Do I want to knit a scarf?

I think I have now lost my mind. I want to knit Martha's scarf. The one in the picture.
Actually, I kind of like it, too bad it has that name. It's not that it's Martha's scarf, I like it, but I like it because what it is.
I might even find some brown shaded yarns in my stash. For sure.

First I must finish my sister's stole, she's already bugging me about it, and I only started last week. Gimme a break. I wanted to do the red poncho first. And another mini poncho for Ella.

Ok, back to work

Poncho done

I finished the red poncho on Sunday at 10 pm, after about 12 hrs working on it. I think I was working on it steadily from 4 to 9, with a few breaks, like checking the e-mail and other important things.

Some of my buddies were on IM, but I didn't want to stop, I was determined to finish the poncho quickly, because I hate making ponchos.

I am pretty impressed with myself, I have actually finished a lot of stuff in the last two months.

Couple of doilies, two shawls, one stole and a poncho, oh, and don't forget the pair of socks, and little coasters, and squares.....oooh, my, I have ACTUALLY finished what I have started. Ok, ok, I didn't include the ones that I have started in between all those finished items. there are quite a few of them, but who counts.

Poncho making

Using RH TLC Amore Red Velvet, making a poncho for my DIL. I really didn't want to make a poncho for anyone, but I wanted to make something, and might as well make what she wants, not what I want. The picture is after 18 rows. I have spent 5 hours, not continuous, and one skein. I started last night. Well the first skein finished at the end of 17th row. I am writing all this down, so I will know when someone asks. Oh, and the pattern is from Maggie's Crochet "Matha's Coming Home Poncho".............AAAAAAAAAAAAWK, but that was the easiest, fastest looking poncho that had the right hook size. Well, that's what I thought, I am not sure that my 23 rows (as per pattern) is going to be enough for my DIL's tall being. I just have to be creative at the end, don't I?

I NEVER thought I would make this poncho, NEVER. I am not sure if I forgive myself.

Oh, my sister's stole is on the waiting for inspiration basket. I don't think I should make anything simple to make something fast. I am so bored with the stitch I am using for my sister's stole.

What did I do today?

I don't really know. I wanted to go and get some yarn for the stole I am making for my sister.
Not the same color, different, to make some flowers on the edges. I saw many shades of the Symphony yarn, but all of a sudden lost interest. I decided to make the flowers with the same color as the stole. Then I started looking for Bernat's Satin yarn, but couldn't see it anywhere. I realized that there was an other aisle full of yarns, what a relief. I was at Zellers, btw. Oh, now I could see the Bernat's Satin, but the colors didn't do a thing for me. I almost gave up by now. I just was NOT in the mood for yarn. As if this ever happens, yes it does, trust me.

I had talked to my DIL yesterday of the Christmas gift for her. I had asked if she was seriously wanting a PONCHO for Christmas, and she said yes. I was going to make a shawl for her. then, not wanting to make just anything I asked what color she wanted, and after a few minutes she came up with rasberry red.

I found RH TLC Amore in Red Velvet, and decided that all rasberries should be that color. I bought four skeins. 170 g each. I am sure I have enough, if not, then I am out of luck, because that was all they had, and I don't feel like running around looking for more. The yarn is very similar to RH Plush, not as thick, maybe, but very similar. This is going to be one nice red poncho. Yup.

I crocheted quite a bit of my sister's stole in the car, when we were driving around, trying to figure out where we wanted to go. I was happy, I had the yarn, so I didn't need to go anywhere else. We ended up at Loblaws, which is a grocery store. Then came home.

I had a three hour nap, and hope that I can sleep tonight when I am supposed to sleep.

that's all for now.

I frogged the shawl

I had made about 10 cm of this knitted shawl for my sis. Using RH Symphony, River blue yarn.

Well, actually, I didn't frog it yet, I just cut the yarn (have you ever tried to frog RH Symphony yarn???), and started crocheting with size 6.5 mm hook. WOW, I have sworn that size 5 mm is my maximum . Not any more. this one goes very smoothly. I am making a granite stitch, the pattern is here:
http://fuzzygalore.biz/patterns/granite.shtml

now, due to my rebellous nature, I had to change it a bit. I am using 49 sts + 2, and making a shawl, not a poncho. I just did two rows of it, and love it much better than the knitted one. At least I don't have to think while making this one. Well, when do I ever think anyway. I can see my hubby making faces already, heheheh.

The boss, boss' s son and boss's assssisstant (love all those essses) have gone home. There are only four of us in the office. I am by myself here at the back. I think the rest of them are either chatting in the front, with the new girl, or working on something that doesn't make any noise, like filing or something. We still have 45 minutes to go, but I am sure I will let those three leave early. Aren't I nice?

I am now going to do some real work, so I don't feel guilty for the past 30 minutes when I was testing my yarn with crochet hook. I really don't feel bad, because I came 45 minutes early to work.

Correction to yarn color

The RH yarn is not Juniper or Jupiter, it's River Blue.

http://www.yarns-and.com/RedHeart/RHsymphony.htm

Coaster whim

Almost forgot. I took a picture of all five coasters I have managed to make this week.
One is for a birthday gift for a lady who started on Monday, and dared to have her birthday
a day before. We are having a cup cake and cards for her, and then of course one of the
coasters (the yellow one).

One woman in the office saw them and selected the other yellow coaster. So now I have
three left. I might give them away or whatevvver.

Petroleum Blue Yarn

On the way home from work, I stopped at Lewiscraft. Bought Allure and Bernat's Berella. Allure is midnight blue, and Berella is variegated blues. I drove home, quite happily, until
I came closer to Zellers, and I told myself that I will not be happy if I don't check what Zellers
has.

Ah, I found six balls of Red Heart Symphony in "perfect" petroleum color, it's called Juniper, or Jupiter, as if it was important now. The color in the picture isn't exactly right, but with my
photoshop ability we are lucky to get a picture at all.

The other picture is of the surprise hubby had for me. I think he read my mind that I want to
go on a diet.

Believe me, but the skein of yarn is the same one in both pictures. I was playing with my photoshop, and well, I didn't ask hubby's help. Oh, you just have to imagine the color, or go to the store and look, that will be fine with me.

Petroleum Blue

I was chatting with my sister, on IM, and she now wants a petroleum blue shawl to cover her shoulders when she's wearing her jeans dress.
What the heck is petroleum blue? I searched the web, and got two TOTALLY different shades of blue. Who wants gasoline blue, gasoline is expensive enough already, and now to wear it, too????
She said it's like oil blue, or gasoline blue, very fashionable in Europe now. Yeah, now I need the yarn in PETROLEUM BLUE thank you very much. WHERE????? which yarn????

I told her that she can have a black one.

Wearing my necklace again

I love the necklace Carol sent me. I am wearing it again. Hopefully someone will take a picture
of me today. I have my camera with me, so I can take a picture of the birthday boy when he
eats the cake

Coasters

I think that sometimes a person has to do something simple, to keep the sanity. I am not sure, if I was able to keep my sanity, but I made 5 coasters in two nights. These are the ones I made last night. Oh, I could have made more in one night, but there is the cooking, the e-mail, the tv, and whatelsenot.

And what's with the map on my table. That is my placemat. I am a little nut when it comes to maps. I want to know where places are. I love world Atlas. The problem is that I don't remember all the names, so I would not be a good candidate for Jeopardy.

That's it for now.

Happy Birthday, Sherri

Today is my friend Sherri's birthday. Happy B-Day!
I got a small gift for her, today, while looking for a baseball bat for Paul.
It's a tiny thing, but I know Sherri wants it. Not telling.
I also have a ball of yarn for her, but she knows about it already.
I was going to give it to her regardless, but this Birthday Stuff came
in handy, so it can be a b-d gift. Maybe not. Once she's moved and
all the boxes are organized in her new place, she can have the yarn.

I am not going to disturb her today, she's busy getting ready for her
move.

Anyhoooo, Happy Birthday, Sherri!!!!

The night is better

After my negative morning, the day started going much better. I even got a lot of work done.
My previous assistant, who was let go, still haunts me. We find notes and folders that don't make any sense. Did she hide things on purpose, trying to get me in trouble, so she could get
my job faster, faster than if I was to retire.
Oh, well, she's gone.

The parcel has arrived in California, and that was a big relief.

Tomorrow is the boss' son's birthday party at the office, or lunch, but we make it a party. One girl insisted that we should have booze. half the people don't drink, me included, and the other half will get their own coolers. I don't care, as long as I get my coffee.

The young man is a baseball player in his free time, and also plays poker a lot, and worked in our office for the summer. I went to the mall after work, looking for a key-ring with a baseball bat and ball to stick on the cake, no such luck. I found a teddy bear posing as an All Star player. So I got that instead. Too big for the cake, though. He's going to love it. NOT, but I don't care, if he doesn't care for it, if he ever has kids they will like it. I bought it to bug him. hahahha.

Besides, tomorrow is his last day at work, and off he goes back to university. I hope he takes the bear with him, so his buddies can tease him. HAHAHHAAAAAAA, I am so nice. He's always trying to be this sarcastic smartalec, rude, sob, ironic, smartypant, but I know that deep down he's a teddybear, I think, maybe not, but one can hope. He's only 20, he can still change????

Oh, shaaaat, I think I promised to crochet a doily for him, for his bd-gift, and he promised to take it to his dorm at the university, he promised, with the most sarcastic, ironic, cynicist voice he could muster. AS IF. So, as if I was gonna make him a doily. NOPE. He gets a teddybear instead. wooohoooohoohooo. I would take a picture of it, but left it in the car. Why should I keep taking stuff back and forth? I left the card and the poker napkins in the car, too. If you want to see them, go to the store, they have some left.

Today is NOT my day

First of all, this is my PITA cat, Sir Oliver.

So, I was going to wear a "groovy" 60's skirt today. It has been hanging in the closet for a few years. I don't think I ever wore it.
So, this morning I decided to wear the dang skirt, and guess what,
the elastic was gone from the waistband. The skirt now resides in
the garbage bag, which I have to take out tonight, and there is no
way I am going to fix the waistband. I don't sew or do alterations.

Then, finally I was ready to leave for work. I could not find my car keys. I searched everywhere, even the pockets of the pants I wore yesterday. No dice. I had to empty my poor handbag and there were the keys. Not in the proper pocket for the keys. I have two small pockets, one for the phone, and the other for the keys. Who put my keys inside the bag?

I was sure that I had left the keys in the car, hubby already gone for work, and I didn't feel like going down to check the car, in case it wasn't there, if I had left the keys inside. I was mildly panicking. I don't blame me.

Ok, so I finally was able to leave. Decided to treat myself to a MacDonald bacon and egg mcmuffin. At the door I said "good morning" to an old man, who was sitting by the doorway, having a coffee and donut. He was delighted that I did that, and when I left the mall, he wished me a good day, and I did too, to him, of course. That was a nice event.

First I went to the bank machine, only to find out that I had miniscule amount of money in the checking account. I had one outstanding cheque for more than was in the bank.

I am not in the good mood.

Then, at work, I started checking my Avon account. I was so happy that I had paid the account already.
For some idiotic reason I checked the account balance, and I owed them almost 50 bucks. I had paid for the previous invoice, not the most recent. DUH!!!!

This is not going well.

I also found out that a parcel I sent to California on the 15th has not arrived as yet. The post office guy told me that it should be there in about 5 business days. I paid for airfare.

This day better turn around and start over again.

If you think that these are minor annoyances, go ahead, but enough of these little drops will fill my cupeth, and drive me nutshet.

I am wearing, this is one bright spot in my life right now, wearing the necklace I got from my friend, Carol, and it looks wonderful on me. (of course I left the camera at home, so nobody is going to take a picture of me at work)

Another picture

I love this picture. It was a gloomy day, it started raining shortly after this trip.

This park is in a valley near my home.

Watching tv and other stuff

This picture has nothing to do what I am about to talk about. It was taken in a nearby park, called Edwards Gardens.

You will not guess what I am watching right now, so I will tell, "the Orange County Choppers". They are building a bike for the police in tonight's episode... I like Mikey, he's almost cute.
I hope he wears long pants in the winter time. As if it was any of my business what he was
wearing. I don't have to look at his bare legs, do I now?

Sometimes I wonder why I do this blog thing. I have Life Journal program, but I don't remember to write anything there. I used to be quite active in writing, but then crocheting took
over all my other activities. I also have almost as many journal books as I have yarn, well not quite, but relatively speaking, yes. If we count the unused pages on those journals, then the blank pages would equal to the amount of unused yarn and thread I have. I love buying journals, notebooks, pens and cases to carry all that. I think I really want to be a student. I wasn't a very good student, when I was supposed to be, and now that I don't have time or the money to be one, I pretend, and buy stuff. Staples and Grand & Toy are my favorite stores, after yarn stores, oooops, I almost goofed there.

Oh, I do get nice notebooks and stuff from Zellers (going to be Target one of these days).

How did I get here? On a bike? The bike is done, and it's beautiful, if you can say that about a bike. Hmmm. Yes you can.

Want to see another picture? First I have to get rid of this page, publish it, and then come back, to be able to put the next picture in the right place. I think.

Great gift from my friend Carol

Look at the beautiful crocheted bead necklace which arrived today.

I will be wearing it tomorrow at work. I love the necklace.

I also received Prudence Mapstone's newest book on purses.
Oh, what an inspiration. Going to be busy tonight, checking the book.

Stole done

The designer is Darla Sims. I used black Bernat's Satin yarn. My hook was size 6 mm, took a while to get used to that size.

Another for today

I have blocked most of my contacts on msn messenger, hahah. Don't feel like talking to
anyone.

I started, I think yesterday, or day before, who knows, a stole for Mrs. Wooooooo. for christmas.
Is christmas spelled with capital c? if so, why?

back to the stole...btw, this is MY BLOG, so I can make as many mistakes as I want.

yeah, I have done 50 inches already. Aiming for 65 inches plus the fringe. Who ever designed the stole has instructed the fringes be crocheted. Go ahead, designer, I am going to cut the yarn, and tie them to the ends.

I am in a bad mood today, have you noticed? 18 minutes and we go home.

Tired of complaints

If I hear one more complaint about "I'm so tired, my FIL annoys me, I am so sick, I don't feel good, we have no money, etc etc etc"

I will scream.

Deal with it, I don't want to hear it, I have enough on my plate, there is no room for your stuff.

I am being self-centered right now, but DEAL WITH IT.

Second Batwing Shawl

Is now done. And I seriously think that this is it for my career in Batwing Shawl land.
It's time to move to other lands.

Pictures show two different views, as you can tell

picture

of the gals. Swiped from Sherri's blog. Roseanne, Drea, Maggie, Pirk, Violet in the back, in the front: Rose, Dawn and Sherri

Trip to Listowel

Personal log, watching too much of those Voyagers et al.

We met at the gas station in the corner of Yonge and York Mills. Seven in the morning. Rosey, Sherri, Maggie and I were ready for the road. Traffic wasn't bad, ok, only at one section of the 401 there was a few too many cars, but the slowdown didn't last very long, and off we went merrily.

Got off the correct exit, heheh, but later on noticed that we were on the rong road. Turned around and around, back to the original road, where we went wrong, in exiting, or rather not exiting. That was our first sight seeing tour of suburbs of Kitchener. Tralalaa, we were traveling merrily and the girls in the back seat were investigating crochet magazines, and the front girls were either listening or ignoring, but excited in getting to the yarn sale.

OOOPs, we came to a T-intersection, which was not really marked in our map. we turned rigt, but then Maggie said that she thinks we should go to left. Another Uwie, and left we went, and went and went, until Maggie decided that we should ask directions. This is, according to Maggie:
"we are in trouble". fortunately two wonderful Amish persons, the man, gave us directions to Listowel, and off we went, relieved that we were, after all on the right road.

There were lots of different yarns, in the tent. As I went in, my excitement slowly diminished, and I just stared at the yarns. I picked some Grace cotton, walked to the next selection, picked up some lavender cotton, two packets, to make something for my granddaughter. Picked some Astra yarn, walked around, more or less lost and very distracted. I went back to the lavender cotton section, put one of the packets away, took a light yellow packet.

Ok, if I am going to explain all the different turns and twists in that tent, this is going to be too long, so I stop here, only to tell that I went back once more, and got some other kind of yarn, and one more time to get yellow Grace cotton. I bought nothing inside the store, which was right beside the tent.

We had lunch at Diane Sweets, in the downtown area. Dawn joined us and we enjoyed the food very much. I had a Western sandwich, a salad, and French Fries. One of the best WS I have had recently.

We took a different route returning home. Hwy 9 was supposed to take us directly to hwy 400. Well, I think it would have, if we stayed on hwy 9. First I turned south too early, and had to make a Uwie, which started looking like professional U-driving for me by then, heheh. I also made another too early right turn and had to make yet another, you know what, hmph.

Finally we got the right road, at least the sign said "Toronto", it was hwy 27. Soutbound we went until we hit hwy 407. I was happy, a fast road finally.

Maggie was the first one to go home with her new stash, and then Roseanne, who lives downtown. I was nervous about the rush hour traffic, but considering the time and the area, it was a piece of cake. Off got Rosey, and Sherri and I headed towards her home. We took a sideway and the traffic was wonderful. After leaving Sherri, I thought I might have a heavy traffic ahead of me, but I was wrong. I was at home within 15 minutes from Sherri's place.
Now I'm tired.

Sunday panics

I just remembered that we have a crochet guild meeting in a week. AAAWK, I must do the 8" square, 12" square that I promised Sherri, in the last meeting, and then I must make two 6" flower squares for out little exchange program. AAAAWK, and I thought that today I finish the second batwing shawl, and work on hubby's knitted vest.

Where do I find the time?

Here, somewhere, where ever it lands, is a picture of one of the flower squares I have made for an exchange. One or two, pictures.

Now, there are two, ok. I was looking at the pictures in my files, and realized that I have finished something. I tend to think that all I have is UFOs. Well, can't be sitting here all day, have work to do.

Living with me

Isn't the easiest lifestyle.

Once again I have changed my mind. Do I ever stick to one idea? No, I guess not.

I started a blue sock on Sunday. Made about 6 cm ribbing, k1,p1, got tired of it and
changed to stockinet. I did 6 rows of blue, three rows of soft white. Oh, and then I
decided that the sock was going to be too big for anyone in my family. Frogging took
way less time than making those rows.

Then I decided that I could find a pattern in the web for that size yarn and suitable
size needles. So I did, and started. Now I want to make a scarf, using the same yarn.

Do I frog the 12 rows I've done, or do I make a pair of socks. I am not sure if I have
enough of that blue to make a scarf, toque, and socks. Guess what. I will frog this one
and design a nice scarf. I already have an idea in my head. The trick is to get on the
pattern and create it.

End of the Sock saga

My left arm aches, my left hand fingers ache, but the pair of socks is DONE!!!!

It will be a while before I make another pair of socks. Not my cup of tea, and besides,
I don't really drink tea. so that should be "coffee", oh well, you know what I mean.

At least I made one pair, and that is a good thing.

The First Sock is Done

I knitted a sock. I was going to make a pair as a Christmas present for someone, butI got tired of knitting around and around, so I decided it was a perfect fit for me, and I truly believe that the first socks I will ever make should be kept for myself. If I change my mind, I will send the socks to my sister or niece, it's very cold over there.

Now, I must knit the second sock, so that this one will not be lonely. I certainly wouldn't mind having one kind of a sock in one foot and one other kind in other foot, but my feet might not like that, who knows. I promise to make the other one, just to get practice on this new adventure in sock knitting. This sock looks weird, really.

The heel thing

This is the first attempt, if I remember correctly, of a sock.

Not bad, if I may say so myself. Looks weird, though, but maybe

it's supposed to look weird. I wonder who is the lucky person to get the socks. LOL

The sock is growing

I thought that the beginning part of the sock would look better on my wrist than continuing for the whole thing.

Then I decided that I wanted to see, how I managed the heel part of the sock. I continued, and
here is the result:

Socks coming up or not

My my, another change in plans. This time it's socks. I must be nuts. I never even finished the purple shawl yet. I made one feeble scrumble today at lunch. Why did I start knitting socks?
I really must be nuts.

I went to the locker room, checked the two top boxes and wept. There are so many nice yans, and I forgot all about them.

So, I took Berella Platinum yarn out from the box. I wonder if they still make this yarn.
After dinner I started knitting. I have a strange feeling that one of the needles is bigger than the other 4. Or, I have a few thinner needles, I don't know. Of course I forgot where I put the chart where I can measure the needle sizes, or I am too lazy to look for it.

I also remember, slowly, why I don't knit too much. My fingers are already starting to complain, and the top of my left hand is aching a bit. However, I am determined to make at least one pair of socks for someone for Christmas.

more scrumbles

Here are some of those scrumbles for my FF coat.

aaaah, I want to see the coat done.

FreeFormish thoughts

This morning I decided to continue with my freeform coat, which I started at least a year ago. I don't even remember now.

I have made several pieces and then put them in a box, and made some more scrumbles and put them in a box. Every once in a while I will put the pieces together and hope they will just jump
on their own to form a coat. No such luck.

I'm still not comfortable with this blog thingy, look where the picture went, I wanted it above this line.

Wasted a day, sort of

Didn't do much of anything today (Monday, Aug. 1), but wind yarn. This is for an exchange, and I finally got all yarn sorted and put in little plastic bags.

I don't think I crocheted at all. Most of the day was watching some idiotic movies, and playing cards on the computer. I am somewhat frustrated that I didn't get anything done. Anything?
I sorted some of my freeform scrumbles, put them in the bag to take to work tomorrow, in case I feel like working on them at lunch time. Lately I haven't done any crocheting at work.

Oh, I forgot, I did some rows on the purple batwing shawl...HOW could I forget?

It's almost 3 am. Tuesday morning, and I can't sleep.

Here is a picture of a doll who shows how I feel right now