Friday, February 22, 2013

Money, money, money

I'm back from the first day of Stitches West! My friend Cathy and I spent four hours in the marketplace looking at yarn and patterns and stitch markers and project bags and so much more. It was wonderful and crowded and overwhelming, as it is every year.


On the drive there, Cathy and I agreed that we didn't want to blow spend as much money as we did last year, so we devised a plan to help each other out. Whenever she saw me losing my willpower, like when I almost bought twenty blown-glass stitch markers, she sang to me, "Money, money, money" from the Abba song of the same name. (Here is Meryl Streep singing it in Mama Mia!) I did the same for her, and it worked! I only bought one lonely skein of Fiesta Yarn Cottonista, two Lo-Lo Bars (gifts for friends) and a pair of scissors with a cute fob. Cathy did even better-- she bought nothing.


It's a little mouse!
The true test for me will be tomorrow when I go back alone for a morning class. I can't not stop in at the marketplace, and those little glass stitch markers might prove to be too cute to pass up without my singing buddy.


Thank you for all the kitty love and support when Apollo was sick a few weeks ago. He is doing great now-- eating, drinking, and finally back to wrestling with his brother. It's so good to see him healthy again.

Please don't ever get sick like that again, Apollo.
 
In addition to attending Stitches and the recovery of my kitty's health, there is one other special event going on this week. I was selected as the Knitting & Crochet Superstar on the crafty website Cut Out & Keep, and they are featuring one of my existing patterns every day this week as well as an interview with me.  If you have a moment, please check it out! Oh, but I must confess that the photo of me is outdated-- not long after it was taken I started putting on the pounds and stopped letting people take my photo. Anyway, a big thanks to Cat Morley at Cut Out & Keep for featuring my blog!



Sunday, February 17, 2013

Feeling Lucky

Hello! Did you have a happy Valentine's Day? I'm without a sweetie (unless you count my cats, which I sometimes do), but wanted to do something special for myself, so I made my favorite comfort food for dinner: bagels and cream cheese and lox. Not very romantic, but quite tasty.

 
I'm feeling very lucky these days. My local yarn shop, which was previously located in a congested area with limited parking, has moved. Can you guess where? Yup, right down the street from where I live. I could walk there if I wasn't so lazy.

I stopped in a couple days ago to check out the new digs and ended up buying the silk boucle in the top photo. Maybe I'm not so lucky after all; having my LYS so close may turn out to be very, very expensive.

 
I've been working on this feather and fan lap blanket for myself. The yarn is a soft acrylic from Caron that I bought at Michael's. I've been going back and forth trying to decide if I like the colors or not, and I think I do. There is something old-fashioned about it that appeals to me. Draped over the back of an arm chair, it will add a nice homemade touch to my living room.
 
 

Meanwhile, the little pink apron dress has been neglected for the past month. I have tomorrow off for President's Day, so maybe I'll get to it then.

Hope you are enjoying the holiday weekend.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Warm hands (warm heart)


Hello! I didn't mean to disappear for so long, but life has been a little crazy around here. First, I came down with a cold that left me completely wiped out and with no voice.  I remember a time when I could count on a cold lasting three days, with the second day being the worst. Now they last two or three weeks and just when you think you're getting better, boom! You're back in bed with a box of tissues and a cup of broth.


And then my cat Apollo got very sick. At first I wasn't too concerned-- I thought maybe he had the same bug that I did. Turns out cats can't catch colds from humans. After three days of watching him lay curled up in bed, barely eating or drinking or moving I took him to the vet. He had a fever of 105 and required many, many tests to diagnose the problem, which was a bacterial infection. He spent four days in the animal hospital with an IV in his leg, getting treatments and being force fed. He's home for good now and getting back to his perky old self. I think he  secretly likes that pink bandage on his leg-- it's his badge of honor.



I finished my hand warmers a couple weeks ago, but haven't had a chance to use them because the weather warmed up quite a bit. (Not complaining.) I keep forgetting to bring them with me to my day job where the office is always icy from the air conditioning. I love these mitts and would like to make a few more pairs to give as gifts.








Just a few last words on books. I mentioned a while ago that I was reading Gone Girl and really enjoying it. That was true until about 3/4 of the way into it. I don't recommend it at all. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, so if you want to know why, please go to Amazon and read the one and two star reviews. The problem with the latter section of the book is spelled out there, over and over.

I'm now reading a wonderful memoir called May I Be Happy by Cyndi Lee, a world renowned yoga teacher. She writes about her lifelong struggle with her body image, which is a bit shocking for a woman who does yoga every single day of the year. Her book has me thinking about my relationship with my own body, something I have never given much thought to.
 
 
Whatcha doin' this weekend? Saturday I'm going to try and continue to get some rest, which I will need when my niece Lily comes over on Sunday. Have I mentioned she says my name now? "Shay-shee." It's too cute.

Have a great weekend!