knit from a pattern so it is good for me to do some experimenting.
I went running today after work. My endurance is really increasing each time I run. It is awesome to feel like I am making personal progress. But I am also trying to watch any development of shin splints cause I think that is what has kept me from running in the past. Seems OK so far though.
Kitties are mellow tonight.


Napping eye mask

spring ahead

I haven't been sleeping well. I wake up a couple times in the middle of the night, it also takes me a while to fall asleep. I blame Nyquil dependancy but whatever. It could also be that I need to have my room darker. A lot of light comes in from the street lights through the living room window.
The whole point is I knit myself the cutest little eyemask today for the purpose of sleeping.
I'll post pics and update on its usefulness tomorrow.
The really great thing is that I just decided- I want to knit this and that is what I did, no pattern or anything. I totally made it up and I'm kind of proud of it. I kinda remember what I did but I would like to modify if a little if I were really going to post a pattern for it. So I'll work on that.
C

I am not sure how it got to be nearly 3 pm. I guess this is what happens when you sleep in. I have to work at 6 and I don't want to think about it.
Really I should be working on making feathers for The Amazing Mazy but I am tired. I have been playing the role of most motivated person in my condo building all weekend and I am tired.
I had to call the gas company to get them to find out why the building smelled like gas on Friday night and then yesterday morning I had to have them come out and turn the gas on and then today I made them come out and turn the water heater back on. I just didn't want to have to shower at work and I have ths crazy idea that whoever turned back on the gas yesterday should have checked that.

Cat in the Hat- see just like Besty Ross 

just like Betsy Ross

I am working on making Cat in the Hat hats for Suessical the Musical. I am sewing red and white stripes together so I totally feel like Besty Ross might have felt sewing all those flags together.

My friends have the cutest baby. Yesterday I went to visit and he was chasing the cats and meowing at them. The meow is so funny, it sounds just like a cat that wants to be let in or let out. It was hilarious.

I'll post pictures of the hats later.

done in time

OK so my friend Barb's birthday is next week and I finally finished these fishnets.
OK so they were basically done a while ago but then when I stitched them up I realized that perhaps I had gotten a little excited about binding off because they were to tight. So I had to unknit a couple rows and rebind them off so that they would not cause circulation to be cut off.


done and done 

short attention span projects 

the best $2.50 I ever spent

At the most recent 50% off sale at Savers I picked up a crockpot for $2.50. So for just a little more than the price of gas I picked up a used crockpot.
It works and so yesterday I made Sweet Potato Chili. This will probably feed me the rest of the week. Why have I never had one of these things before? How did I get so far into my life without a slow cooker.
Best $2.50 I have ever spent.

my house smells

so good. Thanks to the star gazer lilies that I bought myself at the grocery store last night.
When I walked in my condo this evening it smelled so wonderful and I was like Wow it smells awesome in here, why does it smell so good? Then I saw my lilies and I was like Oh yeah, I bought myself flowers cause I rock.

star gazer lilies 

no pony pimping

Pimp my Pony day has been cancelled due to one of the creators being sick.

Although it would be acceptable to Pimp Ponies without her it would not be the same. So I don't have to decide how I want to dress my pony.

almost done

I am so close to being done with Barbie's fishnets. I just have to stitch up the back seam and block them.

Sunday is Pimp your Pony day at work. It is sort of like Pimp my Ride but with My Little Ponys. I am trying to decide how I want to pimp my pony. Maybe I should knit a legwarmers or fishnets for my pony.

I'll post pics of this event on Monday.


almost done 

Who would send such a lovely pair of pants to Goodwill?
But what luck that I found them.
I have declared Friday "dress like a pirate" day in honor of these pants.




awesome pirate pants 

help me get an ipod

Help me get an ipod. Maybe get yourself and ipod or some iTune money. You know you want to.
free ipod

It is really easy. Just complete an offer- I signed up for Blockbuster.com, get 5 friends to complete offers and viola, you get an ipod.

OK so show some love and sign up for an offer.

I started my reading list. It is on the side bar, check it out. I know that adding a reading list isn't exactly rocket science but it was one of the things that I wanted to do.

My non-fiction selection of the week is really good. It is about math and infinity. Math and numbers are so universal. Unlike reading a book which lends itself to different interpretations for different readers math is concrete. A number has a concrete meaning that is the same everywhere and to everyone.

The second fishnet is getting close to being done. I have to knit a couple more inches and then do the ribbing at the top. Then they will both be ready to stitch up the seam and block.

My big accomplishment today was going through some of my disks with pictures stored on them and "recycling" pictures I didn't need anymore.
I had to keep this picture, of course.

yo quiero taco bell 

I was knitting along on Barb's other fishnet and I don't have stoppers for the ends of my needles when I am not working on something. I guess the knitting tote had been toted around too much that week and the fishnet fell off the needle. Due to the "window pane" stitch I was unable to figure out how not to have to frog it. So I started over but they are coming along.

I am thinking of keeping track of my 2005 reading list on this page somewhere. I won't get to it tonight or anything but I'll add it soon.

Today my credit card company called to offer me life insurance. They told me they would give me $15 in free gas. The thing that gets me is I told them less than a week ago that I wasn't interested in their offer. I mean do they think that they will wear me down if they keep calling. From now on I am just not going to be home when they call.


Pimp my Ride- Ancient Greek Style 

Kitty chase

Lately I have been concerned about the amount of activity my cats get. Mostly I am concerned about Snoop because he seems to get the least amount of activity. Lucy will chase the toy mice and play with all the toys but Snoop doesn't do that as often.
Anyway I had been thinking about trying to get Snoop and Lucy to go on walks. So I went out and bought them collars today. Snoops is one of those harness collars and Lucys is just your standard kitty collar with a bell.
The bell is where the comedy comes in. So I put on this collar with a bell and Lucy begins going crazy trying to chase herself and get this bell. It was crazy. Like a dog chasing its tail but better than that because she was actually trying to catch her neck.
The "walk" was unsuccessful. Snoop was kind of nervous so we just kind of smelled the outside a little and watched this squirrel who had managed to get a hold of an entire bagel. I tried to take a picture but the squirrel made a getaway across the alley before I could get a good shot.

Is it really free?

I have this theory as to why we have had a realatively mild winter in Minnesota this year. I think it is because of my broken heat valve. I have to have my windows open in my condo to keep it from being 85 degrees in here. With all the windows open I can get it down to 75 degrees. But clearly all that heat from my house is going outside and keeping it to warm to snow or anything else. Perhaps everyone who is just wishing for the white stuff could call my condo association manager and complain.

I am reading The Broke Diaries by Angela Nissel and it is hilarious. She writes these diary entries about all of her misadventures of a broke college student. OK some of the things she goes through are hilarious. I feel a little like it is a flashback to college. I have been out 6 years so some of the things are like distant memories. The credit card companies that give out "free" stuff to get you to apply for their card is pretty funny when she discovers that the "free" mints are going to cost her much more in interest and finance charges.
I almost fell for the "free" thing gimick last year at the winter carnival when I had forgotten to where a hat. I could have bought a hat from a tent at the winter carnival for $25 or I could have gotten a "free" NHL hockey team hat. In the end I realized that filling out the application would require standing in the cold for five more minutes without a hat so I decided to continue trying to wrap my scarf around my head while I walked closer to the car. Now that I can knit I will never be without headwear again.
So here is the picture of my moms knitting bag. I got her a fun thick yarn that she can make a thick chunky scarf out of and I got her that sugar and spice yarn so she can make potholders or something. The bag is totally cute. I made it myself and it has two little pockets on the inside for needles. The one I saw at the crafty planet had pockets on the outside but I like inside pockets. That way it is much harder to lose your needles if you bump up aganist some thing or set you bag down. If they fall out perhaps they will fall to the inside of the bag first rather than the floor of the bus.


Mom's knitting bag 

I have cute pictures of the present I made/bought for my Mom's birthday. She knows what I am gettting her cause I asked her if she would like that so that I wouldn't get her something she totally hated and wanted to return or regift. If she does regift though I hope she regifts it to me cause I totally love some of the stuff I bought her. But I know that my mom reads my blog and would like to be a little suprised about her present.

Snoop has now figured out how to eat all of his food when I am at home so that he can have more food. He meows this pathetic little meow and walks over to his empty bowl. When I am away at work he is perfectly capable of rationing his food to last the entire day.

Sound money

That is the name of the show that I listen to on MPR that gets my brain thinking about money every week. Lately it is about this social security thing. I am not sure how many Gen-Xers Bush talks with on a daily basis but I think that this whole thing that he is on to sell an overhall of the Social Security Program is way too much. I think we are wasting a lot of money for him to get the word out about something that isn't really a crisis.
It probably sounds like a crazy idea and perhaps a little obvious but first off stop taking money out of Social Security to pay for other stuff.
Second off everyone in other generations knew that Social Security was just a buffer and you had to save money in addition to that. They usually worked at the same company for most of their careers and were able to build up some money for retirement. So my advice to the people my age that Bush is trying to target with this reform is to start saving.
Our generation is different and many of us have come out of college and worked at several different jobs before finding the perfect one. We are targeted by credit card companies all the time and many of us have stacked up debt more than we have worried about saving.
Just making a small adjustment in spending can make a big difference over time.
But really if you don't have a 401k or a job that gives you that then start putting money away in an IRA cause it is a start and it is better than nothing.

I wish that I brought my camera to work yesterday. There was a great photo-op but of course all I can do is learn from this lesson and bring my camera along on my daily travels more often.

Speaking of photos here is a picture of those fishnets I keep talking about. I finally finished one and was able to start the other one. These have been a little bit of fun because there is a different stitch to learn and well there are two of them so now that I have finished one I have to make the other one in order for them to be useful.

2-needle fishnets 

In other knitting news my mother has decided to take up knitting so I am thinking her birthday present needs to involve a couple items to get her started. I saw a cute little tote bag at the Crafty Planet
the other day and I was thinking I should make one for her and put some yarn and needles in there for her. I guess I should call her and see what she really wants.

Martha audition tape

I am making two cow costumes for a show and I think that I should tape some footage for my Martha audition tape. I don't know that it shows me to be a business mastermind but it may show my potential and that is really what they are looking for.
There is one thing holding me back from making this audition tape and it is that I don't want my footage to be hanging out in the reject pile. Like when they show the reject audition videos of people who didn't make it onto The Real World or when they show all the footage of all the people who don't make it onto American Idol.
Watching American Idol this week I decided that being Paula, Simon or Randy during open auditions for Idol would have to be the worst job ever. I mean there can be nothing fun or rewarding about spending 8 hours a day listening to hundreds of people who think they can sing and then listen to them beg for another chance when you tell them they are going home. I know it is a highly rated show and everything but I still feel that listening to all those horrible auditions would be the worst job and I am not sure that it would be worth the money.

Martha's Apprentice

After reading the news tidbits today I am going through the list of anyone I know with a video camera so that I can send my application tape in less than a week to be- Martha Stewart's Apprentice.
I realize that she is more than just her crafts but she has built an empire around crafts, decorating, cooking and organizing.
I probably wouldn't make very far because the way I do things would not be at all the way Martha would do them.
I'm a little more "organic" than Martha. What I mean by that is I can't really always be bothered with the exact way of doing things. Sometimes you need to put a mountain of whip cream on something instead of a dollop for example.
But I may still apply. I mean you can't win if you don't play, right. I just have to track down a video camera.
Cool.
How awesome is it that Martha will do the work release part of her sentence on realitly TV. She is such a smart, powerful woman- that is why she needs and apprentice.
I would have to be a much neater person if I was going to be on her show.
OK I'm going to go buy some break and bake cookies to make for my post office. Perhaps if I give them cookies when I go to pick up my mail tomorrow they will be happy to see me.

catching up

I have been busy but this is my most recent finished object. They are cute. From the Stitch and Bitch Nation book of course. I just have to get cute buttons for them and then they will be ready to go.
Still working on Barbie's fishnets but I am getting close to being done with one of those.

cute baby booties 

Last night was the first time that I have been at home before 8 pm in ages. OK I think a week really but I was done with all my work and stuff by 5 and so I got to watch movies and deal with the pile of laundry on my bedroom floor.
Dealing with the laundry meant that I also changed my bed. Snoop loves to help with this household chore. Snoop sits on the bed while I add the sheets and blankets. I try to "get the lump out" of the bed. Sometimes Lucy plays too. Her job is to help me move the lump.
So anyway here is a picture of Snoop hiding under the sheets on the bed. Snoop!


cute Snoop