Yes it's been quiet.

Yes, it's been quiet over here at Mountain Purl. Right now my life is so busy that even taking time to blog is a premium.

What you see on the needles is 374 stitches of that Debbie Bliss cape in the picture. It is going on the plane with me Tuesday along with a shawl. Yes, I'm on the road again, this week and next.

I want to tell you something that happened to me this week which has happened to me twice now in my life, and it still just blows me away that it even happened the first time.

I was buying 2 hanks of periwinkle lace weight, each 600 yards long and the woman asked me if I wanted to wind it in the shop. Now I could have wound it at home in the yarn room where the swift and ball winder are always up, but I thought why not, get it done now. The first hank was one of those nightmares. You know the type, when somehow, somewhere, something happened and there is no way in hell you can wind from that hank off a swift. The yarn is tangled, you have to weave the ball through the hank during the whole process and it drives you crazy and takes forever. Now, the woman says, why don't we cut it and see if that works? I'm thinking ARE YOU KIDDING ME????? 600 YARDS OF LACE WEIGHT AND YOU WANT TO CUT IT??? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND??!!!! I thought if she stepped one foot near my yarn, we might have come to blows. What was she thinking? For goodness sakes, she WORKS in a yarn shop. I'm still blown away by this and it was 4 days ago.

You see, this happened before to me in a shop in Marin in Northern California and that idiot girl CUT MY YARN! I was shocked, and the only thing was, that was the only hank of that colorway in the shop. I never went back there again. That still amazes me to this day. AND SHE WORKED IN A YARN STORE!

Well, I have to study today and start doing practice questions. Hey - I've lost 8 pounds so far!

Later.

Sweaters, snow and studying

Diane, me, Debbie Bliss, Denise, Leanne, Kris and Kate

Here is a picture of the usual suspects with Debbie of course, at Highlands Ranch String on Wednesday. What a great day. We enjoyed listening to Debbie talk and saw many of her beautiful sweaters, some from her upcoming book and booklets. The consensus was that the majority of sweaters would look good on various body types and that sweaters we never would have thought of knitting, because of how they look on the "stick" models should be moved to the must knit list. There was a cape that I never thought of knitting for myself, that several people told me looked fabulous. Her designs take advantage of the drape of the yarn and she allows ease in the sweaters. I am now thinking that some of her sweaters that I have up on needles may be too big. Hmm....

Yesterday was the Dale Knitter's meeting, and it was a day of frustration for some. I think we put the sweaters away for too long, and the knitters were just not happy. I felt crappy myself, with a brutal headache which was forecasting today's weather. Things will get better, we need to meet soon and get people cranking on these sweaters.

I have too many projects going as usual, the circular cardigan is easy, the yarn Alpaca Silk Dk feels great on my poor chapped hands, and I can work on it while I study which is a bonus. There are other things, shawls, socks and thrum mittens that are crying for attention, piled around my study and knitting chair in the front room, which I do not have time to give right now. What a mess! Friday night I met with the other Starmore knitters and pulled out Elizabeth. I am knitting it in Daletta. It should be beautiful when finished.

I am so behind in studying. I have had earphones in my ears so much listening to lectures, that even now while I sit at the computer it feels like I still have them in my ears. I am not having fun.

It is snowing. That makes 5 significant snows since December 20. Right now the snow is blowing sideways. I am not even going to try to shovel until the wind dies down. It was snowing when I left for the gym this morning at 5:45am and hasn't stopped. Hey you in other parts of the country - Please do your snow dance!!!! (But don't do it in Orlando, because I have to go there the week after next).

Well, I have played hooky from the studying and need to get back to the exciting hearsay exceptions. Happy knitting!

Bliss.....

I am not working today. I am going to the local LYS to meet Debbie Bliss, listen to her speak on how she designs her beautiful sweaters, knit, eat the lunch that is being catered in, and just have a great day with my knitting friends.

The Forest Path Shawl is up. I received my Cashmere from the UK and it's up on needles. I have lusted over this shawl since 2003, and this is my shawl priority until it is done. And there are 20 other knitters putting this up to keep me company while this is being knit.

I'm off to the shop. I can only hope for you that your day is as good as I am sure mine will be. Oh, and it's supposed to be above freezing! Life is good in God's Country!

It sure is cold!

It's cold. It was 1 degree outside when I left the office. That's just cold. And it's snowing. Mind you it's just that pellet snow that looks like the white candies on non pariels, and it doesn't stick to anything, but it still is snow. And there's black ice. But it could be a lot worse. How about that huge ice storm? Guaranteed to break trees, power lines, you name it. Yep, it could be worse.

I promised yarn and there it is. The socks are the Kitri socks and already on needles. Unfortunately I have to pay too much attention to them, which does not work while I am studying. Back to the shawl. The sock yarn next to that is some new yarn from All Things Heather. I will probably use a size 2 needle on this, maybe for a sock by Anne over at Knitspot. The other yarn is for a beautiful shawl I saw in the fashion show at Stitches East. It's Blue Heron and I can't wait to make this. I had some material (silk and silk velour) dyed to match and am having a skirt and top made to wear with the shawl. Hopefully to wear on the Sea Socks Cruise one night.

I am in the middle of a war of the minds with one of my sons. He is a picky eater, and stubborn to boot. He didn't eat his supper last night, and I'll be darned if he is going to pull that crap on me tonight. So there he sits, it's been over an hour,and all he has to do is finish an egg sandwich. The future will be full of these wars. Oh my, give me patience.

I got a new toy today - a Blackberry for work. I think it's fun, my husband thinks it's an electronic leash. At least now I have my calendar with me.

Man, it's cold. I'm turning on the fireplace. Time to knit!

A Shaynem dank dir im pupik!

Do you know what that translates to? Many thanks in your belly button. Yeah – I laughed too. I was looking through the Yiddish dictionary at work and found that. I will have to remember it the next time I need to thank someone profusely.

What I was looking for was the spelling Farklempt, i.e. overcome. I am overloaded, inundated, and just have way too many things that I want to knit, with no time. I received beautiful sock yarn in the mail yesterday and the day before. I also received the deep rich yarn to make a gorgeous shawl. But, holy crap, I HAVE SO MUCH UP ON NEEDLES ALREADY!!!!

Nothing is going to get done. I want to work on everything and my job and everything else is getting in the way. I have samples to knit for classes. I don’t even want to take time to organize the unbelievable mess I call a yarn room. I need a temp for work, a wife for home and a cabin boy – for whatever.

When they started manufacturing all these beautiful fibers, they didn’t realize they were starting a new addition – Yarn whores or yarnaholics. Hello my name is “fill in your own name” and I am a yarnoholic. It is so hard to resist the temptation to buy. How these women can start one project before buying any new yarn is totally beyond any comprehension on my part. Now, I will admit that the yarn that came in the mail was ordered in 2006, so I haven’t been too bad in the early part of 2007. I did buy some lace weight, for projects out of Victorian lace and another unbelieveable shawl that is going up on needles in February . I have wanted to knit that one for at least 3 years.

So, I need a plan. Boy do I need a plan. Yarn pictures tomorrow, I promise.

By the “weigh” I’ve lost 3 pounds on the diet. 12 to 17 more to go.

National Champs!

My Gators did it. Some major butt whooping happened Monday night. They are National Champions. This is a happy, happy girl! I was only 1 of 2 rooting for them in a bar in Dallas, but who was smiling when it was over? ME!

I have some yarn to show you, but I won't tonight. It's getting late, I haven't studied, been too busy reading my cruise packet for the Sea Socks Cruise. But I found some yarn in the mail box today and it sure is pretty. And, there was yarn in the mail box yesterday. What fun! Boy I wish I just could stay home and knit. Tomorrow....

A view out the front door

Snow, snow and more snow. Last night a scraper went down the street in front of the house to clear some of the ice and snow which has not melted, followed by a loader that removed some of the piles of snow, where he put them, I do not know. Three storms in less than three weeks dumped over 5 feet of snow on our neighborhood. And it's cold, it was 19 degrees this morning when I dragged my butt to the gym after staying up too late last night playing dominoes at my friend's house. I have hit the gym four times since Tuesday, so today I am sore.

I started a diet yesterday. It's amazing how everything that is bad for you looks so good when you want to lose weight. I am trying to get back to what I weighed when I met my husband. He is being very supportive, which is nice, because he is very thin naturally. It didn't take much for me to weigh more than him when I was pregnant with the boys.

The picture has some knitting and my contracts outline. I knit while I study so I don't get too crazed by trying to remember legal garbage that I flushed from my brain 9 or more years ago. Yes, that is some lace weight Zephyr on the needles. I needed a lace project that I didn't have too think too much about, so I picked up this shawl which was already on the needles. I am not going to say what it is yet, but it is gorgeous and I'm hoping to complete it in record time.

Okay, I have been quiet, but since the game is tomorrow night, for goodness sake - I have to say something. After all, I have to watch it in a bar in Dallas, since I have a quick trip there tomorrow. I am a huge, obnoxious University of Florida fan, who LOVES college football. And my team is in the BCS championship game. No one thinks we will win, even the sportscasters. Well, we shall see tomorrow night.

GO GATORS!!!!!!!!

Pictures at last!

Well lookie here. I have fixed the problem with the blog, and can finally upload pictures again. Here is the finishedChristmas stocking at last. The one on the right is over 40 years old.

G is for Girlfriends....

Here's a bit of fun that I got from Joanne over at Keep Talking. The way this works is that you get a letter from someone and then you have to list ten things, themes, theories, etc. in your life that begin with that letter. My letter is "G", so here goes:

1. Girlfriends – What and where would I be without my Girlfriends. They come in all shapes and forms, all ages, and some are guys who are so great, they qualify as girlfriends. Friends to laugh and cry with, to knit with, to party with, and who just make you happy when they walk in a room or send you an email.

2. Gauge – Well this had to be there. The bain of every knitter’s existence. The bain of my sock knitting experience for all of those ridiculous sock patterns of 72 and 80 stitches. Thanks to you I visit the frog pond on many occasions.

3. Gifts – my boys. Two miracles from God. Enough said.

4. Gobstoppers – I love these jawbreakers. I know I have a box at home on the candy shelf. I snuck them into the Bar exam in California where horrors of horrors you weren’t allowed food. They do make a lot of noise though, when dropped on a hard wood floor.

5. Gynos – Don’t we hate going? This will be a little cold. Just relax. Okay, after I kick you…..

6. Guitar – Just signed up my oldest for guitar lessons which he has asked for during the last year. Could he be the next Eddie Van Halen? Do I need earplugs?

7. Gross – hey, it’s a good word for a number of occasions, especially when my boys say “excuse me, I tooted…”

8. Great Lakes – I used to live 4 blocks from Lake Michigan, moved there when I was 6 years old. Boy it got cold during the winter when the wind blew in off of the lake. I remember going tobogganing down Lake Shore hill with my older brother and sister and my dad.

9. Gloria – Two, make that three great songs. First, Gloria in Excelsis Deo. Then of course Van Morrison’s classic Gloria. Always sing that baby loud and spell it out. Then Laura Branigan’s disco classic Gloria. I have been known to dance my butt off when that tune is played.

10. Genius – I’m not one, but I am a member of Mensa. Surprised? I think the testers were too!

email me if you want a letter.

Well, this was fun, now back to work. Five more inches of snow today, anyone need some?

Progress.

There has been progress.

Today is the 4th, and I hit the gym for the second time this week. Not bad. It always irritates me that it takes no time or effort at all to put on some pounds, but boy does it take some time and effort to get them off. Times like these I wish I had a magic genie that could get me back into shape in the blink of an eye.

I have an almost finished project. The other half’s scarf is knitted and only needs a sewn bind off and some blocking. I put up my Alice Starmore two days ago, but am not sure I am getting gauge. I ripped it out yesterday and I might be back to the frog pond today. I keep vacillating between the 2.75 and 3.0mm needles.

I had 600 emails at work. Isn’t that insane? Now some of them are old ones that need to be deleted, but 600! I’m down to 524, shooting for 450 at the end of the day.

Speaking of the end of the day, guess what is blowing in tonight? Another snow storm, what's up with that? It’s supposed to be 50 degrees today, and I was hoping that the sun would melt the remainder of the 3 to 4 inch ice in the subdivision streets. I sure am glad we have 4 wheel drive. 3 snow storms in 3 weeks? Blame in on El Nino.

Oh and I studied last night. Not too much fun, after all it was torts, now on to contracts.

The sun is shining; all is right with the world. Enjoy your day.

Happy 2007!

Happy New Year!

2006 sure seemed to fly by. In keeping with tradition, I have my resolutions for 2007. Whether or not these will be kept, only time will tell.

1. Knit from the stash. At one time or another, each ball of yarn was at the top of the must knit list. I have so many projects on needles, that I need to curb the inclination to buy what ever catches my eye. January is finished object month, so hopefully there will be some movement in the stash.
2. Have more patience, especially with my oldest son. He always seems to get me on my last nerve.
3. Lose the weight I put on since I got married and had the boys. My husband hasn't added any pounds, but I have. While I'm at it, get back into an exercise routine.
4. Study at least 2 hours a day. This seems a ridiculous amount, with working and the boys, but it's only for 2 months and there is a light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully.
5. Learn more about knitting. That means classes, retreats, conferences. (Like this resolution is going to be a hard one to keep).
6. Get organized. On man, the yarn room needs it badly.
7. Have a cleaner house. HA HA HA.

Well, there is football on the TV, projects to finish, banana bread to bake, and the boys are upstairs with dad putting together a race track, so mom is going to grab some "me" time. Happy New Years my Friends!