Sunday, July 20, 2008
Hollow Tree
Fiber: 100% wool
Colorway: Hollow Tree
Yardage/Weight: 101 y/75 g (Navajo 3-ply)
Roving From: Art Clubs CUCKOO FOR CUCKOOBATTS (May 2008)
Saturday, July 19, 2008
We interrupt this blog for a quarterly meeting
We may work six days a week, and we may not get paid on a regular basis, but ... damn! Do we know how to hold a shop meeting, or what?! I love my co-workers (and my job)!
Thus spoke Lorena on 07/19/08 at 10:28 PM in Work, Working outside the home
Comments (2) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Comments (2) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Lara’s Berry Mix
Fiber: Wool? Merino?
Colorway: Lara’s Berry Mix
Yardage/Weight: approx. 160 yards/4 oz. (Navajo 3-ply)
Roving From: Uh… I suck. I can’t find that I ever blogged getting this; Lara sent me, a while ago, this roving and a drop-spindle. But I have to come clean… I cheated and spun this on the wheel!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Poll of the week
This is the poll that never ends… it just goes on and on my friends…
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The one where I ask “what the fuck am I allergic to? AIR?!”
Brand-new readers to this blog might not know the back-story; so briefly… I have some food allergies (among other things) and a couple of months ago I had a bizarre and random allergy attack that culminated in a trip to the ER.
Just after midnight on Saturday (so I guess technically that would have been Sunday) I woke up feeling like my hands were on fire. I ran them under cold water, trying not to tell myself that it was the exact same itching/burning that I had the day Kristin took me to the ER. It was the same, though, and I sat there for a minute imagining texting Sharon that I couldn’t open the store in the morning, imagining waking Tim up to take me to the ER. Neither thing did I really want to do. So instead, I took two Benedryl and after a while the burning/itching faded away and I went back to bed. If it had not gone down, or my face had started to swell, I would have woken Tim up in a heartbeat. I’m not that pig-headed!
Sunday I just tried to get through the day without thinking about it too much. I mean, I thought about it; but I tried to think more “what did the two days with burning, itching hands have in common” and less “OMGWTFBBQ!!!111!1!!!”
Here are some things those two days had in common:
I knit something (which I do every day).
I ate shrimp (which I do 2-3 times a week).
I drank water (which I do every day).
I took a pain relief product.
Yesterday I called my allergist, and although she is away I was able to get in and speak with her PA this morning. After telling her everything about both situations, and we talked about other things that have happened or not happened when I also have done the above things, here’s what she thinks.
- She doesn’t think I am developing an allergy to wool or mohair, as I work with those products every day; if I were allergic, I would have had more than two instances of a reaction in the last two months.
- She isn’t worried that I’m developing a shellfish allergy, considering the number of times a week I eat shrimp or crab; but I am to go back in two weeks and get tested for allergies to shrimp/crab/lobster, etc. In addition, she’ll test me for dairy allergies, and anything else I can think of between now and then that I’d like to be tested for. (Anyone got any ideas?)
- Obviously I’m not allergic to water, duh.
- Mostly I am a Tylenol girl (when I was first diagnosed with asthma years ago I was told to take Tylenol as it was the one least likely to affect my asthma); however, my new chiropractor suggested that I switch from Tylenol to Advil, being that this muscle in my back is still bothering me. She said that Tylenol will work with the nerve receptors to block the pain, but Advil (ibuprofen) will decrease the swelling and will be better for me. Saturday night before going to bed I took some Advil. Two months ago when this happened, I had taken some Excedrin. Excedrin contains acetaminophen and aspirin. She said that both ibuprofen and aspirin are NSAIDS, which some people can have a reaction to. So she suggested that I go back to Tylenol.
- She also said that they’d draw some blood and run a few tests when I go back in two weeks, “just to make sure there’s nothing else going on”.
- They’re going to contact the ER from two months ago and get my records, to see what my vitals looked like, etc. She also laughed when I said that the ER doc had suggested it was just stress. “What are you supposed to do about that?!” she said. To which I answered, “I don’t know, spend the rest of my life on Xanex?”
So… there ya go. I’m allergic to… something. No idea what. Hooray.
Thus spoke Lorena on 07/15/08 at 03:51 PM in Personal, My random life
Comments (12) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Comments (12) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Which of these is not like the other?
Left foot? Five columns.
Right foot? Four columns.
Pattern calls for? Five columns.
Would you believe that I’d be willing to overlook this? That it could be wrong and I wouldn’t care? Seriously; I could completely deal with this… except for one small problem. No… six small problems. The side with four columns is six stitches less than the side that has five columns. So the heel on that one would be completely messed up.
Sigh.
Thus spoke Lorena on 07/12/08 at 01:58 PM in Crafts, Yarn, Socks, Works in progress
Comments (2) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Comments (2) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
I think I lost four pounds of sweat walking the dogs this morning
We’re puppy-sitting Catcher right now, and I decided to take her along while walking Bridgett this morning. And holy crap, is that dog a spaz on the leash! I only walked them a mile before turning around and coming back home… and I worked up such a sweat that I feel like I’ve walked four miles, not two. Here’s an out-take from Catcher’s brain from our walk…
ARE WE WALKING OH MY GOD WE’RE WALKING I LOVE WALKING YAY WE’RE WALKING YAY WE’RE WALKING!!! ARE WE SNIFFING HEY WHAT ARE YOU SNIFFING ARE YOU SNIFFING A LEAF OH MY GOD I WANT TO SNIFF THAT LEAF TOO MOVE OVER MOVE OVER SNIFF SNIFF SNIFF YAY WE’RE SNIFFING!!! OH MY GOD NOW WE’RE WALKING AGAIN I LOVE WALKING YOU WALK WAY OVER THERE AND I’M GOING TO WALK WAY OVER HERE AND OH MY GOD YOU’RE SO FAR AWAY COME BACK I NEED TO WALK RIGHT NEXT TO YOU YAY WE’RE WALKING!!! ARE WE PEEING I LOVE PEEING LET’S PEE IN THE SAME SPOT I PEE ON YOUR PEE THEN YOU PEE ON MY PEE AND THEN I’LL PEE ON YOUR PEE YAY WE’RE PEEING!!! ARE WE SNIFFING AGAIN HEY WHAT ARE YOU SNIFFING ARE YOU SNIFFING A BLADE OF GRASS OH MY GOD I WANT TO SNIFF THAT BLADE OF GRASS TOO MOVE OVER MOVE OVER SNIFF SNIFF SNIFF YAY WE’RE SNIFFING!!!
I need a nap, now.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Ginger BFL
Fiber: 100% Blue Faced Leicester
Colorway: Ginger
Yardage/Weight: 126 yards/about 4 oz.
Roving From: My friend and business partner, Ginger!
The beauty of a headless Queen
Fiber: 100% Baby Alpaca
Colorway: Anne Boleyn
Yardage/Weight: 263 yards/about 8 oz.
Roving From: Black Bunny Fibers (Fiber Club, May 2008)
Notes: Dear Carol; I will spin baby alpaca until the cows come home. Also, I would have spun these colors for.ever! I am in love with this yarn and may have to move to Vermont so that I may marry it. I can only knit something with it if the recipient does not mind that I may have rubbed it all over my body. HAHAHAHAH! Okay, seriously now-- I have recently been teaching myself to Navajo ply, which I suspected would give me much more control over long color repeats in beautifully dyed fiber like this. And… I was right! And… I even did a passable job at this! This is maybe the fourth or fifth yarn I have Navajo plied, and I feel that I’m starting to get the hang of it. (I really do want to marry this yarn.)
What’s that? You want a closeup? Okay, if you insist.
Rosebud
Fiber: 100% Corriedale
Colorway: Rosebud
Yardage/Weight: 114 yards/about 4 oz.
Roving From: Spunky Eclectic Spunky Club (May 2008)
Friday Photo
Thus spoke Lorena on 07/11/08 at 08:22 AM in Personal, My random life
Comments (6) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Comments (6) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The Italian Stallion vs. the Garbage Truck
Thursday is trash pickup day in my neighborhood; I usually forget this and then when walking the dog I feel that I’m being stalked by the garbage trucks. But I am always amused by guys in their boxers running their trash bins out to the sidewalk!
This morning I was keeping a pretty steady pace of being about ten houses in front of the garbage truck. Towards the end of that block as I’m turning the corner, something bright catches the corner of my eye. I turn around and from about three houses behind me, I saw a man in blue shorts and an open pink button-down shirt come tearing out of his yard, pushing the trash can in front of him like a four-foot-tall baby carriage. He swung it around to face the right part to the road, and then flung his arms above his head and danced around in a big circle… just like Rocky at the top of the stairs. Awesome.
Thus spoke Lorena on 07/10/08 at 08:10 AM in Personal, Adventures in dog walking
Comments (3) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Comments (3) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
The Story of My Life
Day One: Begin to knit project on Size Five needles. Lose one needle.
Day Two: Ransack house, car, and even comb through grass in front lawn to find needle.
Day Three: Determine needle is not in house; look through car and front yard again.
Day Four: Determine needle has R-U-N-N-O-F-T and that new needle must be bought. Buy new set of needles.
Day Five: Slam on brakes in car when asshat turns into your lane even though he’s got the red light and you are clearly coming towards him at 40 MPH; notice missing needle come flying out from under passenger seat.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Who knew Jacksonville was hiding such a treasure?
All day long I’ve been trying to steal a few minutes to tell you about the yarn crawl that we went on yesterday, to Jacksonville. HAHAHAHAH, the day, she has conspired against me… and now I’m almost too cross-eyed and tired to tell you properly.
It started out at 10 AM with me, Sharon, Mariana, and Caitlin meeting up at the shop; then we were on the road! Our first stop was into A Stitch In Time, where I was able to score one of the Elsebeth Lavold books I need to complete my set (only… twelve more to go...). Second stop was lunch (with beer, duh). Third and final stop was our destination shop, KnitWitz. We camped out there for the rest of the day—huge thanks to Kathe for letting us grow roots in her chairs. I had forgotten how relaxing it is to hang out in a yarn shop for a few hours (I only went to go answer her phone once)(as an aside, when I worked in bookstores, yes; I used to straighten the shelves of other bookstores… just couldn’t help myself...). Kathe was a gem, and it was great to chat with her for a while. I scored some super fun things, mostly gifts so I won’t mention any colorways, and I have my eye on a bunch of other things to get next time (Misti Cotton, I’m looking at you!). I would have taken better pictures of everyone else’s purchases, but it was pouring-to-the-nth-degree when we got back into town, so there was no standing by the trunk talking about what a great time we had. Gals, we totally need to do this again! And Kathe, you are welcome to spend the day at our shop absolutely any time-- I think we have at least one unfinished science fiction conversation to have!
Thus spoke Lorena on 07/09/08 at 05:56 PM in Crafts, Yarn, Events, Stash Acquisition
Comments (1) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Comments (1) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Vancouver rocks the house
Okay, technically, she is right outside of Vancouver. But, whatever! Poetic license!
My friend Lara sent me some goodies (I sent her some, but she did a much better job than I did <--- she says I did fine, but it’s my blog and I’ll say what I like!) and tell me she does not rock the house! She does! She rocks the house like a big rocking thing that rocks a lot! I mean, girl sent me a sock pattern that she wrote herself! And maple candies (ignore the fact that four or five of them are already missing from the box, ahem). And stitch markers she made herself! And a cute little project bag! And Socks That Rock!!!! I have to keep shouting about it so that I can get more exclamation points in here!!!!!1!
Thank you so much, Lara; you are da bomb!
Thus spoke Lorena on 07/09/08 at 02:25 PM in Crafts, Yarn, Stash Acquisition
Comments (1) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Comments (1) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
And the winner is…
And the winner from this poll is.... the Lush and Lacy Cardigan!
Clearly it wanted to be knit, because I got quite a bit done in the car yesterday on our day trip to-and-from Jacksonville (more on that later today when I have time). This is about 13 inches of the back; I’ll start armhole decreases in about two inches (I’m altering it to be two inches longer at the bottom).
Thus spoke Lorena on 07/09/08 at 08:55 AM in Crafts, Yarn, Works in progress
Comments (0) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Comments (0) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
RIP: Dad’s blue lighter
My dad’s blue lighter; 2001(?) - 2008
This lighter was found on my dad’s desk after his death, and brought home by me to use to light incense around my house. Faithful to the end, it valiantly tried to light a last stick of Nag Champa on the morning of Sunday, July 6th, 2008. Sadly, it only had the barest spark. Refusing to give up the ghost, it sparked three or four times and made a desperately sad clicking noise.
It is now laid to rest atop the shadowbox that also contains my dad’s ponytail. Rest well, little lighter… you had a good, long life.
Thus spoke Lorena on 07/08/08 at 09:05 AM in Obituaries, Randomosity, Humor
Comments (4) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
Comments (4) • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend
