Archive for the ‘Stuff’ Category

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Is It Dinner When You Eat at 3PM?

July 1, 2011

Yesterday, I had a roaring headache by 4PM.  Trying to cook was impossible.  I wanted to hide in the dark in the bathroom, but Sweetums and Frank were working on it.  Everywhere else was too bright.  I had to change my white socks.  They seemed to be glowing.  This happens sometimes. 

So, today I started cutting my vegetables around 2PM.  I had two left-over pork chops and Sweetums loves stir-fry.  Then, I thought why not go ahead and fix it now.  I can warm it up later.  I hear, “What cha doing?”  Sweetums started fixing rice.  Neither of us had had any lunch.  So supper/dinner was at 3PM.  I guess we are turning into old farts.

Speaking of bathrooms….

 I’m going to miss that red shag carpeting.

Why does spell check accept ‘cha’ and not ‘Sweetums’?  And why isn’t there a personal dictionary for storage?

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The Joys of Quiltting! It’s Like Being Handed a Big Box of Crayons and Told to Color Whatever You Wanted

June 28, 2011

I started off being neat.

That didn’t last long.  I got out lime, purple, orange and turquoise thread and had a blast!

Did I ever mention that our main bathroom had red shag carpeting?   Oh.  And red white and blue wallpaper.  I will admit that I am patriotic.  It’s hard not to be when you work for veterans for thirty-five years.  Anyway.  It had to go.  It just wasn’t right in the bathroom.  We have been looking at flooring forever.  Then we got Frank for a whole week.  Yea!! 

 

Should we get new lights?

 

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Rizing Early

June 22, 2011

In Summer, I like to get up early.  It has its advantages.

 

 

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Last Saturday at Sheep & Wool

May 14, 2011

I got there shortly after 8AM and got a good parking spot right up front.  Since I had two cups of coffee, I hit the big restroom first.  I REALLY don’t like portable potties.  It’s probably due to all those years of antique marketing. 

I wanted “special” buttons for my sweater so I stopped here.   I didn’t remember whether I needed four or five buttons, so I bought seven.  That makes sense. Right?

My son’s cat, Biscuit, helped with this arrangement.  I believe in giving credit where ever it is due.

I looked around a bit, but I was drawn to Creatively Dyed Yarns.  These people have the funnest(?) colors.   Sorry.  I can’t think of a better word.  It just fits.  I knew I would be buying something there, but I wanted to savor the anticipation for a while.  So I looked at everything else in that area. 

 

 And this is only the outside!  And what did I buy?  Well, I was thinking sock yarn.  Which is stupid.  I made 13 pairs last year and have at least ten planned for this year.  I need sock yarn like a hole in the head.  Wait a minute.  They have semi-solids.  I actually found a nice caramel brown that goes with my Queen of  Hearts yarn.   Perfect!

What else?  So many were calling to me.  But one was definitely louder than the rest.  But it was lace weight.  Oh well.  One skein was enough for a good-sized shawl. 

Is this colorway me?  What can I do?  It says it is.  Time to dust off the shawl books.

By 10AM, this is how the crowds looked.

Can you see my car from here?  I very glad I’m not up that hill.

I tried a new soap dealer.  I hope I like them.  I miss the old one, but they are completely gone.  Sniff.

By noon, I was tired so I had lunch.  A chocolate waffle cone.  What else?

My friend, Diana, bought some lovely roving that I am certain will knit up beautifully.

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We Ordered a New Desktop

April 1, 2011

It’s been five years, so it’s about time.  Luckily, most of my knitting designs are on my blog.  The thing thar scares me is all those embroidery designs.  Most are on CDs, but I have several that are strictly downloads.  And, of course, they are really nice ones.  ARRGGHH!!!

On to something happy. My next sock club came.  And, again, I love it.  And, again, I can’t decide which pattern to make.  There is only enough yarn for one pair.  Of course, I could make one of each. 

I have figured out the design for the Mermaid Scarf.  It’s not perfect, but it will do. 

 Here’s the back.

And here’s the front.

Happy Birthday, Anne.

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Still in Reisterstown

March 25, 2011

I was going to leave this morning, but my son wanted me to go shopping with him.  So I went to the Amish market.  I bought a stuffed pork chop for supper.  They are really big, so one if enough for two people.  I picked up some creamed spinach to go with it.  I also got ham spread, macaroni salad, cheese and cheese bread for Sweetums. 

Since it’s so cold out, I went on down to Jo Ann’s and bought a Lucy Neatby DVD.  I got ribbon feet from Viking.  They look like fun.  Darn.  Now I am thinking about sewing and wishing I had brought a machine with me.  I had just cut out a bunch of squares for a little quilt before I left home and I really want to get back to it. 

I do have my knitting.  I forgot to bring extra needles for the hat.  I am working on the decreases and finally had to stop.  So I am working on the mitered sweater.  Miters are fun to do and I’m about 3/4 finished on the body.  The pattern that I’m ‘kinda’ using has the sleeves worked separately, but I think I will work them from the shoulders down.  That will eliminate the seams.    

Still reading?  Well, I’m surprised.  I know this has been a pretty boring post so I’ll add some random pictures for you.

Spoiled cat.

Hanover Road, 2/2010.

My son’s girlfriend.

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Ravelry Can Make You Crazy

February 12, 2011

I had gotten several hits on my pony tail hat pattern so I thought I would add(link) my other patterns.  When I went to my page there was a list of people who had also made Komet socks so, naturally, I looked at their pages.  And, of course, this led to looking at their other stuff which, consequently, gave me all kinds of ideas.  AARRGGHH!!!  So I stopped.  I went and knit on my socks for  while.  I thought about sewing(I really need to sew).  Nothing worked.  I came back.  I read some about UFOs. That’s knitting UFOs.  I dug out my Raffia Vest and entered it on my page.  Two color on 2.5mm needles in the round takes FOREVER.  I’ve put it away twice. 

Look at it.  It’s gorgeous!   The back has a different pattern.  It takes about an hour to knit one row.  To make matters worse, I’ve lost weight so it’s too big.  At least it’s 100% wool and not superwash.  I can felt it a bit when(if?) I finish it.

I’m glad that we got our walk in early today.  It has gotten very windy.  The noise reminds me of when I lived in Nebraska.  It sounds like it is coming from a great distance.  It’s beautiful and haunting at the same time.  I sit here and look out over the water.  I think about how lucky I am.  And I thank God for putting me in this little piece of heaven.

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Felting

January 27, 2011

A friend of mine asked me about felting yesterday.  She made a bag to hang on her spinning wheel.  Since I haven’t taken up spinning, I can’t really picture where it goes.   But it needed felting so I thought I would include what I said here.

‘I don’t bother with a pillowcase.  I’ve never put a towel in either.  I like man jeans.  You know, the heavy kind that take forever to dry.  Luckily, that’s what Win and Doug wear.  Tennis shoes are good, but your machine might not like them, especially if they are 13’s.  Speaking of machines, I hope you don’t have a front loader.  If you do, you’re screwed.  Anyway, I reset my machine twice for my bags for a total of about 40 minutes agitation.  I have had some things take as little as ten minutes so you’ve got to check it.  I use hot water and any detergent.  I also keep a heavy stick (like a plunger) and a mixing bowl handy.  When it’s the way I want it, I let the washer finish.  You may have to steam it some to reshape it.  I look around for something to put it on to dry–a vase, jar, glass head.  You can also stuff it with plastic bags to help keep its shape.  Have I said enough?  Have I said too much?  Oh!  And there’s always YouTube.’
 
My girl friend makes very nice yarn. It knits up beautifully and is very easy on your hands.  I made her a sweater with her yarn and she made me a very pretty triangular shawl that she wove.  Right now, it’s hanging over the door to keep the cats off it.   It is soft enough to wear on bare skin.  I even like the fuzzy fringe–which Rue especially likes.

Will I ever take up spinning?  I really don’t think so.  Do you have any idea how much yarn I have?  Why do you think I’ve making all these hats?  And do you know what spinning leads to?  Dyeing!  Weaving!  I make myself crazy enough with the knitting and the sewing.   I’d need another house.  Wait a minute.  I have another house.  But, it’s two hours away and I don’t like living there.  But my son is happy there.

I need to get some sewing done.  We had tossed a bunch of knitted items on my Sapphire while we were trying to organize the yarn.  I tried to put some things in a storage box, but Flo decided that it was a great place to nap.  Maybe tomorrow.

I came up with another idea for a hat last night using Colinette Point Five yarn.  I need to get the last hat written.  Pattern writing takes a lot of time and I don’t like having to explain everything little thing.  I feel like I’m saying the same thing over and over. 

Maybe over the summer I’ll make hats and try selling them on Etsy in the Fall.  I could make matching scaves and/or mittens.  I also have other things that were more fun to make than wear.  Hmm….

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Going to Loews

December 31, 2010

This store fascinates me.  I never seem to find what I want.  OK. I am rather particular.  I can see in my mind’s eye exactly what I want and I try to find something close, but I just can’t do it.  And, unfortunately, I think it’s rubbing off on Sweetums.  Poor baby.  So we looked at washing machines, gas cooktops and electric ovens.  I actually did find a washing machine that does just about everything that I want it to do.  There was a whole aisle of front loaders so I went to the next one.  I don’t see how a fiber person can put up with those things.  They seem to have more top loaders than last time and I saw more with a warm rinse.  I also require a variety of cycles.  I found a Maytag that would do and it wasn’t even the most expensive.  When the time comes, I’ll get it and whatever dryer goes with it.  I don’t use dryers that much anyway.  Now that we have propane, I can get a gas dryer.  Yeah!  The new set will have to go on the main floor or, at least, the garage, so that I can have easy access.  I have to wait for Sweetums to decide where. 

I invariably find something I can use.  This time it was clear plastic storage boxes.  I like the way the tops close, the size, the indented handles, the stackability(is that a word?), and the price.  They were $3.  What’s not to like?  I bought eight.  And, the next day, I went back and bought eight more.   Of course, now I have to fill them.  Ugh.  I think I’ll drag out the cardboard boxes and dump everything on the dining room table.  Anyone care to help?  You will be rewarded.  Who knows what untold treasures lie within?

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Getting Ready to go for a Walk

December 16, 2010

It was 19 degrees when I got up.  By the time I was finally ready to go, it was up to 25.  I don’t think it’s been up to freezing the last few days.   I got out a turtleneck, sweatshirt and jeans.  After I was dressed, I realized I should put on my silk long johns.  Off comes my jeans and my handknit double-knit socks.  I started to pull up the long johns and they caught on my poor too-dry skin.  Out comes the body cream.  Now my long johns are kind of stuck to my legs.  Then I decide that my heels  feel awful so they get lathered with foot gunk.  Well, I can’t possibly put on my nice handmade wool double-knit socks now, can I?  I dug out a pair of my old Orton socks.  While I had the body cream out, I figured I might as well do my arms, so off comes the turtleneck and sweatshirt.  Half an hour later, I’m finally ready to go.  By this time, Sweetums has fallen asleep and the dog has died from utter frustration, but I drag them out anyway.  I sure as shit wasn’t going to let all this preparation go to waste.

There was no wind so we walked down to the river.  I was able to sit out on the pier for several minutes.  It was so beautiful  and so wondrously quiet.  The sky was completely overcast.  It looked and felt like snow was coming.  We saw the first flakes while we were walking back and now we have about an inch on the ground. 

 

Today’s lesson:  As the outside temperature decreases, the number of pee balls in the litter pan increases.

I’ve made decent progress on my hat, although, I am not certain in what direction.  I’m just letting it talk to me.  I hope it knows what it is talking about.

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