Randomness

I just l.o.v.e this picture. It's a custom knit Jayne hat for someone who's written a comic book and then had a plushie made of one of the characters in the book. Some of the strangest emails went back and forth in the knitting of this oh-so-cunning hat but I think it turned out well. Brings out his eyes.
I've been the little computer geek of late - hopefully correcting whatever was wrong with my PC. In the process, I've "organized" all my digital photos. Which explains why you're looking at owly.

I did finish my first sock but it's too big. Rather than frog it, I've cast on with some Lorna's laces I got in Truckee last summer but I think I'm actually going to sift through some pattern books and actually find a pattern I like and go from there. I've got enough sock yarn to make 3 pairs so it shouldn't be a problem.

da dadada da da

Why do they call it Pomp & Circumstance? Are they words to the familar da dadada da daa that we all hear when doning a cap & gown?
Methinks I had too much free time....but I've been overwhelmed by graduations this spring. My niece is graduating high school next week - the first out of the grandkids to graduate (thanks for that GED son!). My cousin's oldest daughter graduated from hs this past weekend - she'll be going to SFSU where both her parents and grandparents meet. It's also where I went - her aunt and I got our diplomas there together some 25 or so years ago. My daughter's cousins on her dad's side are also graduating - two from elementry school, one from high school. Then my son's best friend's little sister is graduating in June from the same elementary school me and my kids went to. We're also invited to a college graduation party for one of my son's classmates from that same grammar school (again, thanks for the freakin' GED son). That's a grand total of 7 graduations - and that does not include the one's at my daughter's HS where she's got lots of friends moving on.
Got me to thinking - since I'll only be the parent at a HS graduation once - I need to make it a good one - so I'm planning my daughter's graduation party now - and you're A L L invited. but I guess she needs to get past her SATs on the 2nd.
I'm not going any graduation knitting but I will be doing some graduation sewing - details of which will be shared when all the events are over - don't want to spoil any surprises!

The STASH that ate my bedroom

In a mad fit of late spring cleaning, I decided to organize my stash. By organize, I mean putting it in big giant bins so I don't have to look at it. How many bins, you ask? Close to a dozen. A freaking dozen of those big, 66 gallon rubbermaid bins. At least it's all in bins ....well, except for the 4 skeins of cotton I ordered off eBay to knit a baby sweater for a baby shower next month - but those don't count. And all the Jayne yarn doesn't count because I actually sell stuff from that...12 freaking bins.

So, in honor of that scary fact - I post a recent FO - two of the washclothes I knit for my Lime & Violet secret swap partner.

Crafty....

From Crafty.....

I've been a busy little crafter lately - here's the Mother's Day pillow I made for my mom - with a pic of her grandchildren. I had so much fun sewing and making this that I'm gonna make more. I did make one for my sister - but it's almost exactly the same so I won't bore you with a 2nd pic. I swear this weekend I'm rearranging all the furniture in my room to make one corner just for sewing. It took me a total of 4 hours to make 2 pillows - 5 if you count the time shopping and printing the pictures. And it was so much fun - I did manage to mangle the placements that I put on the table for protection - but they were old?
I also finished my brick-y purse - except for lining - this is a really bad picture (from my cell). Once it's lined and the camera batteries are charged, I'll take better pics. The pattern is written and I'm working on a 2nd one from the pattern to catch mistakes - then I'll post the pattern.

S.E.W.I.N.G & Memories Of Grandma

I broke out the sewing machine last nite to make some last minute Mother's Day gifts for my mom and my sister. Now that I've got reading glasses, I can actually see well enough to thread the sewing machine. And, the gifts I made gave me a wonderful idea for a new product in my little crafty arsenal. And, I finished stitching up the brick-y purse. I still need to line it but it looks like a purse now.
I'll have pics of both later.
I had forgotten how much I love sewing. My grandmother was the most amazing seamstress. She did make my mom's wedding dress and tons of my clothes as a kid but my favorite was always the potholders & aprons. The aprons always used the same Hawaiian hibiscus fabric in a variety of colors. The potholders were a patchwork of all the fabric she'd used on all her other projects. Grandma died in 1979 and we still have her potholders in our kitchen - and I've got 3 or 4 put away in my hope chest. Every time I look at them, I see pieces of fabric of Irish dancing costumes, summer dresses and my mom's aprons. So now I'm inspired to make some patchwork pieces of my own. :)

Cough...cough....cough....day 6

I just counted and I've been sick for 6 freaking days - you'd think now that I'm eating healthy and actually excercising, I wouldn't get sick as much but nooooooo.
At least I felt human enough to knit today....lots of knitting.....frozen juice bars.....inhaling steam from the shower.....and daytime TV.
BTW, Can I tell you I love Rosie & Ellen. I can't wait until Rosie gets her own show again - maybe I'll actually buy a TiVo then.
Anyway, I'm going to try to go back to work tomorrow - I still can't catch a decent breathe without coughing up half a lung but I don't think sitting in front of the TV is helping much either.
The good news is I'm almost done with my brickhouse purse. I got the idea from Mason-Dixon Knitting's washcloth and this one is knit up in a black and pink cotton. But I'm calling it brickhouse because that's what it looks like - bricks. My camera phone did not do the colors justice. I'm almost done knitting up the handle holders - then I'll stitch the bugger together and try and find some bright pink brocade-ish something to line it with. Plus I need to paint and lacquer the handles....something I'm not willing to do with this bug clogging up my airways. Maybe I'll bribe my darling daughter to do the painting for me. I should have a totally finished purse and pattern by the weekend! Finally!

Ah - Chew

Apparently, too many nite games makes you come down with a nasty sinus infection. I'd been feeling bad since Tuesday but thought it was just allergies. By Friday night I was full on sick as a dog - didn't even get out of bed on Saturday. And here it is Sunday and I'm still coughing up a rainbow of junk so it'll be some hot tea then back to bed for me.
You'd think spending the whole weekend in bed would mean some progress on some of my unfinished work. Nope -too sick to knit - and that's just wrong.

In knitting news - my order from webs arrived - 9 skeins of Cascade 220 in the dark plum color for a Noni purse for..............me! I'm also going to make a Noni for my aunt's birthday but she loves the noro colorways - so I need to decide on a bag and a color - but I've got all summer :)

In non-knitting news - I may have mentioned this before - I got some reading glasses. I was hesitant to go to the eye doctor because I had a bad experience with Kaiser - getting glasses that did absolutely nothing for me yet cost about $300. My new insurance is much better - went to a local office - got reading glasses and a very detailed exam - never had my eyes dialated before - and spent barely $100. So here I am looking all smart n' shit.......

....buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks.......

I don't care if I ever come back......one advantage of putting all your Giants paraphernalia at your desk is that people offer you tickets. I got offered tickets for the game last night but turned them down because it's Weight Watchers night. After rushing home to meet up with my friend who goes with me (and who drives since I'm car-less), I get a call saying she can't go. Too late to get a ZipCar to go alone, I watched the Giants game on TV and ate too many Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. But, my niece called, she's got tickets for tonight's game - so I'll be rushing outta work again today to meet her up for tonight's game. And I'm bringing my knitting - I've got way too much knitting to do! Plus, it's Singles Night. Giants baseball, a bag of knitting, single men who are baseball fans, garlic fries & hot links....what more could a girl want? Yep, another Bonds homer.