I must be losing my mind.
30 Mar 2008 Leave a Comment
in L'il Ole Me
Three years, one month and 25 days ago it all started here. Somehow in the midst of moving cross country I completely spaced and forgot to celebrate my third Blogiversary. Thanks to all of you who read and comment! Here’s to another year!
Geocaching Saturday
29 Mar 2008 Leave a Comment
in Geocaching
Despite the fact that it’s not quite warm enough yet here, it is officially spring, and Wes and I decided to celebrate that fact by exploring Kansas City a little and geocaching today. We headed out to try and find a number of caches in the Olathe Park series. In general the parks in Olathe were different than the park caches that we did in LA. I think it’s for a couple of reasons. First, I knew a lot of LA. But when we would go out on caches, sometimes I would find places I never knew existed. Here everything is new, so it was less like finding a hidden treasure in my own city. Second, some of the parks here weren’t very park-ish. Several butted right up against high schools, and many of these had baseball or soccer fields right next to the fence. Anyhow, we had a fun day despite the cold, and the one cache that we couldn’t find but apparently missed somehow. We also found possibly the best hiding job we’ve seen since the great phone booth debacle a few years ago. Enjoy a few pictures!
Little red knit.
27 Mar 2008 2 Comments
Hot off the needles, and fiery for the last days of March for Project Spectrum, I give you my new red cardigan, Ariann. This was a fun knit and I love the yarn. I especially love the color – it’s such a deep, true red, without being orange-y or fire engine-ish.
The Specs:
The Pattern: Ariann by Chic Knits
The Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Ruby, 4.5 skeins
The Needles: 5′s for the ribbing, 7′s for the body
The newest candidate for the Darwin Awards
25 Mar 2008 Leave a Comment
I heard this on the radio today and could not believe it. The DJ got it from Fark.com, but I found the original article <a href="
http://www.kctv5.com/news/15698864/detail.html”>here.
Deepwater Man Fatally Shoots Wife While Installing Satellite TV
DEEPWATER, Mo. — Officials were trying Tuesday to decide whether to file charges against a Missouri man who fatally shot his wife while trying to install a satellite TV system in the bedroom of their home.
Patsy Long, 34, of Deepwater, died after being shot in the chest with a .22-caliber handgun on Saturday. Her husband, Ronald Long, fired the shot from the inside of their home after several unsuccessful efforts to punch a hole through the exterior wall using other means.
PHAT Carpentry Skillz
24 Mar 2008 1 Comment
in Off the Needles, Weekend Update, Woodworking
When Wes got home Friday night, after a beautiful 60+ degree day, he suggested that maybe we should head down to his mom’s this weekend, work on some more furniture and maybe even bring home his motorcycle. Unfortunately today it was in the 40′s and flurrying so no bike, but we did have a good woodworking weekend.
We got in sort of late Friday night and went to bed ready for an early morning of errands and woodworking. Yesterday we managed to cut the 2×6′s and router them to get them ready to be framed. I learned a new skill yesterday (as you can see) – the router.
After we had routered the edges, we set about building the frames. Since we only had a few sets of clamps we had to build and glue the frames one at a time. That pretty much took us the rest of the day (there are 4 frames). We managed to get into town to get Wes’ car serviced and to get some yummy Thai food at our favorite place and chilled at home for a while last evening.
This morning Wes got up bright and early (and let me sleep a bit!) and we cut shelves (we’re building bookcases) and cut grooves in the frames to hold the shelves. Now the next time we go back we just have to sand, stain and glue them together! Of course, Wes also wanted to test out more or the features of his new router. Here’s his efforts with it – I think it’s better than his real penmanship! (Just kidding – I love you honey!)
In addition to honing my carpentry skills, this weekend I worked on some knitting. This time around I was working on a sample for a yarn shop here in Kansas City. The pattern was a Berroco pattern that the yarn shop owner wanted modified. The yarn was divine – it’s Cascade Venezia, a silk and wool blend, and that it’s so soft and luxuriously squishy. This was a fun little knit and I really like how it turned out. It’s a little preppy for me, but I just might give it a try for myself one of these days. The specs are below:
Pattern: Berroco’s Banesha. (However, I modded the pattern a bit – instead of the skirt I added an extra inch or two at the hem of the sweater, and then did a 1×1 rib on smaller needles to match the neckline.)
The Yarn: Cascade Venezia. Warm cocoa (2 skeins for the XS size)
The Needles: 7′s for the body, 5′s for the 1×1 ribbing at hem and neckline.
Oink.
22 Mar 2008 Leave a Comment
in Learning to be a Midwestern Gal
So I was on the highway yesterday and I look at the semi next to me and it is a truck FULL of pigs. And my first thought isn’t “my aren’t they cute?” (They aren’t.) Nor is it “oh geez I wonder if where they’re going!” (I don’t want to know.) My first thought was actually, “Holy S&^*! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a real live pig before!” I mean sure, I’ve seen them on TV and the like, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually been that close to one. I am SO a city girl.
Data entry is my middle name.
20 Mar 2008 Leave a Comment
in Knitting Content Ahead, Learning to be a Midwestern Gal, Office Games
Today I went down to the Plaza to temp for a lending institution. It turned out that I got quite the education today, as my data entry project was in the collections department. Now in the past I haven’t had a great opinion of collections agencies or practices. I certainly heard some interesting things today, but I also saw the other side; where the agents at the bank tried to work out payment plans with people who got behind on their payments based on what they could afford. The office highlight today, for them anyway, was when they repossessed a client’s car. (Before you feel too bad, the client had financed in full last year and hadn’t paid a dime back on the loan yet).
Anyhow so that was my day job. Today’s lesson from the Midwest, is that things in Kansas start earlier than most places. In Los Angeles the earliest I was ever at work was 8:30am, and most jobs didn’t start until 9 or 10. Here if the job starts at 8am, that’s late. Most of the people were already there when I got there at quarter to 8 today. This does mean we get out of work earlier, but it also means that we drive to work in the dark – see my GPS was on NIGHT mode as I drove to work today. ICK.
The one real perk today is that the lending institution is about 2 blocks from a knitting store so I got to walk there and fondle the yarn at lunch. Tonight was also Wednesday knit night, so there was lots of fiber goodness there too!
Speaking of fiber goodness, tomorrow is Wear a Sweater Day in honor of what would have been Mr. Rodgers’ 80th birthday. I know I’m going to wear my handknits! You should too! And won’t you be my neighbor?
Knitter See, Knitter Do
19 Mar 2008 Leave a Comment
A few days ago as I was perusing my blog feeds, I came across a little post from Lime & Violet. They declared this dress the must have prom dress for this year. Now I love a sock monkey just as much as the next person, but…. SERIOUSLY?
Work in Progress
16 Mar 2008 Leave a Comment
Today’s post is all about works in progress. Right now I have quite a few going, and I don’t know how soon too many of them will be done, so in my antsy state, I photographed what I’m working on.
First of all, I have again joined Project Spectrum. Project Spectrum is the brainchild of Lolly, an inspiring knitter and photographer who suggested that we knitters celebrate the whole color spectrum by spending a month or two devoted to each color. In past years she has grouped the colors in different ways, but this year she (and the PS group) decided to make the theme Elements. This means that for the months of February and March we are working on the Element of Fire: colors including red, pink and orange. Although I’m not always so good on picking projects that coincide with Project Spectrum, I do happen to be knitting a few fiery knits right now.
The first is a lacy cardigan called Ariann, designed by ChicKnits. It’s a cute little sweater, and knitting up quite easily. I’ve already done a chunk of the body and I’m currently doing the sleeves (two at a time via the magic loop!) to be attached to the body and worked raglan style. I’m using Cascade 220 Superwash (gotta have it be washable!) in a great colorway – Ruby. I got the yarn at A Mano and I’m loving working with it. I can’t wait for the sweater to be finished.
The second fiery project I’m working on is my first real lace project – the Shoalwater Shawl. I saw someone working on this shawl in A Mano and KNEW I wanted to do it. I selected a yummy yarn – Malabrigo Laceweight – kettle-dyed merino wool that’s so soft it’s amazing. I chose the Pagoda color way which is a cross between pink and orange. It’s beautiful and the photo doesn’t do it justice. This is going to be a long knit as I’m learning the challenge of knitting detailed lace work over hundreds of stitches – I can only do about 10 rows at a time before my concentration is shot. But I’m loving it anyway!
The final project I have in progress is not a fiery project (it sort of belongs in the Water category which isn’t for a few more months!). When I arrived in KC and found a great little knitting store, MisKnits, I discovered Dream in Color Smooshy. This has been all the rage lately and I can see why. It’s a beautiful hand-dyed semi-solid merino sock yarn. I couldn’t resist buying a skein in the Blue Lagoon colorway and to my delight, it was perfect for trying Cookie A’s Pomatomus from Knitty. The pattern has been a bit of a challenge, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the yarn, the variegation and how the socks are turning out.
So that’s what I’m up to. I have a few more samples waiting in the wings, and a couple other projects I’m excited to knit. I’d like to start on a few tank tops so that I’ll have some swanky summer knitted items once it gets steamy here in KC. I also found out that I have some great yarns in the stash that will work well for patterns I’ve found. Gotta love Ravelry!
Easy.
13 Mar 2008 Leave a Comment
in Office Games
I’ve noticed of late that I haven’t been posting as much. I attribute this to a few factors. First of all, I’m not as blessed with internet access as I once was. I’m learning in this world of temping that internet access is definitely not standard, though phones and filing definitely are.
Second, I find that I have a lot less to tell you. When I’m not working I’m busy hanging out at MisKnits with the owner Amber and knitting to my heart’s content. When I am working, I don’t talk to my “co-workers” that much so I have very little office fodder to share.
This week has been a little varied. Tuesday I temped for a University of Phoenix location here in Kansas City. I was filling in for the receptionist who was ill, and when I showed up the enrollment counselor who was answering the phones said “I hope you brought a book with you!” Yippee! I got to read magazines, knit and answer the phone occasionally. No great shakes, but a nice quiet day.
The only blog fodder I picked up was this:
Enrollment Counselor: You should consider getting more education.
Me: Oh I think I’m done with education.
Her: Well a bachelors degree is great, but a masters degree is better.
Me: Mmmmhmmm.
Her: Would you think about getting them?
Me: Well I already have both, so I think I’m set.
Her: Oh. *sort of shocked look*
Today I worked for a construction company. Mostly I was gathering bids and estimates for some big projects in and around KC, so it wasn’t too bad, save that I spent the WHOLE day on the phone. As a big plus, the office I got put in had a nice big window and AN EASY BUTTON. I don’t know what that says about me that THAT was the plus for me.
The knitting continues, but not much in a state to take pictures. I’ll share more soon.
