Knit! Dive!

2006-02-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it the first time...

I've been busy. Check out my new blog:

Visit my New Blog!

2006-02-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it the first time...

I've been busy. Check out my new blog:

Olympic Days 4 and 5

2006-02-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't gotten as much knitting done the last couple of days. I haven't been feeling well, so I've skipped work. It's just all those rows of flat stockinette. But I'm almost back to the cabling part! Here's pic from this morning.

Day 3, and the house

2006-02-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here's the progress for yesterday. One more row, then time to divide for the sleeves. It takes a really long time to purl a 400 stitch row. Another reason to stick with the diet. And here's a new picture of the house. They are putting in the front landscaping. It was locked, but we looked through the windows, and it's coming along nicely.

Knitting Olympics Day 2

2006-02-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here's my progress through yesterday. For those keeping score at home, that's through Row 3 of step 8. By the way, this color is much more accurate than yesterday's picture.

Knitting Olympics Day 1

2006-02-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

Here's my day one progress. I didn't get started until around 5 - had to get my nails done. That would be charts A, B, and C, and most of chart F.

FO 11: Convertible Mittens

2006-02-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yarn: ArtYarns Super Merino
Needles: US 3 dpns
Pattern: Urban Necessities
Recipient: Me
This is the second pair of these. I skipped the cables on the flap of these. I also picked up some extra stitches for the fingers. They were a little tight. I also changed the decreases on the flap. It came out a little pointy, but when I hold my hand flat, it's pointy, too. So it all works out.

FO 10: Car Seat Blanket

2006-02-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

Yarn: Buttons
Needles: US5 Addi Turbos
Pattern: Make it up as I go - will post later
Recipient: Brian and Monica's future child
This was actually a pretty quick knit, even in DK yarn. It has a hole for buckling the seat belt and, and it's just the right size to fit in the car seat without being too bulky.

Getting Ready!

2006-02-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the (Knitting) Olympics, I'm going to write up my FO's that I haven't gotten to yet. So expect a few posts tonight and in the morning. No work tomorrow!
I'm working on socks for my SP, and a scarf for the the store. If I don't finish them before the opening ceremonies, they will be my traveling projects.
And so, without further delay...

Go Wales!

2006-02-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

I've finally chosen an Olympic Knitting Team: Team Wales.
Why Team Wales? I like Wales, I like Cast On and Knit Cast, I wanted a cool dragon button.
As far as my qualifications, from Brenda Daynes list:
I have a great fondness for daffodils
I think Wales has a really cool flag
I have always wanted to visit Wales
I actually know where Wales is
As a review, I will be knitting Eris by Girl From Auntie. My yarn is Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Raging Purple. My needles are Addi Turbos in US 4 and 5.
I do still need to order my zipper.

Monday, Monday

2006-02-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

We ordered furniture this weeked. It should all be here just in time to have it delivered to the house. We went shopping and got some clothes for husband. I got a couple of books - Yarn Harlot's bookbookbook2, and Knitting Vintage Socks. I love the binding on knitting vintage socks.
We went by the house on Sunday, and they had the driveway poured. Things are moving along well.
Scout decided that we should have a nice little knitting competition.
Here's my morning pic:

And here's the end of day pic:

It's hard to tell, but I did a few inches on the car seat blanket, turned the heel on some worsted weight socks for husband, and did a swatch for Eris for the Knitting Olympics.
We took off a little early today, so here I am.

FO 9: Handwarmers

2006-02-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

Yarn: Smart Wool
Needles: Denise US5
Method: 2 on 2
Pattern: Make it up as you go
Recipient: Husband
My husband tends to develop this condition we call "mouse hand." Basically, when he sits at the computer (using the mouse) too long, his hands get as cold as ice. This happens other times, too. Video games, reading, etc. So I made these for him to wear when his hands get cold. He seems to like them. Not something he would wear outside the house, but they work great for here. I just did some 1x1 rib around the top, split for the thumb, rejoined in the round, and more 1x1 rib for the cuff. I tried doing the Norwegian purl on the flat section, and my gauge went crazy. But they worked.

Secret Pal Goodies

2006-02-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

I got a book from my SP today: Vogue Knitting Socks Two. Very cool. I think I may adapt the slipper socks to my grown-up feet. Thank you!
In the card, she had some questions for me. So here you go:
What books do you have? Stitch 'n' Bitch, Loop-d-Loop, Family Circle Plus Size Knits, Knitting for Dummies, Sensational Knitted Socks, and a stack of various knitting mags.
Needles and Notions? I have all the needles I need for now. Of course, if you want to buy me some addi turbos, 2 24" US5 circs would be lovely. I would like some of those cool folding scissors. A dpn case would be nice. Right now, the are all in my knitting bag, and all mixed up. Someone had one of these at SnB last night, I thought it was great. I have one of the red ones, but I like this one because I could loop it onto my circs and use it as a marker and a row counter. And it has a lock. Very convenient.

FO 8: Layette for Brian and Monica's protohuman

2006-01-31T21:45:00.000-07:00

Yarn: Plymouth Encore
Needles: Addi Turbo US 10, 24"
Pattern: 5 Hour Baby Sweater, Boy version, matching hat and booties
Recipient: Brian and Monica's protohuman
The baby sweater really did take about 5 hours. The hat and booties took even less time. The child is due to arrive in early March. I'm debating whether to make a blanket. If I do, it will be of the car seat variety.

Monday fun

2006-01-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

My little meeting with manager was hardly worth writing home for, although I'm still pissed. I billed 20 hrs to P's project this week, and apparently that was still too much. *grumble grumble*
In good news today, we got a moving estimat this afternoon - just over $1000. So worth it if I don't have to pack or drive that giant truck again. That 20 hrs from MS to NM was enough for me.
That's it for now. I'll be at SnB tomorrow night. I think I'll actually be able to hang around this time. I'm finally feeling better.

FO 7: Jaywalkers

2006-01-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Yarn: Anne - sock yarn
Needles: US 0, 24" in Addi Turbo
Method: 2 Socks on 2 Circs
Pattern: Jaywalkers
This was a great pattern. I see how people get addicted. It was nice and easy to remember, but interesting. The ribbing was a little loose. Next time, I'll cast on fewer and increase for the leg. It would also be nice to do them toe up. The yarn was nice, too. I was concerned that it was too dark, but I think they look good. The quadrupeds are Philip and Gwyndylyn.

FO 6: Red Scarf Project

2006-01-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Yarn: Mission Falls 1824, two balls
Pattern: 2X2 rib over 24 sts
Needles: US8
Recipient: Red Scarf Project
This scarf is for the Red Scarf Project. Find out more information at the Orphan Foundation of America. The scarves donated for this project will be given to young adults who have outgrown the foster system and gone to college. I will be dropping it off at Einstein Bros tomorrow morning. It was a nice, quick knit. This is actually the second scarf I have donated. I also donated one that I had made for myself.

Weekend Updates!

2006-01-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

Not a lot of knitting this weekend, but I have a good excuse: Isn't she pretty? All shiny, new, and mine!
Angela came down and spent the night here last night. That was a lot of fun.
I haven't been posting my FO pictures much, so you'll be seeing those over the next few days.
And, there's another reason for the lack of knitting: SocksThatFit.net
There's not much there, but it's a start, and it will be growing. I'm thinking about adding some scarves and that sort of thing soon. I can't really get started on the dying and the sock making until we get into the house.
We close on February 28 at 10 AM.
Went over to Beverly's house for Craft Friday. There was much knitting and eating and fun. As well as some crosstitch and needlepoint. We have two new knitters now!
I got my "Free to Stitch, Free to Bitch" shirt Thursday, and my swift, too. I'll be wearing my shiny new shirt, where else, but at Stitch 'n Bitch on Tuesday (under Rogue, since I don't think it would be considered work appropriate).
I put the buttons onto the baby cardigan at Beverly's and I finished one of the booties tonight.

We went to the house today and saw that they have installed the kitchen cabinets. The vinyl floors and tile are down, and the trim is up. One step closer!
We went back to the rheumatologist Friday, and they basically said that there is no physical reason why I am in pain. So in three weeks, I go to the "Spine and Pain Clinic" for more fun and games. But at least we are getting somewhere this time. And since there is an end to the job in sight, I'm not completely dreading going to work tomorrow. It will be kind of nice to get everything that everyone wants finished and then get to say, oh, by the way, take this job and shove it!
Well, that was my week.

My job sucks

2006-01-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Am I some sort of horrible person? Is there a reason that no one ever gives me any work to do? Or that when they do, even if I am doing a good job, they have something to say.
For example, I've been sick a lot this week. I went in Tuesday morning and this morning. Manager had asked me to stop to by and check in. He asked me if I was "doing alright." I said I was not feeling well, and that I had some sort of cold. The he was like, "So you're doing ok?" What was that about?
And then, he asks, "Did (P) give you any expectation of the amount of time you would be working on his project?" I said that his samples were difficult to prepare and that's where most of the time was spent.
I should have stayed to finish this little chat, but husband was on his way to pick me up and I was feeling really bad. So now he wants to talk to me when I'm back. What the hell?
So I have some sort of cold, and my chest is seriously acting up. Now the chest pain just makes everything feel worse. So when I'm sick, I feel worse. When I'm upset, I get more upset.
So do I go to work tomorrow, and know that I'm going to be upset and probably end up in tears, or do I stay home sick, like I should.
I am still sick, and I am still in a lot of pain. I go back to the doctor Friday, and hopefully, this time, they will have answers, and a way to make the pain go away, or at least be manageable.
I would quit, but I have to stay on until we close on the house. Anybody have a job opening in Albuquerque? I don't need to make a lot. And it doesn't have to be remotely technical.
Any way. That was kind of a downer.
So some knitting.
Since I haven't been at work, I've been otherwise busy. I finished my jaywalkers. I whipped up some handwarmers for husband when he's at the computer. I also knit up a scarf for Red Scarf Project. I did 5 hour Baby Sweater for Brian and Monica's protohuman. It really did take 5 hours, but it does need buttons.
What am I working on now? Bell sleeve shrug, convertible mittens.
I need to add some length to the legs of husband's socks. I'll get to that sooner or later.
I ordered a ton of Cotton Fleece in Raging Purple from WEBS last night for Eris. Is there an Eris Olympic Knitting Team yet? Maybe I'll start one.

Jaywalkers, now with heels

2006-01-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

Got through the heels today. They are kind of hard to get over the heel, but they fit great otherwise. I'll probably finish them tomorrow to wear to SnB on Tuesday.

Not hungover

2006-01-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

If I wrote something on your blog last night that didn't make any sense, I blame it on CUI - commenting under the influence.
Husband poured enough water down my throat last night that I don't think there is any sign of alcohol in my body at this point. No headache, no nausea. That's my general hangover preventative. Water. Lots and lots of water before you go to bed.
I did do a little KUI (knitting under the influence) last night. I didn't have to rip much this morning. And it was just on the shrug. I'll probably finish that up this weekend.

Here's my jaywalker progress. I'll be turning the heel as soon as I finish up this post.
I noticed a dropped stitch in the Baltic Sea socks, so I fixed that this morning.
I've decided to do Eris for knitting olympics. Does anyone have recommendations for some inexpensive cotton? I need almost 2000 yards for the cardigan.
We turned in the last of our paperwork for the house yesterday!
Now we just wait to close.
I may head up to village wools to pet some yarn and get ideas for the cardigan. I may pick something up for the red scarf project, too. Something manly. I've been seeing lots of girly scarves going to the project but not many manly ones.

Secret Pal Questionnaire

2006-01-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

shelby wanted me to post this so my sp could see it. I guess it got pushed back in to the archives. here you go! Originally posted a couple of weeks ago

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?

Not really. The good stuff is nice, but I don't have an aversion to the inexpensive stuff.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

Nope.

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have the Denise kit, so that's covered, and I use a toiletries bag from Target for the rest. It has these cool little holders, just the right size for DPNs. The rest go wherever I can fit them.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting for a year. I think the skill level thing is relative, but for reference, I just finished Rogue, which is marked as Expert with Advanced Cables.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

No.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

Ylang Ylang, Lavender.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Not really. Candy should be sugar free - I'm on a diet.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

Knitting is it, for now.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

alternative, and celtic. And some country. And folk.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

My favorite colors are red and blue. I also like the earthy greens and browns. I really don't like pink, and orange isn't at the top of my list. I don't like a lot of highly variegated or loud colors. Solids and long color runs are my favorites.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I'm married, no kids. I have two cats.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I like scarves, but I don't have a lot of opportunity to wear them, or hats and mittens. No ponchos.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

Favorite? You want me to choose? I haven't had the chance to use a lot different stuff, so I don't have much of an opinion there.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Anything that can't be frogged. A lot.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

Socks.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Socks. I like scarves, but don't get to wear them much. I really just like to knit.

17. What are you knitting right now?

Socks. Between other projects. I just finished Rogue, and the next thing will probably be a shrug. I might knit up a scarf this afternoon from some gifted yarn.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Sure.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

Circulars.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Yes. I prefer aluminum to knit with, but I'm starting an exotic wood needle collection. Plastic is good for straights.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I have a ballwinder, but no swift, yet. I plan to get a swift in the next couple of weeks.

22. How did you learn to knit?

Knitting for Dummies, SnB, knittinghelp.com

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

A couple of days.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

That's a hard one. Let's go with cats.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

That's a tie - Christmas and my birthday.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

Exotic wood knitting needles.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

None.

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?

Vogue Stitchionary, Knitting Vintage Socks, the Cat Bordhi Moebius books.

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Not right now.

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes. 8.75 in long, 8.5 in around at ball of foot

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

November 26

Updates!

2006-01-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

First, Jaywalker. We're having our own little SnB jaywalker KAL. We had 8 people at FS to cast on Tuesday. It was quite fun. Here's mine, in Anne. Coming along nicely. To see pics from Tuesday, visit Scout or Carole.

Second, Stitch n Bitch. I bought one of the long-sleeve t-shirts. Take that SFSE!

Third, goodies. One of our group brought one of these to SnB a few weeks ago. Of course, I had to have one. I ordered mine from Discount Yarn Sale. It's the best knitting bag ever. Lots of room. The only issue I have is that once you thread the yarn through the eyelets, you're pretty much stuck.
The house has stucco, and the drywall is complete. We are scheduled to close on Feb 28. We're hoping that we can close earlier, though. We have to be out of here by the end of the month. Stupid landlords. I woke up with a spider bite yesterday morning. Stupid house.
My SP really loved her first package.
Work still sucks. No change there.

FO 5: Socks for me

2006-01-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

More socks!
Yarn: Lorna's Laces, Baltic Sea
Needles: Addi Turbo, Size 0
Pattern: Stockinette, with 3x2 rib cuff, turkish cast on, garter stitch heel
Size: 8.5
Recipient: Me
I would call these quick and dirty. Stockinette, easy heel. This is the best heel ever! No purls, no picking up wraps. I had some issues binding off. I just couldn't get it loose enough. On the last row, I made a yo between every stitch. Then I bound off. It looks really neat. Like a lettuce edge, I guess. And they fit!

Monday Fun

2006-01-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

Here we are, Monday after work. I got a little bit of work today. Don't tell anyone, but it won't take nearly as much work as they think it will. Yarn Harlot has come up with a lovely way to enjoy the winter olympics: The Knit Olympics. Choose a challenging project, cast on when they light the torch and cast off before the torch goes out.
And looky at the cool button.

Visit the yarn harlot blog for more info: Knitting Olympics
Still working on socks and shrug. We start Jaywalker KAL tomorrow at SnB, so I hope I can get these socks off the needles tonight.
Oh yeah. I forgot. I can't decide what to do for the Knitting Olympics.
Here's my choices:
1. Eris - in cotton for the summer
2. Clapotis - in something nice and soft.
3. Layette for Brian and Monica's protochild.

Santa Fe Saturday

2006-01-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

The smog was really bad in Albuquerque today, so we went up to Santa Fe. We had plans to meet a friend from Los Alamos for dinner, but we left here after lunch.
I mailed off the first SP7 gift today. She should get it Tuesday or Wednesday.
Then we went to Trader Joe's and picked up a couple of bottles of two buck Chuck - chardonnay. It was really neat, but we didn't stay long - it was also quite crowded.
We tried to find a store called Wet Pets, but apparently it has closed since we were there last.
Then we went to the Needle's Eye - a LYS. They didn't have a lot of yarn, but it was nice. I picked up a couple of balls of Encore for a layette (5 hour baby sweater and matching booties and hat). I also got the buttons for the sweater and some chibi needles.
The last stop was Borders. I got the Yarn Harlot's first book, a sudoku book, SBD 30 minute cookbook, and something for SP.
We had dinner at Il Vicino (leftovers for lunch) and dessert at Cold Stone.
It was a good day. It was nice to get out of the smog. I don't understand how people in LA can take it! There's still some smog, but hopefully a front will come through and get rid of it. Los Lunas is outside of the "bowl" so we shouldn't have the same inversion issues as we do here in Albuquerque.
Back to the shrug!

TGIF?

2006-01-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

I made it to Friday! It wasn't the most relaxing Friday ever, but not bad. I had a facial this morning, and then got my nails done. This afternoon I had an appt at Coleman Vision for my LASIK followup. I'm still at about 20/20.
Yesterday, I saw a rheumatologist. More chest x-rays, more blood, more take two and call me in the morning. But at least he's doing something, not just saying "What have you done before?" So I think this one's a keeper.
I'm working on socks for me know - LL in Baltic Sea, two on two. I finally figured out the Turkish cast on with this pair. I'm also going to do a garter st short row heel. Plain st st for the foot and 2x2 rib for the cuff. Nice and easy.
I also cast on for the bell sleeve shrug tonight. I'm using yarn salvaged from the Isis wrap - KP Wool of the Andes in winter night.

FO 4: Socks for Shane

2006-01-13T21:23:00.000-07:00

Yarn: Mission Falls 1824
Needles: Denise, US 5
Method: 2S2C short row toe and heel
Size: US Men's 15
Recipient: Husband
Pattern: Stockinette and 3x2 rib
These were quick and easy, and the warmest socks ever. More are likely in my future. I started out with 1 sock on 2 circs, but I switched to 2 on 2 at the leg. I love the Mission Falls wool. I'm so glad it's not going away!

We will soon be homeowners!

2006-01-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

I talked to our mortgage rep today, and she said we were approved for our loan! And even better, our credit scores went up since the preapproval, so we'll get a better rate.
More tomorrow. It's almost time for bed.

FO the third: Rogue

2006-01-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

This is the Rogue. Excuse the crazy demon eyes. I'll get one of my Stitch n Bitch girlies to take a better pic tomorrow night.
Yarn: KnitPicks, Wool of the Andes, Snickerdoodle, 18 balls
Needles: Denise, US sizes 5 and 7
Pattern: Rogue, by Girl from Auntie
Recipient: Me!
This was a great knit. I may make a cotton version for summer. I added some stitches to the width, and made the largest size. It still came out a little big. But I'm quite happy with it. The cables were indeed advanced, but the pattern was very well written, and easy to follow. The chart symbol descriptions were very clear. I do despise sewing, but the top down minimized it.

It's a bloggy day!

2006-01-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

Four posts in one day! I did say I would provide pictures. And here they are. The first will be our house. No stucco yet, but the drywall is in. From what I could see, it just needs to be painted. Almost there! With any luck, we'll be moving the day after Valentine's Day!

The next picture is Gwyndylyn, who is not happy about being woken up for a picture.

Finally, Philip, who wants some quality time with the yarn. If he had opposable thumbs, he would definitely be a yarn snob.

That should hold you over for a while.

First Socks of the Year - Blauband, Size 15

2006-01-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

Two FOs in one day! Woohoo!
Yarn: Blauband Special, Color 127, a kelly green
Size: US Men's 15
Stitch pattern: Double Moss, 2x2 rib on cuff
Needles: Addi Turbo 2.0 mm, 24 in.
Construction: Toe-up, short row toe and heel
Technique: 1 sock, 2 circs
Recipient: Husband

That pretty much covers it. These were my first try at 2 circs. The next pair will be 2 on 2. Between the two circs and the Addis, these went much faster. Still takes a while for the size 15s. I do need to make the leg longer and the foot a little shorter next time. I may take out the bind off and add a few inches of ribbing. I do have a third ball of the yarn.

First FO of the year - Fruity Pebbles Scarf

2006-01-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

I'm calling this the Fruity Pebbles Scarf.
Yarn: Sirdar Firefly - A swap gift from the KnitTalk list, two balls.
Pattern: 20 sts Garter, until the yarn was gone
Needles: Denise, US 11
Recipient: Who knows? Maybe me, or maybe the first person who says they like it when I wear it.
This yarn was kind of a pain to knit with, but once I got the hang of it, it worked out well. I started it yesterday, and finished it up today. A nice quick knit.

I hate Wal-Mart!

2006-01-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

It's not that I have a moral problem. It's that it's so freakin' crowded. Today's trip was no exception. We got there, and had to stop at the restroom. No big deal. Not the cleanest ones in the world, but I've seen worse. But there are two little boys in there, and no parent. A little strange. As I'm leaving, the mother is waiting outside.
Me: You know that was the women's room, right?
SB: I don't like for them to use the men's room.
Me: Well it's kind of awkward.
SB: I don't know why.
Me: Maybe you should go in there with them next time.
SB: I don't want anyone to steal my stuff.
Ok, so I summarized. The point is, if your brats are old enough to go potty by themselves, they are old enough to go in the men's room. If you don't feel comfortable with them going in the men's room with all the weirdos, that's fine. Make them wait until you get home. Or make them go before you start shopping so you can go in there with them. These were kids were like 6 or 8. It's called a women's room for a reason.
Then there was the hysterical woman who misplaced her child. And all of the people touching me.
Oh, and then the cashier. The incredible slow moving cashier. Now if he was bagging the groceries correctly, it wouldn't have been as bad. But he tried to put the ready to eat food in with the raw meat, and he attempted to put the sweet potatoes on top of the bananas. And did I mention that he was slow?
Today is a big FO day. Photos to come soon. Really.

Rogue!

2006-01-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

The knitting of Rogue is complete. Tomorrow, I'll wash and block. I think I'll wet block this one, so I don't have to wash it again immediately. I went to Village Wools to visit Scout today - her first day of work there. I needed a third ball of Mission Falls for Husband's house socks. I also picked up some yarn for Jaywalker and a bottle of Eucalan. Exciting, huh?
No work today, as mentioned before. We had a new person at SnB this week - Kim (I think). She had the coolest knitting bag that she got from Michaels in CT, where she is from. I went online and found it at the Michael's site, but they didn't have it at either of hte Michael's here. So I ordered it from DiscountYarnSale.com.
I realize I've been slacking in the picture department. I may or may not do something about it tomorrow. Tune in to find out!

Virtually Friday

2006-01-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

You can't beat a two day workweek. Nothing exciting at work today. Just the usual crap. Tomorrow, no working! A visit to Village Wools is in order, probably after lunch. Scout from SnB got a job there, and of course, must be harassed at work. I do have a reason, though. I need yarn for my Jaywalker socks. Because the six hanks of LL just won't do.
I finished one of husband's house socks today. Just need to cut the end. I'll probably finish the last sleeve for Rogue tonight. With any luck, she will be ready to wear to SnB on Tuesday.
I got my KnitTalk swap gift today:
A notepad shaped like a lamb
A copy of Knitting
Two balls of Sirdar Firefly - a sparkly railroad yarn - very pretty
A knitted washcloth and two bath salt cubes.
Hopefully, Lynda will get mine soon.
I joined Secret Pal 7 after Ramona mentioned it on her blog last night. I got in just under the wire. This is going to be way fun!
Well, that's it for tonight. They are doing construction near my building at work. I have a headache.

A Business Venture

2006-01-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

In support of my continuing yarn habit, I have decided to start a business: Socks that Fit (and other knit gifts) Catchy, eh?
I'm going to purchase a circular sock machine, and cones of yarn in a variety of colors, in wool and cotton. People will be able to order socks to fit a specific size foot. I got this idea because husband wears a size 15 shoe, and finding him comfortable socks is a challenge. And on the other end of the spectrum are those with small feet. I plan to go live in May.
I will also have the standard hats and scarves, and armwarmers. I will also do commissioned knitting - afghans, sweaters, shawls. This angle will be limited - I do need time for fun knitting. :)
Finally, I will offer to knit socks from stashed yarns for $10/pair. This is for those who have reached SABLE, or who are in a time crunch.
The business will be primarily online, although I will probably do some craft shows.
I'll keep you posted!

Back to work...

2006-01-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

Back to work today. Not too bad. Still boring. I had a little work to do and should get more tomorrow. Of course, that will take a week, and then back to the usual. P has brought in two more techs. If he keeps this up, we'll have a whole groups worth of techs with nothing to do. Oh well. Not my problem. He applied for two manager jobs and didn't get either. Of course, he's only been here 4 yrs, and his people skills suck.

Back to work

2006-01-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the return to work. Kind of at the bottom of my to do list, but I don't exactly have a choice. Oh well. I do have work waiting for me for a change.
SnB was good tonight. I worked on the second sleeve for Rogue, but ended up ripping it out. Twice the knitting for the same price!
Well, that's it for today. Not much tonight. More tomorrow, maybe. We'll see.

New Year

2006-01-01T23:42:00.000-07:00

January 1st is almost over, and I figured I'd go ahead and make a post. I've seen lots of people posting abut what they learned about knitting this year and what they finished. Well, I learned to knit! I've knit socks and scarves and sweaters and a cat bed and cat toys. I have one sweater that is too small in the arms. I knit the tank top from knitty, which disintegrated in the wash. I knit several pair of socks for Christmas.
I have a pair of socks on the needles for husband. I'm learning the 2 circular method with these. It's a neat method. And I see why everyone loves Addi Turbos! If anyone out there in knit land wants to just get rid of Addis, just let me know. I'd be glad to take them off your hands.
I'm making good progress on Rogue. I've done the body, and I'm about 2/3s through the first sleeve. It fits so far, and it's fun to knit.
In January, our SnB will be starting a Jaywalker Knit-along - in person. I think I'll use my Lorna's Laces in Camoflage.
My resolutions? hmmm... finish rogue, knit more socks, blog regularly, do some diving.
I think that does it. My goals? Lose another 40 pounds. I did last year, and I can do it this year. right?
So that's it from here.
May you all have a wonderful yarn filled year!

Merry Christmas All!

2005-12-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

I think this is the latest I've ever slept on Christmas. Santa doesn't visit old married couples who didn't go home for the holidays. There is one gift that was shipped wrapped on top of the TV. We'll open it shortly. Maybe we'll hit IHOP for brunch. Last night we went to PFChangs. Very good Christmas Eve dinner.
Shane is calling his family, I'll get to mine later. It's been hard to get into the spirit this year. Between not going home, and the hurricane, and waiting on approval on the house it's not the been the best. And I'm ill. It's the costochondritis again. The worst it's been in a long time. I ended up getting a cortisone shot and a toreadal shot and it's still not gone. Now it's time for prednisone and all the fun associated with that.
I'm not saying it's a bad Christmas, just not the best ever. I'm glad we stayed here. It's so much easier, and I'll actually get a chance to get well before getting back to work.
We'll probably get some diving in this week, if I feel better.
I finished the last of the Christmas knitting last night. I'll send Shane's mom her socks Tuesday when the PO opens back up on Monday. I might make the cats some toys today. Christmas for them. It should be fun. Unfortunately, we don't have any catnip, but I think they'll get over it. They seem to enjoy my yarn.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, and all that fun stuff!

Almost there...

2005-12-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

I have finished all of my Christmas Knitting except one pair of socks. They are for Shane's mother. We sent an IOU in her card. I'll get them done soon, although she does have rather large feet. 10 wide!
The last of the gifts went out today. I also sent my swap gift to Lynda in Ireland yesterday. It should be there shortly after Christmas. I guess when shipping to Ireland, you shouldn't procrastinate. Although the shipping wasn't bad. I think I overshot the size limit, but that's just because I sent a magazine.
Home sick today, I whipped up a scarf from Tokyo wool - Blue with a variegated strand and little bits of ribbon, I think. It looks like doll eyelashes. I did a simple drop stitch thing, two skeins worth. Really long, but one skein is too short.
I'll be starting on Rogue and the fibertrends felted clogs. And then there is the giant pile of yarn that I ordered from Redbird knits. Some Lorna's Laces, and I joined the Sock of the Month club. I'd better get busy! The clogs should be fast, and the socks will be a nice mindless break from the serious cables in rogue. Sure I've never really done cables. So? What's your point?
Time for dinner!

Rant-o-matic: Part the First, In Which Political Correctness is Out of Hand

2005-12-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

"We should hire some illegals to do this crap"
Does this offend you? Do you assume that I am talking about Mexicans?
Well, I got bitched at for saying this statement in reference to cleaning floors and stuff.
This was part of a 6S event, a whole other rant in and of itself. In industry, this is known as 5S. Standardize, Shine, Sort, Strainten, and Sustain. Lockheed Martin/Sandia have added a 6th S - Safety.
The portion in question is Shine. This is the part where they make a bunch of moderately educated engineers and scientists, and highly experienced technologists, scrub floors and dust and lots of other gross stuff like that.
A couple of persons of hispanic descent were present when I made this statement. A week or so ago, there was a news story in which a dozen or so illegal immigrants were discovered to be working on construction on Kirtland AFB. Now, I'm not a terribly imposing person, although I might could squish you if you were small enough. But that's beside the point. Rather than these people saying something at the time, they chose to go to my manager. Now if they had come to me, I would have apologized. But now, no fucking way. I am pissed.
Now comes the assumption that all illegal immigrants are hispanic. This is not true. Illegal immigrants can come from anywhere. The key is being in the country illegally.
My solution - I'm not going to talk to the asshole who had a problem. And I'm going to demand that people call me either melatonin-challenged or a person of western European descent. And I'm going to tell the office gossip so she can spread the word. And so help me God if that whore S had anything to do with it, I will kick her ass in to next week.

Home!

2005-11-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's good to be back here in Albuquerque. We had a good trip home. I got a lot of knitting done. I got the rest of the yarn for Shane's socks, so I finished those up. I also finished my grandmother's Christmas socks, made my sister's, and started on Shane's brother's. In Columbus I picked up some yarn from Yarns Downtown, a new yarn shop there. I don't remember the name, but it was Italian and had a panda on the label. It's red with some other colors for fun. I knit it up in to a scarf in about 3 hours.
The shop was nice, big, and well lit. I picked up some Cascade 220 for some felted clogs, in addition to the yarn above. She had a lot of expensive stuff, like Rowan, and a lot of "froofroo" yarns. There was very little sock yarn. The selection of needles was good. She's definitely going for luxury. There was room for sitting and knitting, as well as groups and classes. The owner is a fairly new knitter, and it kind of shows in the inventory. Also, if she had wound my Cascade any tighter, it might have broken. The store is definitely filling a need.
On Friday, we set out to OKC. Nothing eventful there. Then on to Columbus on Saturday. Still nothing special. Just lots of knitting and driving. Sunday, we went to church with the family. Sunday night we went to Vanelli's in Tupelo for my birthday (which was really this past Saturday). Mmmm veal picatta and calamari. Always good.
Monday, we headed down to my grandmother's house in Escatawpa. It wasn't as bad as I had expected. She has most of the drywall back up. Not much furniture, and some of the appliances are on their last leg. We dropped off the washing machine there. We stayed there Monday night.
Tuesday, we headed down to the other grandparents', or what was left. They had removed most of the debris. There was some linoleum left from the kitchen, and some tile from the downstairs bathroom, but that was pretty much it. My grandfather's brother who lives across the street had a FEMA trailer on his slab. Tuesday night, we headed up to the camp to see the grandparents. They are doing well there, although my grandmother could use a dryer.
Wednesday, we had lunch with Shane's mom, and took her to Wal-Mart. The grandparents insisted that we invite her for Thanksgiving dinner, so we did.
Thursday, Shane went to get his mom and bring her down to the camp for dinner. She seemed to enjoy herself. We had a pretty good turnout. Lots of food. Lots of family. My parents drove down for the day. Thursday night, we dropped Shane's mom off and headed back to my parents' house for the night and Friday. Saturday morning, it was back on the road, to OKC, another uneventful drive. Then Sunday, back here. Around an hour from Amarillo, it started snowing and kept up until the NM state line. We did get to see a little winter. It was nice.
It was good to see the family. We didn't go towards Gulfport/Biloxi. Neither of us really felt up to trying to navigate. Maybe in the Spring.
Back at work, which sucks, as usual. Not much going on. I think I finally finished one of the floor plans. We'll see about the other one today. I'll probably sketch it out and see where we need to go and get more detailed tomorrow.
S showed up at work smelling strongly of alcohol. Apparently it's not the first time, either. I went and told manager. We'll what, if anything, happens. She'll probably say she was drinking last night. That's fine, but get a shower and brush your teeth!

More Pictures!

2005-11-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

I finished the mosaic socks for the Six Sox Knit-along. I made these with Knitpicks Essential in Dusk for the main color and Lannette in White for the contrast color. I picked up the Lannette at our yarnswap. It's heavier than the knitpicks. It makes the Lannette look all fluffy. The mosaic was a really nifty technique. These socks will be my Mom's Christmas present. 3 down, 11 to go.

Up next - my Grandmother's Christmas socks. These will be plain old stockinette.

We visited the house today. The slab is poured, but no framing yet. The wood was there, though. One step closer!

Shiny!

2005-11-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

I picked up my iPod at Best Buy on Thursday. I am now officially a Pod Person. Looky! Isn't it beautiful? It's a 30 gig. I'm thinking about knitting it a sock. Apple sells them, but why would I buy them when I can knit them?

I made myself a hat. It's based on the "recipe" provided by Crazy Aunt Purl. Here it is by itself, and modeled by Philip and Gwyndylyn. It matches my scarf and gloves. Still working on socks for Christmas. Shane's are on hold while I wait for yarn. I knew his feet were huge, but more than one ball of Trekking? Come on! Oh well, you take what you can get.
And yes, I'm cheating by posting a lot of pictures. Just not feeling very wordy tonight.

I got a prize!

2005-11-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

I got an award today! And I promptly ordered an iPod - 30 gig, in black. I hope it gets shipped soon. I want it for the trip home. If it doesn't ship by Friday, I'll cancel the order from Apple and get it from Best Buy. It will cost more, since I lose the employee discount, but only about $20. I'm thinking about making my own iPod sock - similar to the ones that Apple sells. We'll see how that goes. I'm so tired lately. I'm seriously thinking about taking all day Friday off. I already have a doctor appointment around lunchtime and then an appointment at Casa Verde.
I started working on my Mom's Christmas socks today. I'm doing the current socks from Six Sox Knit-a-long. I'm using Knitpicks Essential in Dusk and a white yarn I picked up at the yarn swap - Lanette. It's nice, but I didn't pay attention, and the white is thicker. But it looks neat that way. Extra fluffy. This mosaic knitting is cool. I think I'll definitely be using this technique again.

Urban Neccessities, September 2005

2005-11-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

I used this pattern from MagKnits. I really enjoyed working up this pattern. It is very well written. I used Wave, a blend of 75% wool, 25% silk. Nice and soft. A little fuzzy, and a little slubby. And it only took two balls, about 250 yds. I have requests for two more pair. Of course, now that I have them finished, it's warming up again. But not for long! Winter is coming!
A couple of minor issues - when the pattern was posted, the cable chart was forgotten. I emailed the designer. She quickly sent me the chart by email. Of course, the magazine website hasn't been updated. But that's not rare. Often these magazines are run by one or two people, who have day jobs. Another tiny error - in the instructions for casting on for the mitten cap, it says to cast on 22 for a medium, when it should be 24. I would give this pattern a 7 if I had paid for it, but a 10, since it's free! I haven't made the matching tam. I just don't see myself wearing that style of hat.

Gloves and Socks and Scarves Oh My!

2005-11-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

So I've been knitting like crazy lately. And more to come. Lots of socks waiting to be made for Christmas. Friday night, we had a Yarn Swap. (Thanks Beverly!) I took this:

and came back with this:

I made one of those spiral scarves, loosely based on the potato chip scarf from Knitpicks. I used Wave, 75% Wool, 25% Silk. Very nice and soft. It has that fuzzy raw silk look, but not so much that it looks cheap. I picked it up from Village Wools.

I also finished up my convertible mittens (finally a pair for me) from a pattern from MagKnits. This was a great pattern. And my first experience with cables. I think they turned out well. I already have requests for two pairs. I did these with Wave as well. Now, I'm looking for a pattern for a hat. I just can't decide. There are so many to choose from! I was thinking of a Chullo, but now, I just don't know.

I finished up a pair of socks for me. I used Bearfoot Mountain Colors that I picked up in Delaware. There were a few light spots toward the center of the hank, but they aren't really noticeable in the finished sock. They are wearing well, so far.

Now, I'm working on sock 2 for husband. I finished the first sock of the pair this weekend. I'm doing a 3x2 zig zag rib. I don't remember seeing it before, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I'll post details and pics when the pair is done, but that could be a few days. With a size 15 foot, it requires 90 stitches. I'm using Trekking XXL. If I used a heavier yarn, it would be faster, but it's so hard to find colors for him, I take what I can get.

Work has been boring. At least boring is not stressful. I've been doing some knitting at work. I don't usually take it to work, but it's been slow lately. It looks like I may have something to do tomorrow, but we'll see how it goes. According to the contractor, they will be starting the framing of the house soon. Only 3ish months! Shane is taking Stress and Rescue at the dive shop. I decided to take it later, maybe in the spring.

We are actually going to go to the company Christmas party this year, a formal affair. I get to dress up and go dancing! Shane's dancing, well, it tends to resemble the hokey pokey. A few classes will hopefully get him on the right (less bouncy) track. Should be fun.

Quiz!

2005-11-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

You're the key to handcuffs. You set people free,
or maybe lock them up. You can be sought,
fought over, and valued. Be careful who you let
use you; you can be an instrument of justice or
injustice depending on your choice.

What sort of key are you and what do you unlock?
brought to you by Quizilla

3 down, 1 to go

2005-11-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

Today sucked. Work was boring. S said something about my "fucking attitude" under her breath. In the interest of me getting a security clearance eventually, I didn't kick her ass. I so wanted to. P is having a meeting tomorrow. I'm sure that we will all get bitched at for not getting along with S. So this attitude. She supposedly has two masters degrees. She asked a question that she should have known the answer to. Now, she is not my favorite person. I answered the question flatly. I wasn't rude or sarcastic, but I wasn't nice either. So she made her comment and left. Later, the person I was helping, L, told me that S told her not to bother me. It seems that S wants to be in charge, and wants everything to go through her. I told L to just ask me if she needed any help. S doesn't know what she's doing, and she doesn't have any business telling anyone what to do. I mean, she's a crackhead burnout.
The knitting is coming to work with me. If they don't have work for me, that's their problem. P is going to be in for some fun, though. The union found out what he is asking L to do, a lot of technical stuff. She's not supposed to be doing that. And he asked her to lie. Now why would someone put their own ass on the line for someone who treats them like shit?
I finished my socks last night before SnB. No pics yet. I'm feeling lazy tonight.
I got started on my convertible mittens. I'm using the Urban necessities pattern from http://www.magknits.com. They are going great so far. Shane's socks are on hold until I can get some more US0 needles. I lost one of my in Las Cruces during the X-Prize Cup. Normally, I could do them with only 4, but his require 90 sts, so I really need 5 or else these will be really unwieldy.

Trick or Treat!

2005-10-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

Not a single trick-or-treater! That's a bonus to living in not-the-best-neighborhood. But soon, very soon, we will be in our brand new house. Looky - they are almost ready to poor the slab. Only 3 more months of rent to those idiots that call themselves landlords.

I've been busy on Christmas presents. Charlotte's socks are done. I used the garter rib pattern from Sensational knitted socks. I don't remember what kind of yarn it was. I picked it up at Village Wools. It was something German.

And I finished my dad's convertible mittens. This was also from the Paton's pattern that I used for Shane's gloves. On these I did a centered double decrease - slip two, knit, pass two. I think it looks a lot better. I also sewed the tops together, instead of the 3-needle bindoff. These are made with a wool - Smart was the brand name. It was really great to knit with. Nice and soft, and good quality. And only $5/skein. I bought it in Delaware at Stitches with Style.

For Gwyndylyn, it's always Halloween.

On the needles next... Socks for Shane, gloves for me. Then more Christmas presents. This weekend is a yarn swap and then camping and diving in Santa Rosa. We're going to do a couple of day dives in Perch Lake, then a night dive at the hole.
More later...

Weekend Update

2005-10-29T23:34:00.000-06:00

Talked to manager this week about P and S, again. Supposedly, they are just friends... That's fine. But guess who I saw at Target tonight. Yep. Shopping, on a Saturday night. Interesting.
In other news, I bought more yarn. It's called Wave, and it's 25% silk, 75% wool. Very soft. I'm going to use it for my convertible mittens.
I'm almost finished with the one's for my dad. I just have to do the mitten cap part.
In DE, I picked up a hank of Barefoot (or bearfoot, I don't remember) Mountain colors. I'm using this for my socks. It's very nice. It's knitting up very well. The colorway is mostly deep reds. I'm doing the woven stitch pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks.
We went shopping for a new chair today. It will work great in the new house. It's a little big for the current house, but we'll only be here a few more months. It'll be arriving early in December.
The cat stinks. Gwyndylyn has some serious issues. We tried switching them to only wet food, which works for Gwyndylyn, but then it got Philip all screwed up, so now it's half wet food and half dry food. It's not nearly as bad as it was. So how do you put a cat on a diet anyway? She wasn't exactly the runt. When we picked her up, she had all these scabs on the back of her hind legs and tail. I think it was because she was hogging all of the food. Now she eats all of her food, and then eats Philip's. Which is bad, because Philip is a pretty good self feeder. He likes to eat all day, a little at a time. But if he doesn't finish his food, she will.
Daylight Saving Time is stupid. Yes, I said Saving time, not Savings time. That's what it is. Anyway, they need to pick one and stick with it. I just got un-jetlagged, and now there's the time change. And it was getting nice and dark in the mornings too. Back to staring into the sun. I'll try to post pics tomorrow. After we take a pic of what will be our house.
Its late. I'm going to bed.

I'm home!

2005-10-23T15:14:00.000-06:00

Yes, I got home yesterday, but I slept most of the day. Except for when we went to Betty's for massage and salt glow, etc. I love how you get to drink liqour on the airplane. I almost missed the flight from Dallas to Albuquerque. The flight from Philadelphia was 20 mins late, and I still had to get to the next gate. I finished the seater. it just needs to be blocked. It's a little tight, but I think I can make it work. I finished one of Charlotte's Christmas present socks, and I'm about halfway through with the second.
The courses were good. There was one guy who apparently didn't take the basic class, and read some old equipment manuals. And by old, I mean, at least 3 generations of equipment ago. And he kept asking all these questions that he prefaced with "I read in some of the old manuals..." Or "but with the Perkin-Elmer..." And he wanted to see the rheology equipment. So why didn't you take the rheology hands-on class? It was really annoying. But I think I got a lot out of it.
When I get back to work on Tuesday, I'll be checking the calibration on all of our equipment. I am so glad that I decided to take Monday off. I'm seriously going to need it to recover.
Thursday night, I went to Stitches with Style in Newark, DE. It was a really great shop. The LYSO invited me to stay for the weekly knitting group, so I did. I also bought $100 worth of yarn for socks and gloves for Christmas presents.

Monday in Delaware

2005-10-17T20:09:00.000-06:00

The flights yesterday were good,. We had some rough crosswinds on the landing in Philadelphia, but not terrible. Chicago is another one of those non-smoking airports, and I didn't have time to leave and get back through security. I got a good bit of knitting done on the planes and while waiting. In the Albuquerque airport, there was an add for LASC. That would be the name of the UC/Bechtel partnership. It talked about air tight security and good management. Because they are doing such a good job now.
Hertz was slow, as usual, but I got a Mustang. SWEET! I got lost on the way to the hotel. I only missed it by a couple of exits, so it wasn't too bad. The hotel is nice, although people keep asking me if I'm staying in NJ by choice. This hotel is closer to TA than any of the other hotels. There is a $3 toll to get across the bridge to Delaware. I managed to get to sleep at a reasonable hour last night, so that helped with the jet lag. I did have Benadryl, just in case.
Class was good today. Not really boring at all. And the catering is great. Way better than Sandia, anyway. I'm almost done with the sweater, only one seam to go. I'll probably finish tonight.
That's it from the Hampton Inn in Pennsville, NJ.

Chaco Stripes, Knitter's, Issue K97, Summer 2005

2005-10-15T22:19:00.000-06:00

This morning, I finally completed this afghan. It is a nice, easy, slip-stitch rib pattern. It is knit in five panels, which makes it much easier for carrying around. I used US9 needles, and the recommended Lion Brand yarns.
This is the first pattern where I have used the recommended yarn in the recommended colors. The yardage estimate is accurate and the instructions are clear. The colors used work well together. This issue of Knitter's was inspired by New Mexico, my new home state.
The only thing I would change about this pattern is the seaming I used. I used mattress stitch, and I don't really like the resulting seam on the back.
Other than that, I really liked the pattern, even though it quickly became a never-ending project. But, then all afghans end that way. The color work looks harder than it is, because you only actually work one color per row, and only two rows per color.

Bloggerific Thursday!

2005-10-13T18:08:00.000-06:00

And not in a good way. The day started out alright. S and P (from previous posts) were both going out of town, so tomorrow, I would have the day to actually work without trying to stifle the urge to kill. Then another coworker, G, said isn't it weird that they are going out of town at exactly the same time? I said, it's just a coincidence, I mean, S is going to see her brother, and P is going to visit his parents. G is as frustrated w/ S and P as I am. We had a pretty decent bitch session, and then back to work. This afternoon, though, G came by my office and said that S2 (another coworker) had said that P and S were indeed together, on their way to visit P's family. Now, I don't really care who's fucking who after work. What I care about is when P's little whore S starts acting like she is somehow more important than me. Now, we all have the same title.
What gets me, is that, according to a few people who would know, they are not "together." They spend a larger than average time together after work. Supposedly P is "helping" S. S apparently has had some issues - addictions, money problems, etc. I don't know how suddenly giving her more responsibility than she has ever had is going to help her, but whatever. She just needs to leave me the fuck alone.
After this most recent development, I went and talked to manager about the whole thing. I apologized for venting, and bringing up rumor mill stuff, but there is sometimes truth in the rumor mill. I felt that he should at least know how people feel. It seems that P has made some decisions about S, that are generally not bad. The problem is that P and S are psychic and think that the rest of us should be as well. There is an amazing lack of communication. A lot of the problems in our group could be solved by a simple meeting in which P and S shut the hell up long enough for the rest of us to get a word in.
It doesn't help that P is kind of immature, and some other members of the group fear retaliation. I'm the only one with the balls to say anything. The way I see it, I won't be working on P's project much longer, and if he tries anything, I'll sue his ass so fast he won't know what happened.
As mentioned before, P hired an OAA intern, we'll call her L. OAAs are not supposed to do anything technical. Well, P seems confused on that fact. L has threatened to quit, and P has said things to the effect of "I don't care." Now all of this is bad, but what's worse is that they are all covered by a union. This is just going to end badly. Hopefully, it will happen when I'm gone next week.
Now, I will knit.

Convertibles, Patons 1159BB

2005-10-12T21:10:00.000-06:00

I finished husband's convertible mittens today. I think they came out well. The yarn is Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Superwash in Onyx. I used Inox needles in sizes US3 and US6. There are some issues with them that probably only bother me - holes in the thumb gusset, and the top of the mitten flap. This wasn't the best pattern I've ever read. The concept and overall design are good, but the execution, well, it wasn't exactly flawless. This is basically a fingerless glove with a flap. The flap is held back with velcro.

The sizes listed are "Lady's" and "Man's", but there aren't any dimensions given. The designer uses ribbing to take up the slack between the sizes, and the only difference is the length of certain parts of the glove. The needle sizes are incorrect. They say to use 3.25 mm needles, but have US7 listed. The answer is... US3, which is a 3.25 mm needle. When making the fingers, the directions say to cast-on X stitches, but the cast-on type is not described. I used the cable cast on, and it seems acceptable.

I made it through the pattern, but there are some things I would change:
1. The pattern is written for four dpns. I used five, and it was much easier.
2. I would pick up more stitches for the thumb and fingers. Only picking up two for each finger left some holes. I would pick up extras then decrease on the next round. For the thumb gusset, I would use stitch markers to mark the edges, rather than using purl stitches.
3. The US6 needles are only used to make loose stitches to be picked up for the flap, and I don't think they are necessary. I would probably double up on 3s instead. But now that I have 6s...
4. The stitches that are the "hinge" for the flap are not centered on the back of the hand. I'm not sure how I would fix this.
5. The paired decreases make the mitt flap look like the toe of a sock. I would do a centered doubled decrease instead.
6. Instead of casting off at the top of the flap and sewing together, I chose to do a three needle bindoff. It did make it look less like a sock, but I think sewing would have been better, especially with number 5 above.

Wednesday!

2005-10-12T20:42:00.000-06:00

So work sucks. We have this really annoying bitch. To protect the, um, well, we'll just call her S. S was hired this summer as a technologist, basically, the same as me. This was the second time in a year that someone has been hired to do a job that I could do. S has two master's degrees. Impressive? Well, the reason she doesn't have a Ph.D. is that she flunked out. She comes in and all of the sudden, she's in charge of everything. I've been on this project for almost a year now. I'm not saying that I know everything about the project. I'm just saying that she doesn't either. She has managed to piss off everyone who works in the lab. And of course, it's our fault that we don't get along with her. She doesn't listen, and she talks to me like I'm an idiot. And you know those people who think that you are psychic? Well she's the queen bitch. She goes around changing her mind about how things should be done, without consulting P (I'll get to him shortly) and without telling me. Then, when I ask, apparently I'm stupid. Today, she kept harping on how something hadn't gotten done. When I explained that I had been ill, and hadn't had a chance to, she just kept going on about it. Then, when I said I would have it done by Friday, she apparently missed that like three times, and she says, "Could you PLEASE update the plan this week?" It took every bit of will power not to reach down her throat and pull her intestines out her nose. This is only the latest thing she has done. The thing that gets me most is that she doesn't do a good job at what she is supposed to be doing. She regularly deletes data, which means tests have to be redone, and she isn't shy about fudging, well, anything.

So, P, who I mentioned earlier is the lead on this project. I've been handling the documentation for this project, and updating the Microsoft Project file. I'll admit, I'm a little overqualified for this sort of thing. So what does he do? He hires someone underqualified. He has brought in an OAA student. For those of you who don't know, OAA stands for office administrative assistant. Yes, we have student secretaries. When this came up, I told P that he should have her take a course in MS Project. They are offered regularly offsite. It's a day, and they teach you the basics. It's a difficult program to learn, and the file we have is 11,000+ lines. He says that Project is part of their curriculum. I took this to mean that he would hire someone who had already taken this course. Of course not. So now, I have to teach this new person MS Project. I'm sure that she is capable. It's not my job, though. I'm not good at this sort of thing. Wait, no, I suck! So I asked him about it, and he effectively blew it off. I am so sick of being passed over, treated like crap, and in general, being regarded as an idiot by the people on this project.

Thankfully, I am not the only one having problems with P and S. I am being shifted off of this project and into another area of our group. I will be running all of the thermal analysis for our group. Next week, I'll be in Delaware being trained on the equipment, and taking some theory short courses.

But the day wasn't all bad. This afternoon, we had a pre-construction meeting for our new house. We signed the purchase agreement in August. We are building a home in Los Lunas, NM. Our builder is Centex, and the community is Sundance at Huning Ranch. They have dug out the footings and run the plumbing through the foundation area. The projected finish date is 16 Feb 06. Of course, we are entering the rainy season, and that could be changed. Also, thanks to Katrina and Rita, there is apparently a shingle shortage. But we'll worry about that later.

Oh and Philip says hi!

Sensational Knitted Socks, Charlene Schurch

2005-10-11T19:40:00.000-06:00

I recently finished a pair of socks from the book Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I made these using the beaded rib pattern, in the five stitch rib patterns section. I used the toe-up method. They fit very well. I wear a US size 8.5 shoe, and my foot is 9 inches long. The cuff is one inch of 2X2 rib. The leg is 3 inches long. The pattern doesn't exactly show up well in the photos, due to the nature of the yarn. I think that the pattern was well written. The yarn is Fantomas by Lang Yarns. I used US0 Inox needles.
This is a great book if you are just learning to knit socks. She explains the parts of the sock very well, as well as options in construction. The division of stitch patterns by the number of stitches, ribbing, cabling, and color patterns is another great feature. The "class sock" is a nice concept, in that it shows the construction of a sock, and uses large needles and worsted weight yarn to make it easy to see the stitches. I also like the sizing guides for men's, women's, and children's socks. It's nice to have an easy reference for these things.
Overall, I think this is an excellent book. However, there are, as always, things that could be improved. The toe-up directions are only given for the 5-stitch rib patterns. It would be beneficial to have these directions available for all of the patterns. She only shows one way of making the short row toe and heel, and it involves P3 tog tbl. This is not the easiest double decrease to perform. Also, there are other ways of making short rows, such as Japanese short rows and yarn-over short rows.

Countdown to the X-Prize Cup - 9 Oct 05

2005-10-11T12:42:00.000-06:00

Technically, this was the countdown to the X-Prize Cup, as there weren't any prizes or anything this year. It was very fun.

Saturday, we drove down to Los Lunas from Albuquerque. It was a nice drive. I got in a good bit of knitting, even finished a sock. We checked in to the Hilton. A nice hotel, free wireless. The AC could have been better, but that's only a minor gripe. For dinner, we tried eating in the hotel, but our options were a bar, or some fancy place, so we went across the street to Farleys. It was alright. The drinks were mediocre, and the food was decent.

For breakfast Sunday morning, we went to IHOP. Quite tasty. Good service, food prepared properly. Then to the show.
We took the airport exit, and at the top of the ramp was a sign directing us to get back on the Interstate. It would have been nice to have a similar sign on the interstate so we could have just kept going. We ended up parking at the fairgrounds, where we were shuttled to the Las Cruces Airport. We got there around 10:45. They opened the gates at 11:00, and things moved smoothly. We saved $2 each on our tickets by purchasing online.

Once inside the gates, we were greeted by the m&ms, who have a long history with the space program. That's Shane (husband) on the left.

There were also not to scale representations of Earth and Mars

We were also interviewed by a Japanese reporter from NBC Universal. That was interesting.

Almost all of the big names in space travel were there, with two notable exceptions: Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com and Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites, although there was a mock up of SpaceShip One. There was also one notable inclusion - NASA. Apparently, they have changed their tune. Here's some photos:
Canadian Arrow:

GoldenPalace.com/The DaVinci Project:

t/Space:

Armadillo Aerospace:

RocketPlane:

Space Adventures:

ThunderStar:

And of course, the SpaceShip One mock up:

Apparently, the day was meant to get off the ground, so to speak, with a parachute stunt. Shortly after the planned appearance, the host announced that the team had landed at Wal-Mart, and there was a sale on laundry detergent. The next big event was a Stealth fighter fly-over:

Dr. Diamandis officially announced the creation of the Rocket Racing League. This will be similar to the pod racing scenes in Phantom Menace. It will be like NASCAR times 100. There was a demo of the prototype racer, the EZRocket. The main body is similar to the EZ design by Burt Rutan, with two 400 lb thrust rockets strapped to it. It was flown by an astronaut, who later passed out autographs. This was the first time the plane was flown twice in one day. Here's a photos of the plane:

Armadillo Aerospace tested their vehicle, a vertical take-off and landing rocket. The first test was a 25-ft hop, which went well, until the end, when it fell over. They intended to perform a second hop, to 100-ft, but discovered a leak, and so it was scrubbed.

The grand finale was provided by GoldenPalace.com/DaVinci Project. They were performing a static test, when the rocket blew up. The team lead said he wanted to provide us with some fireworks, at their own expense. And he wanted to give the fire crews something to do, after sitting there all day waiting on something to blow up. The standard "We meant to do that." Actually, the rocket was close to the end of it's life cycle. Thankfully, there were no injuries. Here's a photo:

There were a lot of people there, I read 20,000 somewhere.

So we rode the shuttle back to the fairgrounds. Here is my one and only real complaint. We arrived early and got to park in a paved lot, however, they didn't drop us off where they picked us up, so we had to find our car. That wouldn't have been so bad except for the dust storm. I thought I had seen dust storms, but I was wrong. It's hard to explain, but it wasn't fun. I had dirt in places I didn't know I had places.

So, to end...

Socky Goodness

2005-10-08T22:57:00.000-06:00

Finished my socks today on the way to Las Cruces. And I didn't get carsick, either. I'll try to post pics when I get home. I think they turned out great.
I exchanged needles today to get the sizes called for in the pattern for husband's convertible mittens. Tonight I casted on for them, and I got to the first gusset increase. I ordered some sock yarn from knitpicks. 4 balls of essential in dusk - 2 for the broadstreet mittens, and 2 for socks. I also got enough for a pair of socks in the cocoa color.
I also got my broken nail fixed. Much better now.
Bedtime!

About that diving thing...

2005-10-07T19:01:00.000-06:00

We went diving today. We left Albuquerque at 9:30 this morning, after a stop at Einsteins (yum). We got there, and the only other vehicle was an RV. Not another diver in sight. First dive, we went straight to the bottom - 81 ft. Vis was awesome! On the way back up, we noticed a couple of additions to the hole. The first was a snow globe with a bride and groom. very cute, and at 60 ft, completely intact. impressive. The other was a Mrs. Potato head doll. It was sitting on a ledge. I moved it to a nook in some nearby rocks. Did I mention the awesome vis? We could see the trees and other stuff on the surface around 50 ft. From outside the water, it was about 30 ft.
We made the 1 hour surface interval. This is important becuase when we first started diving, we didn't think it was possible without assistance. Today, no hurrying, and back in the water in an hour.
There were lots of tourists coming through, on there way home from Balloon Fiesta.
Second dive was nitrox, to around 50 ft. A nice leisurely dive around the wall. Someone had tied a chain with a Saint Christopher, patron saint of divers, to a cow skull. The skull has been there for a long time, but the chain was a new addition.
We stopped at Pizza Hut, which is the best Pizza Hut ever. Finally back home.
My new REI chair is awesome. Super comfy. It will be very nice to have at XPrize Cup on Sunday. I broke a nail, so I'll have to get that fixed tomorrow.

I made it!

2005-10-06T21:13:00.000-06:00

I made it to the weekend. Gotta love the 9/80!
Tomorrow, we dive. We hadd a SWE (society of women engineers) officers meeting tonight. I'm the section vice president. It was a good meeting, and only took an hour.
Since I gave in to husband on going to the X-Prize Cup, I got to get a chair from REI. It's called the Lounge Lizard. It's basically a recliner. It is awesome. I forsee many naps in my future. I also got a sun hat.
Then dinner, and a visit to Petsmart. As usual, they had the rodents close to the front. There was a hamster on a wheel, and of course, he was going like he had somewhere to be. Then, he would stop, walk to the front of the wheel, and look around. Then, back to the wheel, running like there was no tomorrow. He did this several times while we were watching. It was one of the funniest things I've seen in a while.
Now, I must get ready to dive tomorrow.

And you thought Tulula was bad...

2005-10-05T21:04:00.000-06:00

Yes it's already all over the web, but we have another celebrity baby naming mishap - That's right, Nicolas Cage (a presentable name) has named his child Kal-El Coppola Cage. Now, it's important that the child's middle name is Coppola. Why? Because Francis Ford Coppola was nuts, and that's what this child will be with a name like that. Unless he sues his parents to rename him, say Clark Kent Cage. Wouldn't that be lovely. Now, I don't have children, but I know how hard it can be to come up with a name. But Smallville? I love the show, and naming a kid Clark, Lois, Lana, or Chloe, or even Lex isn't that bad. But Kal-El? That's just child abuse or something.
In other news, today was the three year wedding anniversary. We went to Seasons, here in Albuquerque. It was great, as usual. Of course, it's a special treat. Budget-wise, and weight-wise, we can't exactly afford to make this a regular occurance.
A weight loss update - I have now lost 35 pounds since January!
I was watching the news last night, when they started talking about the Smolensky family from Waveland. I thought, I know someone with that last name. And she's from Waveland. Now, I have never met her parents, but as soon as I saw her mother I knew who it was. So I went online, and there she is, with a blog on MSDN. Thankfully, her family is safe and sound, although the town of Waveland was destroyed.
The whole Katrina/Rita news coverage pisses me off. New Orleans this, Houston that, but when you look at it, you realize that they didn't get it as bad as some other towns. Yes, it was bad, and I don't begrudge that, but it was bad in Waveland, Pass Christian, and other small towns along the coast. My grandparents live all the way in Pascagoula, and they lost their house. That area barely got mentioned.
That's it for now from New Mexico
Beth

Monday's over!

2005-10-03T21:53:00.000-06:00

All in all, not too bad of a day. I got a little knitting in tonight. Swatched for Shane's convertible mittens, and worked on Chaco Stripes. I'm pretty close on gauge, but I think I'll go down to 3s, like the pattern says. Well, the pattern says 7s, but it also says 3.25 mm. The maids come tomorrow, so we had to pick up and fold laundry. I don't think we would ever fold laundry if it weren't for the maids. I got some stuff to actually work on tomorrow, so that's good.
X-Prize cup is next week. I gave in to Shane and so we will be heading to Las Cruces. We'll probably at least stay in Las Cruces Saturday night, and maybe Sunday.
Tomorrow is Stitch'n'Bitch. I think I'll take sock 2.

A new list

2005-10-01T10:45:00.000-06:00

So some people got tired of all the bitching and moaning about people chit-chatting on the knitlist. The new group is knittalk, on yahoo groups. I think it will be much more interesting to read than "so how do you measure gauge again?" It's yarn shopping day, and husband gets to come along, maybe, since I'm picking out yarn for his convertible gloves. If he doesn't want to, I'll just pick up sock yarn for me.

Friday!

2005-09-30T13:10:00.000-06:00

And payday too! Of course, it's also rent day. Oh well. Soon, very soon, we will be paying a mortgage instead. Taking the afternoon off - nothing to do at work, and knitting at home. hmmmm. So I'm working on the right front of the Isis Wrap. Of course, I noticed a problem with the back, so I'll probably go ahead and do the left front, then go back and redo the back.
That's it for now!

woot!

2005-09-28T22:11:00.000-06:00

I got a raise!
That is all.

grumble grumble

2005-09-28T13:03:00.000-06:00

I decided to take the afternoon off. I'm like super hormonal, and on top of this, husband picks me up with some not-so-great news. Aparently, even though everyone he works with thinks he is doing a great job, and would like him to stay, some asshole in upper management is saying "But he does production, and we are a research center." So pretty much they can keep him until the limited term deadline hits. Now that's four years from now, but still. If they think he's doing good work, why can't they just hire him permantly. But no, they are going to make him get hired by another group at Sandia, and then matrix to theirs. Does that make any sense at all? Pretty much the only upside is that they are giving him plenty of time, and his manager has offered to help him find something else. I could just SCREAM! So I'm home, watching my stories, and about to get some knitting in.

Knitting Stuff

2005-09-27T21:21:00.000-06:00

So what's going on with the knitting... I've been knitting since January. I've made some random stuff - 4 pillows, and an afghan, a poncho, Coif from knitty,com, Cracked Ice from Knitters, and 3 pair of socks.
What's going on now -
Chaco stripes from Knitters, Isis Wrap from Interweave Knits, a sweater for a class I was taking.
So that's it for now.

First Post!

2005-09-27T20:58:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my little corner of the web.

So I started this new blog thing. This one's all mine. Mu-ha-ha-ha! No sharing w/ the spouse here! I can talk about knitting and cats and work and stuff. And I can bitch about the spouse. And since I don't have to worry about the parents, I can say stuff like bitch and shit. So here it is. There will be some knitting content, and some diving content. And pictures. I'm sure there will be pictures.