Archive for General
Hope Elizabeth · 05/23/07 at 10:32 pm · Filed under General
I know it looks like I disappeared again, but really I’m here - just so, so busy!
I’ve been helping my husband at work. In case I’ve never mentioned it, he’s a contractor and he’s been doing some roofing jobs lately. I’ve been his handy dandy assistant. He strips the roofs and I take care of the mess - picking up shingles and hauling them in a wheelbarrow to the dumpster, making sure all the nails and debris are cleaned up, sweeping off decks and patios when we’re done.
I have discovered muscles that I never knew I had - and they hurt bigtime!
So, I am here, but I just haven’t spent much time on the computer. I’ve been very sore, incredibly tired and, sometimes, downright sluggish. I really have been a pitiful mess. But that will have to change and it will have to happen soon! I have so much to share with everyone - including a lovely thank you gift from the incredible Holly, a wonderful surprise from my Secret Pal 10 pal and - ready for this? - a surprise drawing that I will be having to celebrate my belated Blogiversary (which was May 20th). Sound exciting? It’s all exciting for me and I promise to share more tomorrow.
Now, if you don’t mind, could you keep your fingers crossed for me that I can move tomorrow after work? Oh my aching bones!
Hope Elizabeth · 05/10/07 at 11:50 am · Filed under General
My mom and stepdad came to visit this last weekend. While I could easily go on and on about what a great time we had, and indeed it was a very nice visit, this is a knitting blog and what I really want to go on and on about is my mom - the wacky, wonderful wild woman of all things crafty - and all the great goodies she brought from Pennsylvania. My mom has been cleaning out her knitting room and did she ever have some huge surprises for me. Omigoodness gracious! She spoiled me rotten and that’s saying alot because my mom has always spoiled me rotten! She could have easily been considered the World’s Greatest Contributor to my yarn stash prior to her visit but, with all of these additional goodies, she’s made sure no one can ever take away her title - including me! It was like Christmas in May.
Books, books, books. Yes, it’s a whole box of books and magazines. There’s so many awesome titles in this box. There’s Modular Knits: New Techniques for Today’s Knitters and Exquisite Little Knits: Knitting with Luxurious Specialty Yarns. There’s also Knitting for Dummies, The Right Way to Knit: A Manual for Basic Knitting, Pursenality Plus: 20 New Felted Bags and Knitting Vintage Socks: New Twists on Classic Patterns. There’s so much to look at, I can’t possibly list everything here.
Another box held notebooks full of freebie patterns my mom found on the internet (dishcloths and socks galore) and baggies full of circular needles - sizes zero and up. There’s Inox, Addi, Hiya Hiya and Boye needles. There’s both metal and plastic needles. There’s long cables and short cables. I think I’m set for circular needles!
Remember my fascination with yarn dyeing? Well, mom’s now provided me with a whole bunch of Rit dyes and sponge brushes. Too much fun!
Did I mention the giant bins of yarn she brought along with her? Here’s a peek inside one of the bins. That white bag is full of yarn from Peace Fleece. The colors are delicious! There’s also a small ton of wool from Briggs and Little and even some skeins of wool that belonged to my grandmother. How cool is that?
Check out what was in the second bin - more yarn! Look at all of that Dye Your Own yarn from KnitPicks. Let me tell you, I saw that yarn and started squirming in my seat. I probably looked like I was doing the pee pee dance! I was trying so hard to contain my excitement (I didn’t want to look like the greedy, gluttonous little wench I can be) that all I could do is wiggle. I don’t know if I managed to hide my true colors or not, but I gave it my best shot!
I couldn’t not show you what was underneath all of that fantabulous Dye Your Own yarn. More yarn! Lorna’s Laces, Socks That Rock, Opal, Wool of the Andes, Cascade Fixation, and Fortissima. Whew! It’s like looking at a box full of candy and sweets. The colors are absolutely stunning - delectible, even!
You know, my mom is more than a super-shopper/bargain-hunter. She is also an uber-talented crocheter! Seriously! Check out these beautiful bags that she made for Hollie and me. They’re her take of the Fat-Bottom Bag from Stitch ‘N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker.
This is the bag that my mom made for Hollie’s birthday. She turned 11 on May 7th and she was absolutely thrilled with what her Nonnie crocheted for her! Mom not only included the big pink flower you currently see pinned to the bag, but also a fluffy purple flower that can be used when dear granddaughter is in the mood for a little bit of lavender. This purse is absolutely beautiful and, while I didn’t take a picture of the lining, that’s fab as well. My mom is so damn talented.
Can you believe this gorgeous cotton purse that mom made for me? Here it is hanging off of Mortimer (our moose). The colors are so summery and absolutely perfect for the season! The lining is the same blue and green that you see in the purse and, while it’s hard to see in this picture, there’s a bit of the blue and green woven into the purse straps as well. I’m telling you, these purses make me want to get out my crochet hooks to make a couple of Fat-Bottom Bags.
Speaking of crochet hooks, my mom made one more gift for me. What could it be?
It’s a hook holder - filled with hooks, stitch markers and even a small pair of embroidery scissors. Obviously mom wants to do more than contribute to the delinquency of a knitter by offering me an overpowering yarn stash fix, she also wants to encourage me to sneak on over to the dark side (*) and do some crocheting too! Can you believe that?
I had to share a close-up of the cute little embellishments my mom included on the crochet hook holder she made. Aren’t they adorable? I love bumblebees and that little ladybug is absolutely precious! I’m really a lucky lady to have such an awesome mom. I love you Mom!
(*) Note: I don’t really believe those folks who crochet are on the dark side. Really! No Darth Crocheter vs. Luke Skyknitter battles happening here. I was just trying to be a wee bit comical. Forgive me, please. I won’t do it again… not today, anyhow.
Hope Elizabeth · 04/21/07 at 6:21 pm · Filed under General
I wanted to share with you a couple pictures of some absolutely wonderful stitch markers that I received in the mail. Check these beauties out…
These were a gift from my Secret Pal 9 spoilee Kathy. She made them as a thank you for the fun we enjoyed during SP9. How sweet is that? I absolutely adore everything about them - the pink, the polka dots and the pleasant memories associated with them. Thank you, Kathy!
You know, speaking of Kathy, I received something else in the mail this week. It’s something I found by following a link she shared with her readers…
Isn’t this the cutest little bag and buttons? When I saw this adorable 4×6 bag made in the “Kitties in Chairs” fabric at Piddleloop, well, I just had to buy it! Why?
Well check out the travel bag I bought from Café Crafty last year. And check out the small tote bag that my mom bought for me. Now can you see why I just had to buy this little Piddleloop purse? Oh it’ll be so perfect for my new stitch markers!
Thank you again, Kathy, for the awesome link! And really, if anyone reading this post hasn’t yet visited Piddleloop, you should take a few minutes to check ‘em out. The bags are both lovely and reasonable. Trust me, you won’t be sorry that you dropped by and looked around. Enjoy!
P.S. I’m not sure where my mom purchased the small tote bag for me. I believe she got it from someone in one of her e-mail groups. If she can remember the lady she got it from, or I come across these same totes online, I will make sure to share the link. Sorry I can’t be any more help than that!
Hope Elizabeth · 04/03/07 at 9:50 pm · Filed under General
I haven’t been the best of bloggers, have I? I’m not going to make any lame excuses for disappearing again, but I will apologize for being so inactive for so long. I can’t really explain my absence, but I can say that I’m going to do my best to stick around this time. Believe it or not, this blog is important to me and I need to remind myself now and then that it’s okay to just blab away about whatever I want to blab about here - even if it isn’t knitting related. Sometimes I forget that I can post even if I’m miserable and moody.
I finished my socks, but I can’t post a picture of them just yet - not until they’re received by the intended recipient. I enjoyed knitting them, but I didn’t enjoy the Trekking XXL yarn that I chose to use. I’m not sure why, but I really had a hard time with it splitting. Is this the norm for Trekking XXL? I didn’t notice a problem with my last Trekking socks, the ones I still haven’t finished, but this time around? Holy guacamole! I had a heckuva time.
I’m still working on my afghan and I will probably be working on it for forever. Seriously! It’s very wide and it takes me quite awhile to complete one row, so I don’t think it’ll be done anytime soon. That’s okay though. The whole reason I started an afghan was so that I would have an easy project to work on here and there. Perhaps my goal will be to have it done by my birthday in October. I can’t promise to meet that goal (procrastiknitter is a procrasticrocheter too, remember?) but we’ll see.
In non-knitting news, I started the Weight Watchers Core Program yesterday. I’ve been following the Flex Program and I’m down 38 pounds, but I’ve found myself getting very lazy about measuring my food and counting my points. This is an old habit of mine - I get tired of paying attention to the plan’s details and the next thing you know, I’m totally off program and all you see is my ass hanging out of the refrigerator. Usually I wait a few months, eat like a piggy and re-join WW after I’ve gained back all of my weight (and then some), but this time around I decided to switch things up a bit and try Core. So far I feel okay. Let’s hope the positive feelings stick around for awhile. The closer I get to age 40, the more important it becomes to me to lose the incredible amount of weight I need to lose. I want to be forty and fabulous - and I only have 2.5 years to go!
Knitting helps. I can’t eat and knit at the same time. Hmmm… maybe that giant afghan is more important a project than I realized. I can’t eat and crochet at the same time either.
Hope Elizabeth · 03/15/07 at 11:28 pm · Filed under General
I know it’s been way too long since I’ve posted, but oh well. I really have no excuse for neglecting this weblog, so all I will say is my life sorta took over for awhile. It’s funny though - saying that makes it sound like I’ve been so busy and on the go when, in reality, the only thing keeping me from posting is me, myself and I. I’ve been so distracted and I guess I just felt like I had nothing to say. I’m still not sure if I have anything to say, but I’ll do my best.
Secret Pal 10 has started, which is very exciting. It’s a great way to get to know someone new and to get myself re-involved in the knitting community. I have a few other little knitty things going on, all of which I will have to share with you over the next few days. I should also share some project updates with you - progress on the afghan I started and a pair of socks I’ve been working on. Perhaps I should get my camera charged up and get some pictures taken, eh?
By the way, I’m working on a new look for Procrastiknitter. I don’t know why, but I really feel the need to lighten and brighten things up around here, perhaps with some shades of my favorite color… pink! I’m not exactly an expert with CSS, so it may take me some time, but I’m not only going to attempt some new colors, but a new layout as well. I’ve given myself until the 20th to get it done. Why the deadline? Well c’mon. This weblog’s title doesn’t sound the word “procrastinator” for no reason. I am the queen of procrastinating so, if my new look isn’t done by the 20th, I’m going to have to set aside until I get some other projects done - like my socks!
Wish me luck… please!
Hope Elizabeth · 01/13/07 at 12:51 am · Filed under General
I came on tonight to talk about some new knitting projects I have underway and what do you think happened? I discovered I’m a great big dorkhead.
My wonderful Sockret Pal sent me some fabulous goodies and, after writing about them in my blog, I once again forgot to publish the entry. I feel so horrible! I hope my Pal didn’t think I didn’t appreciate her lovely gifts. I hope she knows I’m just a bubblehead who hasn’t yet learned to hit the publish button instead of the save button. I hope she knows just how sorry I am that I didn’t notice the entry was missing until now, because I really am sorry. Bigtime sorry, even.
I need to start reading my own blog and then I’ll know if my entries post or not. See what happens when I ass-ume I’m doing everything correctly?
Anyhow, I’m working on another Meathead Hat, but this time I’m using double-points. It’ll be a gift for a Weight Watchers buddy of mine. I also made myself a hat on the yellow Knifty Knitter the other day. It’s nothing glamorous, and I don’t have a picture of it, but let me tell you - it was so nice being able to whip out a toasty warm winter hat in minimal time with minimal thinking. It was even nicer having my ears covered when I went to feed the ducks and chickens! I could really get into these quickie knits!
Hope Elizabeth · 12/13/06 at 1:09 pm · Filed under General
There’s been some updates on the Meathead Hat KAL. While I’m not one of the 14 awesomely talented people who will have their hat included in Larissa’s book, I am one of the 18 runners-up. It feels really good to have someone like what I made. I’m so happy I could just bust!
I’m ordering some Debbie Bliss merino chunky wool from Elann’s so I can make another meathead hat. It is really a fun, fun pattern. Larissa is one talented lady!
Hope Elizabeth · 11/07/06 at 9:13 pm · Filed under General
I’ve been a horrible blogger, haven’t I? I guess I haven’t had too terribly much to say.
I frogged the Trekking socks that I’d started this summer. It’d been so long since I worked on them, I couldn’t remember what exactly I’d done or where I was at in the pattern. I thought it would be easier to just start over. I consider it one more chance to practice before I get my Sockret Pal socks done.
I haven’t given up on my big blue wooly socks, but I have set them aside for now. I felt like working with some finer sock yarn and, truth be told, I feel a bit guilty for not finishing the Trekking KAL. I’ll jump between the two socks until I eventually get them done.
That’s about all I have to say for now. Not too interesting, is it? I’m sorry. I’ll try harder next time. Promise!
Hope Elizabeth · 10/18/06 at 8:59 pm · Filed under General
Here’s my answers to the questions posted on Heatherly’s blog:
- Where is your favorite knitting spot?
My favorite spot to knit is in the recliner in our living room. I can sit with my feet up, my knitting in my lap and the television on. It’s bliss.
- If you suddenly could never knit again, what would you do instead?
I don’t like to imagine not knitting again, but if I couldn’t, I would probably take up another one of the crafts I enjoy - crocheting or cross-stitching. I might also make some candles or learn how to make soap. Who knows?
- If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
As an Irish girl with an Irish temper, who is very proud of her Irish family, I’d of course go to Ireland. I hope someday I get the chance!
- What did you want to do when you grew up? Are you doing it?
When I was little, I wanted to be a teacher. I did go to college to be a Special Education teacher, but I left after my Junior year. Instead I’m a homemaker and stay-home mom, which makes me very happy.
- What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. It’s Heaven!
Hope Elizabeth · 10/16/06 at 4:15 pm · Filed under General
I thought I’d work on a pair of socks before I got started on my Sockret Pal’s socks, just to make sure that I can get them done without any major problems. So far, so good. I’m telling you, the book Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch is an awesome book! I would recommend it to anyone interested in knitting socks.
By the way, I’m using Briggs and Little wool and size 4 needles. I could probably go up a size in needles, I’m a very tight knitter, but these aren’t too bad. I’ll let you know how they turn out when I’m done.
P.S. I know this is a horrible picture. It’s very hard to see the pattern I’m following and the color looks a bit odd, but the scratches on my desk show up quite well, don’t they? Anyhow, it’s a 4-stitch ribbing pattern and my pattern of choice is the baby cable rib. That’s about all I can tell you for now. Until later!
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