Open House - yes, that's right, another post about my new home!

I would just like to take a moment to toot my own horn. TOOT! TOOT!

Thank you.

I successfully had my new home properly cleaned and attired for company, it only took 2 months and 9 days! Go me. And more importantly, I discovered that I can fit about 10 people in my living room with foldout chairs.

It was a pretty good group of people, Mom, Dad (rarely in the same room with each other so that meant a lot), Barbara (stepmom), Denny, Debra (aunt), Pam (aunt), Emily (friend since the age of 14) and her husband Clif, and me! Ok, that's only 9 but we had room for more. We had some nice Jamie Cullum in the background, pate, cheese, pepperjelly, and fruit on the lovely coffee table. And plenty of boxed wine, thanks to Mamasita, to go around ;)

See all the pretty people having a lovely time!


Apparently, Emily and I had a little too much

fun with out veggies and dip. What are we 14 again? I mean... seriously?!

Despite my shoving a ranch covered celery stick up her nose she still felt the need to give me the best houswarming gift ever! GLOW-IN-THE-DARK KNITTING NEEDLES!!!!!!!

They are truly the most awesomest gift I have received ever! Now I can knit in the movie theater! I can be like the annoying 15 year olds that text message all throughout a movie because they are being raised in a culture that is breeding a generation with ADD, that believes socialization through technology is more valuable and necessary then being able to concentrate on a book or a film for longer than 5 minutes. Now, when they start text messaging I will whip out my awesome new needles, blinding them, and knit a cellphone cozy to cover up their obnoxious conversations! Thank you Emily!

Unfortunately these beautiful needles were 2 sizes too big for me to use on my new turtle neck sweater. Which I have made great progress on. Just last night I knitted about 3.5 more inches! She's officially 5.5 inches long, once she is at 6 I get transition from the ribbing to the stockinette stitch till the piece measures about 12". I then I get to start my very first arm hole! (btw: my friends reading this think I'm a totaly dork, I don't care!)

Here's last nights progress:



Unfortunately 2 purls snuck in there, I'm not that concerned or so much of a perfectionist that I'm going to rip it all out and correct them. I know I should and that's what a true artist would do, but I'm not an artist, I'm crafty, we crafty folks hide mistakes ;)

It's 3:45 in the Morning

I have discovered the best time to drive through Baltimore, 3:45am.

The city is so calm and peaceful, there is no rush, no road rage, no glaring sun heating your car and blinding your vision. Every bum looks peaceful on his/her bench. No more than three cars on any road most of which are warm smelling bakery trucks. The world seems so calm, so tranquil.

I think if I could do it, I would wake up around this time everyday. Just to sit outside and drink my coffee in peace. To watch the world wake up...or at least the East Coast. I think it's a much happier way to wake up, like a soothing birth into the new day. No loud noises, no aggression, just the warm sun rising, birds beginning to chirp, crickets going to sleep. I wish, I wish ... but let's face it, I can't get my ass up that early every morning, at least not without a forklift!

So, today marks a sad, sad event. My wonderful and patient co-worker Kristin has left our architectural firm to go work for a timber framing company with a boss who looks like Hercules.

Can't really blame her, I mean look at him...yummy!

But I will miss my dear work friend. Everyday she would visit my desk and sit quietly in that chair next to me waiting for me to look over from working (blogging) and start talking at her. Seriously, she would just sit there and say "hi" and I would go off. Whatever was bugging me, whatever wasn't, what I had for dinner, what the boss was doing to annoy me. Then she'd tell me about her Great Danes, Bo and Bella. She was part of the girl-power in our office.

I've already informed my boss that I fully expect him to hire another girl. But she'll never be our Kristin.

(transition sentence here)

So, I've officially started a new project! That's right, last post I complained about the many projects I already have started and here I've gone and started another one. However, to balance I did rip out the purple Saushine vest.

Here are my materials, minor calculations and yes, that is the new yarn I received last month from my Secret Pal! It's a 80/20 Cotton/Wool blend by Cascade Yarns, made in Peru! It's super soft and I think it's going to drape nicely! Now, this is my first time working with gauge and the pattern suggests a super chunky yarn with 2 stitches = 1 inch and size 15 needles. I however wanted to use my new yarn so I am using a yarn with a guage of 5 stitches = 1 inch on size 7 needles. I'm getting about 6 stitches to an inch on size 8 needles though. Whatever, I'm doing that stupid thing of crossing my fingers and seeing what happens. I know, I know...it's my funeral.

Last night I had about 2"!

Maybe Just a Little Complicated

Hmmmm? Perhaps I should have started with an easier first-time-clothing-design project than the saunshine jem vest? Maybe I should have just started with the plain vest rather than the diamond pattern? I mean, seriously, I've never actually knitted a pattern into any project. Not a lace pattern, not a cable pattern, nothing. Sure, I've figured out how to do cables via the treble crochet on an aran scarf but crochet is quite different from knitting.

Honestly, it's like a different language to me. It's like Crochet is English and I'm fluent but knitting is French and although I've been knitting on/off for 15 years just like the five years of french class I really only know the basics. I mean I just figured out what a gussett is! I deffinitely shouldn't be trying my needles at a less-than-complicated-for-an-experienced-knitter diamond pattern.

I posted a while back about the many first attempts I had at this vest and so far this is what it looks like...months later :/
Now, to be fair, I have, like I do with most projects, put it down and picked it up here and there. But really, do I honestly believe that with a pattern like this I'm going to be able to put it down and pick it back like I do casually with blankets or scarves? Noooooooooooooo. Should I just buckle down (where does that expression come from ?) and see how far I can get before I lose count, go crazy, mess up, give up? I don't think that would be advised. So, sad to say, perhaps I should just, not even frog it, but cut my losses and forget about the diamon pattern and just start over using the Ruby Pattern. I mean, most likely, I would be able to complete that one by December with plenty of time to it for the holidays and such.

Why oh why do I start projects like this and then stop. I'm currently in the middle of...this vest, a simple Halloween Cross-stitch (totally mindless = totally satisfying), a Granny Square Blanket (which I've decided the colors no longer match the color scheme of my livingroom so I don't have a desire to work on it), Mama Cloche , let's just say that's come to a complete hault, then there are the ( I know I said I wouldn't talk about the house anymore, but too bad) Roman Shade I want to make for my livingroom, I just bought some beautiful black calico cotton fabric from Joanne's for a dress/skirt/top/haven't decided that I want to make, and I've been meaning to scrapbook for over a year so I have a years worth of memories sitting in a bag calling my name at night and keeping me up!

One, might ask why I don't just suck-it-up and get to work on the WIP's. Well, I'll tell you why. Because the government insists that I work, pay taxes, go to school to get a better job where hopefully I'll make more money to buy more craft stuff and pay more taxes!

I want to be five again.

Things

So, even though I know it's like a thrill-a-minute reading about my life and all however, I really have nothing too terribly interesting to report...unless you include that game of Jumangi played the other night that was too similar to the movie than I care to recall. I'm still finding tiger droppings in my house!

Anywho, I've decided to just post one of these question things again because I'm overworked and can't think of anything more interesting to post.

1) What is your favorite season of the year?

I'm a big fan of the in-between-season. I like those first few days that feel like fall before the weather man actually declares that it is September 21st and we can all start calling it Autumn. I love that first morning when you wake up and the air is crisp and cool, it had been in the 50's that night, and there is dew on your car. Leaves are already changing colors and you hear the crunch below your feet as you walk into work. I think it's fascinating when winter comes before January 21st! When one single snowflake falls and you feel like you were the only one who saw it. Or when it snows on Thanksgiving and shocks everyone. You sit there and think that everyone in the neighborhood must be looking out their windows and thinking the same thing as you. I love the first warm dewy morning just before Spring is officially here. Those first budding flowers in front of your house. The sound the birds make that you let you know they've decided that Winter is over and they've flown back to say hello again. And I love that first day when you realize that the temps didn't drop below 65 that night, you can start sleeping with your windows open, Summer has arrived before the pools have opened. Living in Maryland has spoiled me to be a lover of all seasons.

2) Where is your favorite vacation spot?

Most frequently visited vacation spots are the corners of my mind. You know when you are sitting at work and you let your mind wonder and you think back to when you weren't at work but you were doing something that you wanted to do? Those are my mini-vacations. I don't actually have a favorite spot. I like to travel to different countries and explore different cultures, cities, and country sides.

I suppose right now I'd have to say Chicago. I go there about once a year to visit my girl Gretchen. She just lets me crash at her place and watch Audrey Hepburn movies while we talk about life past, present, and future and sip red wine. We'll hit the shops, ride the L, visit a museum, and drink bailey's with coffee at 10am. (vacation here I come!)

3) If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be?

If I could visit anywhere in the world, free of charge, free of harm, disease and/or disaster, I would say the middle east. I'm curious but terrified.


4) If you could pick any job, and be paid well, what would it be?

I would probably want to be a buyer and eventually have my own business. I would hope that salary/compensation would not be a concern being that my largest concern is knowing that I work for a company that I respect, who is eco-friendly, and who respects me and my work.

5) If you were going on vacation for 1 week, and had to take ONLY one project with you, what would it be?

I would probably take something small like a scarf to knit/crochet or a cross-stitch where I don't have to think about it's construction too much.


6) If you won a shopping spree to your favorite Yarn shop, what would you get?

I would buy lessons. Lots and lots of lessons!

On a final note: here are three pictures of my friend Aaron. He put on my glasses the other day and even though they are suppose to be women's glasses I thought he looked very MOD. It took a lot of persuading to get his permission for these pictures! Enjoy!

Bachelorette's are Wild Women!

Ok, ok, I know I am a million years behind on my posting and I should have no one to blame but myself. However, I refuse to blame myself but instead I blame the crazy women in my life. That's right, I've been looped into several "Female Only" events lately.

Last weekend was a real doozy! It was my Monkey's (friend from college, nickname story will come later) Bachelorette weekend. Yup, I said weekend. Apparently these 21st century broads have decided that if they are going to be giving it up to only one man for the rest of their life and vow to completely take themselves off the market and instead commit to a life of washing his socks, smelling his man stank, and watching him watch his tv shows that you don't enjoy but do it because it means "us time" than they get to have a whole weekend. And if you are a bridesmaid...or just a good/supportive girlfriend you're in for the whole ride with her.

Our weekend started off simple enough, just a couple of girls mixin' some drinks on a Friday night:

The bride-to-be opened up some pretty/interesting presents:

Then the drinks started to kick in and again little Miss Angela thought it would be brilliant to whip up an old side ponytail:

And because we are women who enjoy a good trend, we all joined in and the side ponytail became the most fashionable hair style of the night:

I suggested to monkey that she might consider this Up-do for her wedding day but my suggestion was quickly dismissed, so sad.

This is what we looked like the first night, mind you we'd been drinking hard liquor since five and it was now about 1am:

Poor Monkey had to take care of me, apparently I do not handle liquor well, I'm more of a wine girl.


The next day was full of driving up to Harrisburg to catch the bride-to-be's favorite band, Green Eggs and Spam,

We got some grub and did our toasting and then went clubbing at the Hardware bar (aka: Coyote Ugly)


From the minute we hit the club the girls hit the drinks and this is what resulted:

That would be what I called the Pit-O-People on the left and Happy Drunk Monkey on the right.
All-in-all it was a good weekend, full of laughter, and embarrassing stories which we swore over Dunkin Doughnuts and coffee the next morning would stay within this circle of women.

Happy Bachelorette Monkey!Did I mention I have another bachelorette weekend starting tomorrow? Yea, busy girl over here.

Working on stuff...not knitting

So here's the thing, I've lost my drive to craft. It's true!

I'm hoping it will come back to me before the end of August but due to much needed relaxation and distraction from house stuff. But, alas, the house demands continue.

Here's one of my dilemha's , which curtain hem do I prefer for my bay window? Currently I'm waiting to get the appropriate curtain rods which now, because i like my craft life to be complicated, I am thinking of making my own out of copper piping and some sort of corner connectors that a coworker told me about.

Then there's the doors. I need to get two door sweepers for my front door and my basement door. Apparently, I am currently trying to air condition the outside hallway and the basement. When I did manage to get to HomeDepot and find the sweepers I needed and figured out what they were I realized that I had not measured the width of my door or the length I need the sweeper to sweep. ARGH! Details!


Here's a photo of some makeshift curtains I made one Saturday morning. I had two hours, extra fabric and figured, "this'll do!" You'll notice the window right next to it though, with nothing in the window but blinds. Ah well!


On a plus side, I did get my second package from my secret pal today! So exciting and she is so thoughtful! She said that she noticed I seemed overwhelmed lately and sent me relaxing bath products to help sooth me! I got some delightful Lavender lotion, (very calming), some herbal body scrub (sooth), and yummy yummy chocolate yarn! Yay SP! The lovely brown yarn looks good enough to make either a lovely fall shawl, scraf, or crop sleeve shirt (there's one I've had my eye on!)


On a final note: I from this point forward promise to stop writing about my house projects. I am sure they are not that thrilling to read about. Perhaps I could start writing about my love life, that's starting to get interesting! Hmmmmm, perhaps not now.