Going Wild in Minnesota!

This was my view last night!  Row 1 for the MN Wild vs the Edmunton Oilers!  It was amazing and I was thrilled!

In college I attended 1 hockey game…hockey was not exactly a big draw at Iowa State.  My first year up here was the last year the North Stars were here, and I managed to make it to one game.  I loved it!  The crowd is totally into it and they are fun!  But being down on the glass was so like being right in the middle of it all.  One of the guys I work with has season tickets and was out of town, so me and a girlfriend went.  Kind of fun going with a girl…someone to talk with about the cute Edmunton players as well as the game.

I confess to not knowing all of the rules.  But the action is awesome and the crowd is entertaining!

AND the Wild won!!

555-1212

When I was little I felt very grown up when I could remember that the above number was what I needed to call Information.  It kind of fascinated me that everyone just knew it…I don’t know if it was in the front of the phone book or what.  But everyone knew that if you stuck the right area code in front of that number an operator would look up whatever you wanted.  THEN I realized it was the only “real” phone number that used 555…since this  prefix is only for phone numbers used on tv and movies.  Yes, I was strange kid (who grew into an equally nerdy adult) that found that concept very cool!  Now kids just have to remember 411 and have no idea that there is a 7-digit phone number for information….I find that sad.

This all came to mind for me this week while I was watching Leverage and someone was using a rotary dial phone.  Cracks me up!  When I went off to college my grandma was the one who gave both me and my sister miscellaneous stuff from her (very large and well-stocked) house to help us set up housekeeping.  I got the totally awesome red phone (nicknamed the Bat-phone by my friends). 

I still have it hooked up in my basement.  And, yes, it takes a bit longer to dial people, but it has a very distinct loud ring, reception is clear, and the thing is heavy enough to use as a weapon (a dual purpose for security in college).  I spent MANY hours on it with my college boyfriend who went to another school and I still think of him and my grandma whenever I use it. 

When I saw it on tv the other night I realized that most kids now would have no idea even how to use one!  Kind of sad….makes me feel old and makes me appreciate all of our techy devices we use every day just a little bit more!

Movie Stars Knitting

I absolutely love movies.  Old movies are my favorite, but all eras of movies are good.   Free time for me is typically spent knitting and watching movies.  Netflix is a very good friend of mine!

Tonight’s knitting movie was Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d.  It was done in the 80’s and is not the best Agatha Christie movie, but low-and-behold there was knitting in it!!

Angela Lansbury….knitting!

It wasn’t the best movie in the world…I don’t think I really care for Elizabeth Taylor.  She is a legend, but I don’t love her style.  But there was Rock Hudson…and I have been a fan of his since I was a little girl and watched his romantic comedies on Sunday afternoons while the rest of my family napped.  And Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple reminded me of her tv series, Murder She Wrote…entertaining.

Not a horrible way to spend a Wednesday evening….especially since I am almost 3/4 of the way through the 4th repeat on my Blanket of Sunshine!!

Blanket of Sunshine

Here is the great white North we are undergoing a bit of a thaw!  We have topped 30 degrees for 2 days and my driveway is almost ice-free.  I am not saying the snow is shrinking, but the sun and warm temperatures make everyone happy!

I have, however, found the perfect winter project!!

I am well over halfway done with my Saffron Cables, and it is the perfect project when the temps have been dipping below zero.  Do you notice that it totally covers my legs!  I can work on it and stay toasty warm.  It’s kind of like test driving my little project!  I love the way it is coming out and I think it will be quite a nice size once I get it blocked.

Today I was feeling a bit blue, so thought I would take a break for just me and went to the show.  Many people are amazed that I don’t mind going to the movies by myself, but honestly it’s not like you talk during them any way!  I get a popcorn and pop and love the feeling of doing and seeing exactly what I want without worrying if someone else is enjoying it.  I went to see The Blind Side and I thought it was awesome!  Since I was not in the chipperest frame of mind I shed a lot of tears, but it was totally therapeutic.  I have always been a Sandra Bullock fan and even if blonde isn’t her most flattering hair color, I think she is amazing!

There will be no knitting tonight, but I hope to complete the 3rd repeat of my blanket by the end of my long weekend.  Tomorrow I see a movie at home and plenty of knitting in my future!

Another year, another post

I originally started this blog because I enjoyed reading about other people’s lives and projects.   As it turns out, I am not faithful to posting…kind of like I have never been faithful to journals or diaries.  I am easily distracted and all of the sudden I haven’t posted since July!!  But it’s a new year and I am here to document!

2009 was good.  I met a boy, but he’s 6 1/2 hours away…doesn’t bode well for lasting long.  He’s consumed a lot of my cell phone minutes since February and not nearly enough of my live-and-in-person minutes.  How long can one exist on talking and not snuggling?

The knitting has continued, but I have become queen of small projects.  Hats are my current favorite, but I miss the excitement of casting on for a sweater.  I still have a couple in progress, and I hope to get them to completion before the spring thaw begins.

Speaking of…snow is abounding here in the great white north.  But not nearly as much as in Iowa where I spent Christmas!  It was crazy and white…blowing white for 3 solid days!  And the worst part was I forgot my knitting bag!  I had to settle for some balls of cotton from Pamida (if you’ve never lived in a small town, you cannot imagine the joy of Pamida…named for three sons: Paul, Mike, and Dan.  It’s not as nice as Target or Walmart, but manages to be more expensive).  Lame, but it got me through!

I am up late since the boy promised to call and didn’t…so I am entertaining myself.  There should be pictures and posts soon to update on my blanket and other projects!

Happy New Year!

July

Well, I have been very bad about posting in July.  So I thought I would least throw in my favorite photo of the month.  I spent the 4th of July with friends, and the only fireworks that have ever really interested me much are sparklers.  There is no better way to celebrate the 4th of July!

I’m Back!

Well that was an unexpected break!  One would think that after several months of not posting I would have an endless supply of finished objects to chat about.  Sadly, not so.  There have been many minor projects (dish cloths, hats, etc), but no notable knitting.

HOWEVER!  Last night while watching a movie, I did this…

Yes, that would be 16 balls of wound yarn to start this….

My plan is to cast on for this today while it rains.  Yes, I said RAIN!  We are in a seriously dry situation (as my yard can attest since it is more brown than green)….so sitting and enjoying the rain sounds like a perfect Saturday!!

Perspective

So I survived the holidays and they were great!  2009 is off and it is already mid-January! Crazy!!  I have not picked up my needles at all yet this year.  I had a flurry of little projects in December, and I think I’ve just been recovering.  2 years ago I spent New Year’s day looking for some cotton yarn to make a sweater.  That was when I got my lesson in how much my yarn addiction could cost.  At the time I found the most gorgeous green sherbet cotton bulky yarn.  It was $22/hank and I was overwhelmed.  What??  I need 9 hanks….that’s like $200 for a sweater!!  I went home and made a dish cloth.

Now 2 years later I’ve gotten over the sticker shock.  Right now a $200 sweater won’t exactly exactly fit in the budget, but I have learned that getting nice yarn which is exactly what you want is worth the expense.  The whole time I am working with it I’m loving every minute of it.  Some people love gambling and can spend $200 in an hour….at least I get to play with the yarn for weeks (maybe months if my latest projects are any examples) and end up with a usable item….not a bad hobby at all!

For Christmas this year I asked for a few knitting related items that I will share as I use them, however, I also asked for a weather station for my house.  You know, it has the little displan inside that tells you what the temperature is in your house, and then you put a little receiver outside and it tells you what the temperature outside is.  I live in a state where the weather is typically a converstaion opener and can lead to many people’s entire conversations.  I rarely watch the news these days, so figured I could at least know what to prepare for when I leave the house.

Yesterday, I didn’t want to know what I was leaving the house for…..

Do you see that negative sign in front of the 17?  Last night we got more snow and today the temps are supposed to start droppping again.  It got cold so early this year that it is turning into a really long winter!  I am going to need a beach escape soon….but in the meantime I need to dig out those needles because I have a little knitting group on Saturday and with these temps, I need a sweater!!

It is better to give than to receive

I know it’s been about 18 years since I have posted, however, when I logged in everything looks different!  I take an unplanned couple-of-weeks-break and wordpress decides to remodel!  Do they not understand I haven’t posted because I’ve been busy, and now posting is going to take a little longer than scheduled because everything has been moved and spiffed up??  But since I love change (in my alter-universe where the sky really is pink) I am rolling with the change (well, kind of, other than the griping above)!

As for everything else….I think I left off at Thanksgiving.    My Mom was still not very perky so I cooked.  If you knew me at all this would scare you.  Bottom line….it was edible and no one complained (about the food or that they would get fat from too much of it).  There was much knitting completed, most of which got photographed, some of which still needs to be photographed.

The hats (Shadir and the Cashmere Button Beanie) were hits!

They were both given to the bigger girl in the picture….but 2 heads were needed for modeling!

There was a slight snafu with the scarf that was to be given with the hats.  The morning of the gift exchange I was finishing it up (like you really thought I would be done early) and had about 45 minutes before I needed to be at my destination with presents wrapped and ready.  I ran out of yarn.  Yes, I had not showered yet and started freaking (just a little) about ripping back enough rows to start the corner over (darn garter-stitch diagonal scarf) at an earlier row which would allow me to finish the scarf!  I stopped freaking, took a shower, and admitted like a big-girl that I had over-estimated my skills and would be gifting her the scarf in the very near future.  She very graciously agreed to my plan and loved her hats without the scarf!  It is done now, but I still need a good modeling photo of the finished product.  Until then, enjoy the shot she received with her hats (it really is prettier in person).

Also, for those observant people out there….this is not the yarn pictured in the last post.  I  made that yarn up and had 2 people tell me it looked like a man’s scarf.  So it is being gifted to a man for Christmas.  When he receives it there will be pictures!

My very fun multi-colored scarf was a huge hit with it’s recipient, but once again I am short a photo.  We were a little more focused on the martinis.

Soooo, no pretty scarf picture, but instead an ugly sweater picture. 

I did not, however, by any means get shorted in the gift department!  My non-knitterly friends truly outdid themselves by surfing online and even watching a knitting show on HGTV to give me some really nice things.

I got yarn dye!!!!  OK, I have no idea how to use it, but I am so excited to try!  I’ve decided I need to be focused while dealing with things that can dye my countertops a rainbow of colors, so will be experimenting with this after the new year when I am less spastic.

Then there is the Cables & Arans book.  I can sit and look at it for hours just like I used to drool over the Sears toy book as a kid!  Cables just make me happy!

I have been blessed with truly good friends and love them everyday for what they add to my life!

Thanksgiving Preparations

For most people Thanksgiving preparation means going to the grocery store.  For me it means going to the yarn store.

There are scarves to be made for Christmas!

I cant’ wait to start this one!  The colors are so cheery!

There is some cooking being done…I made banana bread tonight which has made the house smell so good!  And, so that I don’t appear a total slacker, I will be helping my Mom with the bulk of the cooking at her house since she has been slightly under the weather.

I hope everyone has a great week! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!