hipknitta

Hello Everyone

2012-01-28T22:25:00.003-05:00

Happy Belated New Year! I still haven't sent out our holiday picture greeting cards that wish everyone Peace and Happiness in the new year. This hipknitta has been very busy. I have said it before and I will say it again: My job gets in the way of my life. Work has been taking up the majority of my time. You can tell by the way my house looks. Did you know that tornadoes come up to Yorktown Heights? Did you know they only come into my house? Some weather phenomenom, huh?

Then my knitting has fallen by the wayside. Again I have to blame it on work. Those damn lesson plans! I want my students to really understand the material. I have be come a power point addict. I need to add pictures to explain the concepts. remember when we were in school and the only pictures of ameba or paramecium were illustrations. Well, now you can get the real thing on line! I guess I'm trying to impress myself! BTW, I just got observed by the interim acting principal on last day of classes. Thank you to my 3rd period class for doing a great job! However, I still haven't had my post-observation conference with him. I guess if I did poorly, he would have wanted to see me right away, right?

Back to the knitting: that's the reason why I started this blog, right? Tonight I finished a gorgeous baby blanket that will be on etsy by tomorrow. It's in a gorgeous aqua color with a baby cable. I had the hardest time getting that last skein of yarn. I wasted a month going back and forth to AC Moore only to hear,"Come back next week." I did and was disappointed each time. Evidently they have an automated restocking program that doesn't pay attention to what the customer wants. So I found it through a mail order company and received it a week later. Yeah!

Our Northern Westchester Stitch 'N Bitch is still going strong. Our gatherings have been a bit smaller than usual but you know what? I love when we are a small group. We can hear the conversation and talk to each other on the same topic. We really are a great bunch of knitters with such diverse backgrounds. I decided that we all have our quirks but they work well together. What an amazing group of knitters.

2012 has a lot going on: Presidential Election, 2 graduations in our family, Shadow's 4th birthday...you know, those really important things. I'll try to keep posting.

A Haiku for Me!

2011-12-17T09:37:00.004-05:00

I work with an interesting bunch of people. I guess we can all say that, right? Sometimes the word interesting could be interpreted different ways. I work with an English teacher named Phil. Phil's very smart. He went to amazing schools. He's a lawyer but he's teaching English. He also is an insane Red Sox fan so of course he is subjected to lots of verbal sparring with the Yankee fans in the building. (The school is in the Bronx, need I say more?)Phil also writes a Red Sox haiku each day. He has amassed over 1000 of them. I told him to get them made into one of those Haiku-a-day calendar for Red Sox fans. You know how us knitters have those type of calendars? Phil has joked around with me and has asked me to make him an Irish Fisherman's sweater for years. Unfortunately, I can't. One reason is that it takes too much time and the second is that I can't find a pattern that will fit him. Phil is a large man who is finally going to take care of his health. He has been absent for a long time due to an infection in his leg and is now on bed rest. We say hi to each other via Facebook. I wrote to say how I'm getting very discouraged with my students and the state of education in my school. Phil came back with this great haiku just for me:

Robin knits away,
Problems fade into nothing:
But where's my sweater?

I love it!

Get bettter real soon, Phil! I'm sorry but this hipknitta is a Yankees fan.

And You and I...A Thank You To My First Boyfriend

2011-10-05T23:05:00.005-04:00

This month my dear, funny, loving husband and I will be married 20 years. My longest relationship evah! But lately, I've been thinking of the person who started me off on a long and sometimes rocky road of romance. My first boyfriend. The reason why I was brought back to my 16 year old self (and he was 17) is because my 17 year old son is now dating. He is dating a sweet girl from the city. He is realizing the monetary cost of this first love when he goes into the city to visit her. Parking at the train station, the train ticket, going out for something to eat or some coffee. It adds up and he doesn't have a job. (Yes, we are supplementing the romance!) I told him that it is perfectly acceptable for his girlfriend to pay half since she is in the same financial situation. As I said this, I had a flashback to my first boyfriend.

He was from Queens and I lived in the Bronx. He drove a van and crossed that bridge twice every time he came to see me. Gas was much cheaper way back then but for a high school student who didn't have a part-time job, it cost money. I never thought of paying him for gas. I can't even remember if I picked up my half of the cost of our dates. This bothered me so much, so many years later, that I need to say, "Thank you, Bob!" You were a great first love. Our relationship probably helped make me the person I am now: in a loving, successful marriage. Thank you for going the distance, literally, to see me. I can only hope that you have good memories of me.

As for the song, "And You and I" by Yes, I heard it this evening. It brought tears to my eyes because it is so beautiful and sent me back to my high school years. We use to listen to Yes. It was the '70's. They were great. Neal sat in listened with me and was moved by the music as well. Life was great then. It's great now.

Ten Years After

2011-09-11T13:41:00.004-04:00

It's been 10 years since our nation was attacked. Everyone asks, "Do you remember where you were when you heard the news?" I do. I was at work in room 225. I wasn't teaching. I was working on paperwork in the office. One of the women, Marie, just got off the phone from her son who was near the World Trade Center. She said he saw a plane hit the building. I looked at her and said, "No way! He's playing an April Fool's joke on you!" I don't know why I said that. I had to look at the calendar to make sure what day it was because that news was so unbelievable. Up in the library, the librarians set up a TV in one of the back rooms. I made it up there after teaching a resource room class. I couldn't believe what I saw. It was so unreal. Staff members were sitting around the screen crying. I had to leave to go back to teach. At this point, the principal made an announcement about what was going on. I entered my classroom and right away one of my girls told me that her mother worked in Manhattan. I asked where and she said she didn't know. (This wasn't unusual that the kids didn't know where the parents worked especially if it was a new job). I allowed her to call a relative. The next thing I heard was the principal start to announce names of children to come down to the office. I later found out that parents starting to swarm into the building to pick up their children. When I had a free period, I went down to the lobby and saw mostly mothers begging for their children to be released from class. I can still see these women crying and yelling at the security guards.

My friend Ellen called me to tell me that she was picking up Alexandra and my Elijah from daycare. Our older ones, Ben and Matthew were being dismissed early from their schools. I wasn't allowed to leave until my day was over which was around 2:15.

When I left the school, the first thing I noticed was the silence. There weren't any planes in the sky except from the military and that was weird. It jolted me to the realization that this was event was really bad. Manhattan was closed off so as I traveled north on my parkways, I noticed that the only traffic going south were military vehicles. There weren't any civilian cars. I remember my heart racing seeing this. I knew our lives were changing forever.

We all made it home safe and sound. Ben understood the magnitude of what had happened. Elijah knew that some buildings fell down and that a lot of people were hurt and killed. Neal and I understood that as long as we are together, we are safe. How can we explain to our children that there are people in the world who hate what our country represents?

The next day I went to work and out of the window of my 4th floor classroom, there were the thick, black plumes of smoke from the World Trade Center. Only one student showed up for the class and we looked out the window and talked about what had happened. My asshole of a principal walked by and yelled at me to get away from that window. I just looked at him and refused. (My school is in the North Bronx and we were far away from the tip of Manhattan). I'll never forget that moment because of how angry this so-called educator made me feel.

Ten years later...I still work in the same building. Elijah totally understands what has happened. Ben has become more worldly and has a hard time realizing that people can hate you for what you represent, not for who you are. We just watched the memorial service of the names being read and I shed quite a few tears which surprised me. I thought I was over it. I now realize that I'll never be over it and it's okay to grieve for the lives lost that day. I hope the families know that we share their loss and even though we are strangers, we are united as humans.

Peace.

I'm Not Going To Whine

2011-09-05T16:18:00.003-04:00

Labor Day weekend isn't my favorite weekend. I'm been off all summer and it is the signal that I have to go back to work. I'm not whining! I'm grateful that I have a job that allows me this time off to recharge my batteries but it's a downer. But I'm not going to whine.

I knitted my ass off this summer making up for lost time. My job sucked the knitting out of me. I plan on making knitting dates with myself (and exercise dates, no really! I swear!)I have to work my butt off again but I'm not whining!

I seem to be having difficulties with some relationships in my life. I'm becoming more bitchy? I guess that filter in my brain has broken. I need to work on that or become a loner, alone with my knitting. I don't think it's only me. If I have treaded on toes or seemed abrupt, then I apologize. Don't make me 100% responsible for your misery. I'm not whining! I'm yelling!

There's always room for improvement, right? I'm so not going to whine about it. I'm going to have wine!

A New Knitter Was Born Today

2011-08-24T22:30:00.005-04:00

The telephone rings. It's my son's friend's mother.
"Can I ask you a favor?" she asked.
"Sure!" I said. I figured it was about my son taking care of her son's pets because they're going away or a school-related question because they're on the same team at school.
"Cathy is trying to teach herself to knit and is having a problem. Can she see you?"
"Of course! Tell her to come on down!" (We live down the hill from them. Cathy is the older sister)

Cathy walks in. She found a book of dog patterns and had these knitting needles with little dogs at the ends of them. It was a set.

She showed me how she cast on a lot of stitches using a method she found on the internet. Kudos to her for doing that but they were so bunched up. She thought that the knitting would only be as long as the needles. I ripped out those stitches and showed her the long tail cast on. I made her cast on 20 stitches just to practice and she got it right away. She then proceeded to knit and like a beginner she was a bit tight but she got it! She was so proud of herself! A new knitter was born in my kitchen!

The Dog Pooped Out On Me!

2011-08-20T14:20:00.002-04:00

In my effort to move more, I've been trying to walk 30 minutes a day and what better way to do it then with my sweet dog Shadow P. Freiman! (The P is for Poodle!) I missed Thursday but jumped at the chance to walk again on Friday. I take the pups out so he can do his business and then grabbed the leash in such a way that he would know it's time for my business. As we walked passed our house, Shadow sat down in the road and looked toward the door. He wanted to go home. I took him in the house and told my family, "See you later!" I did the walk by myself and talked on the phone. It was great! I am very proud of myself.

Now back to our regularly scheduled show!

My Day Was Going Well Until...

2011-08-18T22:21:00.002-04:00

I had a nice day. The evening didn't go as well. Both of my boys are now home. Okay, I don't mind doing the laundry. It's one of those things that has a beginning and an end. It gets done. I visited one of my mother's friends to get some boxes from her that my mother sent in her car. They had her old china which goes well with my china, baseball cards and figurines for my younger son and some great t-shirts she bought for me. That's a good thing, right? Then Elijah and I donated the games that made up the centerpieces from his bar mitzvah. That's a good thing. Then I donated the boys' old soccer jerseys to a organization that helps girls in Cameroon get involved in soccer to help prevent the spread of AIDS. Good, right? Right!

Our knit-out was wonderful! Lots of women, good food and drink (free coffee!). Beautiful fiber flying off the needles. Some bad news. One of our ladies has a suspicious spot on her lung. We're sending good thoughts and prayers her way. That wasn't good. It was a bit upsetting because she is such a sweet lady. Then yesterday I heard rumors that my principal was retiring. No way! I really like this person! My spies told me it wouldn't be until January. Okay. I can deal with that. Tonight I got the letter from her that she will be retiring in September. No! She's a major knitter! I really like this person! How often can one say that about their boss? I'm really bummed.

I'm off to knit my blues away.

Just For the Record...

2011-08-17T22:17:00.004-04:00

Today I did another 30 minute walk with Shadow. It was great. It was effortless. I don't know why I waited this long to do it. Hopefully, my heart will thank me for it by not beating so fast when I exert myself. (The doctor told me that it does) Hopefully, this exercise will help me make more healthy choices during the rest of the day. Hopefully, I will do this for 21 days straight to make it into a habit.

Just for the record...it is recorded. I am becoming accountable for my actions.

P.S. I'm not in Paris right now; just in case you were wondering!

What Do You Mean Knitting Is Not A Cardiovascular Exercise?

2011-08-16T12:21:00.004-04:00

Am I the only one who goes for an annual physical and gets anxious because I didn't do what I was suppose to do the previous year to stay healthy? When I walk out of the doctor's office, it's like New Year's Day for me. I walk out making resolutions or promises to exercise more, maintain a healthy weight, sleep more than 5 hours, and so on. You all know what I mean.

This year was no different. I was hoping that I would have to sit and wait for a while so I could knit but this office is so efficient that they called my name the minute my butt hit the chair. I didn't even have a moment to take my knitting out. Since the weigh-in was first, I just closed my eyes while she moved those weights on the balance. I think that's the worse part. I would rather have them give me shots in lieu of that weigh in. (I guess when one is at one's perfect weight, one doesn't stress like this, does one?) Blood pressure was great! My overall health, EKG: great. My sweet doctor, who is buff, asks me about exercise. My eyes glazed over. I hung my head down and decided to blame it on the dog. "I can't walk with him. He stops and sniffs a thousand times! I had no time. I started a new job that took up all of my time. I was sleep deprived! Yada, yada, yada." I felt like a teenager who doesn't accept responsibility for their own actions. I sucked in my breath and said, "You're right! I just didn't make time for me." We went over last year's blood work and he told me it really wasn't bad. The cholesterol was slightly high.

We had a very pleasant dog conversation. He has a Boerboel. I was sent down to the lab to give blood and urine. I was able to knit and think there. The big question was how does it feel to go to the doctor's and not make excuses and to be at my correct weight? It's New Year's Day all over again.

That was last week. Today, I put on my walking outfit, tied my sneakers on and grabbed the dog. He could tell by my walking pace that I meant business. He did his business and then we walked for 30 minutes. It felt great. I thought if I wrote it down, then I would be accountable to myself. I would write it down everytime I walk. Who knows? Maybe next year I'll jump on that old scale and say, "Move those weights to the left, please!"

Never Knit Late at Night Unless You're a Night Owl

2011-08-15T11:17:00.004-04:00

I have said it once and I have said it again: Never knit late at night. Did I listen to my own advice? Nope! Am I paying the price? Yep! I started to stay up later and later. I don't know why. It's not as if there's amazing stuff on TV but there's a piece of me that feels like a little kid when I stay up late. I'm talking staying up past 2 AM! I'm also knitting when I do this. I have woken up from a little snooze with the needles in my hands midstitch! Instead of going to bed, I would keep on knitting. There was that nagging thought in my brain telling me that I should go to bed and stop knitting. Eventually, I would.

The next day: I pick up my project and start knitting where I left off. Wait. Something doesn't look right. It's an easy lace pattern for a baby blanket in worsted weight. The yarn overs aren't where their suppose to be. I have two stitches at the end of the row instead of three. Damn! I have to rip out row by row. That's where I am now-in the middle of ripping out the rows. I learned my lesson. That's why I'm writing this. Learn from my mistakes, people. It will save you a lot of time. And go to bed earlier. I'm starting to.

Peace out!

Me? A Designer? Not Yet...

2011-08-09T00:31:00.002-04:00

I got it into my head that I could design a simple baby sweater. I had this amazing yarn and the shape of the sweater materialized in front of my eyes. I used a familiar pattern as a template and was constantly recalculating the gauge since the yarn I was using was 2 stitches/inch and my template was 5 stitches/inch. I decided to make this sweater in one piece and then pick up the stitches for the sleeves from the shoulders. I completed the second sleeve, held up the sweater and then it hit me. I didn't make a big enough neck and babies have the cutest and chubbiest necks.

I just finished frogging the second sleeve and am in the process of frogging the two front panels. Back to the drawing board.

Me? A Designer? So not yet...

Random Thoughts and Musings About Cleaning My Son's Room

2011-08-07T22:38:00.004-04:00

It's an annual event. My children go away to sleep away camp and I get to clean their rooms. They looked forward to their event. I dread it. If my children learned to put things away when they are done with them, it wouldn't be a dreaded chore. I did my 13 year old's room first. It was pretty easy. He's neater than his 17 year old brother. Today I started that room. I'm not giving myself a lot of time to complete it because he'll be home in about 13 days. He even told me not to clean it up but how could I let my son come home to a condemned area?

I started by picking up the garbage. This kid, who's a pretty decent shooter in basketball, missed his garbage can. His floor was littered with wrappers, tags from clothing, pieces of paper and money! I found $2.56 so far! I found water bottles, seltzer bottles, clothes all over the place. I also found things that cracked me up and I will not list them so I don't embarrass my son.

Shadow, the wonder poodle, had the best time in that room. I watched him come in, worried that he would pick something up, eat it and then die in front of me. He ran over to the bed and started to go under it. He was definitely after something. He slid back out with his red rubber bone! Oh the joy on my pup's face. But wait! There's more! I went under the bed and found his squeaky dumbbell. Some canine was having a great day! He grabbed that toy and squeaked his way to our bedroom. He was so happy. So was I.

After spending another 30 minutes in the room, I decided I had enough. I made a small dent. I could see carpeting where there once was garbage and clothes. The clothes were thrown on the bed. There were broken headphones and plastic hangars. Garbage! I've got a ways to go but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day, was it?

What Happened to July?

2011-08-02T21:34:00.004-04:00

I ignored my blog. I pushed it to the far recesses of my mind. I didn't want to sit down and write when I could have been knitting instead. My new job sucked the knitting out of me and I had to replenish myself. Replenish! Now that's a word from my past. I'm thinking 1976, Ferry Point Park, Whitestone Bridge and Son of Sam!

I've been knitting like my life depended upon it. Socks for Neal. Poor man. His gout is killing him but my socks keep his feet warm and from cramping up, even in the summer! Then my knit-out group decided to do our first knit-a-long. We decided in May to do Jared Flood's Juneberry scarf. Since we were in the middle of various projects, we made the first Thursday in June to start the Juneberry. Get it? June? Juneberry? We called ourselves the Juneberry Sisters. I was Sister Robin Juneberry. I was the first one done which was unusual. I loved knitting this pattern! In fact I want to make another one. Here's a picture of it:

Sister Carol, Sister Edie and Sister Toni all finished theirs. We're just waiting for Sister Ilene to finish hers.

Then visiting day for the boys' camp arrived. That meant making a pilgrimage to WEBS. I didn't buy as much because I didn't go in with a shopping list of what I needed. I let Neal pick out sock yarn. He told me that I didn't have to make them so long in the ankle so he picked out a lot of On Your Toes which are about 375 yds. I also bought some yarn to make a pair for a friend of mine. She once asked if I would knit her a pair. She just happens to live 3 minutes away from WEBS and I told her to get in there and buy any sock yarn she liked and I would knit it for her. Well, I beat her to the punch. Hopefully, they will be ready for her birthday this month.

Finally, I started Victoria's Lace Shawl for my mother made from ArtYarns Cashmere 1. I was having a little problem with the pattern but as of today, I am off and knitting. My mother said, "Don't cock (mess) it up!" Whoa! Demanding, aren't we? Did I mention that my mother taught me how to knit?

On a nonknitting note, Shadow and I are enrolled in school. We have a great instructor who is so good. She said Shadow picks things up quickly because he is a poodle. I'm the one who messes up. I'm not a poodle! But we are having fun and he is doing really, really well. Who knows? Maybe we'll make it to agility training? If so, this hipknitta is going to have to get a sports bra!

Peace out!

Where is the hipknitta?

2011-06-04T18:21:00.002-04:00

She's here. She's been very busy with her new job, her son's bar mitzvah and just life in general. Her house is a mouse and her knitting is almost nonexistent. Reading? Ha! What's a book? BUT...

This hipknitta will be back with a vengeance. She will have so much time on her hands that all she'll want to do is write about it. She will knit so much that her hand will cry "Uncle". She will be reading so much that she will move into the library.

See you soon!

Thank You to Nick and Zach!

2011-01-23T18:28:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Nick and Zach for driving Ben home from track practice. Since you won't accept any gas money, here are some hats to keep your heads warm in Rebels' colors! Hope you like them!

From Ben's grateful mother, aka hipknitta!

My Three Day Weekend Starts Today

2011-01-15T14:53:00.004-05:00

I am in a very relaxed state of mind. I don't feel the need to rush around because I have an extra day off. Monday is Martin Luther King's Day and the schools are closed. I don't have to jam everything in on Saturday when I know I have 2 extra days to do so. Yes, this can backfire on me and by Monday I could be rushing around because I felt too laid back, but right now, in this moment in time, I am breathing easy and am glad to find the time to write this entry. Most of all, I will definitely program in some major knitting time.

What has this hipknitta been up to? Not much. A little knitting here. A little knitting there. I'm working on my third pair of socks. This pair took me quite a while to decide what pattern to use. I finally found one and am probably 4 inches done on the leg part.

Here's the last pair I finished. I'm actually wearing them today, on this very cold and cloudy day. We had another snowstorm on Wednesday (yes, I stayed home) and it's just too white out there. I am sick of the snow. This was our third storm in three weeks! I heard there's more snow on the way next week. Winter sucks!

I would love to smell some sunscreen and see a beautiful palm tree right about now!

The Blizzard of 2010

2010-12-27T17:09:00.003-05:00

Hipknitta here. I've been sort of busy. My day job, the one that provides the money for my knitting, interfered with my blogging and knitting. That's okay. I knew that I will find the time eventually to blog and today's the day!

The East Coast was hit with a blizzard yesterday. It started to snow gently around 11:30 AM as I drove to the supermarket. Blizzard = shopping for groceries. Neal went to another supermarket and we ended up texting each other when we found that our designated stores were out of what was on our individual lists. Eggs were gone as was celery. We came home, put the stuff away and proceeded to cook. I made chicken soup and he made turkey chilli. My soup was put on the deck so that the fat will rise to the top. In no time it was covered with snow. The blizzard started. The winds screamed through the woods and the snow was falling horizontally. No one should have to go out in weather like that...unless you have a dog. Yes, the dog needed to go out so one with his sweater and bootees and he was off. I took for his earliest walk. He loved the snow. He came back with a white beard. Neal and Ben took him for the later walks. Both times he was reluctant to come back in the house. Amazing. Maybe he's part husky? Here he is getting ready to go out into the blizzard to "do his business" and yes, I made his hoodie!

So what has this hipknitta been up to since I last posted other than work? I entered my first crafts fair. It was a learning experience but the one thing that I learned was not to do it at a senior center. A lot of seniors thought that I should bargain with them. They somehow ignored the prices on my wares and to their disappointment, my prices were not negotiable. I did like the customers who picked up my items and said, "I'll take this!". I had three like that. Restored my faith in people who appreciate handmade and one-of-a-kind items. Check out my etsy page at www.baasheep2.etsy.com. I have a lot of new jewelry and a new rose-colored sweater and hat set. I'll have more coming. Just give me time.

In the meantime,I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are not suffering too much from the blizzard. Remember, here comes the sun!

Hipknitta's First Crafts Fair

2010-11-04T18:29:00.002-04:00

Forgive me, readers. I have been so remiss about writing on my blog after promising myself that I would try to write a few times each week. Well, this hipknitta got a new job. This hipknitta has hardly been knitting because of this new job. Believe me, I am so grateful for this new job and my boss is a knitter as well. When she found out that I wasn't knitting, she said, "Oh my God! What have I done to you?" She made me a very conscientious teacher this year who is trying her best to get through to her students. Things have finally slowed down where I can pick up my needles. However, I was unable to even think about writing an entry.

So I got a new job. I got a new car because my Kia Sedona died on the highway with over 176,000 miles on her. I got to sit in the back of a police car for the second time in less than 5 months. There isn't a lot of legroom back there. Now I'm going to try a Crafts Fair. I was invited during the summer by someone who saw my wares on Etsy. I took the plunge, sent in the money for my space and on Saturday, this hipknitta goes live! I'm looking forward to this because it will definitely be a learning experience. Guess who's going to be there with me? Yup, hipknitta's husband. The only positive I see in this is that I will be able to go to the bathroom in peace!

If you are in Rye this Saturday, please stop by to say hi.

CHECK OUT THIS DOG!

2010-08-02T22:45:00.001-04:00

This hipknitta does not spend her whole day knitting. I do get out and do things. Sunday was one of those days. Neal and I met his brother, Roy, and his wife, Vicki in a small river town over the TZ Bridge. We never get to see each other because we are two hours away from each other and it is a big trip. They have a dog and we have a dog. These doggie cousins are not meant to be together so unless we both have someone to walk the dog while visiting, we're not going to get together too quickly. We had a delicious brunch and caught up on each other's lives. They went to Hawaii and the pictures were unbelievable. We've been to Hawaii and it always amazes me how beautiful that state is. I mean, I still have to remind myself that it is a part of the United States. After everything, we walked around and saw this dog across the street. We walked over to Knuckles. That was his name. He weighed 180 pounds and had paws bigger than my dog's head! His tongue could be the new logo for the Rolling Stones. He was a Boerbel, a bull mastiff that originated in South Africa. These dogs guarded the farms of the Boers. Get it, Boer-bel?

Ladies and Gentlemen: Here's Knuckles!

Knitting & Confidence

2010-07-22T10:01:00.003-04:00

What the hell does that title mean? Robin, is this going to be a motivational blog entry? No, people. It's me talking about what's on my mind. Go back to my page and it will say that this blog is about knitting, rants and streams of consciousness. I was just thinking about my knitting and how I sometimes have to deal a with lack of confidence in my favorite hobby. What do I mean by that? I know that I can knit like a mofo! I am good, no, very good! I produce really nice things but now that I'm starting to promote them, I've started to doubt my abilities. Why? I ask myself all the time. Is it something from my childhood? Did I have an incident that made me this way? I can't think of anything. Is it that I'm just not a good self-promoter or salesperson? My husband is a great salesperson. I hear him on the phone all the time doing his recruiting thing. He speaks with such confidence and integrity. He has a stellar reputation in his field. Maybe that's it. I'm a good knitter for myself and maybe not for others. Freud, are you listening?

In order to get over this lack-of-confidence hump, I decided to put myself out there. I am listing things on etsy.com (I'm www.baasheep2.etsy.com) I list my items with such pride because I love the way they turn out. I once had to bring one of my sweaters into the fabric store to get the just right button. People were coming up to me oohing and aahing over the sweater. I felt like a million bucks! I walked out of there, with the buttons, feeling like the best knitter in the world. I couldn't wait to list it. Now that I did, everyday I look at my e-mails hoping for a message saying that it sold. I swear it's like the lottery, waiting for your numbers to come up. I must admit that I get a little rush every time I check! Then when I see that the message isn't there, I give a little sigh, talk to my dog and move on.

I feel by writing about this in this very public forum, I am doing a little self-therapy. It's amazing that as an adult, how I can feel this way when I am a confident person in all my other aspects of my life. Maybe it's because my knitting is very personal, it's an extension of me. I wonder if artists feel the same way. So ends my rant of the day. I thank myself for the space and I'm off to check my messages. Peace out my readers!

I'm Ready to Hurl

2010-07-21T13:42:00.003-04:00

Knitters don't like to stop knitting, no matter what is going on around them. We are the species that always says "Just let me finish this row" to put off requests others make of us that would make us put down our knitting. Today, I had to put down my knitting. I went into my kitchen to get a piece of paper and noticed that the pad was wet on the bottom. I figured my husband spilled something and didn't wipe it up. No, I wish that was the case. There was a watermelon sitting on the counter and when I turned it over, the thing literally threw up all over my counter. Guess it was a bit rotten? (My husband is a fruit and veggie fanatic) It was so disgusting and smelly that I really thought I was going to lose it. Then I realized that the juice slipped between my stove and the counter it was sitting on. I had to pull out the stove and almost lost it again. I won't go into detail but it was horrific what was doing there. Two rolls of paper towels and one Magic Eraser later, I cleaned it up. My stomach is still feeling queasy.

The moral of the story? Put the goddamn watermelon in the fridge!

hipknitta is back!

2010-07-20T11:38:00.006-04:00

Oh my people, where has this hipknitta been? I apologize for the long, long stretch of time between posts. It's been a very busy time for me and unfortunately it was not related to knitting even though I knitted throughout this time. But I am back, with a vengeance to rant, rave and ramble about knitting and anything else I deem as important to me!

My creative juices have been flowing. I designed a baby sweater and hat set that I absolutely love. Even my older son was impressed. That was a big deal for me! I saw the yarn and this idea popped into my head. I was very pleased with the results. You can see more views of it on www.baasheep2.etsy.com. I hope someone out there loves it as much as me to gift a baby with it. I also knitted a sweater that uses a traditional feather and fan pattern.
I have a more unisex cardigan on my needles as I write this which should be done by the end of this week. Stay tuned.

Now for my ranting: First, the oil spill in the Gulf. I'm not a very political person but I heard a commentator last night say that this disaster was a fight between the politicians and the oil companies. He was hinting that the politicians were bowing down to the oil companies with the Coast Guard spokesman, Thad Allen, acting as a mediator. Seriously, the political machine should have just come down on BP and make them work their asses off to get that cap on sooner. It made me physically ill to watch that oil gushing into the sea. I can't even imagine how the people living on the shores of the Gulf feel. It will never be the same.

My husband and I are temporary empty nesters while our boys spend the summer at camp. We decided that we would starve to send them away because it is that important to us. However, our older son is now a "leader-in-training" and his tuition is a lot less than our younger one. We just got back from visiting day and I miss them more than ever for some strange reason. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. It's just me and Shadow who is taking a long snooze on the couch. A shout out to Tony and Katie for taking such great care of him while we visited the boys. Shadow spent the weekend with his bitches. I will be knitting them hoodies to keep them warm in the winter. Ohh, perish that winter thought! Being an empty nester means that when I clean an area, it stays clean. I find that I have a lot of time on my hands and need lists to keep me organized and focus. Yes, knitting is on that list. I have to clean the boys' rooms because let's face it. They're pigs.

So let me go back to my list to see what's next. But rest assured. This hipknitta is back!

Celiac Disease Awareness

2010-04-04T22:39:00.001-04:00

Hey! See that badge over to the right? That's the badge to raise your awareness about Celiac Disease. Don't know what it is? Just click on the badge and you'll get all the information you need to know about this disease. I know at least 5 people who have this disease. It's becoming more and more common. So educate yourself and find out about it. It's not contagious. Since my brother-in-law and my good friend both have it, I have modified a lot of my recipes so they can eat gluten free in my house.

Thanks for your support!

What Happened to March?

2010-04-03T22:12:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it's April 3rd. I complete neglected my dear blog for an entire month. Can I think of anything that stands out in my memory? The only thing I can remember was that both of my boys were selected by their basketball coaches to play in the rec leagues' all-star game. That was a very proud moment for Neal and me.

I am presently on Spring break and seeing the light at the end of that Passover tunnel. This is not my favorite holiday but I'm surviving. It's not like I have to walk through a desert for 40 years or anything like that. At least the weather is nice. Shadow and I went for a long walk with his girlfriend Isabella. I love walking around with another dog.

Now to knitting: A woman at work is due next week. I have deemed her sweater-worthy. I found a cute pattern from Lion Brand and worked it in a blue cotton.I think it came out pretty well. I found some buttons today and I just need to block it. Then it will be all ready for the new baby. Today I gave our next door neighbors their baby gift. I made them a blue ice and chocolate swirl hat with matching booties. I hope they liked it. It's really for the fall. Their baby is adorable.

Did I mention that I'm still working on Neal's Cobblestone Pullover? I'm avoiding it more than working on it. I'm also knitting a pair of socks from Judy Sumner's absolutely cool book which uses Japanese patterns. I am so loving it.

My kids go back to school tomorrow. I still have two days off. I am going to go buy some shoes for some affairs we are invited to. Then I'll knit!

More Snow Pictures!

2010-02-26T19:05:00.003-05:00

The view of our deck.

Shadow in the Snow!

2010-02-26T18:58:00.004-05:00

Did you ever hear Sting's song "Shadows in the Rain"? Well, here's my version called "Shadow in the Snow". I know, corny but tough. Here's Shadow greeting his long-legged girlfriend, Lucy.
Shadow is on the trail for something.

Who's Tired of Snow? I am! I am!

2010-02-26T18:33:00.009-05:00

We had a major snowstorm and it left tons of snow in it's wake. Here are some pictures of our day and our neighborhood!
Here's Neal looking very happy! I don't know why because he has to clean off all of that snow!

Here's a view of our cul-de-sac with Elijah's friend walking down the road.

Our house with a newly shoveled path that was covered again in less than an hour.

Looking down the road. Little did we know that there were roads closed due to trees down.

Catching Up with Depeche Mode...Only Kidding. It's Me!

2010-02-20T19:57:00.008-05:00

My, my, my. How time flies when one is busy! I can't believe that it's the middle of February and I haven't blogged. Where have I been? What's been happening? Do you really want to know?

January was a tense time with Ben taking midterms and needing constant prodding to study. It truly sucks when your mother is a teacher. But the nagging and his studying paid off and he did well. Whew! Must separate, must separate...

February is turning out to be a fun month. On February 7th, we celebrated Shadow's one year anniversary of living with us. It's amazing how fast that year went. I can't imagine our lives without him. I made him "Snickerpoodle Cookies" for the special occasion. He loved them! I gave them out to all his doggie friends since the recipe makes so many. I think he knew it was a special day. Here's what those delicious treats looked like! You can see Shadow give Neal a High Five for the cookie!

That's all for now.

Happy New Year! A New Hat for Neal!

2010-01-01T23:16:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year, People! Let's hope 2010 turns out to be a great year full of health, happiness and an improved economic outlook. That way I can buy more yarn!

For those of you not on Ravelry, here's the Urbanista hat I made for Neal. The pattern comes from knitty.com by Wooly Wormhead. It was fun and once I got the hang of it, quick to knit. Neal loves it! Here are some pictures:

Now he doesn't have to wear one of the boys' hats I made when they were in elementary school!

A Quick Scarf for Ben

2009-12-14T22:34:00.006-05:00

For my friends who are not on Ravelry: Here is the scarf I made for Ben. He actually requested it after years of not wanting anything knitted by his mom (aka me!) I was thrilled to make it. Here's Ben and a close-up of the scarf:

I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in Pewter.

February Lady Sweater

2009-12-06T13:47:00.002-05:00

For my friends who are NOT on Ravelry (why not?), here's my February Lady Sweater.

OK?

December, Already?

2009-12-06T12:46:00.005-05:00

So my last rant was about how I disliked the gray and barrenness of November. Somehow that month just blew right by. I like any month that gives me a few days off. Thanksgiving was great! My mother was here and we had a great visit. The dinner was delicious and the company was fine. I just froze the last of the turkey soup because we're a bit sick of it. I'll appreciate it in January! Now that December is here, do I have anything to complain about? Well, not until yesterday. We had three inches of snow. I wasn't mentally prepared for it. We had a few days of unusually warm weather and then BAM! Snow! Good thing my mother left on the 2nd! The poor woman had to go back to temperatures in the 80's. SIGH!

Here are some pictures of what the first snowfall of this season looks like. Shadow, the wonder poodle, liked the snow very much. He came in with a white beard!

I think it's time for a cup of tea!

A November Post

2009-11-11T12:45:00.003-05:00

I don't love November. I love Thanksgiving but I don't love November. The trees become bare and gray. I miss the green leaves. The leaves litter the lawns. I miss the green grass. We have daylight savings time. I hate when it gets dark early but as my husband likes to remind me: Once it's winter, the days start to get longer minute by minute. All I want to do is come home after work and hunker down. I miss the warm sunshine and the brightness of the foliage. Maybe I have a slight case of seasonal affect disorder. Maybe I just prefer spring and summer.

With the advent of colder weather, one thing is for certain. I knit with my warm wool and make heavy duty sweaters. I don't mind the warm-weighted project on my lap. It keeps me warm, like Shadow. My pup spent the morning lying on my lap while I listened to my radio show "10 at 10" and read a book. I love having a work day off! Thank you, Veterans. So what if my fingers are cracking with the cold, dryer weather? Who cares that I'm wearing a sweatshirt around the house to keep the chill off my always cold shoulders? What's another dead leaf to pick up after it's blown into my front entrance? So what if my steering wheel is cold in the morning and I wished I had a pair of gloves to wear? What about that frost on the car? Huh? When's spring arriving?

Trick or Treat for My Colleagues

2009-10-24T20:31:00.007-04:00

When one doesn't have a major project on the needles, one needs to knit something or one will start to go crazy. This could have been me. I tried to start Ene's Scarf 5 separate times. It wasn't happening. I decided the project was not ready to be knitted yet. I needed to find something else. I wanted to start my husband's Cobblestone Pullover but I didn't have the 32" size 7 needles. They should be arriving from Hong Kong any day now. Chris, my friend, was making coffee cup cozies for her church. That sounded do-able. I looked up some patterns on Ravelry and came across POISON! coffee cozies. Now they should be made with wool and felted but I had a lot of acrylic so I dropped the needle size down and knitted away. I finished one in about an hour and decided to make one for the women I have coffee and tea with in the mornings. I made a green one for Marina and a purple one for Luba. Ortencia gets red because she looks good in red lipstick. The rest are for whoever wants that color. Here are some photos of them. Here's a coffee cup modeling one of them.
Here's all eight:
So I think I'll give them to my friends on Monday. They could cover up the boring white Styrofoam cups that our comforting beverages are served in down in the dingy teachers' cafeteria. Boo!

New York State Sheep & Wool - 2009

2009-10-20T10:30:00.007-04:00

The weather is changing. The leaves on the trees are changing. No matter how many times I beg them to stay on the trees as I cross the Croton Reservoir to go home, they disobey me and fall. Now I see patches of gray branches between the oranges, reds and yellows. Summer is gone. The bright green of the foliage is gone. I resign myself to a shift in the temperatures and the morning frost on my car's windshield. I try to look for a bright spot in the up and coming cold winter and I find it. The New York State Sheep and Wool Festival. Now it's okay to celebrate the crisp weather, the apples ready for picking and a warmer jacket.

My friend Chris and I made our annual Saturday foray up the Taconic to beautiful Rhinebeck, New York. She graciously offered to drive and I took up up on it. First, we dropped our sons off at the high school at 7:30 AM so they can take their PSAT's. My son, who is only in 10th grade, is taking it as a practice test. Chris' son is in 11th grade. His will count. Either way I sort of feel sorry for both of them since their moms are teachers and are probably annoying about stuff like this. (Yes, I am!) I stayed up with Ben the night before so he can go over the types of questions the PSAT's has. While he was reading and calculating, I pored over two of my newest knitting books, Simple Style (Ann Budd) and Reversible Knits (Iris Schreier)to see if there's anything I want to make and if I can find the yarn at the festival. I made a cheat sheet for myself with a little sketch of the project and the yarn requirements. (People complimented my organizational skills at the festival but I told them that it filled up the time while I helped Ben. BUT I would definitely do it again!0

We reached the admission gates at 8:45. It wasn't supposed to start until 9 but we were let in. You could feel the excitement in the air. One woman commented, as she was walking through the gates, that this was her drug. We could all relate to that! Chris and I have a habit of walking through every booth and exhibition hall and then we go back to buy what we liked. For some reason we are both hesitant shoppers. Maybe it's the economy or maybe it's just us. It gives us an excuse to see everything twice. We quickly ran into one of our Knit-Out people, Carol, whose birthday was coming up. For a birthday gift, her husband told her to "Shop with Abandon!" We liked that! I was not going to shop with abandon this year but I can live vicariously through Carol's purchases. In fact, Chris and I were there when she made her purchase of a beautiful hand-dyed cherry red yarn that she'll make a sweater out of. We separated soon after and Chris and I went our merry little way.

I ran into Karin, a KnitTalk person, who was at her usual booth. It's an annual tradition to say hi to her. It's like that old play, "Same Time, Next Year". She looked as well as ever. It was amazing how much Chris and I talked during our walking around. First, the people watching aspect is amazing there. People are wearing some beautiful things they've made and some very questionable ones, especially hats. Kathy, another Knit-Out person, who was waiting on line for the famous Chicken Pot Pies, had her camera out with a big zoom lens. She was taking pictures of the crazy hat people and trust me, there were many. I hope she makes a slide show of her unknowing subjects.

We walked through all of the buildings and noticed in the totally enclosed structure, after all the buildings with animal stalls, that only one side of the top floor was being used. It use to be both sides with a very narrow space to walk through. I guess this year the organizers felt it was too crowded and had the festival spread out into other buildings. Personally, it was a great idea. Less congestion, happy people. It's funny how vendors usually stay in the same space year after year and it's even funnier how I remember where they are. We realized, after running into my friends Lori and Sandy from temple, that we forgot to run to the Socks that Rock booth. That booth usually has people lined up out the door with their arms full of colorful sock yarn. We hit it later but I didn't feel like spending so much for sock yarn. I also didn't need it. The colors are gorgeous and their exclusivity makes them a hot commodity. You can only get some of their colors by being a member of their Rockin' Sock Club.

One of our traditions when we attend the Sheep & Wool is buying Chris' husband fudge. There is a building where non-wool things are sold. Believe it or not! There's wine, cheeses, hot sauces, cookies and more. Then there's the fudge lady. I'm not ta big fudge person. It's like sticking sugar into my fillings. I'm also not the biggest chocolate person either so I would like to taste non-traditional flavors. We both bought some hot sauce that's more like a condiment. It tasted great. My husband is a big fan of things hot and spicy so I knew he would be interested in something like this. Then we went for lunch. Another tradition Chris and I have is that we eat a baked potato for lunch. It's at the same booth as the chicken pot pies but we get ours first since the demand for the potatoes is far less than the pies. But we broke tradition! We didn't feel like standing on that line. We decided to eat something new! (Do we sound like little old ladies or what?) We went Cajun! It was so delicious and more filling because we had protein! And it was so warm! (Did I mention that it was getting nippy?) We also had a band play while we ate: banjo, bass, guitar and drums. I felt like we were at Splash Mountain in Disney World!

We were ready to make our way back through the stalls and buildings to start purchasing yarn. We hooked up with Carol again who was truly shopping with abandon. She bought some beautiful yarn to make herself a sweater. It was a snowy white with subtle strands of grays and blues. We called Edie, our intense shopper and hooked up with her and the four of us made it to Wild Apple Hill Farms. That's where Carol bought this apple red worsted weight yarn. I thought it would be good for the jacket I wanted to make. I chose a blue/teal color and bought up the last 5 skeins they had. When I turned around, there were two more of my friends, Lori and Sandi, who I know from temple. Then there was Loren, another temple person who is so creative in so many different media. Chris called me the mayor but I told her that I had a lot more knitting connections than she does. That's why I knew so many knitters. I turned back to where the yarn was and there was Edie with her arms full of garnet and Carol was holding a granite color. We pooled our purchases together to get the maximum discount and that was my first purchase. What a rush! Then I found some merino yarn to make a scarf out of. It was perfect because I needed two different colors and I didn't have to worry about matching colors. These were probably the ends of dye lots. I was feeling great. I also forgot that I bought a very cool shawl pattern. I didn't like the color they used in the kit but once I found out that I could just buy the pattern, it was mine. It uses sock yarn so I'll get some elsewhere. Here's a picture of the pattern: I had some projects covered, I had fun with my friends, I was now able to say goodbye to Sheep & Wool 2009.

Chris and I decided to leave at this point and decided that getting their early was the best way to go. I really didn't want to come home yet. I was enjoying myself so much but all good times must end. I'm sooo looking forward to next year.

Happy October

2009-10-04T11:20:00.007-04:00

It's been a whole month since my last entry and I'm pretty disappointed in myself that I didn't keep up my twice a week blogging. September is a very busy month for this hipknitta with school starting, schedules getting made and an all-around "I wish I prepared more during August" lament. But here I am. Ready, acclimated to going back to work and successfully juggling everyone's schedule. But the big question is: What's up with my knitting?

In my quest to be like Alison Hyde, I created 10 market bags for our pediatrician's office. This was a great project because the bags were so quick to make. I finally mailed them out yesterday. I had a hard time writing the appropriate words to thank them with. They should be getting it tomorrow or Tuesday. Then I made the Diamond Blossom Scarf from Iris Schreier's Modular Knits. This project has been languishing in my closet for 4 years. I couldn't even remember what type of yarn I used. Actually it is ribbon yarn and I think it's from Blue Moon Fibers but I wouldn't bet money on it. I started and stopped this project at least a half a dozen times but now it is an FO! (Finished object!) Here's a picture of it:

I'm trying to start Ene's Scarf. I have beautiful Lorna's Laces in Watercolor that I got as a gift for becoming a bat mitzvah (actually she gave me a gift certificate and I added a bit more to get the yarn). So, this project was keeping the other projects company in my closet. I started it for the first time on Sunday. The second time on Thursday and today may be the third time. You know the saying, "Three times the charm!" I'm not getting through the first row correctly. I have too few stitches left over. I made sure when I cast on those 375 stitches, I put a marker every 25 stitches. I'll figure it out. So honestly, I haven't done much knitting. I've been tinking and casting on. I'll let you know how it goes.

This weekend we are babysitting our neighbor's dog, Rusty. It's been interesting watching the two males interact. There are happy moments and then some tense ones. Rusty pooped once on our kitchen floors and peed around the house 4 times. He even lifted his leg on me to mark me but nothing came out! Right now we are all quiet and resting. This pup is adorable and affectionate. Just the accidents are making him a bit of a nuisance. So far we are having a dry and clean day! I'll miss him but now maybe when he sees me, he won't run away from me. I think he had a great weekend with us with lots of affection and exercise. But, I also think Shadow is looking forward to him leaving but I bet he'll go looking for him later when he's gone. We briefly toyed with the idea of having two dogs but quickly nixed the idea. Let Shadow be the king of this house! Here's Rusty!

Now here's Shadow!

Toad

2009-09-05T23:51:00.003-04:00

I came home from my Thursday night Knit-Out at Panera to find this little guy by our garage door. I ran in to get my camera got this great picture of him (or her-I didn't inspect the underside of this amphibian). It looked like he was waiting for the garage door to open to let him in. Maybe he had a little toad car inside. Whatever it was, he was kind enough to let me snap his picture. Hop away little toad. Hop away!

Doing an "Alison"

2009-09-05T23:24:00.006-04:00

My cyberfriend, Alison, has become a verb. She gifts people with her lace scarves and shawls. Sometimes she'll sit in her church and sees someone there who she feels needs one and will gift them right there. She has also had some medical issues recently and has gifted the nurses and doctors who have taken care of her. On our list, KnitTalk, those who have followed her example call it, "Doing an Alison". I am doing an Alison to my pediatrician's office.

This year has been a tough one for our family, especially for our younger son. From appendicitis to an infection to surgery for a broken nose, our pediatrician's office was always there for us. Linda, the receptionist who would take my phone calls and probably heard the tears in my voice to both Dr. Lasser and Dr. Meir who got on the phone with us when we were at the ER again to answer our questions and visited Elijah each time. Finally, the nurses who would answer my non-emergency medical questions and would call to find out how we were all doing. I once called them from the recovery room after the nose surgery because a nurse upset me so. Dr. Lasser came on the line and told me that everything was fine and not to worry. Hearing his voice telling me that made me feel so much better. Little did he know at the time that I was in the nurses' bathroom crying my eyes out because that recovery room nurse scared me so. The whole practice was there for us. I hope I will never have to use them again in the capacity we used them in this past year but it was so reassuring to know they were there for our whole family.

I decided to do an Alison. I got it into my head that I wanted to make everyone something, like Alison does, but I thought scarves would take too long to make. I decided to make them market bags. They are colorful, easy and fast to make and "green". I started to make them a few weeks ago and when I completed bag #6, I decided that I should call the office and find out how many people are on staff in total. I left a message on the non-emergency line asking if I should want to send something for everyone in the practice, how many of those items would I need? I got a call back from one of the nurses who told me that the magic number was 10 and she wanted to know what was I doing? I told her not to worry about it.

Today I finished #10. Here's a picture of my environmentally-friendly market bags.
I'm going to pack them up in a box with a thank you note and send it to the office. I hope they like them.
(Here they are all piled up)

I'm going to take all the scraps and make some for myself. I realized while knitting these bags, the ones I made I gave away or our dear Shadow destroyed them.

Thanks again to our pediatrician's office. You guys are great! Thanks Alison for the inspiration!

Knitting is My Drug of Choice

2009-09-02T23:49:00.002-04:00

Today I spent countless hours in an ER again with my husband. He woke up with the dry heaves and insisted that he had a strep infection in his blood AGAIN. (We've been through this two times already!) I called the doctor, got him an appointment and hoped that all he had was a stomach virus or something like that. The doctor felt that he may be suffering from diverticulitis. Remember that sketch from SNL when the couple from New Jersey (what exit) would go out to eat in a restaurant and all they ordered was macaroni and cottage cheese because they had diverticulitis? I actually felt sorry for Neal because if he had it, he would have to give up his beloved berries and other seedy/nutty things. We had to go to the ER, not our usual place, but one this doctor was affiliated with. Thank God I had my knitting with me along with a mini-shopping bag of all the medications my beloved takes. I couldn't believe that I was in an ER again! Once he was given his IV to increase his fluids and some drugs to take away the pain and nausea, I whipped out my needles and knitted my heart out.

I was so stressed out that when the lady came with the pet therapy dog, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this cute bug-eyed pooch. She asked me if I would like some lavender on some cotton to help me relax at night. I told her I would take it now because I was on the verge of asking a nurse if they could throw me some kind of anti-anxiety pill. The lavender actually worked. I picked up my needles again and knitted away on my Diamond Blossom Scarf. Score one for this hipknitta!

After his CT scan, we found out that Neal did not have diverticulitis but possibly a virus. That was a relief. I don't know how I would of reacted if he needed to stay over or have surgery. So, after a few days of light eating and rest, let's hope that Neal would be as good as new and that I'll be able to find more time to knit...outside of an ER that is!

The Shawl is DONE!

2009-08-22T18:09:00.005-04:00

Karen's Water Turtles Shawl
Started: December,2007
Finished: August, 2008
Blocked: August, 2009

What took me so long? I think I know. This was the last thing I knitted when I saw my father before he died. I spent 5 days in Florida last year at my parents' house. Just me. No kids. No husband. It was great. Dad and I hung out in the den watching The Deadliest Catch and other TV shows. I sat on the couch knitting away on the shawl. It was a great time spent with him. I finished it at the end of August and my Dad passed away on September 24, 2008. The shawl was stuffed into a basket on my dresser and I didn't have any interest in blocking it. Too much stuff happened this past year and it was the last thing I wanted to do - until this month. I was skimming Annie Modesitt's book "Confessions of a Knitting Heretic" and came to the part on blocking. I decided that I was going to block that sucker that day. I used tons of pins to make sure there wouldn't be any spaces left unblocked. After soaking it for a few minutes, I laid towels down on the bed and began the task of figuring out how I was going to start. About 20 minutes later, this giant pink circle appeared. I put the fan on high and left the room. The shawl was dry by the evening and I carefully unpinned it. It looked beautiful. I'm going to wear it tomorrow to my father's unveiling to "show" him I finished it completely. I know he would have been happy for me and probably would have made fun of my knitting like he use to do. All I can say is, "Yeah!"

Note to Alison: Thanks for the pattern. You are a great designer!

The Countdown Begins...

2009-08-07T13:34:00.004-04:00

In ten days, my darling boys will be coming home from seven weeks of fun at camp. I missed them dearly this summer but I'm not ready for them to come home. I need more time. More time for what you may ask? I don't know. This has been my summer of being a complete vegetable. Hey, I had a very hard year from September to May. I was waiting patiently for the nervous breakdown to happen but it never did. I'll take it as a good sign that I am a stronger person than I thought I was. I will also attribute this to my friends and family who were there for me when I cried, complained or just whined and bitched. My knitting became my security blanket. It went with me wherever I went. Most of the time I just liked seeing the bag in the car on the passenger seat next to me. If I needed some calming down, all I had to do was take out my knitting.

I'm sorry to see the July and August pass by. I'm don't want to get into the "back-to-school" routine which I'll have to do the minute those boys step off the bus. Buying supplies, clothes, getting them haircuts, that damn TDap vaccine for Elijah, his orientation, dental appointments, etc. I got very lackadaisical about my overall well-being. I ate what was around and didn't really make the best choices all the time. All that seemed important to me was waking up in time to listen to the "10 at 10" on the radio (a great show on 107.1, The Peak) and then hanging out with the dog while he napped on my lap. I also felt compelled to knit everyday and before you knew it, it was evening. I didn't venture from the house. I was afraid that I would spend money that I didn't need to spend. We ate from our freezer because we didn't have to worry about the kids complaining about the "leftover" factor. Then at night, I would watch some TV and knit some more. It seems that knitting is the "thread" (no pun intended) that's holding me together. I was finally able to go to the Monday morning knit-out for those who don't work as well as our famous Thursday night knit-out. I started counting down how many Monday mornings I have (4 or 5 if I include Labor Day). My mother is coming up and it seemed like ages ago we talked about the dates. The countdown is in motion.

It's time for me to clean Ben's room and then knit on my February Lady Sweater sleeve. For that, I'm counting down the 13.25" I have to knit to get to the end. Roger, Houston. That's a go.

Mid-Summer Rants and Raves

2009-07-28T16:35:00.003-04:00

It is the two month anniversary of my very significant birthday. Here's a hint: I just made my colonoscopy appointment. Yum! It'll be okay. The prep isn't as bad as it use to be. BUT it's almost August and that means the summer is halfway through. I pause to think about what have I accomplished in these past 4 weeks. The answer is-NOT MUCH! I've made a big effort to get lots of sleep, at least 8-9 hours. I've started to become neater-when something is taken out it is put away when finished. I had my darling niece over for a sleepover and she and Shadow got along famously. (Neal thinks that the dog was thinking, "If you two didn't like her so much, I'd eat her!"), I cleaned Elijah's room and now I have to tackle Ben's. It's not as bad as in the previous years so it should take me a week instead of the usual two. I have been extremely creative with my knitting and other crafts so that's pretty fulfilling in my book. I've been reading like crazy. I cleaned the bottom of the den closet of my knitting stuff so I'm going to make a little crafty corner for myself in the basement. Since I'm home with the dog a lot, I feel a less sarcastic. I noticed that the dog doesn't get my jokes.

Raves: Monday morning knit-out
Thursday night knit-out
Eating from the freezer because Neal and I like everything
Having the time to make oatmeal with fresh blueberries
Letting Shadow nap on my lap for 45 minutes without having to rush anywhere
Getting all of my doctors' appointments scheduled at any time
Seeing the boys at camp and having a weekend away with Neal
Discovering TCM and watching tons of old movies
Realizing that I've got a crapload of yarn and projects to keep me busy
Rediscovering my knitting books that were in the back of the closet
Gazebo concerts in town
Listening to the radio all day

Rants: Messy dresser
Starting to feel that the summer is going to be over sooner than I want it to
People who aren't picking up after their doggies
Poor daytime TV which really is a blessing in disguise
Missing my boys
Going to bed too late sometimes
Not loving the wardrobe

Okay, nothing earth-shattering under the rant column but it needed to be said. Let's hope the next half of summer is longer than the first!

Thuja Socks for Neal

2009-07-20T17:22:00.003-04:00

Again, for my friends who are NOT on Ravelry, here are the Thuja socks for Neal who likes to keep his feet warm and cozy when sleeping. You can find the pattern at knitty.com. These socks are knitted on #4 needles with worsted weight yarn. They are quick and easy. I used Artyarns Ultramerino 6 (the same stuff I made my square holes sweaters with). Happy Warm Feet, Neal!

Happy 4th of July from Shadow!

2009-07-04T22:35:00.002-04:00

Monkey Socks

2009-06-30T12:40:00.008-04:00

This is for my friends who are NOT on Ravelry...yet. Here are Cookie A's Monkey Socks. I got the pattern from Knitty. Cookie A just came out with her own book of patterns called Sock Innovations. I decided to try one of her patterns before buying the book. This pattern was so much fun and easy to do. I started it on June 13th and finished it today, June 30th. I used KnitPicks Palette in Verdant Heather. It knitted up very nicely. I would like to publicly thank Edie for turning me on to Cookie A. She made these socks during our Knit Out at Panera. (Click on the title to get you to the pattern!)

Father's Day, June 21, 2009

2009-06-24T17:06:00.001-04:00

Justice in Mudville (or What Goes Around, Comes Around)

2009-06-23T09:14:00.004-04:00

Last night we witnessed the "What goes around, comes around" theory. It was a beautiful moment for Ben and for his baseball team. But first, a little background. Ben started to play baseball when he was in first grade. He was on a team whose coach was his friend's father and this woman S. It wasn't good. She was out to win, win, win. Ben, who was just a beginner, wasn't that great and she never helped him out. He was always the last in the batting line up and was stuck way outfield. At one point, the father felt that Ben was batting the wrong way. At the end of the season, Ben told us that he didn't want to play baseball anymore. That was okay with us since he was playing soccer and basketball.

Fast forward to September, 2008. The day my father died, Ben was in Hebrew School. When he got home, we told him the news and he sat on the couch with me with his arm around my shoulders. As we sat there, he blurted out, "I want to play baseball in the spring." I told him that was fine but why now? He felt that he loves the game and that he shouldn't have let S. ruin it for him. Did I mention that I never liked this woman after this? She's a cut throat who only wants to win. Unfortunately, my friend is good friends with her so I sometimes wonder about that.

I signed Ben up and he was placed in the Pony League. There were only 4 teams and there were 14 boys on each team. The coach was fully aware of Ben's absence from the game for 8 years. Ben was playing with boys who probably played yearly since they were little. When Ben was up at bat, Neal and I hoped that he would make it to a base. When he was in the field, we hoped he would catch whatever ball came his way. The first time he made it to first base, I unfortunately missed it because Elijah had his baseball game at the same time. It was against S.'s team and she came up to congratulate him. He wanted to tell her off but he didn't. They gave him the game ball. He was nicknamed "Base hit Ben."

Last night, after many delays, the championship game was played at 8:15. For this knitter, it was wonderful because the lights on the field made it easy for me to knit while watching the team. Ben's team took an early lead. By the 4th inning, they were ahead 7-2. I held my tongue but others didn't. Many parents do not like S. for the same reasons I do. We sat through a light drizzle and the a very cool breeze. It felt more like the end of August instead of the second day of summer. Ben was walked the first time he was at bat. The team kept scoring and scoring. 9-2, 10-2, 12-2. Then Ben is up at bat again. I said a silent prayer that he would hit the ball. But no. S. called "Mercy". Since our team was up by 10 runs and it was the 7th inning, there was no way they could catch up. Ben's team won the championship! Neal and I laughed about how it took Ben eight years to return to baseball and he ended up on the champion team! The team chanted, "Base hit, Ben" a few times. The coach was very sweet. Ben told us that he was the comic relief on the team but he also told us that he told the team why he was away from baseball for so long. They understood and were very happy that they won against S.'s team. So congratulations to the team. The trophy is beautiful! Justice prevailed in Mudville last night!

Sock Crazy

2009-06-15T15:59:00.002-04:00

I've been into knitting socks lately. I received an e-mail from The Knitters' Brewing Company for Sockaholics and they had a mystery sock KAL (that's knit-a-long for you civilians). I never did one of these things before. I know people who have done mystery shawl KAL's but the sock one really appealed to me. First, socks are quicker to knit than shawls. Secondly, they were going to be beaded socks. I signed on to the Ravelry group and anxiously waited for Clue #1. There was some prep work involved like stringing the beads onto the sock yarn but that was a snap AND I had all of the materials in my stash. I decided to use KnitPicks Palette in Ash (that's an artsy way for saying gray) and clear beads lined in black. I was biting at the bit.

These socks were so much fun to knit. I was jonesing when the clues weren't published fast enough. Plus, there was a contest. Post a picture of one sock by June 10th and I'd be entered into a drawing for sock yarn. Since I didn't use Knitter's Brewing Co. yarn, I wasn't eligible for the Grand Prize. That's okay. I could have bet money on it that I would win. I didn't. Oh well. The best part about this sock was that I was totally psyched to knit the second one. Many times I have dreaded knitting a second sock. Not this time. It was great!

Here's a picture of my beaded sock! This was when I finished the first one and felt it belonged on the flowers my family got me for my birthday.

Now I'm knitting Cookie A's Monkey sock. I got the pattern from knitty.com. I am loving this one as well. What is it about socks? Is is the fun yarn? The fact that one can knit tightly and get such satisfaction with each pull of the yarn? Could it be the compactedness of the whole project-that it fits so nicely in my bookbag for work? Whatever it is, I love it!

Things I Learned From My Dog and Other Ramblings

2009-06-15T15:56:00.001-04:00

I had a very significant birthday. I still have a problem saying my age. My good friend Chris, who turned the same age 4 days after me, and I figured out that when we were growing up, people our age looked and acted really old. We realized that since we have young children, we look and act much younger than our chronological age. Plus the fact that when I tell someone how old I am, they are shocked! Even with my gray hair!

It has been a very difficult year for us. Neal was very sick in September, my father passed away right after Neal got out of the hospital, Elijah had his appendix out in March and then was back in the hospital 2 weeks later with an infection. And if that wasn't enough, his nose was broken on Ben's birthday and he had surgery 10 days later to fix it. Now we're dealing with the flu. First Ben woke up with 103 fever last week. Elijah decided this would be a competition so he woke up with 104 fever this morning. Guess who didn't go to work? I am way over my limit of sick days. Family comes first! I can't tell if I get teary-eyed because it's been too much stress or having major hormonal fluctuations! (Speaking of hormones, I had to go for a second Pap Smear because my first one was lost. Unbelievable!)

So what does this have to do with my dog? This animal wakes up everyday with a wagging tail and lots of love to share with everyone. He doesn't carry over baggage from the day before. It's always a clean slate with him. He taught me that touching another living thing is very therapeutic when you have had a very rough day. If you had a good day, it just lifts your spirits even more! It's absolutely amazing how your troubles disappear after petting him for a while.

When I take him out for a walk, I get to appreciate the beautiful weather and my tiredness leaves me. He sees everything up close with his nose to the ground. He inhales the scents of everyone and everything. Luckily, I don't have as sensitive a honker as he does so I choose to smell only the nice smells. Even when it rains, it's still nice to be outside. No one is usually out and it's as if the world belongs to only us at that moment. Also, the scenery looks different in the rain. There are sharper contrasts and deeper colors. I learned to look at that from my dog.

People ask me, "Could you live without the dog?" and I say that I most certainly can. The real question is, "Do I want to?" Today, while Elijah took a long nap and insisted that I sit on the couch with him, Shadow jumped up onto my lap, plopped down and promptly fell asleep. So did I! I guess he taught me that sometimes you have to slow down. I was tired to from waking up half a dozen times seeing if Elijah was okay. (he wasn't) He also kept checking on Elijah by literally walking on him and sniffing him. He knew "his boy" wasn't up to par.

All I can say is "Thanks, Shadow". I'll make you a hipper sweater next time.

Shadow's First Doggy Sweater!

2009-04-10T13:51:00.006-04:00

I finally finished Shadow's sweater. I kept putting off the sewing part and if I had to do it again, I would make this sweater in the round. This yarn was very thick and I hated the seams. Shadow was sweet enough to model the sweater for the family. I gave him two treats. It could have been a bit longer but in the future, I'll get it right. I call this his "Prep School Sweater" because it reminds me of a tie. Don't worry. For his next sweater, this hipknitta is going to make him something wild!

Me and My Shadow!

2009-04-05T13:38:00.003-04:00

I finally downloaded pictures of Shadow and the family. Here's one of us together. My hair use to be his haircolor! This was right after he was groomed at PetSmart on Poodle Day. He got a toy, which he ripped apart in less than an hour, and a bandana. We let him wear it for one day and then the damn thing disappeared somewhere in the house.

I'm making the pooch a sweater and finished knitting the whole thing. I just have to sew the bottom panel to the top and haven't had a moment to do it. Let's face it: I'd rather knit than sew. By the way, I did NOT make the sweater I'm wearing. I bought it years ago at TJ Maxx for $20! It's mohair and a steal as far as I'm concerned. You couldn't buy the yarn for $20!

My furry baby is taking a nap while I'm writing this. He's going to meet his red-headed cousin today. My niece is coming over just to meet him. She's 5 and it will be interesting how they get along.

Rumblings of an Empty Stomach

2009-04-04T13:40:00.002-04:00

"It wouldn't be so bad to work in Dunkin Donuts," she said as her car headed down Route 132. The hunger in her stomach reminded she that she needed to eat something and she should get it before she got onto the parkway. "I could enjoy that job," she thought. "I wouldn't have to worry about anything once I took care of a customer. If there's a line of customers, I would just serve each one and when there wasn't anyone left, I know I succeeded. Then I would clean up their little messes like spilled sugar on top of the garbage , stirrers lying there with the remnants of a light coffee on the end of them. Push them through the swinging door into the trash."

As the car drove down road in the morning rain, the thought of not getting onto the parkway and changing careers excited her. "I'd work closer to home. That would save me gas. i would wear a uniform. I wouldn't have to worry about what I would wear everyday."

The idea was beginning to form a concrete plan. Never having to work in the school with incompetent people was looking better and better to her. No more paperwork or letters in her file about paperwork. She smiled to herself.

Then she pictured her students from her first class of the day. She really liked them. She enjoyed the easy banter between them and the very funny jokes they made. She liked their care and concern for each other. She would miss watching them grow from immature little ninth graders to hopefully mature, taller seniors.

She arrived at Dunkin' Donuts and walked in. She ordered her tea and a breakfast sandwich of triangle-shaped bread and egg whites. She looked around the place as if she was sizing it up for a decorating job. She looked at the peole behind the counter and tried to picture herself there. As nice as they were, she knew she couldn't do it: apply for a position. She couldn't give up those same faces she saw everyday. Yes, she would see the same faces at this job but she knew at that moment, she needed those kids more than they would ever know.

She took her bag and tea and walked back to her car smiling. She pulled out of the parking area and onto the road. She stayed in the right lane which would lead her onto the entrance to the parkway. As she accelerated to the speed limit, the thoughts of her new career faded away like the scenery she was passing.

Home

2009-03-22T23:22:00.003-04:00

This has not been a great month. If you talk to some of my friends, they'd be quick to tell you that I haven't been having the best of years either! I just got home this afternoon with Elijah who spent 3 nights at the hospital. He had his appendix out on March 6th and recovered very quickly. He resumed his regular physical activity on March 16th. Three days later I had to pick him up from school because he was complaining of abdominal pain. I tried to keep constant positive thoughts in my head while driving up the Taconic in the rain from my job. "Please let it be a pulled muscle from basketball" I kept saying to myself. After frantic calls to my pediatrician and then the surgeon, I was told to take him to the ER for a CT scan just to make sure it wasn't serious. What were the odds that it would be something serious? Well, the way things have been going for me lately, the odds were definitely pointing to a problem.

The nurses in that ER are the nicest. We had Linda who was so funny and couldn't stop commenting on how handsome Elijah was. He was a trooper drinking that contrast solution AGAIN! She let him stop when it was about 3/4 empty. We were sharing a room with a woman who had been there since 9 the previous evening! Her family was coming in with bags of McDonald's and poor Elijah hadn't eaten since that morning. I didn't either. My body went into emergency mode. We finally were called up to radiology where he was popped into that donut of an x-ray machine. About 1/2 hour later we got the news. He may have an abscess or a hematoma at the site of his former appendix. Something was filling with fluid. He didn't have a fever and his white blood count was only 13,000. When it's over 15,000, that meant the infection was definitely there. The problem was what do we do with it? Our surgeon was off for the weekend. Our pediatricians weren't on call. The ER doctor was considering transferring us to a children's hospital about 30 minutes away because they had a pediatric surgeon on call. It ended up that they spoke to the doctor there and he/she said that we should start with IV antibiotics. We found a pediatrician to admit him. The ER wouldn't let us go up to a room until he got a full round of antibiotics in him. Neal went home around 10 because Ben was all alone with the dog.

I fell asleep with my head resting on Elijah's bed. The lady next to us was already in a room. The nurse woke me about 3:30 AM to tell me that we're going to be going up to a room on the floor Elijah recovered on when he had his operation. I felt relief knowing that I was going to see familiar faces. As we were wheeling out of the room, the doors from the ambulance bay opened and we heard this loud noise. The helicopter was taking off the take a patient to a hospital in Albany. The debris that flew into the place was like from a tornado and the sound of that copter was so loud.

We got settled into a room that had a bed for me! I was thrilled yet very upset at the same time. I couldn't believe this was happening to my son. The nurse was so kind and told me to sleep in the next bed. She promised that no one would be coming into the room and that they want me to stay with him. The last time I slept at the hospital is was stretched out over 3 chairs and I used my coat as a blanket. I laid down in my clothes and covered myself with my coat again. I didn't want to go under the blanket. I don't know why. I do know that as I laid there, I started to feel sorry for Elijah and myself. I blinked away the little tears and I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew there was a nurse taking Elijah's vital signs. I sat up to ask her if he was okay and she assured me that he was.

For the next 2 nights, I was Elijah's roommate in the hospital. I helped him go to the bathroom while towing his IV contraption. I walked with him in the hallways to get his blood moving and to help the antibiotics get through his system. Neal came and relieved me for 4 hours so I could go home, shower and pack clothes. I slept in sweatpants and a t-shirt and finally went under the covers. I would wake up at 6 AM. The surgeon on call came in and told us that she wasn't sure he needed surgery. We would have to wait until Sunday for him to have another CT scan because the radiologist on duty would be able to drain whatever was in Elijah if necessary. I knew they were going to wake him up early that morning so I made sure I popped out of bed and got dressed as if I was working alongside the nurses. We got Elijah up around 6:30 but had to wait for the kitchen to open so Ramil, the best nurse in the world, to sweeten up the contrast solution so it goes down easier. This would be Elijah's third scan. The boy is a trooper. He swallowed down three-quarters of the liter and at noon, we went to radiology. In less than 10 minutes, we got the good news that whatever was there shrunk and he would need no drainage or surgery. It was the best moment. I called Neal quickly and told him! We both called everyone and spread the good news.

When Elijah was back in his room, our pediatrician called to tell us that he could be discharged that day. I wasn't expecting this. I thought we would have to stay until Monday. This caught me off guard. I spoke with Ramil to get his opinion and he said that we could definitely stay but he would like to see Elijah leave. He said that the nurses loved him but he should go home. So, we started the discharge process. My sister, brother-in-law and niece stopped by for a visit around two. My niece was thrilled to sit on my bed and watch the little TV that came right to your face. They still haven't met Shadow. They will. He's not going anywhere.

So I just want to thank Shibi, Mahdavi, Ramil, Marcela, and everyone else who was so nice to my son, not just once, but twice. They treated him like he was a king and put up with a mother who lost it a few times. I'm glad we're home.

Body Language

2009-03-15T15:22:00.001-04:00

Today our temple's brotherhood sponsored a breakfast featuring a speaker who is an expert on body language. After a delicious meal, executed by my husband, the main chef, we listened to this man talk about his life and how body language "speaks" volumes about the person. My main concern was how should I sit while listening to him speak without him thinking about my body language. OR was I really over-analyzing the situation and just sit the way I wanted to sit? Finally, I pulled out my knitting and decided that this was exactly the way I wanted to be!

Random Thoughts

2009-03-14T23:09:00.002-04:00

It's been a weird few days. I get these wonderful thoughts in my head and think that I am just brilliant only to realize that maybe I'm just normal. I was thinking about my birthday the other day. This is going to be a big one. Now, if we use the glass is half full analogy, is my glass half full? Or do I want it to be half empty? If it's half full then I don't feel that I have a lot of time left. If I think of my glass being half empty, I feel that I've got a lot of living to do. My mother told me that it's just a number, not a reflection of who I am. She reminded me that I have a young face and even though my hair is gray, I don't look my age. Moms are good for stuff like that.

Today was the end of Ben's basketball season. Elijah was unable to play because of his appendectomy but his team won. That means he has another game on Wednesday. I like basketball season because it's indoors; it's weatherproof! Could baseball and soccer be right around the corner? Brrr!

It's been a bit chilly but our crocuses are beginning to pop up. I don't think they're flowering yet but there are bright green, little stalks sticking out of the
ground. I don't know if I'm 100% ready for spring. There's something comforting about snuggling up in a warm blanket, sipping hot tea. Maybe I'm just said that the year is going by quickly. It will be six months since Dad has passed away. Hard to believe. I don't hear his voice as often as I use to. We have had Shadow for 5 weeks. We all feel that he's settling in just fine. Elijah has recovered so quickly from his surgery that we keep forgetting that it was just a week ago that he was discharged from the hospital.

My eyes are closing. I need to go to bed.

New Fans

2009-02-21T17:25:00.002-05:00

This dog is amazing. Because of Shadow, I now have new readers of my blog. My father-in-law is one of them! People are so anxious to see what this pooch looks like that Neal has been giving out my blog address, which he knows by heart now, so that people can see the him. AND they are reading it! Now I wonder how interested they are in my knittng?

I Can Knit Again!

2009-02-18T22:46:00.002-05:00

Here's proof! I can knit with the dog next to me. All it took was a few stern "No's" and I think Shadow got the message. I'm not letting my guard down completely. But I'm knitting! Yeah!

I Think I Miss the Fish!

2009-02-18T17:52:00.002-05:00

It's been one week and 4 days since Shadow has entered our family's life. I haven't knitted because he took one look at my project and went for it. I have to knit in my bedroom or during Elijah's piano lesson or while waiting for an appointment. My cyberfriends on KnitTalk have given some good suggestions about how to train Shadow to sit with me while I knit and NOT eat it. I'm going to try the good old "No" and use negative reinforcement. Then it was suggested that I squirt him with water. Wish me luck. I really miss knitting. It's affecting me. Even Ben has noticed. He knows I get cranky without my knitting. (Actually, how could he tell the difference? Ha Ha!)

After spending a lovely afternoon shopping with Ben which really translates that we are opposite sides of the store, we had to go to PetSmart to buy Shadow some stuff. We felt he needed his own stuffed animal. There was a package of 3 loofah dogs which looked cute. It seems that all these toys have a squeaker in them so Ben tested them to find the one with the quietest squeaker. Then we bought him some treats and another flosser which he seems to like and makes his breath minty fresh. When the total appeared on the register, I looked at Ben and said that I missed the fish. Ben said it was so "bad ass" to buy dog stuff instead of a container of fish food. Wow! I'm bad ass! (Little does he know of my life before kids!)

We got home and gave Shadow one of his stuffed animals. We cut off the tags to make sure the puppy wouldn't choke on it. In less than 30 minutes the dog got the stuffing out of this poor yellow loofah dog. I had to take it away from him. Elijah said that this face was so sad! I gave him the stringy flosser. He seemed happy enough.

Tiger, wherever you are, you are missed!

Heeeere's Shadow!

2009-02-08T13:10:00.005-05:00

So here's the dog. I've never had a dog before. My husband grew up with a Sheltie. Elijah and I are allergic but I've been symptom free since I was dating a guy years ago who had 3 terriers. Neal and I did have 7 ferrets so that puts us on the exotic animal list. My friends' reactions? One called me an asshole and another asked if I was drugged. Hmmm, what do you think they really mean by that?

This dog is very, very sweet. Neal picked him up from the family and met Elijah and me at PetSmart. Ben and a friend were at a basketball tournament. The dog smelled of vomit. He threw up on himself in the morning and I guess his previous owner didn't do such a great job of cleaning him up. Good thing the groomer allowed him to come in earlier. Then the three humans spent a good hour and a good amount of money getting a collar, a leash, food, treats, poop bags, an ID tag, etc. We took Elijah to grab something to eat because he had to be at his basketball game at 7:40. He couldn't wait to get back to the store to see the dog. And there he was! He looked so pretty!

Now the problem was who was going to take the dog home and who was going to the game. Of course Elijah wanted Neal to be at the game so guess who took him home? Yup, me. I was a little tense but I figured I took two babies home from the hospital that a dog has to be a lot easier. He laid on the seat behind me and when we pulled into the driveway, he perked up a bit. I immediately took him for a walk to make sure there wouldn't be any accidents in the house. He seemed to enjoy himself but he doesn't lift his leg. What could that mean? I'll have to google that one. Then I took him and the packages into the house and hoped for the best. I gave him a bit of food and water and one of his new toys. He seemed pretty happy. He went around sniffing every nook and cranny and then settled down in the den with me.

Elijah came home and couldn't wait to hang with Shadow. The dog's tail wagged when he saw him walk in. However, every time I passed by, the dog would follow me; it was as if he patterned himself onto me the way a duckling does to the mother duck. About an hour later Elijah and I walked him and then Ben and his friend took him out around 11:00. I was so ready to sleep. The boys came back and he put Shadow in his crate. We said goodnight to him and I think I crawled into bed and fell fast asleep. We didn't hear a peep out of him. In fact, I haven't heard him bark at all.

This morning Neal took Elijah to Hebrew school. First he took Shadow for a walk. Then about an hour later I took him. We had a very long walk. This dog has gotten me out to walk 3 times in about 18 hours! Amazing. My cardiologist will be pleased. I sat down to pay bills at the computer and Shadow put his paws on my lap. I picked him up and he snuggled against my head. I guess he was having some anxiety. I could understand that. What we discovered is that this dog loves socks...just like the ferrets! So we have to make sure the laundry gets put away and Elijah, especially, puts his socks away since he takes them off all over the house.

When Neal got home I told him that I'm ready for the dog to go home now. Whoops! I forgot. He's ours.

Stay tuned for more Shadow adventures. Tomorrow will be the true test of how he does when we all go to work and school!

Another FO!

2009-01-30T20:16:00.006-05:00

Again, for my friends who are not on Ravelry. Here is the shawl I made using Mas Acero by Brooks Farm. It was my only purchase at the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival. My good friend Chris picked out this skein. I was pleasantly surprised about how it came out because while knitting, I couldn't picture how the shawl would lay around my shoulders. The fringe is made by dropping 5 stitches on each side and I knotted them as recommended in the instructions.

Sushi, Anyone?

2009-01-28T23:05:00.006-05:00

Today was a very snowy, icy, icky day. I chose not to venture out and go to work. This gave me time to finish up some knitting projects including the Sushi Wallet. I saw this wallet years ago in the LionBrand catalog. Every so often I would look it up on their website and think about buying it. One day I walked in A.C. Moore and there was the Sushi Wallet by Coats & Clark! I had a 50% off coupon so I bought it! The yarn is bamboo and was extremely soft to work with. The wallet was a cinch to knit up. Those little sushi pieces were a bit of a pain because I had to change the colors very often but I got it done. The felting process took some time. I had to reset the machine 3 times until I got the desired effect. I let it dry for a few days pinned to a thick towel. Today was sewing day. I first sewed the sushi pieces onto the wallet. Then I had to put in the zipper. Since I'm not much of a sewer, I had no clue on how to do this. The directions were very clear but something wasn't right. I even looked on the internet on how to put in a zipper. When I looked at the printed directions that came with the kit, I never read the part that said, "Open zipper." Oh, now it makes sense. How did I miss those two words? I did it correctly and it looks great. Here are some pictures:

Wasabi, anyone?

Catching Up with Me!

2009-01-20T18:15:00.006-05:00

So, here it is. It's Inauguration Day. I greeted the day by walking into work and noticing on our weekly calendar, someone wrote "Inaugeration Day". Can you believe that I work at a school? Seriously! I hate that!

What's been happening to me. Fifteen helmet liners were completed by me and my knit-out friends Toni and Edie. They were gratefully accepted by Nancy, the mother of the Marine in Afghanistan. This allowed me to finally make a swatch for the February Lady Sweater. (see Ravelry for this pattern or google it). I ended up starting a very easy shawl with yarn I bought at the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival.

We had some bad news. Our fish, Tiger, died on January 8th. Here's the stats on this beast of a fish. First, Tiger was 10.5 years old. We got him for $.25 from Wal-Mart when Elijah was six weeks old. The fish was originally silver and with a black tail and black lips. He looked like Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Ten years later and a twenty-gallon tank, he was 11 inches long and weighed 11 ounces. I insisted that we do the post-mortem measurements. Here's a picture of our dear, departed Tiger.

He's in our freezer now waiting for the ground to thaw. I had to shove him to the back because every time I opened the freezer, there he was staring at me.

Now back to knitting:
My cyberfriend, Alison, is ill but she is on the road to recovery. Elizabeth, one of our KnitTalk people asked for a bunch of knitters to make a square for a blanket. I thought of ways I can make a square and how Alison would know it's from Robin of Yorktown Heights, NY. I finally figured it out:

It's my signature line for my e-mails. It's also one of my favorite Talking Heads songs! It will be mailed out by tomorrow!

Finally, in my need for instant gratification, I decided to make a small project. I mean this is truly a small project. Berroco posted a pattern to make a "jamb", a key sweater. I had to make a few. Here's my first one. My other one is on my car keys.

My Knit-Out friends made fun of me but you know what? I have received so many comments on these little sweaters and requests for the pattern!

That's all the news for now! Later for you!

What's David Byrne Doing on My Blog?

2009-01-02T13:46:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite songs is "Once in a Lifetime" by the Talking Heads. You can see it on YouTube. I just love the beat and I always loved the Talking Heads. I remember seeing them way back in 1977 when they were touring and came to Binghamton. My friends and I paid a big $4 to see them at a very little venue called The OP (the Other Place). They just came out with their first album with the infamous "Psycho Killer" song but we use to dance to all the songs on that album on our dorm floor.

David Byrne got back together with Brian Eno and came out with a new album. I love the first song that was released, "Strange Overtones" and if you go to the box area on my blog, you can advance to that song and listen to it. It's so David Byrne!

Remember, I use this blog to write about knitting and everything else on my mind. I think I'm just damn proud that I was able to embed this music onto the blog. What's next for me?

You can sit and knit while listening to the music. It's really good. You can also go to the website and download the song for free. I just added it to my iPod. I'm happy! I'm a hipknitta!

Market Bags version 2

2008-12-30T19:27:00.003-05:00

This post is for my friends who are not on Ravelry. Here are the market bags that I enjoy making when I need a break from either a long, drawn-out project or from the helmet liners that I was asked to make for someone's platoon in Afghanistan. (Shout out here to Toni and Edie for helping me with this project. Love you and your knitting skills!) Here's the picture:
The purple one is for Jenny. The blue one is for Elijah's Hebrew school teacher and the yellow one is a "just-in-case-I-need-a-gift".

Me, Spinning? Hilltop Hanover Farm

2008-11-19T21:27:00.008-05:00

On Saturday, November 15th, I went to a knitting retreat at Hilltop Hanover Farm. The invitation which was issued through my knitting guild invited seasoned knitters to an afternoon of knitting in rural Westchester. This farm is in my town. I don't consider our area rural but when I got there and looked around, it was rural. The county bought the farm to prevent it from being developed. There's lots of educational courses and activities going on all year round. (Click on the title which is linked to the farm's website)

It was a very miserable day. We were warned to wear warm socks because the building we were suppose to be in was going to be cold. The retreat was moved to the house. I walked inside and saw women spinning on their journey wheels. (I learned that word at the farm). There was our Edie using a drop spindle. Our Toni, Carol and Karen were knitting away. Toni, Carol and I were a bit curious about spinning. I brought the drop spindle we bought Ben about 6 years ago. I thought I would try to spin with it. Lucinda, who was the major spinner there, was showing Edie some basics. We decided we would ask her when she was done. She sat down at her wheel so we decided to let her spin. Edie then asked her to teach us. She gladly did. It had to be one of the most awkward and spastic moments of my life. I had a hard time getting it. Lucinda was so patient! It's been 4 days since the retreat and I haven't tried it again. Maybe next month. Shelley could spin.

Now for some pictures.

Here's Edie spinning happily.

Here's Karen working on the Harry Potter scarf. She is a new knitter.

Check out these spinning wheels.

Here are three lovely newbies to spinning: from left to right-Me, Toni and Carol

Lucinda is giving some words of encouragement. On the inside, I'm cursing that spindle! I was trying to convince her that some people are meant to spin and others are meant to just knit. Guess which category I fall into?

Even though the skies were gray, the atmosphere inside the room was very sunny. The retreat was considered a success by the turnout. This room was one with a view. When you looked outside the windows, you saw beautiful fields that seem to go on forever. Our group left @ 2:00. Carol and I parked near each other and as we were approaching our cars, a flock of hens starting coming toward us rather quickly. I told Carol that they probably think we have food. They were very comical so of course, I had to take pictures of them. I'm certainly looking forward to next month's retreat.

The attacking chickens.

One happy camper going home!

Special Olympics Scarf!

2008-11-04T20:36:00.003-05:00

I answered Coats & Clark's call to make a scarf for a participant in the Special Olympics. I was very motivated to make this scarf because I kept picturing a little child wearing it! I can't wait to send it out but I may make one more.

Handsome Devil Socks

2008-10-29T17:18:00.003-04:00

For those of you who are not on Ravelry:
Here they are! The pattern is from Six Sox Knit-a-Long. These were a lot of fun to make. The Koigu was from socks I made for my sister years ago. How did I know? Because the price on the skein was $8.50. Now I believe a skein of painted Koigu goes for $14.50. The solid color was yarn I bought when We went to visit the boys at camp. A nice souvenir; better than a refrigerator magnet or a t-shirt!

New York State Sheep & Wool Festival 2008

2008-10-18T18:33:00.009-04:00

I ran into Karin at the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival today. I know her from KnitTalk (a Yahoo group for knitters) and she asked me if I have blogged lately. So Karin, thank you for getting me back to this blog.

It has been a very stressful 5 weeks with good and bad things happening. First on September 11th, DH was rushed to the hospital with what we thought was a heart attack happening. It turned out that he had a strep infection in his blood and was very, very sick. However, after spending eight days in the hospital, DH came out 20 pounds lighter and with a new attitude towards his health (which at this writing is being forgotten). Then on September 24th, my father passed away. He has been ill with pulmonary fibrosis and a bad heart but to speak to him, you would never think he was as sick as he really was. I am tearing up as I am writing this but I knew he loved us and he knew that we loved him. We spoke everyday and every conversation ended with an "I love you." I miss hearing his voice.

Okay, so I was seriously thinking of not going to the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival. I wasn't in a festive mood; I was concerned with the money situation (did I really need to spend money on more yarn?); my car was acting up. I had excuse after excuse not to go. My dear friend and neighbor Chris told DH that she was looking forward to going and that I had to go. I could just buy our traditional baked potato and hang out. Well, DH told me that this year, more than any other, I needed to go. He was right.

Chris drove up the Taconic which was a bit past peak compared to where we live. We got there around 10:30 and just got lost in all the colors and types of yarns and whatever else was on sale. Chris is great to go to the festival with. We walk around and make mental notes on which booths we would like to visit again. Then we question ourselves whether we really like the item. We would visit the same place two or three times!

We ran into people from our knit-out. First there was Edie. We ran into Edie by the food area where people were lined up to get their chicken pot pies. She was there with her husband and her friend from Boston. Her first question to Chris and me was, "What did you buy?" Well, we didn't buy anything! Edie had a bag full of sock yarn and buttons. Okay, I felt a little pressure to help the economy. Edie was doing her part.

(Edie is the one in the very colorful sweater!)

Chris and I kept walking around. Last year we loved seeing the pumpkins that were needle felted. There they were again. I personally liked the Indian corn kit. We agreed that if we don't buy anything, we'll buy the kits. We had a plan. Then we went to one of my favorite booths A Touch of Twist. Last year I bought some beautiful laceweight merino and silk yarn. I made Karen's Water Turtles Shawl from Wrapped in Comfort by Alison Hyde. (I still didn't block it yet so that's why you haven't seen it yet). This yarn was wonderful to knit with and I thought that I would get some more. There was a beautiful teal color but you know what? I didn't feel the love. I didn't want to make another shawl. Chris and I both passed on this yarn but knew that we may return.

Then Chris and I discovered a booth that sold yak-a-boo yarn, cashllama yarn and yarn with some camel in it. The colors were beautiful natural colors. We considered buying the cashllama to make a lacy scarf. I wanted the brown, Chris wanted the black. We decided that we'll come back for it because that was the second part of our plan. If we didn't buy anything, then we'd buy either the pumpkin kit or the cashllama. We were unusually happy that we had this plan going on. That's when we saw Karin at the Silver Moon booth. She was so sweet. (See the intro). We thought about eating but the line was way too long. So Chris and I walked on. I decided to give Shelley a call. Shelley is also in our knit-out and she has discovered spinning. It turned out that we are at opposite ends of a building. We met up and with her was Nancy. What was their first question to us? "What did you buy?" There we were again, empty-handed. (Chris did buy some fudge for her DH and a stuffed bison for DD but no yarn).

(Shelley and Nancy are the 1st and 2nd from the left respectively)

After we said goodbye to two more people helping the economy, we decided to seek out the Ravelry people because honestly, I wanted a button. After asking a few people, we found the gathering. The Ravelry's owners' mother and brother were there. They were very sweet. I know I was secretly thrilled to meet the woman who gave birth to the woman who developed Ravelry. We both walked away happy. Later, I ran into the designer of the pirate hat which I made Elijah last year. I recognized her name from her Ravelry button.

Chris and I decided to have our annual baked potato. We didn't realize how hungry and tired we were until we sat down and ate. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm. That tater was tasty! We sat next to some women who had Socks That Rock yarn and she told us that they were mill ends and a bit cheaper. We decided to make our second trip to that booth. Maybe we'll find something to buy. We both like to make socks and I was already working on a pair. I had a sock pattern on my list of things to do. Maybe I would find something I could use for this pattern. We walked over and saw that the line that normally had over 50 people on it was now down to about 7. Hmmm. Maybe this was a sign that we should buy something. After inspecting the mill ends and the regular yarn, we looked at each other and said that we really didn't love what was left. Then we crossed the aisle over to Brook Farms Yarn.

Last year, this was the last booth we visited. We saw a shawl which was very simple but the yarn was gorgeous. I remember standing holding the yarn in my hand saying, "Chris, should I buy it or not?" She told me that it will be there next year and that I should put the skein down and go. I listened to her. One year later, here we are again at the same spot. I found the skein the sample was made in but Chris looked for other colors. My dear friend always picks the same colors over and over. Blue with different shades of purple. This time she found a beautiful skein of blues and greens. They were so soothing to look at. I was hoping there would be another skein but she had the last one. She picked up a skein for me that was so beautiful. It had a blue mixed in with browns. I loved it. Chris did good! We finally made a purchase and guess who we ran into right after buying our skeins? Edie. We held up our bags and said, "Edie, we just bought something. Look!" Edie had a look in her eye of a woman on a mission. She wanted to go back to Socks That Rock and when we told her that there wasn't any line, she left us after congratulating us. Chris and I decided to call it a day and off we went, southbound on the Taconic Parkway towards home.

Back from the Grange Fair

2008-09-07T20:35:00.007-04:00

We just got home from the Grange Fair. I only wanted to go to pick up my Clapotis but once the boys got wind of my plans, it became a family affair. We got there pretty late and since this was the last day, many exhibits with livestock cleared out already. I went into the exhibition building and there was my baby with a 2nd place ribbon on it. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed because I thought the first prize went to a fuzzy scarf. Then I saw that the first prize went to a black lace shawl which was folded up. It had a more complex pattern than mine but it looked as if it had cat hair all over it. Anyway, I took a picture of my item and some stranger took a picture of me since my boys refused. There's always next year!

The one surprise that I did have was running into a student from the high school I work in. She graduated about 4 years ago and her sister lives in the area. She's working as an aide in a classroom, going to college and will be getting married next year. I was touched that she recognized me. I just wish I wasn't wearing my crocs! Here is the picture of me standing in front of the exhibit and of my Clapotis with the ribbon attached. The last picture reminded me of my boys eating!

Butterflies n Bees Socks Are Finished! (and a story behind it)

2008-09-05T19:47:00.004-04:00

DH and I went on our first cruise to Canada this past summer. We had a blast and promised each other that we must do this again. We didn't go to the most exciting ports but it was fun nonetheless. We were in St. John, New Brunswick which was a very sedate place. It was a bit depressing but we saw the Bay of Fundy which was pretty amazing. Then we headed up to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where we felt it had more character. Poor Halifax. The Titanic sunk nearby. We saw the graves of the victims and I found it very interesting. In the late 1800's or early 1900's (I can't remember) there was a horrible explosion when a ship hit another one carrying explosives. Then when 9/11 happened and all airplanes were grounded in the United States, the planes coming from Europe landed in Halifax but there weren't enough hotels to handle all of these people. The citizens of Halifax put up strangers in there houses. We must have a warm and fuzzy feeling for Halifax.

I told DH that if I had to do one thing, it was to visit the yarn store, The Loop. We rushed to the store because we had to be back on the ship by 5 and it was 3:45. I walked ahead because DH walks a bit too slow for me. I asked someone on the street and she pointed me in the right direction. I was so excited. This would be a great souvenir from Halifax instead of those refrigerator magnets I got from St. John. I walked into the store and honestly, I was a bit disappointed. A lot of space and not a lot of yarn. The store carried some nice upscale stuff but I didn't feel compelled to touch anything. So I asked for solid sock yarn. (This has been difficult to find lately since everyone wants a self-patterning yarn). Lo and behold, there it was. The sage green sock yarn that I decided I had to have. And it was on sale. DH was so funny. He asked if I needed more. Wasn't that sweet? He doesn't know how much yarn is needed for socks and this pattern makes socks that come up to the ankles. I bought it and we rushed back to the ship. I was a happy camper.

The pattern comes from the Six Sox Knit-a-long. I like most of their patterns and this was a bit lacy. I was hoping to have them done to enter them into our local Grange Fair. (See my last entry) I worked on the first one without a problem but you know how it is with the second sock. It's as if you were starving and eat something but there's some more leftover and you don't have that same hungry feeling because it was sated by what you just ate. That's my second sock. However, I had a deadline. September 2nd, 6:00 PM! I started it the Thursday before. I was moving quite quickly on it until I compared it to the first sock. I made a giant mistake! On the foot, I knitted the pattern all around instead of just on the top. If I wanted to enter these, I had to rip it out and I did. Since these were made toe up, I ripped it back to the toe. On Sunday, I did the foot, the heel and made it up to one repeat before the next lace pattern. On Monday evening, I tried to finish the last repeat but kept making one mistake after another. I decided to go to the Grange Fair to enter my Clapotis. (another entry). There my scarf was greeted with oohs and aahs and I told them that I would be back the following day to enter my socks...if I finish them.

I went to work confident that I could find time during the day to work on the sock. It wasn't happening. I kept making mistakes and had to unknit the row or rows. Then I was hoping that I would finish the sock during DS#2's piano lesson. That didn't happen either. I asked DS#2 to sit in the car with me so I can finish up the picot edging and then run over to the fair to drop off the socks. I had my entry cards all ready. When I saw that I had only 20 minutes to the 6:00 deadline, I just took a deep breath and said to DS#2, "We're going home!" He asked about going to enter the socks but I told him that I wouldn't make it.

What did I learn from this experience? First, I can knit damn fast when I want to! I was shocked at how fast I knitted up this sock! Second, I sometimes can't multi-task, like talking and doing a lace pattern. It doesn't go very smoothly for this knitter. Finally, those last minute habits that I had in school which I thought I changed, came back as if they never left! But you know what? I have a new pair of socks ready for the cold weather!

I Got Lemons

2008-08-30T12:29:00.003-04:00

Just when you think it's safe to go back into the water, something hits you and you lose your footing and swallow a lot of water. You make it back to the shore, coughing, spitting, and a little shook up by the whole experience. You know the next time you step foot in the water, you'll have a few seconds of doubt but you'll overcome that. Something like that happened to me at work.

I'm not going to go into details because it's not worth the space but this little incident woke me up. I have my same position but I am now on a late session. I've always been on the earliest session so I can get home early for the kids. I think I amazed myself that I was able to put a positive spin on this. I got lemons but I'm making some lemonade.

First, DS#1 is going to high school this year. He has to be up very early. I'll now be there to make sure he is ready. We can actually leave at the same time. That took a lot of pressure off of DH.

Second, I can cover an extra class in the morning if the situation arises. I calculated that if I do this three times a week, I paid for 2 weeks worth of gasoline. Unfortunately, these times require that I think like this since I do have a long commute to work and not the most fuel-efficient car.

Third, I'll be in the administrator's face in a good way to show her that I am a valued member of the faculty. This was the wake-up call. I already wrote two issues of a parent newsletter for my students that she needs to see and approve. I think she'll like it.

Fourth, I may be able to fit walking into my day if I can wake up at my usual time. Plus the fact that the parking around my school sucks this will be part of the routine as well.

I'm not 100% happy. There will be issues like getting DS#1 and DS#2 to their after school activities but I'll have to ask people to help. We'll adjust, I hope. If not, you'll hear it here first!

Getting Ready for the Grange Fair

2008-08-22T22:36:00.007-04:00

Yesterday at our local knit out, we had a discussion about whether we should enter some of our knitting into the Grange Fair. Yes, I am talking about the local agricultural event that happens around here every September. Look, I'm a kid from the Bronx. When we first moved up here I had to get over the shock that I had to drive EVERYWHERE! Once I got over that and after we had our first son, we decided to go to the Grange Fair. I swear to God if I didn't think I was in some farming community in Iowa (or any other place that has farms). There were kids who belonged to a 4-H club, baking competitions, pie-eating contests, floral arrangements, animals (cows, horses, pigs, sheep) and those gross carny people who manned the rides. (There's obviously no dental plan for these folks and if there was, they would put their money into adding more tattoos to their bodies...Okay, this is mean but it's my blog and I can state an opinion every now and then! Please, no flaming!) I asked DH where the hell did we move to? He's from Long Island. We're only an hour away from NYC and here we are in Hooterville! (Petticoat Junction/Green Acres reference for those of you who are younger than me)

We would go every so often. One year I actually entered a baby blanket into the needlework competition and won a blue ribbon. Should I mention that I was the only entry in that category so it was a no-brainer blue ribbon. But still I was very proud! When I gave that blanket to the person it was intended for (washed of course, but now we don't even speak...don't ask why), I proudly showed her the blue ribbon it won. Now that I think about it, do you think she threw out that blanket since we're not friends anymore? Oh well. It's not mine anymore.

Back to our Thursday night knit-out. I thought it would be a hoot (yes, I used that word) if a bunch of us from the group would enter things into the Grange Fair. What publicity! What a rush! What a cheap thrill! I can see us winning because we have some great knitters who have produced some wonderful things. The question is what should we enter? First we thought about all entering in separate categories so that we won't compete against each other. Then we decided what the hell. Just enter. I may be entering my clapotis. I would love to enter my Karen's Water Turtles Shawl but I haven't blocked it yet and there may be a little error that I fudged over. I'm also working on the Butterflies n Bees socks from Six Sox KAL. These are my first toe up socks and I am loving this pattern. I think I'll need to get those sock blocks to make them look a little better. I think they look better on a foot than without.

When my boys found out that I may be entering stuff into the Grange Fair, what do you think their first response was? "Gee, Mom. That's so great. We're so proud of you!" NO! It was, "Does that mean we get to go to the Grange Fair?" What do you expect from a 14 year old and a 10 year old?

The title is a direct link to the fair. You should check this out. This Bronx girl can't make this stuff up!

The Boys Are Back In Town!

2008-08-18T23:15:00.006-04:00

My boys came home from sleep away camp on Sunday. They were away for 7 weeks. We saw them once on visiting day in July and there were weekly phone calls from my younger one, occasional letters from the older one (actually, we were questioning whether he went to that camp at all because he hardly appeared in the pictures on the internet and barely called. The very rare letter that appeared in our mailbox from him assured us that he was there.)

When you have a 14 year old boy, you have to worry about the "embarrassment factor". Do you hug and kiss him in public? Do you wait for him to come to you? How do you suppress the urge to squeeze him to death even though he's 4" taller than you? These questions ran through my mind as I walked towards him with DS#2. They were on separate buses and this kid yelled out "Mom" and ran into my arms. Thank God. Well, the problem was solved. DS#1 came over and we hugged tightly. I even got a kiss on the cheek! The bottom line was that I think he wanted a mom hug.

Since the buses let the kids off near one of our favorite restaurants, we decided to have a quick lunch there. I have 2 boys; they're always hungry. It was a good neutral place for them to start to decompress. What more did we need at that moment than good food, good company and good conversation (done totally by the boys!) We then headed home and all I knew was that I had to start doing some laundry before their duffel bags arrived. They were expected by Wednesday.

While they were gone, their bedrooms were cleaned, their bathroom was spotless, everything was in its place. We told the boys that they would be expected to keep it that way. Please, why did we bother? In less than 2 hours, DS#1, the place I have referred to as hell, was not as pristine as I had left it that morning. I should have taken a picture. But, I will give him until the end of this week to start getting it together. He had to make up for loss computer and cell phone time.

Now DS#2 had a more difficult time switching from camp mode to home mode. That first night all he did was ask what time it was and upon finding out, he would announce what he would be doing if he was in camp. I offered to play games with him but it wasn't what he wanted. I then asked if he wanted to ride his scooter while I went for a walk. That he agreed to do. I figured I would walk towards one of his friends house and hopefully they would be out and he could hook up. It worked! Except I didn't finish my walk and he came back in 20 minutes because he was tired.

Well, it is so nice to hear their voices, whether they are fooling around or arguing with each other, around the house. The evenings were difficult for me because of the quietness of the house. Their duffel bags arrived on Tuesday, to my dismay, (I thought I would have one more day of no laundry) so after countless loads, the laundry is done. I plan on packing all the linens and towels away in a big plastic container to make my life easier for next year. My food bill has doubled in one week! (God bless their hungry little bellies and damn those growth spurts!)

I just want you all to know that the song by Thin Lizzie, "The Boys are Back in Town" was playing in my head while I wrote this.

What does this have to do with my knitting? Well, I haven't had much time to knit! My boys are back!

My Clapotis!

2008-08-12T15:54:00.003-04:00

For those of you who have not joined Ravelry, here is a picture of my Clapotis in Noro Sakura. Yes, it's draped over my mailbox.

I never thought that I would make this scarf/shawl but I am so happy with the way it came out. I can't wait to wear it to work and any other place I feel the need to wear it to. The pattern is from www.knitty.com. If you are a member of Ravelry, you can look for it in pattern search and you'll be directed to the pattern there as well. That way you can see all the different yarns other knitters have used.

I Know. It's Been a While!

2008-08-10T13:57:00.002-04:00

I've gotten some flak about how I'm not posting my blogs. I find it amazing how I have done anything since December but I did find 2 drafts from April which I don't feel very comfortable posting right now. Maybe some day.

On the knitting front, I've finished my Karen's Water Turtles Shawl which needs to be blocked. Once that was out of the way, I made a Clapotis from Noro Sakura which I bought in a store in Mont Clair, NJ when DS#1 went to a bar mitzvah there. I had to occupy myself for over 4 hours and that town happened to have 3 knitting stores within 2 blocks of each other. It was a wonderful day for me. I remember the first time I heard about the Clapotis. I thought it was pronounced Clap-o-tis and thought it referred to a STD but someone on KnitTalk made a point of correcting me. Some people on that list don't have a sense of humor. I usually stay away from items that everyone knits and I guess it took me a while to realize that this yarn would be great for that pattern. No, let me correct myself. When I was in that store in NJ, I was first introduced to Ravelry and that's where I saw Sakura being used for a Clapotis. That's also where my mouth hung open and realized what a wonderful thing Ravelry is which led me to neglect my hipknitta blog. But I'm a woman and I can multitask.

On the home front, DS#1 & DS#2 are away at sleepaway camp. It was very weird at first because DS#2 went to day camp and was home with me but he felt ready to go. So, a year-at-college-tuition later, we said goodbye to them as they drove off into the sunset 6 weeks ago. I truly felt lost without my little guy but everytime we spoke to him, he sounded so happy. When we went to the camp for visiting day, he was thrilled. I was thrilled because he kept putting my arm around him and actually holding my hand. There were tons of pictures of him and a few of DS#1 on the camp's website. (which made up wonder if DS#1 actually went there but he's 14 and probably felt too cool to pose. The few of him are great shots!)

DH and I went on our first cruise to Canada and we had a wonderful time. It was a 5 day trip and we loved every minute of it. We would definitely go on a cruise again, without kids! I, of course, felt the need to buy a skein of sock yarn in Halifax, which I felt made a great souvenir. We met the nicest people and just heard from one of the couples.

Now my boys are coming back next Sunday and I have to clean DS#1's room. It is so disgusting. I actually felt sorry for him even though he did it to himself. We nicknamed the room "Hell". So, I'm going to hell now and in my house it's upstairs. Even though I truly missed the boys, I loved the time to myself and the time DH and I had alone. I rediscovered what a funny guy he is!

Time to Catch Up!

2007-12-22T17:07:00.000-05:00

My, my. Almost 2 months have flown by since I last posted an entry on this blog. I've been spending some time on Ravelry and realized that I've been posting most of my pictures of my finished objects there. So, I'll post them here just in case you don't belong to Ravelry, yet.

These 2 outfits were for my friend Marina's first granddaughter! I made a newborn bolero and cap and then a sweater and hat for an 18 month old! Unfortunately, I forgot to make buttonholes so I improvised with loops. Just the other day, I was looking at EZ's Knitting without Tears book and there was section on how to put in buttonholes after you've knitted the garment. Both gifts were well received. I like the fact that they are nontraditional colors for a baby!

Right now I'm finishing up Elijah's "They Call Them Pirates" hat. I'm doing the lining in the same yarn that I knitted it in. I think it's to pull in the edges because they were curling out. I'm using the softest alpaca! He loves touching it and so does everyone else for that matter! It should be done by tonight and he can wear it tomorrow!

That's all for now.

Lebanon Country Club Musings

2007-10-26T20:54:00.000-04:00

It was customary for city folks to take their families to a the bungalow colony in the Catskill region for the summer. I went to Lebanon Country Club in Highland Mills, NY during the 1960's and '70's. This place was so special to my family. We would talk about it as if it was a holy land. The memories we have from our summers spent there are triggered by sights, smells and sounds. The friends we made were the best ones we could have for the short time we lived there. We lived in very small bungalows giving up our spacious apartments and homes to breathe the fresh mountain air.

Someone started a google site for Lebanon. The news of it spread like wildfire and before I knew it we had a lot of members and the cyber-reunion began. It was wonderful. The old friends "talked" to each other and shared our memories as if we were in the same room. Then there was a problem so we all moved to another group and things were back to the way they were on the old site.

So why am I talking about this? I can't believe how this site and the reconnections I have made with these people have affected my life. I am remembering who I was way back when I was a little girl of 7 to a college bound student of 17. I forgot that I was more easy going back then because I didn't have the responsibilities that I have now. It reminded me to relax and not stress out; to laugh it off like we did when we hung out on the Red Roof together. I remember all of my insecurities and smile as I think how unimportant those same things are in my life now. I remember belonging to a group of friends who I couldn't wait to see every summer. I remember all the firsts that happened there and the feelings they stirred. I'm glad I can still feel them now.

In a very short time, these people have become a part of my life again. I expect to run into them everyday but I have to remind myself that we are all spread out over the country. I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say and usually get my best laugh of the day from the group. Thanks for that.

So when there's a summer storm and you go outside right afterwards and smell the air, that's Lebanon. When your car travels on a gravel road and you hear the tires crunch on the gravel, that's Lebanon. When you smell a skunk at night, that's Lebanon. When you see a squashed frog in the middle of the road, yep, that's Lebanon. When you hear a song from the '60's & 70's that was one the jukebox in the concession, that's Lebanon. When you sing a colorwar to your children and remember all the words, that's Lebanon.

Thanks you guys!

Back from the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival

2007-10-21T22:38:00.000-04:00

It was hard to believe that it was pumpkin time yesterday because the weather was a balmy 70-something degrees. My friend Chris and I headed up the Taconic State Parkway to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds for the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival. It had to be one of the most perfect days of the year so far. The changing trees were the only reminder that it was fall. I've never been to the event with such warm weather. It made a great day even better.

This was Chris' second time at the festival and she admitted that last year she was completely overwhelmed by all the goods that were there. This year was much better. I felt the festival was more organized and more spread out over the fairgrounds. The flow of the people was much smoother. No bottlenecking going on. We entered the building where the Mineral and Gem show was held and there were the knitters clutching their skeins of Socks that Rock tightly to their chests. Chris is very interested in making socks so we checked it out. She feels she isn't ready to commit to spending over $20 for her first pair. I can understand that. Then we just walked and walked around touching and taking in all the beautiful colors.

The good thing about going with a good friend is that she could make me more rational about buying yarn I don't need. We did that for each other. I fell in love with Mas Acero by Brooks Farm but I honestly didn't need it. Chris told me I can always order it and that they will be there next year. I agreed with her and thanked her for saving me $35.

Chris is also interested in knitting lace. At A Touch of Twist we found the softest laceweight yarn called Zephyr. She bought gray and I bought raspberry. I felt the need for some color. I promised I would help her through this project as well. I know she'll do just fine. I really liked the other yarns this person had. Around this time my phone rang for the 4th time in less than an hour. Elijah called to tell me that he couldn't find his soccer uniform. It took 3 separate calls to locate it. Then Neal called to tell me that he was now at Elijah's baseball game. I cut him off with, "Honey, remember how I get when I'm looking at yarn? I get into my zone?" He remembered. "I'm in that place now and I can't concentrate on anything that you are telling me. I'm hanging up!" Three women overheard that conversation and one said, "Honey, turn off that phone!" She made me laugh!

Karin from KnitTalk shouted me out on the list. She was working at Sliver Moon Fibers and told me that I better visit her. Chris and I wandered around and we happened to find her between the buildings. I went over to her and said, "Karin? It's Robin of Yorktown Heights." Hugs all around. Chris took this picture. It was so nice to see her in person after "chatting" with her on KnitTalk for years. Karin designed a beautiful sweater for Decadent Fibers using their bulky yarn. Karin, the buttons were needle felted and looked great.

Chris and I had our traditional baked potato lunch and well-deserved rest. It was fun watching the people go buy with shopping bags. I kept wondering what they bought and what they were going to do with it. There were people sitting on the bench near us knitting. I guess they couldn't wait to swatch that new yarn at home. We were almost tempted to buy a needle felting kit to make those little pumpkins with the faces. I was on line holding the package in my hands when I announced to Chris and the line that there was no way in hell I was going to sit there and do it. I put the package back and walked away.

The thing I was most disappointed with was the Moorehouse Farms Booths. Most of the kits were children's kits. They are closing the store "Sheep's Clothing" and go totally internet. I was hoping to find a good little kit there but nothing caught my eye. Chris and I didn't bother going into the store on our way home. I'll miss the store. It was up there with one of the prettiest yarn stores I have been in.

While walking around, I saw a guy wearing the hat I plan on making Elijah. His wife made it and she warned me to do the lining in cotton. Anything else would be too hot. I took a picture of it to show the boy. He wants his in black and white. He didn't seemed too thrilled when I showed it to him. Nine year olds!

Around 4:00, Chris and I decided that it was time to head home. She bought me a delicious cup of tea and we walked to the car still commenting on the beautiful weather. The trip home was full of wonderful conversation and a little sprinkle of rain. We pulled into my driveway and we both noticed that our families were gone. We were overjoyed that we would have some down time for ourselves for a little while longer. Mine lasted 5 minutes. Neal and Elijah pulled up right afterwards. Still, the glow of that special day was etched into my brain and I was happy. I can't wait until next year!

The Knit Out Is Growing!

2007-09-21T18:34:00.000-04:00

I am very happy to report that the Yorktown Knit Out at Panera had 10 knitters last night! I find this very exciting. The knitters are starting to come out of the woodwork and are joining us. I never really experienced this type of knitting before, on such a large scale. It's one thing to knit with a friend but when knitting with 9 other people, it's wonderful. I have the choice to talk or to sit back and let others tell stories which are usually very funny. The women who attended last night have 2 things in common: knitting and a wonderful sense of humor. We laughed and laughed. Could this be a sitcom? I doubt it but it was so heartwarming to be in this very public place and really enjoy ourselves. I saw other customers point to us smiling. Maybe some of them will join us in the future. I never imagined that the Knit Out would turn out like this. YEAH!

I Love Gansey Socks

2007-09-03T14:39:00.000-04:00

Over the summer I joined the Yahoo Group Six Sox Knit Along because a member of our knit out was knitting a pair of Harry Potter socks. I had to make them so I joined. The group posts new sock patterns every 4 months. I skipped the summer sock and waited for August pattern to appear. At first I wasn't too thrilled with the pattern because I thought the cable would be a pain-in-the-butt but I decided to do them in Koigu solid. I bought the yarn to celebrate a good mammogram! I also bought 2 skeins too many but I'll do something with them.

The sock knitted up quickly even with the cables. I followed a tutorial from the internet on the Kitchener stitch so my toes look great. I never did such a good joby before. I really like knitting socks. I have 4 more skeins of sock yarn so I guess I've got a few more pairs to go. Check out the Yahoo Group!

A Conversation With My Thirteen Year Old

2007-08-30T22:24:00.000-04:00

I'm at work. My cell phone rings. My 13 yo son is calling me. Here's the conversation:
Him: Mom, where's Beggar's Banquet?
Me: You mean The Rolling Stones album?
Him: Yeah.
Me: I don't own it.
Him: OK, where's The Rolling Stones CD Dad bought you.
Me: I don't know. Look for it.
Him: OK. Bye
Me: Bye.

I hang up and thought to myself, "This is a dream come true. One of my children is asking me about a Stones album. Cool!"

On the way home I call the house to tell them that I'm stopping at the supermarket.
Me: Hi! I'm going to the A&P. Do you want me to pick up anything?
Him: Yes. My mouth hurts from my braces. I want elbows and cottage cheese.
Me: Great. I'll get it. By the way, did you find the Stones CD?
Him: Yeah! I downloaded it onto iTunes.
Me: You know you made my day by asking me for that album. It was like a dream come true.
Him: Really? That's great except I think I'm about to unmake your day.
Me: What did you do?
Him: I bought a song from iTunes. I bought "Don't Stop Believing".
Me: By Styx, Foreigner, Journey? One of those 70's bands?
Him: That's the one!
Me: You're a nightmare. You're no son of mine! I brought you up better than that!
Him: Laughter. Bye, Mom.

I'm proud of the boy! Rock on, Ben!

For a Brief Moment, I Wished I Was Her!

2007-08-27T16:57:00.000-04:00

We were at the West Palm Beach Airport coming home from a week long vacation. We spent 4 intense days at Disney World and 3 1/2 lazy days at my parents. I was looking forward to getting home to get myself ready for my return to work. While waiting on line to check in, there she was. This woman was perfectly coiffed and dressed and looked as cool as a cucumber. She was wearing dark aqua jeans with a darker ribbed tank. On top of that was a matching argyle cardigan. Her hair was perfect. Her make-up was perfect and not melting. Her fingernails and toes were perfectly manicured. I looked down on my dry feet with the one toe with the broken nail. I looked at my fingernails that were crying out for a manicure but I won't get one until I finish stuff around the house. I had only mascara and eyeliner on because I didn't want to melt in the Florida heat. I was envious of this woman's "put-togetherness". She didn't have to open her suitcase like I did to redistribute the weight to another one. So what if the whole line saw last night's underwear? Will they ever see me or the panties again? I don't think so.

What does this all mean? I guess I admire people who are totally put together when I'm not. I admire the colors she wore. I wondered about what type of house she lived in. She probably had a housekeeper and a nanny. I can hear her high heels clicking on the tiled floors and the air fills with her perfume as she passes by. In my house, my boys and husband smell my perfume on my pillow. I don't wear heels in the house. I wear Crocs or flip flops. I'm glad I was envious of her. It woke me up a bit and made me realize that I should always put my best foot forward...physically and mentally.
Thanks, stranger!

Local Yarn Shops

2007-08-09T18:41:00.000-04:00

Don't get me wrong. I love a bargain especially when it comes to yarn. I admit that I do a lot of internet shopping for yarn. I buy books from Overstock.com and yarn and stuff from KnitPicks. I go to AC Moore for yarn, too but they don't have a very "fine" selection.

Since I visited my son at camp, I've been to 4 different yarn shops. There truly is a difference when you are up close and personal with the yarn (and the owner/staff) than with someone over the phone who isn't a knitter. I'm not going to stop buying over the internet but I will make the effort to visit a yarn shop when I need to touch and get instant gratification from buying yarn right then and there.

I first visited Twin Hearts in Pittsfield, MA. Gorgeous, large, colorful and a wonderfully friendly owner. Not like the ones in my area (BTW two of those "snotty" stores closed!). It was a very positive experience and gave me faith that there are some great stores and owners out there!

Yesterday, after having my mammogram and receiving a great report, I decided to treat myself to some solid sock yarn. I knew there was a store in Scarsdale, NY called Sticks & Strings. It's a bit out of the way for me from my house. I've met the owner at guild meetings and she's very nice. Today I walked in to a very contemporary store that was light and airy. It was very hot outside and this store was just so cool. Laurie, the owner, is very friendly and helpful. I know I disappointed her when I told her I needed solid sock yarn but she opened up a magic panel and there was tons of Koigu solid. I picked a blue color but it was hard to make up my mind. Another customer walked in who needed help and I even tried to help her while Laurie wound my skeins for me. She invited me to her Thursday night knit outs but I told her that I started one in my town. I think it's much nicer to have one in a knitting store but we don't have that option in my area. I walked out the store smiling. I was really happy with my purchase and experience.

Today I visited another yarn store in Rockland County. It's called Knitting Nation and it's in the very funky town of Nyack. The woman who owns it belongs to my guild but she was in California today. This was another great store. Very pretty, a very large selection and the woman who was left in charge was so sweet and friendly! I spent a good hour and a half looking, touching and playing with the yarns. I ended up buying more sock yarn. (I'm into socks this week!) I'll make the trip there again when my friend is there.

Two weeks ago, my friend and I visited the LYS closest to our homes. It's called the Katonah Yarn Company in Katonah, NY. This was my second time there. They were having an sidewalk sale so the goods were outside. I've been inside the store but one of the staff told me that we could only go in to pay for purchases. Hmm. I needed a circular #8 bamboo needle and they weren't letting me in to look The staff was extremely cranky. If you asked them a question they acted as if they were doing you a favor to answer it. This is the store that turns me off to shopping at a LYS! But I had 3 beautiful experiences and restored my faith in the Local Yarn Shops.

Harry Potter Socks are Finished

2007-08-03T20:35:00.000-04:00

Good thing I shaved my legs. Here is one of the Horcrux Socks from Six Socks KAL. See that lightning shaped lacework? That's Harry's scar! I used Trekking XXL that I bought in Twin Hearts, that beautiful knitting store I went to when I was in The Berkshires. I forgot how enjoyable and satisfying it is to knit socks. I thought I did these pretty quickly. I started them last weekend and voila! Here they are! Off to the next project. More socks? Another shawl? A cardigan? Stay tuned. Stay bat time. Stay bat blog.

Capri Shawl

2007-07-25T10:56:00.001-04:00

Here is my Capri Shawl knitted in laceweight from Moorehouse Farms. The pattern also came from them. I bought this at the 2006 NYS Sheep & Wool Festival. I started it and then kept putting it done. I should correct myself. I must have started this about 5 times before I was able to finally get the right count. Ben's bar mitzvah made knitting this impossible because I couldn't concentrate but afterwards, it went along fine. Actually, I should give Ben some credit here. He told me that I should enter it in the Grange Fair which is held in early September and that would motivate me to finish it. The kid can be pretty brilliant sometimes. (He's actually very bright, I have to listen more!) Even though lace can be somewhat annoying and difficult, the blocking process makes it all worth it. This shawl opened up beautifully.

I must be honest that when I started knitting it I did not love the colorway. I immmediately thought about giving it away. Now, I can see wearing it. The colors remind me of this area in the fall. We have to cross a reservoir when going to temple and the water is similar to the blue, the trees are the browns and grays and finally the leaves are the orange. See? Hudson Valley Autumn! I must add that our guest bathroom was influenced by this yarn. The walls are a beautiful antique blue which is a complement to the mandarin red granite countertop. We had a very hard time getting colors to coordinate until I whipped out the colorwheel and realized that the yarn had the same colors. Don't tell my husband that the yarn influenced the colors in there!

This picture is just a close up of the center triangle. That was my favorite part to do! Enjoy!

What Goes Around...

2007-07-23T21:48:00.000-04:00

Okay, this is not about knitting. I may be knitting (happily) afterward but this is not about knitting. My father likes to search for old friends over the internet. He just told me the other day that he contacted a woman we knew from the bungalow colony we use to go to. Her sons were and still are the smartest people I have ever known plus they were into Pink Floyd. They were so ahead of their time. I think they are physics and mathematics professors. Sorry, I digressed. I decided to look up someone I was friends with during high school and halfway through college.

We lived in the same building. Growing up in an apartment building meant that you always had someone to play with. Halloween was great. You just went to each floor and got tons of candy. We were a building of 20 stories! This girl, named Joan, became a close friend of mine in high school, even though we went to different schools. Our dads worked in the same industry so that's how we were introduced to each other. She is 6 months older than me but I skipped 3rd grade and was in the same grade as her. She was the one who introduced me to my very first boyfriend. I hung out with her friends from her high school. This was in the 2nd half of my senior year. It was a great time. We ended up going to the same college together but agreed that we shouldn't be roommates. It was the smartest decision we could have made.

Things got rocky. I was still involved with my boyfriend. The relationship she was having with her boyfriend wasn't doing too well. It wasn't until I came home for Christmas break that I found out that she was saying very mean things about me to my boyfriend. She told me that she couldn't understand why he stays with me since I don't "put out" for him. (Remember, it was the '70's. Most girls were virgins). She would say similar things to him! I told her she should know that that doesn't work since she "did it" with her boyfriend and he wasn't really into her. We returned to school not the best of friends. We really went our separate ways. She was into partying, I wasn't. She would have our friend at home send her money from a small inheritance her grandmother left her and buy drugs and stuff. Later, I found out that she moved in with a dope dealer. Her mother use to blame me for all this stuff. I had to stop being friends with her completely. We never spoke again.

Fast forward to 2007...I looked her name up and there it was. I remembered her husband's name and looked him up and lo and behold, what did I discover? Her husband was indicted in 2005 while working for a big securities company for taking over a half million dollars in bribes! Then he set up a corporation and she was his only employee who collected a paycheck every 2 weeks. They were both charged! He is now serving a jail sentence. I read that they had to sell their 1.3 million dollar home in New Jersey to pay restitution. She's now in Brooklyn with her 3 daughters. Her charges were dropped as part of a plea bargain.

Am I happy? Not really. It's sad to find out that someone had been so greedy that they had to break the law. It's sad that the children won't see their father for a few years. However, I am glad that I stopped being her friend a long time ago for reasons much less than what she was charged with. I guess my intuition was right! What goes around, comes around.

YORKTOWN KNIT OUT IS A SUCCESS!

2007-07-12T22:31:00.001-04:00

Tonight, a beautiful event happened in beautiful Yorktown Heights. We had a knit out at Panera. The restaurant was looking for groups to come in during their evening hours (I guess to look busy) and after thinking about it for a while, I approached the manager a few weeks ago and cleared Thursday, July 12th. I remember him asking me how many people do I expect. I told him that I was hoping 5 would show up. He told me that he would provide the coffee.

I asked my friends, aka my ringers, and sent out an announcement through the Westchester Knitting Guild website. Then I mentioned it on KnitTalk. I got a few responses from KnitTalk and my good friend and neighbor, Chris, promised me that she would come. I offered to drive to guarantee that she would be there. Elijah, my 9 yo, also joined us because I didn't want to leave him home alone. The offer of a chocolate cookie and a lemonade sealed that deal. He brought some coloring, his Rubrik's Cube, a deck of cards and a book. Every time he saw someone with a bag other than a pocketbook, he would announce that a knitter was coming.

We had 7 knitters come! Aside from Chris and me, there was Toni, Christine, Sandy, Lori and Erika. Christine and Toni were the only two I didn't know. Sandy and Erika I know from my guild. I also know Sandy from my temple as well as Lori. They were so excited to be there. My friend Liz showed up without her knitting but with her 2 daughters and sat with us for a while. She promised to bring her knitting next time.

We chatted, had some coffee (decaf) and then showed our projects. We oohed and aahed each other's stuff. Toni was making a shawl from "A Gathering of Lace". Christine was making socks from a KAL called "6 Sock Project". Then she switched to a prayer shawl from a group called "Soulful Knitting Ministries". The shawl is made from all different types of yarn made into a skein. It is knitted and then sent to victims of domestic violence. We all want to do that! Chris was making a pumpkin hat because she knows another person expecting. Sandy was making a tie for her husband but showed us pictures of the Bob Dylan bag she made her son. That blew us away. Erika, a true artist and fiber artist, was knitting a scarf from some funky yarn. Lori was in between projects and started to knit a basket that will be felted. She carried her knitting in the beautifully felted entrelac bag she made. It was a gathering of colorful knitting. (See the picture!)

We are going to try to be a regular group meeting every Thursdays. I okayed it with the manager. I won't be there next week because we are going to visit my son at camp but it's nice to know that I can come back the following week. I thought Sandy was going to burst when she found out that this could be a regular gig.

A pleasant time was had by all. Thank you ladies for a great night! Thank you Elijah for being so sweet. I bet you were glad when Dad picked you up!

Happy July!

2007-07-03T11:47:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a while since my last post. We had my son's bar mitzvah (which was fantastic!), finals for him and packing up for sleepaway camp. Now that it's July 3rd, things have finally settled down and all of my attention is on Elijah, the house and the slowly shrinking mountain of laundry in my bathroom!

On the knitting front: I have been working on the Caprice Shawl that I bought in October 2006 from Morehouse Farms. I am using their laceweight yarn which I thought looked a lot better on the skein than in the shawl. However, people have stopped me and told me how much they like it. I'll post a picture when it's bigger. I seem to have problems with this pattern. I knit about 10 lines perfectly and then I find a mistake. So I have to TINK to find it. I am enjoying it, though, and am looking very forward to finishing it.

I put myself on a yarn diet. I have too much in the house and I can definitely find projects for them. There's a handyman at our temple who is originally from Chile. His name is John. This is the nicest man in the world. He told me that when he sees me knitting it reminds him of his mother. I have a lot of gray wool-ease left over from a coat I made and I keep seeing myself making John a scarf with it. That's one project. Then I want to make this baby sweater I saw that uses up scraps and hopefully present it to the woman who sold my hats last year. I now have time to do it and if they knit up fast, well, I can give her a bunch of those.

Back to the diet: A local store is having a sidewalk sale on July 27th and 28th. I just spoke to my friend and I told her if she buys stuff for me and I pay her back, I can still stay on the diet. Right? OR I had the end of July as my deadline for the diet. July 27th is near the end of July, right?

I am organizing a knit out in Yorktown Heights at Panera's. I am hoping that I get a few knitters in. I posted it on my guild's website and am e-mailing knitters that I know personally. I just don't want to sit there by myself! Well, actually, that's not so bad in Panera's. No, I want to meet some more knitters. We're a great bunch of people!

One last note: Iris Schreier's new book came out. It's called Lacy Little Knits. This is the book I knitted for and I have my first acknowledgment! This was a rush for me. I was so excited. The book is gorgeous and I have to get it!

Alison Hyde came out with her book, Wrapped in Comfort. I need to buy this one, too, but I would love to meet Alison finally and I am hoping that she makes it to the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival so she can sign it!

My Constant Companion

2007-04-20T19:56:00.000-04:00

I have had a successful felting episode! I was nervous putting all the pieces of this bag into the hot, hot water and letting it agitate with a pair of old jeans but I had to have faith that everything would work out alright. My previous felting experience wasn't a very good one. I didn't put anything in the washer to help felt it so my swatch came out lopsided. The yarn for this project was Patons Classic Wool which I got from AC Moore about 3 years ago!

Anyway, here are the pictures of my bag: from before felting to the final product!
This is the body of the bag and the I-cord handle before felting.
These are my swatched which later became pockets. I used patterns from Slip Stitch Knitting. I loved this method!
Here's the finished bag with the outside pocket.
This is the bag inside-out. These are my inside pockets. Since I take my knitting to my son's practices, there's room for my cell phone and his Epi-pens.

I used the blanket stitch to attach the pockets. I brought it to work and got rave reviews! I'll definitely try felting again! Also, I found out that the box that holds plastic garbage bags was perfect to use to shape the bag after it was felted!

The pattern for this bag can be found in Knitter's Stash by Barbara Albright.

Weird Dreams

2007-04-02T14:32:00.000-04:00

I know the name of the blog is hipknitta but I warned you all that I will write about whatever I want to write about. This is about old boyfriends. Back in January I had a reunion with my very first boyfriend. We went out when I was 16. I haven't seen him or heard from him in over 30 years. One of my mah jongg ladies' husband went to graduate school. How did I find this out? Well, during a game, we were listening to music from the '70's (music is the soundtrack of my life) and I said that the song playing reminded me of ........(name of the boyfriend). My friend said, "Did you say.....?" I told her I did. She wanted to know how I knew him. Was this the Spanish Inquistion of old boyfriends? Let me preface this that this woman grew up in Massachusetts along with her husband. I grew up in the Bronx and the boyfriend grew up in Queens. This is far away from Massachusetts! I told her that he was my very first boyfriend. She told me that her husband went to graduate school with him! They are both physicists! My mouth fell open. To make a long story short, her husband had a 50th birthday party where we were invited and there he was. Let me tell you, I made sure I looked really good. It was a very sweet but short reunion because DH and I had to leave for another function. I'm glad that I got to see him after all these years. He has 2 sons, older than mine. I met his wife (hello, couldn't you put on some lipstick?) and she seemed nice, too.

Now to the next boyfriend. This was a man I dated for 2 1/2 years. This was the life-changing relationship that sent me to therapy but I guess it was something I had to go through to "grow up". This man was 13 years older than me to the day. This man was an alcoholic and that's what did us in. I just found out that he died a few weeks ago. He had some surgery and afterwards his system started to shut down. I don't now if this was alcohol-related but I was dumbfounded! The weird thing was that he popped into my head 2 weeks ago as I was driving! Strange but true. I was truly sad that he died. I guess I'm the sole keeper of the memories and even though the break-up wasn't a great one (are they ever?) there are a lot of happy moments I can remember. I haven't spoken to his sister since the break-up, about 20 years ago but I feel compelled to send her a sympathy card. I'm going to send one to a very good friend of his who was a friend of mine when we were dating.

Last night I dreamt about him. I saw his face so clearly and it looked good! We were in someone's house who just had a baby. This baby was very small and I held the baby for a while. Then later as I was walking around this house, he was sitting on the floor with the baby next to him. I told him that wasn't the way to hold a baby and he told me that I should have one. I told him that I had two! I also remember telling him that I remember a lot of sweet times together. I kissed his cheek and walked away. I thought it was a nice way to say goodbye, even if it was in my sleep.

SIZE 50 NEEDLES...AGAIN!

2007-03-27T17:25:00.000-04:00

Here is my mega-shrug done on size 50 needles. I got the pattern from LionBrand. I used some mohair I bought at AC Moore. This stuff sheds like crazy! Anyway, it didn't take long to knit and sew. I was pleased with the results. When I walked into work, 2 people stopped me and asked for the pattern. My younger son reluctantly took the pictures so if I don't look so great, let's blame it on him.

Square Holes Sweater

2007-03-17T23:35:00.000-04:00

Here it is...I finally finished it today. It's suppose to have buttons but I like it the way it is. This is from Modular Knits by Iris Schreier. My advice to anyone who buys a knitting book: CHECK THE WEB FOR ERRORS! My book was a first edition and the corrections for my sweater didn't appear until the 3rd edition came out. I'm not going to tell you what was wrong with it. I think it fits fine! This yarn is also from Iris. It's Artyarns Merino. It was my payment for knitting for her new book.

CUDDLING UP WITH THE AFGHAN!

2007-03-17T23:26:00.000-04:00

A rare moment when the boys are together smiling! The afghan is long enough so that when both of them sit on the couch, there's enough afghan to go around. We are a family of blanket lovers!

AFGHAN MADE WITH SIZE 50 NEEDLES

2007-03-17T23:21:00.000-04:00

This afghan was made with 4 strands of Homespun. This also went very quickly. The only downside to this is the stitches are big and sometimes our fingers get caught in the holes. The kids still like to cuddle up with it. (See next entry)

SIZE 50 NEEDLES

2007-03-17T16:23:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to post some pictures of the afghan I made and the shrug that's in progress using those size 50 needles. They are awkward and you need to use your crotch to help you use them but 10 rows netted me 9 inches already! They are the nunchucks of the knitter's world.

This is me! Yes, you finally get to see what I look like showing off those big needles. The sweater I am wearing was the first modular piece I knitted about 8 years ago. It's a Horst Shultz pattern that was sold through a store called teh Knitting Basket. I believe they were located in California. Modular Knitting has really grown since then. I also think the store went out of business. I hope I'm wrong!

Marble Hat Pictures

2007-01-15T20:29:00.000-05:00

I forgot to show you my marble hats! It may be hard to see but the top is the pink/lavendar colorway and the bottom is the blue colorway.

My Son Raided My Stash! Random Thoughts!

2007-01-13T18:07:00.000-05:00

DS#2 learned how to weave on 4 straws in his art class. He loves doing it and has discovered one of my stashes which contains lots of worsted yarn, leftovers from projects and rejects. He was so cute the other day. He came into the kitchen with his arms full of yarn and asked me one by one if he could use it for his weaving. The only one I nixed was this pink merino I was saving for a scarf. I don't even know where I got them from, I think someone gave them to me after a knit-out. This yarn is so soft! His creation is over 3 feet long and I keep thinking to myself, "That IS my boy!"

I made this poor child come to the mall with me while I exchanged a gift someone got me from Bath and Body Works. She bought me bubble bath and body lotion in Cherry Blossom. It smelled like Pez to me. Also, when's the last time I took a bath? When's the last time I used bubble bath? (Not good for the female anatomy!) I found 2 different scents of shower gel but I got this weird memory while sniffing! Do you remember Love's Fresh Lemon? They also made Love's Baby Soft but I was a Lemon girl. I got this flashback of the yellow bottle with the white domed top. (or was it silver). I think that was my first perfume. Was it 7th or 8th grade? Such simpler times! Maybe that's why I'm attracted to citrusy scents. (one of the scents was Coconut Lime Verbena) Just had to share.

I haven't done any knitting this whole week. Well, my knitting was MIA but I found it. I was too tired to sit and figure out where I should be with my square holes sweater. I feel naked without it. Don't look!

Random Thoughts, No Knitting

2007-01-06T23:05:00.001-05:00

Saturday...I made it through the 4 day work week without a problem. The weird thing was that on Tuesday, when I went back to work, I was woken up by DS#1 20 minutes before my alarm clock was due to go off. He wasn't feeling good. So after taking his temperature and giving him some Advil, he crawled into my bed and I dozed for about 15 minutes. Then I popped up, showered, dressed, etc and had so much time I was able to actually drink my tea from a glass mug, read the paper sitting down and catch some news. As the week went on, it was harder and harder to get out of bed. But I made it through the week.

Which brings us to today. Today my parents threw themselves a party down in Florida to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary which was on December 29th. We were suppose to all go on a cruise last July but since my father had a heart attack, those plans were cancelled. The party was for their friends but my sister and her family decided to attend. I chose not to because I decided that it would be very inconvenient my family to go. I would have to pull my kids out of school right after they returned from a vacation. I would miss a day and would get in trouble for it (even though I really don't care but it would be considered very unprofessional.) Then it was the cost. Way too much money for 2 days in Florida. I have a bar mitzvah in May, DH may need a new car and we just redid 2 bathrooms. If the party was planned for 3 weeks later, the airfare would have been a fraction of what it was for this weekend.

Did I feel bad? A little but more annoyed that another date wasn't even considered. My sister had the gall to call me up on Thursday and ask, "What are you doing on Saturday?" I told her, "Basketball and more basketball." J
DS: Tell me, are you planning to surprise Mom and Dad?
Me: No, I told you we weren't going.
DS: Tell me the truth, I don't want to be surprised. You're coming, right?
Me: What don't you understand? We're not coming. I can't afford it.
DS: You're coming, right? I don't want to be surprised.
Me: You are annoying me. I'm hanging up. "CLICK"

That got me mad. What the hell is wrong with her? Was she trying to rub it into me that she was going and I wasn't? I dwelled on it for a bit and then let it go until DH talked to me. He kept pushing me to go by myself. Honestly, if my whole family couldn't go, I didn't want to go. I felt it would have been better if we were all there but I'm not going to put myself in financial straits for this. My family comes first.

I spoke to my mother about the party and she seemed reluctant to talk about it. She said that we were missed but she wasn't giving me any details unless I asked her. She did sound tired. She was more concerned about her garbage disposal. Whatever...

Basketball and more basketball and no knitting! I finished 6 "Marble" Hats. That's what I named them because the yarn looks like marble. I made 2 newborn sized hats and 4 hats in size 12 -18 months. I really liked the way they came out. I'll post a picture tomorrow. This was the first time in a long time that I didnt' bring my knitting with me to a sporting event. I paid attention like I have never done. DS#1's game was very exciting. DS#2's was okay. They are only 8 and 9 years old so it's a different game than the 12 and 13 year old boys!

We went out to eat and I came home to sew name tags into the hats. I made labels for them using my new heart-shaped paper cutter. I use fun foam. I write the name of the hat, the size, and the washing instructions. Then I stuffed the hats with tissue paper. I have to call the owner of the store that sells my stuff to tell her about them. I made her a "spec" sheet telling the selling points of these hats and my prices. I put a range on the newborn size showing the minimum I would accept. The larger size is set at $20. I figured since this woman is not a knitter, she wouldn't know the beautiful features of these hats such as the lace ribbing and seamless knitting to guarantee a comfortable fit. I thought this was a great idea, if I do say so myself! I still feel funny calling her, don't ask me why. Once she was a little gruff on the phone and maybe that's the reason but the other time I spoke to her she was very sweet. A bad day? Perhaps.

Until my next post...Peace.

I'd Rather Be Knitting...

2007-01-03T18:23:00.000-05:00

Today my friend at work walked into my classroom to show off her new tangerine cardigan with beautiful wooden buttons. It was a rough mohair knitted in Stockinette stitch. It looked gorgeous on her! My students were pretty impressed especially one girl who knits! I told her that she could make something like that. She said she only knows how to make blankets. I told her that she could learn to increase and decrease. I just realized that I forgot to give her a bunch of websites she can look up on her computer. Anyway, my friend Marina was very proud and tangerine today.

When she left, an awkward silence came over my class. (Note: I teach resource room so I usually have 4 or 5 kids at a time.) I looked at each of them and blurted out, "I love to knit. If I didn't have to work, I'd be knitting!" They just looked at me and gave me one of their "Okay-Miss-We-Understand" smiles. Sometimes I'd rather be knitting. Tonight I have a sisterhood meeting...prime knitting time! Uh oh...I better get my stuff together to get to this meeting.