Saturday, August 25, 2007

Knitting Under the Inflewantz

It's been a strange week, but aren't some of them? Employee Appreciation Day was Thursday. We had a great time. There was an after party. Friday was hard in a couple of ways. 5 Days, and I'm on vacation. I would normally insert a big Woo Hoo here, but it's the going back to work after the vacation that escapes me. I don't know when or where that is. I hate being new, I'll live through it, but I don't like it.

Is there knitting here anymore? You bet. It's been the rock of my Gibraltar, the cream in my coffee and the fiber in my diet. Most of it is still sort of stealthy, but 3 or 4 weeks and I'll bomb you with photos. I feel a little wonky with blogging and it's hard to focus, just too much life at once sometimes makes me just. Stop.

Watch me light up when I'm home on a really rainy day in September at 10 am though! You're likely to hear that Woo Hoo then.

Here's some knitting related stuff so you won't think I'm trying to cop some free therapy from a group of smart and compassionate people.

The old birthday is almost upon me and I was given the go ahead to order this:




Heh, like I need permission. Three words about this book: Worth every penny. K?
Cat Bordhi outdid herself. Linus saw the word Cat, and thought it was for him.





Here's a knitting bag I won over at Erin's and it's my favorite! She made this awesome bag and let me tell you, it's like store bought! She has incredible sewing skills; Erin, I believe I told you 3 times already how much I love this bag!






Stalled for a new project? Go see Michelle’s blog for a KAL she's putting together for a gorgeous sweater that will challenge you to pieces, but leave you with a great addition to your wardrobe. Michelle, I think this was just another plot to get a post out of me.

Like to donate? Then The Red Scarf Project 08 is for you, no time to make a scarf? You can click to donate, that easy.



This one is crocheted, I called it Gwen's Red Scarf in Crochet. A knitted scarf that Gwen made for Norma was "sort of" emulated in crochet. Almost done, but crocheting in afghan stitch curls like knitting, so I'll have to block the daylights out of this. My own pattern, so I saved you a link.

Or how about something a little smaller to knit? Rabbitch has your project right here. You'll have to ask her in the comments for the info, I happen to have her box # cause I "knat" hats for her last year. She coined that phrase and I thought it only proper to use it in reference to her. I've wanted to for ages!



This one is by Knits by Rachel and I'm using the same shade of pink worsted cotton. My photo sucks ass, Rachel's is much better. It's very girlie.

And if I could have only one thing for my birthday next week, I want one of these.



I have the feeling I'm forgetting something, maybe it was the wine?

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Pink, Blue, White, Green and Red

Warning: Language and ranting ahead.

It was a perfectly planned day. Take a half off from work, get kids, take Kate to her hair stylist, run into Michael's right around the corner, grab a sandwich next door, get to the school and pick up Meg's schedule. Got it.
sccccraatchhhhhhhh

I had a granola bar at 11 am, left work at 1 got home and picked up kids. Kate's hair winds up taking 2 hrs and about $80 more than planned, OK, that's not too bad but it's too late to grab a sandwich so off to school we go. WE go in and go to out table. In lieu of Meg's pink class schedule they hand me a white form and a green card and direct us to the cafeteria in which they say Meg has to have her shots to into the 7th grade. OK....

The cafe is packed with about 200 people and many many many screaming running and overly sugared toddlers who are not happy to be there. We are #97, they are calling #36 and it's now 5.

I call dad and ask him to get Kate as we're "going to be here for a while". The asst principal ushers in a woman with 5 children right into the shot line, the woman behind me goes ballistic and rightfully so. This yields nothing. Didn't expect it to.

Hallay effin luya at 6:45 they call us and we get in the shot line only 3 ahead of us and moving fast. Our turn! I can almost smell the coffee and feel the luxury that is my chair at home.

The nurse takes my white form and green card and asks, "What kind of insurance? Medicare? FL Kid Care? Medicaid?" I say, "Private insurance" and here's where the whole fucking day went to hell....

She asks me in a loud voice "Do you have any sense of conscience? Do you know you're stealing a shot from a needy child?........My mouth dropped, my eyebrows raised, and I said "heh?" Then I sneered and asked her who the HELL did she think she was speaking to? Those shots were donated by the drug company, 13% of my property taxes paid for these programs which by the way, I've never used, and that she was being paid $40 an hour to be there, like she's doing the community a favor or something. She then raised the forms high in the air and tore them in two and tossed them on the floor. That's when I screamed at her "Shove your shot up your ass, you miserable cunt!" and stomped out of there back to the gymnasium to report to the school. Shotless, no less.

Poor Meg is walking beside me as if she just saw the principal naked and said nothing. Back in gym, there are 5 school counselors left, and everything is packed away. I beseechingly said "Will. Somebody. Please. Talk. To. Me? Please?
A kindly faced woman gently waved us over and I Calmly, yes calmly explained what just happened when she extended her hand to Meg and said "Welcome to the 7th grade Megan, I'm Ms. Soandso and I'm your administrator this year while handing Meg her pink schedule with her other hand. I thanked her and promised to bring the blue form required on Monday ans she assured it was OK. See, they know us well, this is Meg's 2nd year here and Kate already passed through the school.

Meg got her shots from our Dr and is now in compliance. I sure feel sorry for people who don't believe in shots.

And for the record, I have always respected the medical profession, for in lieu of a life, they make good money but have no weekends, no holidays just schedules. Blocks of time they must work. Both my SILs are nurses, 2 cousins are doctors so I know hoe these things work.

I do realize, I started all this but forgetting to have Meg's shots updated, but it's not like we're unhealthy people living in the Everglades or something. But this woman had no right to talk to me like that, call me stupid, lazy, forgetful what ever; just please don't publicly attack my integrity (or back me into a corner in any way) and I'll be sweet as sunshine.

I spent an hour on the phone with the hospital administrator and may even file a complaint with the state licensure board. I will be hearing back from the hospital soon. I can't imaging how this bitch would handle a floor full of sick patients if this is how she represents here hospital in public. At least I lit her up Philly style! I would have hated myself if I didn't.

Poor Meg, as we walked to the car I asked her if she was totally mortified and she responded with "Mom, I can't believe she said that to you". Thank Jeebus she didn't hear the cursing. And now that it's posted, it's ova!

The upside to all this? I finished 2 washcloths while we were there.
Oh, is a knit blog? Sure there's knitting, just not postworth and slightly in stealth mode, but soon to emerge.

Friday, August 10, 2007

I Am Daisy


I am a
Daisy


What Flower
Are You?


"You are just a sweet person. When a friend needs a shoulder to cry on, you are happy to offer yours with a box of tissues as well. Once in awhile, you wish you could be a little more dramatic but then sensibility sets back in and you know that you are perfect the way you are."

I said daisy not dizzy. The Coffee Spaz was sporting a sun flower, so of course, I had to find out what kind of flower I am too. There is much fiber and ink running through my fingers, I may very well in fact, be dizzy. Happy weekend!

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

My Dream Job

This is where I want to work. In the meantime, I'm practicing at home.



Friday, August 03, 2007

My Candy Friday

I have tons to post about, so I'll get right to it. The ticker counting down to unemployment is showing a small number. I can not believe I'll be a lady of full time slave labor in the house leisure in a mere 28 days. I've been busy interviewing like a mad woman so everything will be in place, cause hey? Why should I spend all my soon to be free time looking for work? I say farewell mortgage industry, I'm going to stable pastures. No pun intended. Now, on to really important things!

The Luck O' the Irish has been smilin on Carol lately. We be takin' yer job lady, and ternin' ye streets into rubble so ye can driiive a boompy miiile out o yer way to git hooome it nyte. So they let me win a few contests! Now The Betties have been giving me a little shit cause I haven't been spreading the contest info wealth around, so I promise next time to share. Hey, I was just increasing my chances, what can I say?

On the winning deck, I scored really nicely, I must say. First, Erin had a contest for her String it Along along, still a good place for "green" inspiration. And she sent me this:


That's 2 skeins of Koigu in dye lot # 232649 which translates into a really nice denim blue for me. Thank you Erin, bet you thought I forgot by now. I'm planning socks for me with these, something for my favorite outfits. Jeans!

Next up, came just today when I dragged my ass home early feeling a wee bit sorry I'll be out of work, and find this waiting for me:

Is that a poltergiest on my table? I wouldn't be surprised. Or scared, so if you are, don't give me any shit, hear?


These lovelies are from Hillary for guessing how many trips to the store before vacation. She did very well by the way, an organized woman. These are Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Color 56 Mt Creek.
Oh how I love the way this feels! Just like butta! Hard to believe there's any wool in these babies at all! Now I'm certain I need to order this in cammo color (which is hard to grab) for kid 2. But after my socks are made with these.

On another note, seems Michelle is a bit miffed that I haven't posted lately. Girl are you sorry yet? I'm not half done! Where would I be without you? Postless.
I can't think of a bridging theme to go into the next paragraph, so I'll just ramble from here.
Earlier, I posted about a friend having a baby on July 25th and when you're a Betty and one of you has one of these:


you do alot of this:



Baby blanket, baby bolero, baby washcloth, baby booties, baby hat. I'll post in more detail as the projects become postworthy.

Speaking of knitting and sock yarn, I finally made these!





Be still my heart. According to Debi, I broke my sock cherry ~snort~ Now the rest should be easier no?
Specs: Lacy Summer Socks from Knitting Lingerie Style
Yarn: Knit Picks Bare fingering weight hand dyed by me, guess I broke my dye cherry too. Worked with US size 3 Bamboo dpns

I stuck right to the pattern because it was my 1st pair and I don't really know how I knit socks yet, well, now I do. I could have made these easily with 2s but they're socks anyway! The blockers were made by Leggy Creations. These are her Day n Night Blockers.



Not only knitting any more, but a wee bit of designing too.



These are being worked up for the Red Scarf Project. Some crochet patterns are needed for folks to access, so I'm trying my best to help out. One of the patterns is an attempt to emulate a knit stitch. Not exact, but the process helps me think of better things than I would if not having this to do. It's a fun challenge!

Not so challenging but fun was the dishcloth for July:

I know most of my photos bite, but this had a nice lacy pattern with a shamrock in the middle. I like this alot. Next post Michelle, is where I discuss Ravelry, and facing my stash, and oh boy, am I in trouble.