(such a) Fickle Stitcher

Today over the lunch break, I finished the black/grey/white entrelac scarf for my ex-co-worker.

 I am very pleased with it; so is Brickle. I hope she will be as well.

Interesting day — if very cold and raining. I was given a new task and felt good about how much I accomplished. It also gave me an opportunity to both learn more about and become more comfortable working with the new version of the software we use for most of our cataloging projects. Unfortunately, the side of my face is still aching, either from cold or sinus inflamation. The house is cold, but the bedroom is warm, so that’s where I’m heading!

As soon as I got to work this morning, freshly charged battery in the new camera, I took this photo of my Carnivale Critters, “Boss Hogg” and “Miss Prissy.” Mardi Gras comes VERY early this year (February 5th). We’ve already had one King Cake (from Randazzo’s, of course!) — on Twelfth Night — and my sister got the baby in the first slice! What a good omen for the year.

My third entrelac scarf, this one in the black/gray/white colorway of di’Ve’s Teseo is almost finished, lacking  only the last tier and the bind off triangles.  It will just have to wait until tomorrow; my eyes are shot for the night, the left side of my face has been aching since 2pm, and I just have to go to bed . . . I had it half-a-bind-off triangle from being finished, but ran out of thread and had to pull back a whole tier set. When it’s finished, I’ll block it and take photos (with the new camera!!). I do hope my friend like it!

I decided today that my next knitting project will be a pair of leggings! There is a terrible draft at my desk, and I’m tired of my feet and legs being cold. I don’t like running a space heater. I looked through all the patterns on Ravelry, and the items taged with legging, leggings, and legwarmers. I think I like one of the ones from DROPS best, but I want to flare the ankle area as that is the part of my foot which gets coldest.

I’ve got three projects “that far” from being finished! Grrr… maybe tomorrow I’ll get to join my friends all posting their first FO of 2008!

After work today, I will go by BestBuy to pick up a new toy . . .

as in:

• I’ve been awake off and on since midnight . . .
• .
• I’ve been on the couch nursing something gastrointestinal most of the day . . .
• .
• I’ve got great males (two- and four-legged) around to take care of me when I’m sick . . .
• .
• I’ve spent a little of the evening with my sister who’s leaving tomorrow . . .
• .
• I’ve finished knitting the first ball of yarn for the black/grey/white entrelac scarf . . .
• .
• I’ve found lots of things on Ravelry to add to my queue . . .
• .
• I’ve not gone to bed yet . . .

Sometimes it is difficult to remember how one stumbles upon a website and/or blog. Children’s Lit ‘n Knit is one of these. It is a wonderful collaborative-type blog (in that Shelly Hatten asks for suggestions and ideas) that pairs children’s stories with knitting patterns and ideas. Many of the pattern ideas are toys, but not always. Such was the case today with a suprising pairing of Charlotte’s Web with a lace scarf!

You really must click on the photo and see the full scarf.

I probably would not use “some pig” if I made this scarf, but what an inspiring idea for marking a scarf with a favorite phrase or your initials. Open the PDF folder with the charts, and look at how easily it could be charted! Woo-hoo, I can’t wait to find the perferct phrase…

pssst! Widen it for a shawl, Lisa, and add it to your list of knit-a-longs! I’ll join ya!

Sorry, Ray . . . it’s Tibet.

First, I found $1.00/ball wool blend yarn last night at Michael’s for teaching knitting — the deal will be: I’ll teach you to knit, provide yarn and needles; you knit a hat/scarf for KniTibet.

Then this morning, I had an email from a classmate asking for information about our trip. He and his wife are planning to go. Thinking about what to say . . . looking for the links to send him . . . seeing the photos . . . god! I want to go back so badly!

DH and I were also talking about it on Sunday. It amazes me that he wants so badly to go back, too. His usual attitude is, “let’s go somewhere new.” I think that is why he likes accompanying me to the EGA National Seminars. We’ve gone to San Francisco, Louisville, Chicago, and New Orleans (when we didn’t live so close by!) — hmm . . . brain-fade, here . . . I’m sure he’s come with me to others.

Back to Tibet (from my keyboard to the Buddha’s ear), though. It will have to wait at least another year. I simply do not have the leave-time, nor do I think my employer would be please for me to take another 3-week trip this year! I don’t know when it might happen, or how it will come to be, but I feel confident that we will return to Lhasa.

who could resist these charming people?

Sunday’s one of those good news/bad news kind of days. It can be calm and relaxing, rejuventating and restful, or it can be hectic and meaningless — to say nothing of having to go back to work the day after. That last part, over the years, has made Sunday an especially blue day to me. Not so much now, thankfully.

Usually for me the day goes one of two ways: DH & I go somewhere for lunch, then come home and I either do school work, knit, watch TV, nap, or some combination thereof; or, we stay home and I either do school work, knit, watch TV, nap or some combination thereof. Once in a while we go off for the whole day, but not very often.

Today we decided quite late to go out to eat, and by the time we got away from the house and drove to the restaurant it was already closed for the afternoon. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I asked DH where would we go instead . . . an idea was in my head, but I didn’t voice it. It was sort of far away (although we were already half way there at this point), and gas is so high. I waited for DH to answer . . . “Semolina’s?” Yes! My thought exactly! South to Mandeville we headed.

We had a WONDERFUL meal, as usual, but it seemed even better than usual. I always have Chicken Parmesean. DH tried the Scampi Sicilia — I tell you no lie, folks, it was better than my favorite Olive Garden dish, Sicilian Scampi! Delicious, sweet, large shrimp and heavenly lemon garlic sauce over angel-hair pasta. The serving of Chicken Parmesean was so large, I brought home enough for probably three lunches this week. We also had the Spinach & Artichoke Quattro Formaggio — and got it free because it took so long for them to serve it.

It’s a good ways from Mandeville to our house. I managed a lot of knitting on the Peaks & Valley Scarf. So much so that I finished it before bedtime. Then I decided to bite the bullet and graft the two pieces of entrelac together. I want to wear it tomorrow — but, it took longer than I hoped. Am heading to bed and will work on it at lunch.

There are photos of Stich Niche’s great yarn selection on my phone (actually now on my laptop). With good luck I’ll get those posted Monday night before class.

It started slowly, but even though I had a headache for hours and hours and hours, today was a good Twelfth Night day.  I picked up our Randazzo’s King Cake on the way to the yarn shop on the Coast, spent most of my Christmas loot, had a great steak dinner, and managed to get my Christmas decorations down.

The yarn shop was wonderful, and I took some photos which I will upload tomorrow. It’s late, though, and I need to go to bed. A quick rundown of my purchases: Noro Silk Garden Lite ; di. Ve’ Teseo ; Plymouth Suri Merino ; Madil Kid Seta ; Jojoland Harmony ; and . . . drumroll, please . . . Cat Brodhi’s book, New pathways for sock knitters!

Oh! and my sister got her Ravelry invite today! Woo-hoo!

Bedtime is delayed a bit tonight, as I wait for my clothes to finish drying. If I’d been paying attention to the washer instead of my knitting (–horrors!–) I would probably be already snuggled under my warm wool blanket and down comforter.

Yes, it is still quite cold here in Mississippi. In fact, according to my WeatherChannel.com widget, it is currently 30°F. For the first time in the 14 months I’ve worked in the library, I turned on my area heater. Never did really get warm until late this afternoon when I turned it onto high. Then . . . I didn’t want to leave my desk! “Hmm… need to print this… oh, it can wait til tomorrow…”

A short visit with Dad, supper with DH and DSis, a few rows of knitting, and voila! The evening is over. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday. I have things I want to show and things I want to tell — and, with some good luck, that will include stash enhancement from a trip to the yarn store on the Coast on Saturday.

I did finish the two sleeves with the Himalaya Yarn recycled silk. Now to find three coordinating skeins *sometime* and finish the body of the jacket. It’s the kind of thing you have to buy in person, or have really good photos of particular skeins. No telling what I would end up with if I just ordered it from somewhere. I would take a photo of the finished sleeves, but the dryer just buzzed at me…

[oh! before I hit “publish” — I did come up with one New Year’s resolution to share: Have change to tip the crew when I get coffee in the mornings! They set up these cards that I load up every couple weeks, but there’s no way for them to add on a tip when they debit the cards. Great convenience for the customers, but I wonder how much tip the kids have lost since the program began. Too often I run in the cafe with only my punchcard and the little debit card, and forget some change for a tip. They are too good a crew to forget.]