Happy New Year

Siren here. I'm having Mom type out a post for me.

She seems really glad that the year is almost over. I'm really glad because she has 2 days in a row to spend with me.

So enjoy your next year and remember to give treats to your kitties.

i need to make up

I need to make up an Emergency Knitting kit. ( click image to go to the site that sells these cool bags. http://shop.illiane.com ) Now why do I need to make up one of these kits?
I'll tell you. (if you could see a cartoon face right now, a dark cloud would go over it and the eyes would go angry and sunk in a bit )

So, we were out a bit late at HT's work party. ( It was pretty fun) Then we get a call at 4:30am. It's ADT and they are telling me that my store has been broken into. ( I'm hoping it's a false alarm but guessing that it's not.) So we head to the store. There's a cop there. There's also a lot of glass on the side walk. Some SOB busted through my 2 front doors, then into my display case. If what you put out into the world really comes back to you.... well lets just hope in this case that it does.
(cartoon face would get a little softer now, more excepting of the hand fate is dealing)

So, my assistant manager came, took HT back home for me ( HT is a bit hung over from the party but wanted to come and make sure that nothing happened to me), came back with coffee (thank goodness), and we proceeded to clean up as a little man who spoke little English boarded up the door. ( it was pretty cold outside and we couldn't get a hold of our higher ups to see what they wanted us to do, call glass guy, which glass guy.. ect)

Let me just say that if they ever say " Oh well we can have these guys board it up for you so that you can take your time getting things done" Don't do it. It's a racket. They use these screws that are a funny head so people cant just take them off and they will charge you $100+ to come take it back off. Just put some plastic over to keep the heat in, sit down where you can see anyone trying to get in, and find a good glass guy.

Also, if you are getting new doors for say your store and say they are glass. Please please spring for the laminated glass. It will make your life easy.

So, I sent the assistant manager home when the higher ups got there. He deserved a little sleep before going to church. Then my district manager and I stayed till about 3pm. It took along time for the glass guy to get there and then for us to figure out how to get the damn board up.

So, the moral of the story? I didn't have any knitting in my car, i didn't grab my bag with knitting in it and there was about 6 hours of knitting/down time just waiting for things to happen.

So yah, i really need to keep a simple something to knit in the car.

It was..

Not an Alpaca, or a spinning wheel.

Though it's really nice to have a exercise bike.
Now we can work out as we watch TV. Though It wont
be living by the front door for ever.

Hope everyone is having a good day off.

I wonder...

what this is...

According to HT, the came into being when he was sleeping ( he caught my cold ).
It looks like Grimlock and Siren got a little excited.

Next year...

I will go see Coraline. It will be pretty fun to watch. I love stop motion animation. Oh, these are my button eyes.

I will also make candies, bath bombs ( because really I just want to tell people I'm making bombs ) and lip balm for the holidays. I like knitting people gifts, but I'm finding there are very few truly knit worthy people in my life. But who doesn't like candy.


I picked up the holiday issue of Living. I don't normaly pick that one up, but Halloween and the ones with really good cookie resipes are hard to pass up. In this one they even show you how to make candy canes. I totaly wanted to learn how to make them for a long time. Now I have insturctions and I will get suplies in Jan. Then there will be candy canes ( and maybe loli pops as I could see them being made the same way ) for ever and all ways.

I'm kinda gitty at the thought.

Also, Miss Turtle and Miss CresentMoon will be getting treats for helping out and donating to Toys for Tots. Thanks a bunch you guys.

we haz

A new toy. Mom made it for us. We likes it.

hand felting

I finished some fingerless gloves for Ht today. Then I got to thinking, "I wonder if I can felt the stringy ends into a ball here at work". I finished the gloves on lunch.

Well it turns out I can. The hot water for tea from the water fountain is just right for small felting. I just rolled it around in my hands and soaked it in my tea cup, then rolled it around more.

I think I might make it into a necklace or maybe another tree ornament.

Also, remember to drop off your toys for Tots stuff. We have finished taking things in at the stores because we wont have anyone to drive out on Sat to the big collection site. So, head on over to your collection site then leave me a comment.

Breakfast?

I experimented this morning with breakfast.

I tried making quiche. It turned out pretty tasty.

The objects in the back ground are finished ornaments that I got done this morning. Now all my old cards have been turned into holiday ornaments.

It was a nice project.

it's 4am...

Do you know where your knitter is at?

Someone must have been worried that I was out and about whooping it up, because we got a phone call at 4am. It woke me up. Made Grimlock leave the bed. And was just annoying.

I laid in bed till about 5:15am trying to get back to sleep. I told my self stories (hey it normally works), I got up and got a glass of water and a tried to bring Grimlock back to bed. There is nothing like a purring kitty to put you to sleep.

But a lass, all that failed. So I headed downstairs to finish up a gift. I started this version of the Everlasting Bag stopper in may. The hemp and the linen kept getting tangled up so I put it down and didn't pick it back up until last night.

You see I don't think i'm going to get the Sis Scarf finished in time for the holiday mailing next Monday. So, the bag, she needed to get finished. Just 20 more rows and a 6 stitch I-cord for a handle and at 6am the bag is finished.

Speaking of the holidays, don't forget to donate to toys for tots and leave a comment in the linked post. I've got some tasty sock yarn and tigers' eye stitch markers for the lucky random winner.

A contest?

Good evening everyone. I have a little mission for you.

It is the holiday season and I've noticed that the Toys For Tots drop boxes have been light to empty this year. So what gives?

So, since I didn't do anything for my blogarsary, or for my birthday, I'm going to do something now.

So, what I'm going to ask is that you donate to toys for tots and leave a comment here about what you donated. Doing so will enter you to win a fab yarny prize, along with some fancy pants hand made stitch markers ( i have some tigers-eye beads that are just asking to be stitch markers)

All the National Camera Exchange stores are drop sites and you have the added bonus of seeing me if you pop into the right one ;) (edit: you don't have to drop them off at one of our stores.. it was just one place of many to drop off at) Oh, you have until Sat. the 20th of Dec to donate and leave a comment.


Right now that the call to arms is out of the way, I have a wicked case of start-itiss going. I think its because there is no hope of finishing my sis scarf before Christmas. So now i'm all like "I bet a knit tie would be fun" "oo I just got a tree, Ornaments" " HT could use a new hat" and so on and so forth...

Just a bit silly really. It's like I need 5 of me to do all the things I want/need to do.

Darning

So HT's favorite cardigan got a hole. (seen here)

So I tried my hand at darning. (seen here) I think it turned out ok.

I am...

a great kitty napping spot.

Siren has been on my lap since I got home at 7pm tonight. As long as she is facing away from me, I can knit.

If she is looking at the knitting... well she is a bad kitty when that happens.

Work was a little busier today. It was nice not to feel like it was a total waste to be there. Some of the resent days have felt that way.

The Sis Scarf is coming along. ( new picture is using Siren as a back drop :) I have the pattern down now and don't even really need to look. 1hour lunch breaks tend to make sure that i get 2 to 3 repeats done a day. That and Ht has been playing alot of Halo these nights so there is knitting time when I get home. Though I don't think it will be done in time for Christmas. But I guess we'll see.

I finished the wedding album for my friends last night. I think it turned out well.

It's late, I'm sleepy, but i really just want to say up and knit... zzzz

holiday slow down

Err, well the images aren't exactly in the order I wanted, but *meh*.

So, Things have been going on lately.

Siren and Grimlock have been coming to bed with us more. It's really nice to have little kitties with warm bellies and soothing purrs in bed at night.

It snowed. I shoveled our walk and driveway. I foresee this happening much much more.

I have been knitting.

Evidence here. This is the new Interweave Knits scarf. So far I like it, but i got a bit confused at the beginning. The colors are a bit more my sister like, so this will most likely be hers. (That said, if you don't like it, just send it back and I'll find a knitter who loves it.)











Ht's sweeter vest has stalled out at 1/2. Though you can see the back looks about right for him.

I'm on pred, right now to make the UC behave. And until tonight, the munchies weren't a problem.

I got some Asian food for dinner and was planing on sharing with HT.

Planning is the operative word here.

Looks like i'm going to have to get the carrot sticks out again.

feeling kinda wistful

for.... the past? I think.

I've been wondering what it would be like to be a teenager again. (not that it was horribly long ago, but i grew up fast) What would it be like to have summer and winter vacations. To just have school work to worry about.

Then again, there are things I wouldn't give up for the world. Ht and the kitties are one of those things, but my sense of independence and ownership of my life.

That said, 4 days off work, yah that was pretty nice. Though I haven't used it to do a lot of fun stuff. I cleaned, picked up, got all HT's gifts (when the spiff check comes in it's kinda like the only shot), and pretty much finished my friends wedding photos (they just need to be printed now).

There's a part of me that wants to do everything right now and another part that's like "hold up there. It's going to be hectic soon. Why don't you just enjoy a little down time while it lasts."

So this is a bit rambling, but i probably wont post much during the holidays. So er.. happy holidays and remember to relax

warm things

This is a warm thing.

I made it.

It is pretty and MamaGrouch took this picture.

My brain is fairly dead at the moment.

It seems the season of folks coming into the store at 5:30 and not deciding till 6:10 (we close a 6) has started.

Yah, I made this. I think I might make an other.

ps, thanks for the pretty picture.

I've got..

Comfy new PJs. It's been kinda ruff the past few weeks, what with the UC acting up and all. There are somedays where its hard to make it out the door. Some nights where it's hard to get any sleep.

So, some comfy new pjs were in order. Something warm and soft is a great way to brighten a mood. Even if just for a little while.

We Did IT!!!

We Won the Presidential Election!

This is great. His speech gave me chills.

I'm looking forward to the next four years.


That said, The Aint Gay amendments that are passing make me quite sad. We have picked a uniter for our president, but we can't unite ourselves.

I hope that some day people wont be so closed minded. I hope that our new president can help move us in that direction.

But here's the thing, "i hope". That's kinda a new thing here for the "happy sinic"

cross your fingers everyone.

hallween party?

At my store we like to dress up for Halloween. I'm the one with the Blaster. We made it that day at work I might add. Though a real/replica of Princess Leia's Blaster would be really cool, i'm just not willing to spend that much.... right now.. or in a year... maybe in two...

Any who, the lady next to me is not Philis Diller, but Marge Simpson. I really got a kick out of the blue feathers.

Right, so I should really stop calling my "parties" parties. Why? Because they are more like relaxing get togethers than romping stomping times. Though it was fun. There was good food (all made by me). And there were good people.

Miss J of the Science Brain even stopped by with tasty homemade bread and we knitted. Her second attempt at a cardigan is looking really good this time.

So hope everyone had a good time last night. I know i did.

2 in 1 day

Two weekends ago I shot my friends wedding. Here they are after the nuptials.

It was really pretty and I think the photography came out well.

I'm going to try and get some of the photos to them by Sunday. I was hoping to have a little more time to take care of all the picture work, but they are really excited to see the photos.

The kids are quieter now that HT is home. Siren was yelling at me for 2 hours straight.

So yah. It's been along day, but I did get something good accomplished.

"let me out!"

I Grimlock would like you all to know, that my Mommy took me in the car today. It was no fun. I do not get scared, just un-happy. So don't let her tell you different.

Then this lady in blue said she knew who Grimlock was. I pranced around a bit at that. I was named after a ferocious Dino-Bot.

I explored a little room and then a man in white came in. I don't like him much, i think... He felt my back and i had to try out hissing at him. I never hiss so I thought that would be a good time to do it. He said that I needed "X Rays". Then Mommy let them take me back to get these "X Rays".

The lady said I was a "Champ" with the x-rays then we went home.

Now I'm in a little room again. Mommy calls it the office. She wont let me and sister out. And Sister keeps hissing at me. :(

Oh and she gave me some nasty stuff too. Says it will make me feel better.... it tastes bad. :(

So if you can get a message to her. Let her know to let us out of this room. We have things to do today. :(

it's getting chilly

I think it might be time to bust out the malabrigo and knit. I think i'm going to put the "panda" shawl on hold for a bit and work on some warm things.

I re-started the socks i'm knitting for my mom. They are going a bit better this time and are a good keep in the bag project.

Things have been abit stressful here at chez Iki. I have been having tummy issues, feeling responsible for everyone, wondering if our house guest will ever leave, lots of loud people around and Grimlock has been acting funny.

Well I've taken steps to bring the stress down. There will be no people but me and HT here next Sunday. Wednesday I'm taking Grimlock to the vet. The house guest has been given notice. So all in all real steps to take care of stressful things.

So. I'm going to sit down tonight and start working on this with the malabrigo, or this with the cashmere that i got from a lovely swapy.

ummm pretty yarn things.

it's creeping up on us.

Halloween that is.

I've mentioned on here before about how much I like Halloween. I get to dress up in a costume. Though generally I'm the only one who gets what the costume is. It's like I should have little fact sheets to hand out to go with the costumes.

Any who, I swung by Jo-Ann's today before a training for work. They have a lot of their fall/Halloween stuff on sale. This guy is one of my finds. He glows in the dark. :)

I also go a bat wreath to hang up outside. Its framing my house #s. I got some bat cut outs to hang from the ceiling down stairs and I put some on the windows.

I'm looking forward to the Halloween party I'm going to try and throw. I just have to get the invites out.

On the knitting front... HT's Love sweater is moving along. I'm at the arm decreases and I need to start on one more ball of cream. It looks like 4 balls per side. So it's a good thing i got 6 (just in case my math is off). I also did a bit of a bad thing and got more yarn today. I was over in Edina so I stopped by Needleworks. They have the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sock yarn. Now, I must say that I like the books and the movies have been alright, but I'm not a big HP'er. That said...

I do think the Headwig colorway is very nice.

Right. Off to clean house a bit more and make some paper-mishay tomb stones for the front yard. Oh, and some shrunken heads for the back yard. :)

... & After

Ok to re-cap. Aug 24th we got the house and started moving in. I drove the 15' truck around town. Literally around town, to Ikea, to the apartment, to the new house, it was tricky.

Then Mom and Linda wanted a Picture of us in front of our new house. I think we look cute.














So after that alot of things have been going on.

Dad came up and we took out the old garden, for a reminder head to this old post.






Then a few weekends ago I got paint and painted up the office. It's a low VOC paint that is a nice gray green, sort of light mossy. Though as you can see the office (was going to be knitting place but it got high-jacked) isn't organized yet. That will be tomorrows project.

The rest of today is going to be spent on figuring out shots for a friends wedding, getting a tara-bit hard drive because I have way to many pictures on this little laptop, and doing laundry.

Oh and there will be some knitting as it is just about cool enough for HT to ware the sweater-vest he picked out, so I need to finish it. Though I'm going to have to find the Son of Stitch and Bitch book before I can.

I wonder which box it's in?

Checking in.

So, we are moved in. There are still boxes, but mostly things are where they should be.

Mom and Aunt Linda helped a ton with the move.

HT's family came up and helped put holes in the walls. It's ok, they are for the internets.

And today Dad is up helping out. We dug up the back yard. In the picture you see there is a dirt patch, that got tilled and is being used to house a rose bush and bulbs and compost, till we know what to do with them.

In the center there is a bushy patch. That was the last owners garden. It was over grown with weeds, trees and thistles. So we dug it up and used the dirt to level out the funny spots in the yard.

It timed out really well as we finished just as it started raining. So maybe in a while there will just be grass all over.

There's no knitting news right now as I've been taking a bit of a break, but oh there will be more soon. You can count on it.

bad ju-ju

So I think I have bad Sock Ju-Ju right now.

I frogged the Noro socks. They just weren't looking right. The Mam'Rav socks have been re-worked again. Though I tried them on last night and well, yah. They went up to my arch but there is no way they would go over my heal.

When my mom comes up to help move I'll have to have her try them on. She is about a size and a half smaller than me, foot wise. So maybe they'll fit her just right. (crosses fingers) But till then, they are in time out.

Though this week there wont be a lot of knitting. I'm getting boxes packed (yes some a little too heavy but hey I haven't done this in about 4 years).

This next weekend can't come fast enough.

err Hello.

( a picture of grasses, because soon i'll have a lawn to mowe. )





So I haven't been blogging much. Not a ton going on.

Went to KC for wedding reception. It was nice. There were cupcakes.

Have been working a lot and getting ready for stupid GOP convention. Already wishing I could just lock the doors and not deal with it.

Have been thinking about things for the house we need. Things like lawn mowers, ladders, water hoses, ect. Haven't started packing up really yet. I have all the old crafting tools packed up. Just because I don't use them a lot any more. Going to have to start really packing soon. I'm thinking about going through my cloths again just to get rid of some things so I don't have to move them.

Well its time to wander of and think about more things.

Fun with iso.

So I had the day off today and though I would ride my bike a bit. Sadly, the back tire, that my Ass. Manager re-tubed for me, is completely flat.

So I took a walk instead.
It was a day to shoot. The sky is just a great blue color. The first shot of the day is at the top. At iso 1600, it's a bit blown out, but I still like it. Sort of a surrealist sunflower.






This one is taken at the proper iso for the day, iso 100. Same flower, to very different looks. Both pretty nice.












I love the balcony at this house. It's just so pretty with the brick.





I got some yogurt and egg salad and headed to Lake of the Ilse to sit by water and eat lunch. I'm reading Persepolis: the story of a childhood by Marjane Satrapi. It's really engaging. I got a little more than half way through before I though "hum it's hot and i still have some egg salad in my bag... better head home." I'm going to read a little more later today.

Oh and if you are wondering about the odd combo of egg salad and yogurt, well there's a good (ish) answer. HT and I are trying to get back into "fighting" shape. I weighed myself yesterday :( it was 160. I'm hoping it's a lie, but my pants say otherwise. So, more walking, 2 weeks of lots of protean, no breads/carbs, then slowly reintroducing good whole grains and small portions back into the life.

Here's to hoping it will work.

We Haz ....

Raspberries!!!! That right, we have a nice full grown raspberry bush at our new house. We had a few, just to sample, this morning.

We aren't moving in yet. We will at the end of August. But I do have a key :)


So now HT and I are going to go to a movie to celebrate.

And next summer, Raspberry Tarts for all!

Sometimes I feel like Ed.

Like Ed from Cowboy Bebop that is.

This is the other shawl I'm working on. If you look you can see that there is a bit of a goof on the second repeat. But oh well there is a long way to go on it.

I've been feeling some what un-inspired to knit lately. I think it's just entropy taking hold.

I road my bike a bit today. I road it all around town. I went to the bank to get the check for the closing. Then a bit of lunch on the greenway. There are a lot of nice little gardens to sit and look at along there.

Oddly enough when I got home, i kinda dropped into a bit of a funk.

Though heading out to see the knitters always seems to perk up my mood.

lots of things

So not a lot of knitting to write about, just a lot of things wandering about in my head.

The Leslie Warmers are finished (sans blocking). I'll be gifting them to Leslie on "hand over my f-ing house" day. It can't come soon enough. I want to move in!!!!!

So yah...

I've worked a bit more on the green lace shawl and a bit more on the Moma Rav Jaywalkers for Mom.

Though I'm not convinced that they will fit right.... not sure. They seem to fit the Lady (our friend with the little one who is at the moment living with us) ok. And the Lady is the same shoe size as Mom... so we'll see.

I just really haven't been inspired to do much lately. I would like to knit, but blah. I would like to go shooting, but blah. I would like to eat tons of cupcakes... opps.

That old get up and go spirit seems to be alluding me right now. I'm sure I'll find out where it's hiding. Perhaps on my bike ride into work on Sat... I'm sure "get up and go" will appear, on the ride, maybe.

Working on Lace

So this is the new knitty SeaScape Shawl. I have discovered that knitting on lace, for me at least, and watching a movie or listening to an audio book is ok. But pausing to scrumble a kitty as she hops up to see what you are up to, well that can be disastrous.

I was able to fix most of my mistakes after the Siren (AKA Kat-Butt, as she is known when she is being demanding) incident, but the right side of the first repeating diamond thing, well it's going to be a bit wonky.

I should use "life lines" i guess, but really i never seem to. I guess i don't mind the wanky ness so much. It's just a part of the prossess in my mind. If it's something that will damage the integrity of the knit, then it's re-done. If it's easy to get back to, then re-done. But If for the life of me I can't figure out where it's at, might as well leave it and continue on.

Maybe it just means i'm lazy. I admit that i am from time to time. Well back to working on the shawl. I'm going to wear it with the bridesmaid dress if its a bit windy or nippy that day.

July 4th, a day off

So today is July 4th and I'm not at work. Can you see the smile on my face?

This time next year we will be in our house, grilling and hanging out with friends... I really can't wait.

This picture is of the Hat that will be a gift soon. So I can't tell you what it is or who its for. All I can say is that shine sport is a wonderful yarn and I loves it.

I think I might make some finger less gloves out of it next just so I can feel it next to the skin.

3 Jaynes

Mr Ducks MaGee, Ducky (the chick) and Nanuk are all modeling our 3 versions of the Jayne hat.

I got my first Knit Picks circular sock needles. I'm going to have learn how to knit socks on them.

Thank You MamaGrouch! I'm going to bring lots of yarn to look at next week. ;)

Adventures in Deadwood... part 2

Rain storms came in the night and the day time on the trip. Quiet a few had hail in them, lighting and thunder too.




The faces looked like they were crying when we drove up. They look a little less sad here, though Teddy still looks a bit blue.






The Artists studio was neat. You could see mountain and the model through the window.





On our last night there we got to see some... actors walking down the street. One ran past us in a hell of a hurry. I think they were playing at showing the death of Wild bill.



Well, I'm home now and glad to be back at work, or less sad...
I'll post up in a few days the knitting that I worked on over the trip. Though since we've been back, I haven't really felt like knitting. I'm just going to have to wait for the spirit to move me again.
ps this is what the prairie should look like.

Adventures in Deadwood... part 1

First there was a stop at the corn palace. HT's Dad was on a mission to see it. It is pretty neat on the inside. B-ball court, theater stage, and random junk to by.

no yarn though.



In the windows of some of the buildings in Deadwood they had "ladies" waiting for the next client. Though the manikins were way to skinny to look like the real thing. All of the buildings were restored (best they could) to the stone buildings that the people of Deadwood built after the fires they had. Stone being less likely to burn down. Also, pretty much everyone had a slot machine or two in the buildings main floor. I won $2, well really only $1 as I spent one to make two.
We walked through the grave yard and saw Wild Bill and Calamity Janes graves. We also hiked about 200 yards up the mountain to see Bulock's grave. The s.o.b waited to be at the top of the damn mountain... but it was a nice view.
This is what a gold vain looks like. The Big Dig pit looks really big until you look at the map and then it looks really small compared to the mine shafts that go down and down and down.
This was the only Buffalo we saw up close.

There wasn't any yarn here either... though I wondered if anyone made yarn out of Buffalo flease.


More later....