Knitaholics R Us

Nothin' But Knit

I realize that you wouldn't know this by my blog, but I am alive and didn't die of some rare and unusual form of a cold.  I am well, physically at least.  There are some (**cough, cough** Mr Wonderful) that may agree that while my physical health is no longer a concern, my mental health is up for debate.  I am, dear readers, sorry for the absence.  I've been in a fog of jumbled thoughts lately, none of which have been quite able to make the jump from brain to blog.  And while I am still in a bit of an overwhelming haze, I can share a couple of things to tie you over, if you will.

• I am pretty much over HotelChain.  And actually, I have been for quite some time.  And old co-worker just told me that once your fire is gone, it's time to move on.  Quite right.  So with that being said, I am on the job prowl.  I have something in the works, but I can't share any more just yet.  Don't wanna jinx it, you know?
• I am totally knitting.  No pictures for proof, but trust me.  I knat up the Tweed Beret from the latest IK for my cousin, but it came out way too small.  Like, it might be too small for my six year old niece.  So bummed...Haven't frogged it yet, but I will and start anew.  In the meantime, I was able to whip up some Fetching mitts for a holiday gift.  I squeezed one whole pair out of one ball of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran.  Which leaves me a whole other ball to play with.  Yay for me!

Otherwise, I am busy for the holidays.  I've been a homemade-goodie-researching fool.  I mean, these are def on the list.  How cute!  And my Lord, I really have to make these, although they may get eaten before they make it into the gift baskets.  In the words of Rachael Ray, YUM-O!

Pics and more updates soon.  Just lemme get through this week, k? 

BTW, I am totally keeping current with all of your blogs, even if I haven't been commenting!  Lots of exciting stuff going on...

In Sickness...

Hi all...

I am sick.  Head cold.  Ick.

This is all I have to show for it...

click the link for more notes

Mr Wonderful and I are heading to Palm Springs for the weekend for his annual softball tourney so I will post FO notes then.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Catch Up

Hi all!  I realize that quite a bit of time has skipped by without a new post from me, but lots has been going on, fun and not-so-fun.  But today, in the hopes that spreading good energy will help me receive good energy, I am only going to share fun stuff (mostly knitty, if you can believe that)!  Here goes:

A Big Huge Thank You to Valerie (send me your blog addy so I can link it), my ISE pal.  She sent me the greatest package!  She made me the cutest linking flowers scarf and a matching hat.  And her creativity didn't stop there!  She even made me a cute knitting bag to tote smaller projects around.  The craftmanship on this bag is AMAZING!  My pathetic sewing skills are in awe of you, Valerie.  There were also a couple edible treats, which have since been consumed.  Thanks again, Valerie (and sorry for the delay in posting)!

The main reason for the delay in posting is that Mr Wonderful and I took a VERY short notice escape away.  We hopped on a Royal Caribbean cruise to the Mexican Riviera for a week getaway.  We stopped in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.  In Cabo, we nearly got sucked into a timeshare purchase, in Mazatlan, we took a city tour via trolley chock full of gay men (majorly fun times, I must add) and in Puerto Vallarta, we slid across ziplines over the Mexican jungle canopy. We had an amazing time and needed the time away.  Here are a few pictures...

While on vacay, I was able to eek out the slightest bit of Socktoberfest participation.  See?

I had some Vesper self-striping sock yarn leftover from long ago's Strawberry Shortcake socks and thought I would try my hand at knitting socks on two circulars (mostly to see if this would help create a little more interest in sock knitting).  Boy oh boy, two circ knitting is SO MUCH EASIER for me.  I couldn't put this little sock down.  And I used those new Knit Picks classic circular needles as well.  Those my friends, are some good ass needles.  Love them.  Sorry Skacel, but until you get pointy-er, I will stick to Knitpicks!  I am cranking away at sock #2, so I should have an FO soon!

Finally, a big hug and thank you to Sandra for the cute Garden Party Scarf!

This was her first crochet project, y'all!  Very impressive and super generous!  Love it!  Thanks again, Sandra!

P.S. If you don't already listen to these chicks, you simply must start.  Their podcast is hilarious and taps right into my obsessive soul.  Be warned, they are NOT Brenda Dayne, nor do they try to be.  Just two yarn obsessed girls having MAJORLY good times and willing to share it with us!

Gimme a Fork

Wow!  She's finally done!

Pattern: Knitty's Danica

Yarn: Knit Picks Merino Style in Asparagus and Cinnamon (1.5 balls each)

Notes:  Love the look, hate the process.  Ugh, if this weren't for my ISE, I would never have finished this baby.  I definitely tried to think happy thoughts about my pal while I picked up the billions and billions of stitches and turning the work over and over and over again.  That was pleasurable, but if this would have been for me, or ANYONE ELSE, I so would have tossed it aside.  Entrelac is cool looking, but for me, not cool knitting.

But...

...she's just so darned purty!  I love the way all the turns go back and forth, like woven cloth.  So friggin' cool.  I am super happy with it and I hope my pal will be too.  I didn't block it, because, personally, I like it all fuffy (yes, that's a word) and I wanted to give my pal the option.  I promise I am not being lazy about it, k?

Now that this is done, I am off to begin this...

Nice Things

Sooo... I am still knitting away on the entrelac sucks balls in two colors Danica scarf and a progress shot will be completely boring (just imagine it longer).  I've decided to take after Star in a version of "If You Can't Say Something Nice About Your Job..."  So, here are ten nice things I can say about my job.

1. The caf has free cereal.  Fruit Loops, my friends.  All.Day.Long.  Jealous, right?

2. My office mate, Panda, is seriously the best office mate ever.  I mean, how many of your co-workers would be get up at 5am to meet you at the gym for an indoor cycling class only for it to be cancelled without prior notice...twice.  Oh, and believe me when I say that our "water cooler" conversation could make even a proctologist blush.

3. Getting paid to drink liquor.  Sometimes.  Like at training.  Or at client events. Or at my desk at 11 am with the door closed.  Ok, I am lying about the last one, but I have thought about it on a number of occasions.

4. Sometimes, if I am really good that quarter and book over a million dollars in revenue for my HotelChain, I get a gross bonus of about $1000, but really nets to only about $550.  Yea me!

5. I get discounts at hotels associated with said HotelChain.  Except that I work in a hotel, and I hate hotel rooms and don't ever stay in a hotel. But, at least I get to play travel agent for my family who gets to use my discount too.

**this isn't easy people...nice things are hard to think of**

6. I have a good boss.  He's funny.  VERY funny.  And random.  He can't remember where his 2 pm meeting is, but he can quote lines from such quality media, such as Anchorman, I'm Gonna Get You Sucka, and The Family Guy.  Oh, and his favorite saying as of late?  "F- You, You F-ing F-." He!  In addition, he is not a micro-manager and I am able to look at a hell of a lot of knitting content on the Internets without getting caught.  Oh, and he always jangles his keys in his pocket when he walks by, so that gives me plenty of time to switch screens on my computer.

7. Sometimes, when he's bored, Mr Wonderful calls me at work and tries to disguise his voice while he proceeds to ask me if we rent rooms by the hour.  And if we do, he's like to rent a few.  I always know it's him and it always makes me smile.

8. HotelChain has allowed me to meet some really special peeps that I am super close with.  Hi Ericka, Panda, Sunny, Tisa, Kristen, Meredith, Robert, Nell, Sonya and Jennifer.  Love you guys!

9. Working at HotelChain allows one to pick up some quite handy travel-sized Bath and Body Works items, when needed. Of course, it's bad to steal but they can part with a couple of hand creams when I've booked over $100,000 in business in one program.  But don't tell them I said that, k?

10.  Having lunch paid for by HotelChain.  Like when you take a client out.  Except that during said lunch, you and client (who is more like your friend than a client) spend 1.5 hours chit chatting and gossiping and approximately 30 seconds discussing business (any upcoming meetings? no. ok thanks.  where were we?).  Thanks HotelChain!

HotelChain and I aren't doing so well.  I feel that the time has just about come for us to part ways.  It's quite sad, as they are the only place I've worked since college and I've grown up a lot with HotelChain.  But HotelChain is turning into an abusive lover lately, and I just can't take it anymore.  Wanna know what scares me most?  I want a new job that's not in sales or in the hotel industry.  Unfortch, my experience doesn't translate over that well into the business world.  Scary.

Well, I must get onto working on that resume.  Wish me luck!

Speak No Evil, but Knit Much

I do realize that I should have blogged about a week ago, according to my promise left at the end of the last posting, but honestly, my desire to write has been quite low.  But please realize that no writing about knitting doesn't necessarily mean no knitting.  Lots of knitting has be going on, as well as Netflix watching (Sopranos Season One and Rome, to be exact)!

See for yourself...

Pattern: Razor Cami from Katie Knits

Yarn: Berroco Cotton Twist in Sea Goddess Blue (love that name)

Notes on the Pattern:  I, um, didn't gauge swatch (big suprise, right) so I am fully aware that this is part of the problem.  And I really like the concept of this cami and everyone else's look SO good, but I don't think this pattern is meant for cotton.  I've worn it for one and a half days, and it stretches out so much at the top.  I even had to create some "darts" near the armpits to tack down the extra width across the top.  I am hoping that perhaps a romp in the wash will help shrink her up a bit.  I just love the way it looks on everyone else, but on me, not as much.  It'll definitely get worn, but if I can't get it to shrink up a bit, it will have to be saved strictly for summer wear.  And I was so hoping to sport this under a suit at work for HotelChain.

And this...

Pattern: Danica from Knitty

Yarn: Knit Picks Merino Style in Cinnamon and Grass (I think)

Notes: Still working on this...it's for my International Scarf Exchange Pal.  I don't know why I continue to do these things to myself.  Join time sensitive KALs and such.  This great entrelac scarf is supposed to be to my pal by Nov 1 and I have lots left to knit.  And while entrelac is amazing to look at, the process of picking up stitches sucks balls...of yarn, of course.  I despise picking up stitches, but perhaps this will soften the process up a bit for me.  The color change thing is a bitch as well, since all those ends will have to be woven in by someone, meaning this little knitaholic.  I am trying to weave in every 2-3 color block change so it won't be so daunting in the end.

As for Socktoberfest, I am bummed that I should be spending all of my knitting time working this scarf.  So until I feel that I am making major progress on the scarf, sock knitting is on halt.  So.Bummed.

That's all for now, as I am running out of verbal gas.  Enjoy your knitting!

To Tie You Over

Just a few random bits so I can distract you while I feverishly finish up my razor cami...

• I am an official participant in Socktoberfest 2006!  I love the concept of working on socks while a bunch of other knitters are working on socks, except that there really is no pressure or deadline to worry about.  If I have learned one thing about myself through knitting, it is that me no likey deadlines.  During this time, I plan on finishing up my Jaywalkers and working on a pair of anklets using two circulars for the first time (instead of pointy sticks of death dpns).  I have some leftover Knitterly Things Vesper self-striping yarn in Aqua Melon I'd like to use, me thinks.
• I have also joined the Fall Cable KAL.  This join was sort of coincidental, as I had already made up my silly little mind that I MUST HAVE a cabled cardi this fall/winter.  And I knew it had to be made using yarn from the stash (aka 1200 yards of this) that I bought last year, in a fit of depression about Mr Wonderful's head troubles, with no pattern in mind.  When I saw that there would be a KAL for cables, I thought it was perfect timing.  And thanks to Carrie, I fell headoverheels in love with this Cabled Yoke Cardi from Karabella Yarns.

I got the pattern for it on Saturday and after reading over it, I am glad I will have a KAL group for a resource, as the pattern is a lot more complicated that I bargained for.  And, my little little decorator crab friend is going to make it too.  I mean, how could anyone resist this gorgeousness?

• And since I am in the spirit of joining things, I am SERIOUSLY considering joining all those Zimmermaniacs, and working up a baby suprise jacket.  I am simply in love with the construction and I think it's about time that my knitting grow a little "depth."  But I also don't want/need any more self-imposed stress to work on things, that's still up in the air.
• My work team and I went to Catalina Island for some fun and antics on Friday.  We had a blast doing pretty much nothing (except drinking).  Antics can be seen here, here, here and here.

Oky doky, that's it for now.  Next time, which will definitely be in a couple of days, I will have an FO to show you, so stay tuned.  Also, I'd love to know what you've been watching/listening to lately while you knit.  I am planning on doing a little "review" of some of the programs/podcasts that I've been listening to and watching and I'd love to know what you all do.

Ciao for now!

In Search of...

...the perfect cabled cardi.  With a bit of waist shaping.  That doesn't call for more than 1200 yards of worsted weight yarn.

Any suggestions?

Currently

Oy, my mom has always insisted that I should knit dishcloths for stitch practice and mastery.  But Lordy, the couple I have made in the past have been complete torture.  Let's face it, knitting w/ 100% cotton (not mercerized or gassed or blended) just doesn't evoke the knitting euphoria that so many of us get when knitting with truly amazing fibers.  I mean, it's sort of blah.  And don't even get me started on the lack of ease that cotton has and thus, its creation of hand cramps when using it.

But...

...this was muy fun-o!  That sneaky Ballband pattern from those crafty ladies of Mason Dixon Knitting is seriously addictive, fun, and super easy to memorize.  The absolute perfect pattern for a night or two of catching up with the old DVR or Tivo.

Pattern: Mason Dixon's Ballband Dishrag Pattern

Yarn:  Lily's Sugar n' Cream Cotton Worsted in Summer Splash (A) and Hot Blue (B).

Notes: As I said before, fun knit.  I can definitely see myself knitting up a few more of these for hostess gifts, etc.  I wasn't sure how exactly the yarn was going to knit up throughout each section, especially with one yarn being striped.  I'd love to make a reverse version of this one.  Of course, knitting with cotton just isn't that great on the hands, but the excitment of its progression was worth the couple of aches and pains.

In other news, I have a bit of a progress shot for you too...

This here is the beginnings of a Razor Shell Cami.  I am using yarn from the stash, again (Woo hoo for stashbusting).  It's some Berocco Cotton Twist in Sea Goddess Blue (Gawd, I love that name) I picked up last year during a sale at the LYS.  I've been waiting for a great camisole project for this yarn, and so far, so good...

Finally, I know I might be the last gal on the Internets to get a pair, but...

...I love these!

Code of the Road

Just a quick little post to check in with you all...

Last week I was in AZ for some HotelChain "training."  I would say there were more good times being girls than training, but just in case the boss asks, we learned A LOT, ok?

1. Ketel One Cosmos, 2. Dancing Machine, 3. Clean Baby, 4. Sunny & Sky, 5. Sleepy Panda, 6. Panda & Sky

We arrived in AZ on Tuesday night, ordered room service and passed out! 

Wednesday, Panda (not her real name, duh) and I worked out (yea for us), ate breakfast and drank at the side of the Lazy River pool at our hotel.  That night, general conference boring-ness, until the dinner/cocktail reception.  Commence wine drinking, completely inappropriate and irresponsible conversation, and lots of giggling. 

Thursday, a half a day of training and more Lazy Rivering.  That night (where most of the above pictures are taken) was spent at  Barcelona's Ladies Night, where a few $3 Ketel One Cosmos where drank and much more silliness ensued.  Let me just say that pole dancing could definitely be a "back up" career for some of us, if we don't make it here at HotelChain.

Friday...um, yeah...I don't have much more to say, except that the torture was made worse because we had an all day class on...wait for it...Group Contracts.  And a HotelChain paralegal was there talking all sorts of legal stuff while I was dealing with a fit of cold sweats and extreme sleepiness.  Yea.  I know you can only imagine...But later that day I saw my close pal, E, and her baby, affectionately called Bubba.  So.Cute.  I spent the rest of the weekend with them, shopping and enjoying their company.  Good times...

I have a small FO to show you next time and a couple of progress shots!  Check back...