Friday, December 21, 2007

Last One!

This is the last of the larger crochet gifts I needed to complete. Woohoo!! Anything else I start at this point might get done by Christmas, might not and be saved for next Christmas. I'm done stressing :P



This is the Baby It's Cold Outside Sweater. I modified it to fit a size 2 ~ which was really easy ~ and made it with Patons Be Mine instead of the recommended Homespun. It came out soooo soft! The cap is a simple pattern called Gotcha Covered that I got from Coats & Clarks old site. I met my girlfriends for our annual Christmas breakfast yesterday and it was a hit (just made it under the wire too ~ whew!)

So now, all that is left is the wrapping of the store-bought gifts. I agonized over what to get my husband as he has everything. Then as I was cruising the local Walgreens looking for stocking stuffers, I got a look at the price of razor blades. Have I just not been paying attention? At what point did men's razor blades go up over $25 for a pack of 8?!! Who is Shick, Gillette, et al, trying to kid here? Well, I wasn't having any of that so I decided to spend $100 on a nice electric shaver for hubby instead of the traditional razor and pack of blades. It may not produce as close a shave as blades, but he's retired and not out to impress anyone anymore (particularly me LOL!)

Oh yeah, here's the latest on the smoking adventure... Chantix is a freaking miracle drug! My husband jumped the gun and started his routine before me. He has had a grand total of 2 cigarettes in 2 weeks. I started 4 days later and am taking a slightly different approach and weaning off instead of quitting cold turkey. I'm currently down from 1 1/2 - 2 packs a day (30-40 cigarettes) to 5 cigarettes a day. The true test was yesterday when I was out with my girlfriends who smoke. I was with them for 6 hours and they smoked like fiends (funny how you notice when you're trying to quit) and I did not go ballistic! I was able to calmly sit there while they puffed away and it didn't bother me and I did not smoke, nor did I want one. How great is that?!! So my official 'quit' date is next Monday. I'm not going to jinx the effort by saying it's in the bag just yet, but if you know of anyone that has been painfully unsuccessful at quitting, do them a favor and let them know about Chantix.

That's it for now. Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Co-worker Gifts

Since I decided to do "store bought" for co-workers, I did manage to get some crafting in. I made up goodie mugs for 14 people.


Before wrapping. Each mug gets hot chocolate/marshmallow/sprinkle cones enough for 2 mugs, a chocolate dipped pretzel, a smores stick, 2 candy canes, a bottle of coffee liquer, a bottle of Baileys and 3 kisses. I used Wilton icing bags to make the hot chocolate cones - worked perfectly!


After wrapping. I found ornaments on a stick at Michaels which I thought were sweet. They're made of that old fashioned plastic that toys used to be made with. A little ribbon, a little shrink wrap, the blow dryer and I was done!


Some of the inventory.

I still have to put hang tags on them. I made them, but still need to cut them up and tie them on. This is the artwork for the tag I worked up real quick in Illustrator. They will also serve as a card because I'm not handing those out to everyone this year.



The mugs and ornaments were on sale at Michaels for $1 each, the candy canes were on sale at Target for $1 for 12, the chocolate sticks were about $3 for a jar of 12, the liquers were about $2 each - so adding in the ribbon, wrap and shred filler, I think the whole mug cost between $5 - $6 each to make. (If you don't count the weirdo looks I got at the liquor stores when I bought them out of those particular items. They made me feel like a wino - LOL)

I'm starting to feel like I'm going to finish everything in time, so I'm a little less stressed - YAY!!

Edit 12/13/07

All finished!

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

The Rebel Is Out Of His Yell

What a goober! I think I'd rather hang with the ape :D



Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Gorilla Drums

Sorry P.J., but this ape beats the fur out of King Kong for coolness ...




1.20.11: Updated to replace the video that had been removed.
6.18.20: Updated to replace the video that had been removed.

Cool Crochet Tips

I snagged this video from Michele's Heart. Considering how I hate to weave in ends, I love the techniques that are shown here!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Pointedly Warm Ponchette

I was in search of a ponchette pattern that accounted for having boobs. Not gigantor boobs like they have on the mannequins in Miami (see Crazy Aunt Purl's post for November 13th - lol),



but definitely ample boobs. So many of the cute patterns I found were modeled by boyish flat-as-an-ironing-board-chested waif-like women. So I set out to make my own pattern in order to cross a Christmas gift off my list.



I made this with 3 balls of Lion Suede which worked out perfectly. I thought it would be nice to throw over the shoulders and knock off the chill. Here be my madness:

Skill Level


Materials

Approximately 250 yds Chunky weight yarn
Boye Crochet Hook size P *
Yarn needle to weave in ends
* Susan Bates size P is substantially larger than Boye. If using Bates, go down at least 1 hook size. Or buy more yarn, your choice ;)

Size
One Size Fits Most

Special Stitches Used
Beg V-St: Ch 4, dc in same st.

V-St: Dc, ch 1, dc in st or space indicated.
Beg SmSh: Ch 3, 1 dc, ch 1, 2 dc in same st.
SmSh: 2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc in st or space indicated.
Beg LgSh: Ch 3, 2 dc, ch 1, 3 dc in same st.
LgSh: 3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc in st or space indicated.

Instructions
Ch 40, join with sl st to beginning ch being careful not to twist ch.

Rnd 1: Ch 4, * sk 2 ch, hdc in next ch, ch 2; repeat from * around, join with sl st to 2nd ch of beg ch-2.

Rnd 2: Beg V-St in join, * ch 1, V-St in each hdc around; end with ch 1 and join to 3rd ch of Beg V-St.

Rnd 3: Beg SmSh in join, * ch 1, SmSh in ch-1 sp of each V-St around; end with ch 1 and join to 3rd ch of Beg SmSh.

Rnd 4: Beg LgSh in join, * dc over ch-1, LgSh in ch-1 sp of each SmSh around; end with dc over ch-1 and join to 3rd ch of Beg LgSh.

Rnd 5: Ch 2, hdc in next 2 sts, * sc in next 3 sts (includes ch-1 sp), hdc in next 5 sts; repeat from * around ending with hdc in last 2 sts and join to 2nd ch of beg ch-2.

Rnds 6-15: Ch 3, dc in next st and in each st around; join to 3rd ch of beg ch-3.

Edging

Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in join, * ch 5, sk 1 dc, sc in next 7 sc; repeat from * around to last 5 dc, sc in next 3 dc, 2 sc in next dc, sc in last dc; join with sl st to first sc.

Rnd 2: Sl st in first sc and ch-5 loop, ch 4, (dc, ch 1) 5 times in same loop, dc once more in loop, * sk 3 sc, (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in next sc, sk 3 sc, (dc, ch 1) 6 times in loop, dc once more in same loop; repeat from * around; join with sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch.

Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in join and in each dc and ch-1 sp to center dc, * in center dc make (sc, ch 2, sc), sc in each dc and sp to ch-1 sp in center sp of next shell, (sc, ch 2, sc) in center sp, sc in each dc and ch-1 sp to center dc; repeat from * around; finish off, weave in ends.

Enjoy!

The fine print: Copyright 2007. Feel free to make these for yourself, as gifts, for charity bazaars or craft shows to supplement your income. You may not use this pattern for large-scale commerical profit. Do not distribute this pattern outside of providing a link to this site.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Black Friday

I'm not going shopping today. That's all I have to say about Black Friday. You go. Have fun. Instead, I will continue to work on those Christmas gifts.

Segue...

I've been eye-balling these darling little needle holders at
Stitch Diva for quite some time. You see, my husband is all into woodworking, so I have developed an appreciation for handcrafted items made of wood. We had also found this place in Riverside that sells exotic wood, so I also have an appreciation for that too. Needless to say, when I saw these I went a little ape and added it to my wish list.



Last week, I finally got around to ordering a couple ~ one for myself and one for a gift. And they are just as precious in person as they appear to be on the web. But after much examination of the craftsmanship, I had an epiphany. Buy a wooden cabinet knob, bore out the screw hole, insert a round magnet and voila! They would make great stocking stuffer gifts for that crocheter or knitter on your list. Or you could just
buy one at Stitch Diva for $10.

Toodles!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Chanson Capelet

I had previously mentioned what a challenge the Chanson en Crochet capelet pattern was. It was. But I fudged my way through the math issues this pattern had and finally finished it! Since I had a bit of time this morning before the festivities began, I decided to block it while the gittin was good. As I look at the pic, I realize I need to go back and touch up some edges.



I made this with Bernat's Cashmere (don't get excited, it's only 5% cashmere, but it is incredibly soft), it took about 4 balls. I have a nice vintage button that I'll put at the neck before I wrap it up to send to my 'ville holiday exchange partner. Now that I've tackled the inaccuracies of the pattern, I think I'll make one for my mom for a Christmas gift ~ time willing of course!

Thank you for the encouragement on the stop smoking adventure. I have high hopes that this time, we're going to do it!

So that's it ~ just a quick note to show off the latest FO and to not forget to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Run Forrest Run!

So yesterday I go to the doctor. I've decided it's time to try to quit smoking again (every 10 years until I can make it happen.) There's a new drug called Chantrix that is different in that it's 1) not an antidepressant and 2) is not nicotine replacement therapy. Instead, it attacks the cravings by creating the same endorphins that smoking does to help you get over the bumpy parts.

So anyway... I find out that my insurance company doesn't cover smoking cessation drugs unless you sign up for their program. Which of course, is located approximately 30 miles from where I either live or work and is comprised of the same routine that failed for me last time - Zyban & patches. Yeah, that's gonna happen. After a long day at work, I'm going to drive 30 miles so I can watch films that I've seen on the Discovery Channel a zillion times over. So after much evil eye and sarcasm, I convince the doctor to call in a prescription for both my husband and myself that we will be paying for in full.

I then go to the pharmacy where I attempt to get the prescription filled. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but don't these people need a degree in pharmacology? Wouldn't that tell you they are reasonably intelligent humans? Oh contrare. The educated lady at the counter says,


'I don't think we have this drug in stock.'
I say, 'Can you check?'
she says 'I'm pretty sure we don't have it.'
I say, 'You're sure or you don't know?'
she says, 'I'm 99% sure that we don't have it.'
I say in my best I'm holding it back so I don't choke the living daylights out of you voice, 'Let's look it up so we can be 100% sure, shall we?'

They didn't have it and that resulted in another engaging conversation about ordering it and when I'll be able to pick it up. Now one would think that if someone was trying to have a prescription filled for a smoking cessation drug that they would be cogniscent of the fact that the person asking might just be a wee bit stressed about the whole thing. Stupid is as stupid does. I wonder if she Forrest Gump's her way through all aspects of her life? Maybe she should sell shrimp...




I'll be picking the drugs up today. We haven't identified our quit date yet, but it will likely be the first day of my Christmas vacation. So our holidays can be cheery and bright!

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Stuff

So here I am again in the month of November with a long list of things I'd like to make for Christmas gifts and looking at the calendar noting that even if I didn't have a full time job, I'd never make it. And once again I'm swearing that I'm going to start the Christmas gift crocheting in January. Of course, it doesn't help that I keep signing up for exchanges and CALs. This is the downside of belonging to several crochet groups. You get caught up in the activities and forget all about the things you need to cross off your own list. You say to yourself, 'this won't take long, I still have time, it's going to be so much fun that I can squeeze this in...'.

So I'm rethinking my gift list and I will be making things for those that are close to me and for those that aren't... well, they're getting store-bought gifts. Again. That brings me down to 3 things I need to get done. This is manageable.

I'm also rethinking the whole group activity thing. As fun as they are, they consume a huge amount of my free time. Time I could be spending making things for myself or the house and things to torture my hubby with (which is always fun.) I simply do not need to sign up for every exchange and CAL that comes along. No... I... don't.

On the home front, we have finally taught Paco to do his duties outside. Well, Jose gets some credit there too. I think he actually had more to do with teaching Paco that dirty deeds are done in the back yard. Either way, life is back to normal in that department which makes both of us very happy!

Halloween was the typical candy extravaganza. I made up 120 treat bags and handed out all but 9 of them. The little kids were precious, but some of the teenagers I wanted to beat with a stick. I'm getting old I think.

But for now, I need a chuckle. So I'm going to go throw one of the dogs on my husband so he can be licked awake in the face. Have a great Sunday and I promise my next post won't be so boring and icky.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

More Exchange Fun!

Waiting for me when I got home tonight was my exchange package from Minky (Kathy) from CFL. She was my partner for the Fall / Halloween exchange that I spoke about in the previous post. And lookie how she spoiled me!



I got a very cool sling drawstring purse with a pocket-laden lining, yummy teas, a precious octopus, matching notepads, sticky notes and pen and a very cute Halloween card! I feel so very, very spoiled! So if you know Minky and have the opportunity to be her exchange partner someday, be excited. Be very excited!

~~~

Because there aren't enough projects on my list, I'm working on a
Ripple Bag. The colors are pea green and honey, and I'm making it with Vanna's Choice. This pattern works up very quickly and would make a great last minute gift when you only have a short amount of time to get something worked up.

Here's a pic of the body of the bag. I probably won't pick this up again until the weekend, at which point, I expect to be finished with it. I'll be sure to post a finished pic.



Keep those hooks and needles flying!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Small FOs

The last swap I had to prepare for this weekend was a bookmark swap. Here be what's going to the lucky recipient (along with a few books and other assorted goodies.)



All were made with size 5 perle cotton (ok, so I'm on a perle cotton kick.) The patterns are from left to right:

Fancy Filigree Bookmark by Cheri Mancini, Fan Bookmark by Crochetroo and Quickie Bookmark by Priscilla Hewitt

So that completes all of my 'deadline' projects! Now back to CALs, Christmas gifts and other normal programming ~ until the next exchange anyway!

Spidey Bag

I finished this one up today for another exchange partner (who shall remain nameless until she receives it.) The theme was Halloween and ya know, with all the Halloween patterns out there, this one should have been a snap. But I decided to get creative and not use a pattern. So the creativity was flowing fast enough as I was crocheting the bag, but once it came to embellishing it, I hit a block wall :o\ But as exchanges have deadlines, it had to go out. I think I'll continue to work on this one a bit more to see what I can do to improve it. It's not bad, but I'd like for it to be better. Any ideas?



The purse is made with worsted weight cotton yarn. For the spider web, I used size 5 perle cotton. I might like it better if the web was larger but I only had one skein of white perle and I figured it would be enough (not that I don't have megatons of white size 10 which would have worked just as well.) But you know how it goes once you've set your mind on something. I was convinced it had to be size 5. The eyeballs on the bottom are some earrings I got at the cheapie costume jewelry store in the mall (Claire's I think it's called.) I lined it with the pirate skull fabric you see on the right there. The handle is a 36" length of chain I found in the beading/jewelry department at Joann's.

I have one more exchange project to finish this weekend, so I'm going to get back at it. Have a great day!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Tweedle-Dee Bag

As promised, here be the instructions for making this bag. Enjoy!



Skill Level


Materials

Approximately 350 yds Bulky weight yarn

Crochet Hook Size L / 8mm
25” Pre-made Purse Strap
2 Magnetic Purse Snaps
Fabric for Lining (optional) – 1/2 yard

Matching Thread for Lining
3 Large Wood Buttons (or embellishments of your choice)
1 Sheet Plastic Canvas

The bag in the picture was made with Moda Dea Tweedle Dee in Ocean Breeze and an ‘Exclusively You’ purse strap. Buttons were handmade by a local artisan. For the lining fabric, I chose a sturdy poplin to add body to the purse.

Special Stitches
Extended Half Double Crochet (ehdc): YO, insert hook in st indicated, YO and pull up loop, YO and draw through one loop, YO and draw through remaining 3 loops on hook.
InstructionsBag is made in one piece.


Notes
Monitor ending rows to ensure last rows result in the same crocheted edge appearance.

Front
Ch 30.

Row 1: 1 ehdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (29 sts)


Row 2: Ch 1 loosely, turn. 1 ehdc in each ehdc across.

Repeat row 2 until piece measures 9 inches. Fasten off, weave in ends.

Sides and Bottom
Ch 25, 1 ehdc in each ehdc across front section.

Next Row: Ch 26, turn. 1 ehdc in 2nd ch from hook and in the next 29 ehdc, 1 ehdc in each ch to end. (79 sts)

Continue in pattern for 5 inches. Fasten off, weave in ends.

Back and Front Flap
Skip the first 25 sts of the side. Join yarn with a sl st to the next ehdc. Ch 1, 1 ehdc in the same sp as the last sl st, 1 ehdc in each of the next 28 sts, turn. Leave remaining sts unworked.

Continue in pattern for 16 -17 inches for a longer flap (as in photo) or 13 - 14 inches for a shorter flap.

Finishing
Reference the diagram below and sew sides to front and back sections. (I slip stitched the sides together and slip stitched across the side top edges.) Finish off, weave in ends.



With RS facing, reverse sc around edges of front flap. Finish off, weave in ends.

Attach magnetic snaps according to the diagram below. If your snaps do not include a metal washer, cut a small piece of heavy fabric to place on the back side to stabilize the snap.



Make loop holders for the purse strap by either crocheting small strips or using your lining fabric. Sew to the middle of the sides between snaps. Be sure to loop around ring of the purse strap before you sew.

Line and embellish as desired! Cut a piece of plastic canvas to the length and width of the bottom section to use as stabilizer.


The fine print: Copyright 2007. Feel free to make these for yourself, as gifts, for charity bazaars or craft shows to supplement your income. You may not use this pattern for large-scale commerical profit. Do not distribute this pattern outside of providing a link to this site.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

From My Exchange Partner :)

Many thanks to Kim for the wonderful package she sent to me. She was my exchange partner for the Crochetville Autumn Purse exchange and her package definitely exceeded what was called for!



For these exchanges, you complete a survey with your likes, wishes, etc. I had asked for a medium tote for my mobile projects and I got exactly that. The colors are perfect for dragging around in a car, etc. I love colors that won't show 'wear'. The pattern she picked was great as it has lots of pockets. Cuz there's no such thing as too many pockets! She did an excellent job on it. The goodies she sent along were awesome too. A tea sampler, bath salts, incense, hand salve (yummy hand salve), a small cross-stitch kit and a button that says 'I [heart] Dragons'. Cuz I do!

This is a perfect example of a perfect exchange ~ way to go Kim and thanks so much!!

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Crocheted Bag

Bet you thought I forgot how to crochet, eh? I was starting to wonder too as I've had this purse in WIP for a month. This purse is for a lovely lady who is my exchange partner at Crochetville.



I made this with Moda Dea's Tweedle Dee (in Ocean, I believe.) It turned out to be a great self-striping yarn even for crochet. Most self-striping yarns do well with knitted articles, but fall a little short for crocheted items. I am pleased with how this yarn worked up.



It's just a simple pattern I made up that I'll post as soon as I find my notes. It was a bit of a booger to line as the yarn is chunky and the foot on my machine doesn't lift very high. I didn't take a shot of the inside as I was in a hurry to get it packed up for the mail tomorrow, but the lining is simple with a pocket against the back. The sides of the purse have snaps so they can be 'pleated' closed at the top. I used an Exclusively You pre-made leather handle that I got at Joann's a while back without a plan. Who says you don't use up those impulse purchases? I finished it off with 3 hand carved wooden buttons to give it a bit of personality.

That ends my weekend creativity. Now to get ready for my role as a wage slave tomorrow. Have a great one!

Friday, September 28, 2007

You're Special To Me

Today is International Disturbed People's Day
I don't care if you lick windows, take the special bus... or occasionally pee on yourself...



You hang in there sunshine ... you're special to me.

Friday, August 31, 2007

A Better Post

Moving on from the ugly things that happen in life...

Monday will be my 17th wedding anniversary. 17 years. They've really flown by. Yesterday, I was blonde, skinny, physically fit and majorly in love with this guy I met. This guy was blonde, fit, muscular, majorly in love with me and had all of his teeth. The only part of these statements that is still true is that this guy is still blonde. Oh yeah, and the love part! And I'm very thankful for that part. 17 years. Whodathunk?

And it's a 3-day weekend! This is doubleplusgood!

What's on your agenda? They claim it will become ungawdly hot here, so we likely won't be going anywhere unless the word 'beach' is involved. Yoda ran out the door again tonight and I had to chase her down the street. That's as much physical activity in this heat that I intend to have. We've been having some gnarly lightening storms with this lovely weather and yesterday the thunder was so loud that I thought the roof was being blown off the house.

I think I'm going to try to buckle down and get that Christmas list made so I can get organized with the crochet projects. Lately I've been flitting to and fro, kind of stabbing at things. If I'm going to get much done, I need to discipline myself with a little order and a neatly typed list. And of course, take yarn inventory. I'm quite certain I'll need more ~ LOL!

Segue...

As I wander from site to site and group to group, I repeatedly see questions regarding the availability of a crochet charting program. There is only one that I know of, and it's pretty limited and not very user-friendly. Now, I got to thinking that I haven't endured medical device labeling and IT projects for nothing, so I contacted one of my developer friends and dangled a carrot via IM (as he's out of the country at the moment.) Lo' and behold, I got a nibble! While I'm waiting for him land stateside, I thought I would post a quick survey to see what kind of real interest is out there and what folks would look for in a crochet charting program. So if you're interested, please participate in my survey!


Click Here to take survey

Have a wonderful weekend! And remember, no laboring allowed!

Saturday, August 25, 2007

A Bad Day

It all started out as a typical Saturday morning. My husband decided to check out a new fishing hole nestled in the San Bernardino mountains, I was thinking of going to see Mr. Bean's Holiday and maybe get a few crochet stitches in. Then he came home unexpectedly.

His fishing trip was cut short due to him getting robbed. He was held at knife-point and gun-point while they took what money he had, his cell phone, gasoline card and some items out of his van. They then threw his keys into the woods and took off. The only reason he survived the attack is because he let them have whatever they wanted. Please take that as a lesson. It took him several hours, but he managed to find his keys and make his way home. Needless to say, he is quite shaken and I've been on the verge of throwing up ever since.

The reports have been filed and the calls to cancel accounts and cards have been made. One never knows what will happen from one day to the next. We take so much for granted. Please take the time today to tell those close to you how much they mean to you. Kiss them, hug them and hold them tight.

The only consolation I have is knowing that these people always get paid back whether it happens here or at the end.

I likely will not be on line for the remainder of the weekend. We're just going to spend the rest of this weekend appreciating each other's company and thanking God for his protection.

Love you all! ~ Mini

Rated G


I found this on another blog. I'm quite proud that my blog is rated G considering what an old crusty lady I am turning into!

Sunday, August 19, 2007

The Past Week

Hi All! As some of you know, I've been off work for the past week. We didn't have any plans, this was simply a week off for me to decompress - do whatever I felt like each morning I woke up. It's my favorite kind of vacation, short of spending the whole time off at the beach.

For the most part, I piddlefarted around. I made a mini Martha poncho for my girlfriend Gretchen's little girl, Elisabeth. She's working on 19 months on this planet. She makes it a better place.


Poncho On


Poncho off


Angelic face

So we didn't get a pic of her in her poncho to share with you all. I didn't blame her. It was hot and humid. And you know how little ones hate clothes anyway (run naked, run free!)

So anyway, Gretchen lives just a block or so away from the beach in Oceanside. I'm so jealous! Her mom graciously babysat while we went for a stroll on the pier and grabbed a bite to eat.



They've re-done the pier as part of an overall community improvement project. Everything is so nice and new and bright!



Does this look like the stereotypical California beach or what?

I wish they all could be California girls... owwmm do be do wop, owwmm do be do wop...



A Ruby's Diner has been built at the end of the pier. We grabbed lunch there. It was nice to be surrounded by the ocean while we ate. So very relaxing.

Here we come on the run with a burger and a bun...



While we waited to be seated, a seal came by to play beneath us. I took a bazillion pics, but this one was the best of the lot. I want his life. Well, at least until a shark comes along... but then again, Richard Dreyfus would save me!



The Oceanside Pier is one of the last few in California that still allows you to fish off of it.

Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads. Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up ~ yum!



The water was particularly clear and blue that day. In the distance, you see signs of (over) development. The 2 tallest buildings on the right are brand new beachfront condos.

As an American citizen you are entitled to... a heated kidney-shaped pool, a microwave oven...



After lunch, I asked Gretchen if we could go by her LYS. Although she's not a crocheter or knitter, she's a good sport. Unfortunately, they had gone out of business. I think it's this guy's fault. The guy that gives the surfing lessons. Hey You!

It was a lovely day at the beach visiting with one of my bestest friends. Then it was back home again where all the yarn is! I finally finished off the Solo afghan that has been staring at me for months. The pattern did not call for an edging, but to add tassels to the four corners. I knew that after a little wear or the first washing that tassels would become a knotted, matted mess as Solo is not a tightly spun yarn and it's very fuzzy. Plus I didn't like it without an edging after I had finished sewing the squares together. So I simply added 2 rows of hdc all around. I'm good with it!



Before I went visiting, I had started a matching Martha poncho for Gretchen so her and Elisabeth would be matchy-matchy mother/daughter. I know. Corny, but definitely cute. Unfortunately, the clock ran out and I didn't finish it in time. So I kicked it out today and will send it to her in the mail. It's not like it's cold yet anyway.



I made both ponchos with Homespun in Corinthian. Very bright and festive (and heavy.) Will definitely stand out on the beach when the little one decides to bolt down the shore ~ LOL!

Except for a sneak trip (or 2) to Michaels for (yet more) yarn, that about sums up my week off. It was sure nice while it lasted!!

Saturday, August 04, 2007

From A Gentler Era

Before we worried about anything and everything...

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Petco Park

Today started out to be just another day in the life of a wage slave. At about 10:15 I decided to take my morning coffee break and ran into the recruiter I've been working with. He was anxiously looking for takers for 3 extra baseball tickets he had left over from an outing that had been arranged for the summer interns. The only catch was they were for today and the limos were arriving at 10:45. So I quickly checked our workload, made a few calls in a half hour my minions and I were on our way to a Padres game LOL!


The New Petco Stadium. Yes. Petco.

Now the Padres kinda suck, but hey ~ it was a day away from skullduggery and it was in San Diego ~ the official Southern California home of perfect weather! We had a great time at the ballpark eating hotdogs and peanuts. And the Padres actually won (go figure?) In fact, it was a shut-out. All I can think of is that the Arizona Diamondbacks must have sent out their B team. Who cares? It made for a really nice day. The final score was 11-0.


See the ocean? Perfect weather!

So today was fun. Tomorrow will bring back meetings and emails laden with barcode questions. But I'm not going to think about that until tomorrow.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Mondays Suck

Not that I'm saying anything new. But some Mondays are worse than others. Mine started out at work with an email trail forwarded to me from Spain (oh no, what's their problem now?) Spain lately, has been a pain in the butt when it comes to barcodes and today was no exception. Now, they're threatening to cease tender due to the fact that our product label barcodes are not 13mm in height. Nope, they're not. They're 7mm and have been for the past 7 or 8 years and they've been buying our product all that time. So why is today different?! I have a meeting scheduled with GS1 tomorrow. Either the insanity will stop there or it will get worse. So if you find me selling yarn at our local swap meet, you know I went over the edge...

I promised to get back to you on the movies we watched yesterday, so here goes:

The Number 23. I liked it. It was twisted enough to appeal to my taste without going overboard. The dream sequences were Twin Peak-y in their style and I thought Jim Carrey did a great job in his dramatic role. For everyone? Definitely not. But if you're bored with the same-o, same-o, and have a taste for weird, it will probably float your boat. I watched the unrated version. Can't speak to the theatrical version.

Premonition. Great concept, decent execution. Could have been better, but is certainly watchable. Worth a look-see.

We also watched...

Children of Men. Futuristic tale where all women in the world are sterile - all except for one who is pregnant. Recipe - 1 unlikely hero, stereotypical rebellious helpers with access to the underground and bad guys who want to kill the unborn child because they believe mankind should go extinct. I enjoyed this one, but was dismayed when watching the special features that they were attempting to tell a tale about global warming. BEGIN RANT: Like we don't get enough of this crap. Global warming is a theory people, and there is nothing we can do to affect change. We can be more responsible with our resources, be smarter about the fuels we use, give up the SUVs and live greener lives ~ and we should because it's the right thing to do as citizens of this planet ~ but even if everyone did their part, it's all a very small drop in the bucket. So thumbs up on the movie, thumbs down on the preaching based on theory. (Does anyone remember in the 70s how the scientists were warning us that we were entering an ice age?) END RANT.

The Astronaut Farmer. Little kids might like this. As for me, it was the dumbest movie I've seen in a while. It was flat and ludicrous on so many levels. So unless you're hurting for something to watch, I'd recommend passing this one by.

So that's it. My Monday and weekend movie reviews LOL. Hope your Monday was better and you got to catch a good movie this past weekend!

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

Nope, not monster truck races or WWF. Just a quiet Sunday at the old homestead. The day will involve dog bathing, movies and yarn as usual. On today's tube will be a selection of mind-benders:

  • The Number 23
  • Premonition

I'll let you know if they're any good or not ~ LOL.

I'll be working on my KAL to continue to hone those knitting skills and when my wrists get tired of that motion, I'll start on something for this month's CFL challenge.

Sandy's post on her blog reminded me that I had not yet done up my obligatory square for Krochet Krystal's daisy square pattern. Heavens to Mergatroid! Exit, Stage Left. So I worked up one real quick. These are used to create afghans for charity. If you are interested, you can get the details here.



I may work up another one later in different colors with a white background. This one doesn't float my boat too much, but I figured it can get lost amongst the other squares that she'll use.

The sewing bug is also starting to rear it's head. I haven't sewn anything in... well... I can't remember when. So in perusing the pattern sites, I ordered the following tote patterns:


McCall's M5823


Butterick B5006

I've got a chest drawer full of neat tapestry fabrics that I've picked up here and there which I can use to make these neat totes. The second pattern also includes a roll-up hook/needle case too :)

And that about sums it up for today. Have a great rest-of-the-weekend!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

The Garden

The veggie garden is something that I leave for my husband to tend, for the most part. But this year our garden was quite fruitful, so I thought I'd share our gardening success with everyone. Kinda like when your relatives make you watch their vacation movies.


Watermelon & Cantaloupe

There's about 8 watermelons and 9 cantaloupes on the vines at this point. If I remember correctly, the watermelon are the small round seedless variety.


Cantaloupe

Just about ready!


Tomatoes


More Tomatoes!


... and Cherry Tomatoes too!

I'll be canning some maters as there are way too many for us to eat up before they go bad!


Corn

The corn is almost ready too. We'll yield about 20 ears.


Gourds

And just for fun, some gourds. About 11 of them. I'll make bird feeders and hanging planters out of them for the yard and patio.


Green Seedless Grapes

This vine produced big time last year, but I'm not sure how it will fare after our big freeze we had this winter. Time will tell.


You will note that there is no zucchini in our garden. That is because we hate zucchini and all of it's little squashy friends. You can grow it.


Yard Helper

Here's a couple of pics of other parts of the yard.


Bamboo

Alas, we now have neighbors directly behind us. It's a good thing my girlfriend Barbara overbought when she was landscaping her backyard and she was sweet enough to give us her extra bamboo plants. It's starting to fill out quite nicely, but will probably still be another year before we see a 'screen' benefit to shield us from the neighbor's back windows.


Assorted yard plants

And that be our veggie garden and a peek at our yard. We still have a lot of landscaping to do ~ like finish the fish pond ~ but it's getting there. I just have to keep that hubby motivated and moving LOL!!