New York State Sheep & Wool Festival 2008

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

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)

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

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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...

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!

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!

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

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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...

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.

All is Quiet on New Year's Eve...

How hip are you? Do you know where the title comes from? (The real words are "All is Quiet on New Year's Day") It is the end of the month and the year and what a year it has been. I was on a sabbatical from teaching from February to July (that's how long my salary was reduced!), took some incredible courses, my father had a heart attack, a friend of mine died from malignant melanoma and left 2 kids the same ages as mine, my mother's friend's husband died suddenly, my Aunt Ruthie died, I had my bat mitzvah, my fake Aunt Bernice died, Ben went to sleep away camp, Elijah had a wonderful time being the only child at home during the summer, we're planning Ben's bar mitzvah, I transitioned back to school in September without any problem, DH has gout, and I know there were a lot more things but I can't think of them right now (and I'm sure you are all saying, "Thank God!")

And then there was the knitting...socks, scarves, some baby things, knitting for Iris Schreir (that was fun and exciting), selling my knitting in The Lily Pad (a big deal for this girl!), and winding up with charity knitting (preemie caps and a blanket).

The only thoughts that come to mind for the new year is that there will be peace in the world. No more killing, no more genocide. I also wish for good health for my family and friends, financial security, a 30 lb. weight loss for me, a larger one for DH, and that my children will always love me no matter how much we annoy each other!

I wish for everyone a very happy and healthy and safe new year. We're off to go to our friends across the street (basically because they have a big screen TV) but we have some delicious vittles to share. We don't like to drive on this night so this has become a wonderful tradition. Happy New Year, everyone! See you in 2007!

Confidence in My Blog!

I just had to write this. I was so nervous about opening my blog up to the world and the 2 comments I received have really made me feel great! Thanks! I know that not all comments in my blog future will be positive, they may be nasty and critical but thanks for the great start! I'm grinning from ear to ear!

Confidence in My Knitting

Why is is that knitters seem to downplay their talents? When someone would compliment something I made, I would respond with, "Oh, it was nothin!" Is it because I can't take a compliment? Attention being paid to something I made in my house may not merit the same attention to a "real" object of art? I was feeling this way for a long time. Then I realized that it was spreading to my family. When my husband's co-worker had a son, I told him that I would knit 3 fruit caps for the baby in 3 different sizes. "Is that enough of a gift?" he asked. Hmmm, maybe he was right. I ran to the store and got a cute photo album/frame thing. Then it dawned on me that those hats could be worth a lot of money in a store. Why did I cave and get something else? It made it seem that my hats weren't good enough.

I ran into a woman I know from my temple in AC Moore. She was buying different types of yarn because she knits scarves and sells them for $40 - $60 each! My mouth hung open. I came home somewhat agitated because I could do something like that and I know I'm a better knitter than her. (Okay, a little competition here but I don't think she knows how to make anything but a scarf!) My husband told me to make something and sell it. Naah, I couldn't do it until...

The wife of my husband's co-worker called me. She's opening a children's store that features handmade item. Could I knit up some hats for her to sell? I felt that old voice in my head say, "Who's going to pay for them? They're just hats I could whip up in a matter of hours?" I shut the voice up and said, "I'll do it!" I knitted 10 hats for her, had them delivered via the husbands, and lo and behold, seven sold! I became a "professional"! My whole attitude changed. My knitting is worth something. Even though those hats were simple, there are many people out there who CAN'T knit and are willing to buy my knitting! I even sold 2 to a friend of mine at school however I did give her a special discount. She told me the hats were so well received. It made my day!

Now I'm working on some stuff to send to her to see if she would like it for her store. In the past, I would hem and haw about it. Now I feel as if I grew a set of, well, you know...nothing can stop me now! When I get compliments on my stuff, I don't downplay my talent. I say thank you and smile!

Awake and Alone on Christmas Morning

Everyone is asleep. We went to bed very late last night after a fun time with our friends who must visit the Jewish deli every year. Gifts were exchanged, we all ordered in moderation and then home for tea and coffee. DS#2 wanted me to watch and Austin Power's movie with him. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I will probably fall asleep while watching it but I tried. For some strange reason I was able to pop out of bed, make myself my English Breakfast tea, watch the Today Show and check e-mails. I'm now thinking about my knitting.

I have to finish a preemie cap. I made a little kit with some cool yarn that I used to make my niece a sweater with when she was born. It's stretchy and bright. I plan on trying to make a few to give to my guild. My kids were born full term, big and healthy. I can't imaging what these parents go through when they have a premature baby. I just hope my little hats keep those little heads warm so they can thrive and grow.

Now...my square holes sweater. This project was put on hold so I can frantically knit the Hebrew teachers' scarves and the 3rd grade secular teacher one, too. I must have mentioned dozens of times on Knit Talk that I was such an idiot! I'm just glad it's over. Now to get back to my stuff however, I really enjoyed those quickie projects.

So, on Christmas morning, I am relishing the quietness of the house, I feel the need for another cup of tea, and the need to finish that little preemie hat that was interrupted by other things. Peace.

P.S. I finished 2 hats. Here's a picture of them. Yes, that is an acorn squash and a clementine!

Grand Re-Opening

I read in a previous entry that I opened this up to the public. That was news to me. Why have I been so shy? I don't care what people see. It's another side of me, that's all. What have I been doing with my knitting? First, I made a little pocket money selling 7 hats in a store. Not bad. I'm not going to get rich from it but it was very flattering to know that people will pay money for my knitting! It definitely boosted my confidence! I gave the store owner some holiday hats to look over. I have to call her tomorrow to see if she is interested in them. I made 2 newborn sizes: one was a Christmas hat and the other was a Chanukah one. That one was done in navy blue with silver fun fur around it!

I am working on Iris Schrier's Square Holes Sweater from her Modular Knitting book. I'm getting close to finishing the left front. I'm really enjoying this project. The yarn is gorgeous and the pattern is fun. Some of my students today told me that I was in a gang called the Ladies Knitting Gang. I told them that the name of my gang was the Hipknittas. They thought that was the funniest thing they ever heard. I've got jokes!

Fried Brains

We are having a heat wave. It is so unpleasant. Okay, I shouldn't complain. I have AC but when you walk outside, you are hit with a wall of heat. I was talking to someone for 5 minutes and I was sweating from under my eyes and in my cleavage. I am not a sweater! I don't mean the kind you wear. I mean one who sweats. So what do I do today? I decided to meet a friend for lunch in a very cool place. (I mean a place with AC, not hip but it's pretty hip right now.) And, I knitted. I'm working on the second sock and when I was up to the second pattern, I realized that I never increased after to ribbing. I frogged back to the ribbing and am almost where I was when I ripped. The second sock is always faster than the first. In fact, I am having thoughts of doing another pair with some self-striping yarn that I was going to make a baby sweater with. The person had a boy and the yarn is for a girl (purples, oranges and greens) That would make a very funky pair of socks.

I am having some wonderful brainstorms of marketing my knitting skills. That's all I'm going to say for now. I need to write it down so I won't lose my focus.

One Sock Done

We visited DS#1 at camp this past weekend and it was a great, albeit rainy day. I was so excited to see him. We actually saw him Friday night when we had to drop off DS#2 because they allowed siblings to sleep over. DS#1 treated him so beautifully! He made him feel so special. DH and I went to Tanglewood that night where Mozart was playing and I knitted until it got too dark to see the navy blue yarn.

The next day we arrived at 8:30 and the camp was in the playhouse having their morning sing. The words of the songs were projected onto a screen. They sang everything from Beatles to James Taylor to Neil Diamond (Sweet Caroline) to goofy songs about meatballs. Then we hung out, played basketball, tennis, ate lunch, and attempted a parent/camper softball game but it poured! So it was back to the bunk where we found out that there were a bunch of leaks. Then when it stopped raining it was time to go! It was hard for me to leave. DS#1 had his arms around us the whole day. He told us that he didn't want us to leave but he understood that we did have to go. I felt that I was going through that whole missing process again like when he first left back in June.

On the way home we stopped at some local farmstands and bought sunflowers, blueberries, cherries and peppers. DS#2 discovered the world of flea markets and junk shops. He bought baseball cards there and DH told him that they may actually be worth something. He was bitten by the bug. DH and I use to troll antiques stores around the area before kids. I now see that it's in the genes!

SO, I finished my sock using a different pattern for the heel and gusset. It came out fine. I'll wear them. Them? Oops! I have to knit another one.

Total Frustration (from my sock)

I started the Fair Isle socks from KnitPicks and the heel is not turning the way it's suppose to. I started it on 2 circular needles and when I got to the heel, I switched to dpn's. I must have done this part 4 separate times and it's not working out. There are holes when I am turning the heel and if I continue with the foot, there aren't any gussets. I think I'm going to just follow the directions from Cat Bordhi and do the heel her way. I called KnitPicks but the woman I spoke to doesn't knit. She told me to send an e-mail to the Webmaster. I'll do that afterwards.

Yesterday I went walking in the mall for 26 minutes! It was strange at first but I got into the groove. I went around 5 times. That's the equivalent of .6 miles. I also attended a WW meeting. I didn't gain that much. Less than 2 pounds. I am on the right track.

Looking in the Mirror

I am having a reflection crisis. I can't stand what I see when I look in the mirror. Dare I say it that I look like my mother? My weight gain is not flattering and I feel it is getting a stronghold on my psyche. I find myself staring at women's stomachs on TV and seeing how flat they are. Even at my thinnest I never had a flat stomach but I had a great shape. My breasts feel enormous. By dropping the weight, I know the "girls" will also get smaller. I went up 6 inches in my bra band. I went shopping yesterday to get some shorts and shirts. I got shorts with the idea that yes, they fit but I don't want to wear them next year. What is preventing me from being successful? I don't like going to WW when I'm up and yes, I am up. Actually, that's the time I really should be going because I need the help but I like to see my weekly weigh-ins go down! My cholesterol is slightly elevated and for me that is devastating. I always had low cholesterol. It's proof of what 30 extra pounds can to your body! I was walking but it got too hot.

What changes can I make? I can start walking in the mall after I drop Elijah off at camp. I can stop getting bored and grabbing for stuff and get busy by spending 15 minutes straightening something up, reading, knitting, etc. I have lots of things to do. I can reward myself for positive changes. Nothing big. Time to knit would be a good reward. A cold beverage at Starbucks. I should think of working on 5 pounds at a time. My body responded really well to exercise. So why did I stop? Schmuck!

I feel better putting these feelings into words. I see that I do have the mindset to work on this weight. It's like knitting. One pound at a time. One row at a time. My health is worth it.

OKC: Simple Stripes Fair Isle Socks

Random Thoughts and OKC

Yesterday, DS#2 and I went to a local diner for dinner because DH went to a BBQ with the temple's brotherhood. A man walked in with a little girl and for a second I thought I recognized him as someone I spent my summers with at Lebanon Country Club. All of a sudden I felt sick to my stomach. Last year, at a friend's bat mitzvah, this man's nephew was sharing the moment and he was there. This man has a twin brother that I was friendlier with. His sisters are also twins and one was my counselor and the other was my sister's. My friend, Jeff, was very happy to see me when we had a mini reunion last year. When I went over to Mike, he was so rude and cold. I kept wondering what did I do wrong? I never said anything to his sister, who is a member of my temple but it did disturb me. Anyway, there was Mike in the diner. I had to decide whether to ignore him or to say hello. I couldn't believe me, Robin, was having a confidence crisis. I decided that I was going to say hi and the worst he could do is be unfriendly...again. As DS#2 and I were leaving I stopped by and said hello. We introduced our kids to each other and he joked around with my son about the Yankees. He even remembered that we saw each other recently but I guess he doesn't remember being unfriendly. I'm glad I said hello. Maybe he was having a bad day that day, a fight with his wife or relative, who knows? Maybe it was me but he's over it.

Seeing Mike made me feel that I aged so much. True, we were friends when we we all 11 up to 17 or 18. It made me feel like a fart. I talked to DH about it and he told me he thinks I'm still beautiful. How nice. Somebody wants something! I have to get my edge back. I'll work on it. Doctor's orders.

Okay, so this is the hipknitta blog so I have to put some obligatory knitting content (OKC). I am working on my socks. I'll post a picture when I finish the first one.

A Little SEX (Stash Enhancement Expedition)

Today I visited a new yarn store. It's called the Katonah Yarn Company and it's in Katonah, NY. I knew of this store but I avoided it because I really didn't need anymore yarn. No, I'm not sick. I have a lot right now. My friend Toni gave me a gift card for the store so I had to check it out. It's a very cozy place. The store has a very lived in look. By that I mean that it's very comfortable looking. There are chairs, a big table in the middle of the store and a little sitting area in the back. The shelves are stocked with Noro, Debbie Bliss, Rowan, Jade Sapphire, Artyarns, Lorna's Laces, etc. I didn't know how much the gift certificate was for but Amy, one of the owners, scanned it for me. $36! I was thrilled. Toni gave me this gift on the occasion of my bat mitzvah! Nothing really caught my eye. I realized then that I had a lot of stuff at home. I perused the books she had to some idea of what to buy. I looked at Pam Allen's Scarf Style book and I remembered I always liked Ene's Scarf. They had a sample in the store. It was done in Lorna's Laces in a maroon color. Very pretty. Amy showed me that I could use Jade Sapphire Cashmere but it may be too fuzzy for the scarf. She left me alone so I could look and touch around the store.

While I was alone, I decided that this store is nice. There's nothing outstanding about it but there is a good selection of yarn. However, I could get a lot of comparable yarn from KnitPicks and other sources. The owners were friendly and when I couldn't choose between 2 colorways of yarn, Amy was there to help me decide. She even wound the hank into a ball for me on her swifter. I also had to add to the giftcard because the yarn was $54 and change. That's okay. Considering that 2 other local stores closed in the last few months, this store is a good place to get some very nice yarn. I believe they give lessons as well as classes and I signed up to get their notices via e-mail.

That was all the SEX I had today.

Today, I finished my niece's hat. That meant I had absolutely nothing on my needles to work on. Okay, I did start an afghan a while ago but I don't love it. I may rip it out. Now I have to decide whether to start to scarf or work on some socks. I forgot that I ordered yarn to make a KnitPicks pattern. Decisions, Decisions.

Opened to the Public

This is a picture of my 3 yo niece's mitered cardigan. The pattern came from KnitPicks as did the yarn. She has bright red hair, similar to the orange color in the yarn. The pink heart shaped buttons are the only ones I was able to find to match the colorway and that were whimsical!

I finally opened my blog to the public. My previous entries weren't very knitting oriented but this is a place where I can write about whatever I want to. Welcome.