Photos of the Kids

I wanted to share some photos I took of the kids this morning.

Monkey and the cacti.

See Charlie in the middle? (in the other window) He's their buddy.

Such a pretty boy.

Warshington

Friday was George Washington's birthday so I made cupcakes and brought them to work... well actually this was just an excuse to experiment with a new recipe using my co-workers as guinea pigs. I can't post the actual recipe because it's from Weight Watchers, but it is a "dark chocolate cake" recipe made with {drumroll please} sauerkraut! Yes that's right - sauerkraut. It was actually pretty good and healthy, too, except for the cream cheese frosting part. Very moist, not much fluff because there were no eggs.

Now where's that George Washington hat?? Mom, do you have a photo of someone (me) in it?

Give a Pooch a Home

*UPDATE 4/30: Camille has decided to keep Pez as a companion on the road! I'm so happy. Everything worked out the way it was meant to be :)

This is Pez. I met him in 2003 when he was just a
few months old. We lived together in a house and we were buddies. My friend and former housemate is his mom. He is a beautiful, loyal, strong, and sweet companion. Unfortunately for Pez, my friend (his owner) is an artist and has decided to start travelling around the country and she will not be able to take him along with her.

I know that everyone has pre-conceived notions about pitbulls, but I have to post this because he is a dog that I love.

If someone in my area adopted him I would definitely be interested in visiting and spending time with him.

I helped raise him and now is about 5 or 6 years old. He is very loving, loyal, and sweet. He is also very high energy - like most pits. He is definitely comfortable around cats and has been around them most of his life. He doesn't always get along with other dogs, though. He loves to play ball and chase squirrels.

Here is some info from his owner: Pez is a five year old boxer/pit bull mix who's loyal as can be, smarter than the average dog and loves to have fun. He plays well with most other dogs but will sometimes assert his dominance with other male dogs. His strength is impressive and this summer we started doing dog pulling (a dog sport that the dog is hooked to a weighted sled and then the dog pulls for 16 feet). He has his own harness and loves the sport. He's only done it a handful of times so he needs training and strength building but with the right handler and practice he could easily compete. He loves obedience classes and would make a great agility dog, too.

If you, or anyone you know, might be interested in adopting Pez, please contact me for more information. You can post a comment on this blog.

There is also a beautiful tortoise shell female that needs a home. She is very calm and sweet and would probably do well as an only cat. I can get a photo of her if there are any requests.

Here are some more photos:

Here he is as a puppy going to his first peace rally!

snuggling on the couch watching TV

Pez rolling in the grass with his friend, Neo.

Celebrating

This past weekend I completed all of the knitting on Steve's cardigan! Now all that's left is weaving in ends, sewing seams and hems, blocking, and putting on a zipper. He's tried it on and I think it will be quite lovely. I'm so tired of knitting on it. I have been working on it every night for the past few weeks and was trying to knit so fast that my forearms would often ache the next day. Knitting someone a sweater is truly a labor of love.

If you haven't listened to Franklin Habit's essay (on Cast On) "The Sharper End of the Needles" about knitting for loved ones, take a listen.

P.S. I love Cast On.

There's an old wives' tale about how if you knit your boyfriend a sweater you are sealing your fate... you will break up sooner rather than later. It's bad luck. But I've already knitted Steve a sweater (and we DID break up but that was a long time ago, and after a few months we UN-broke up).... I found it the other day... it's actually one of the first things I ever knit. And I just made it up, so it's all mis-shapen and huge, and furry, and green, and..... well, it's the complete opposite of a sweater that a hetero-late-twenties-male would choose for himself. We laughed when we found it. We decided it's going to our "house sweater". You know that one that your mom or sister puts on when they are visiting and feel chilly?

Last week we did a lot of celebrating. On the 7th Steve turned another year older. We had a very nice evening that included dinner with his brother, Tim, who happened to be in town on business. We went to the new Uncommon Ground on Devon and it was lovely! A bit expensive... but still very nice. I'll have to yelp about it. Then we went back to our place and the boys played video games until midnight. Steve really enjoyed it. AND we had cupcakes from Kim's. YUM! Probably our favorite bakery in Evanston.

And over the weekend we celebrated seven years as a couple! So, in honor of that... here's a little photo montage of us over the years... go ahead, laugh at the hair-do's.

Revelations

An ice storm hit us with full force last night leaving us to trudge through the slush and sleet to work, our faces pelted with stinging ice flakes - but I still love the mid-west. I'm used to this weather. I enjoy the changing seasons, and that means having some days where the world outside my window is covered in a cold white glaze... much like the glaze on a sour cream cake... The only thing that makes me really mad is when it's sub zero and I have to wait 20 minutes outside for a bus. But for now the snow is fine with me.

Here is a view of the library from kresge... and it's still coming down... big wet flakes of snow - yum!

The power went out in the library last night and I was (not so secretly) hoping that it would not have come back on, so I could stay at home and KNIT! It's very important to mention that without this weather, I would not get nearly as much knitting done as I do.

Which brings me to a discussion about my current project: Avast cardigan from Knitty for Steve. Now tomorrow is Steve's birthday, and though I have been knitting like a fiend, I am still not finished :( It's not a surprise - he's seen me working on it. I have accomplished a huge amount in just the past week. I made the second sleeve, attached both sleeves and am now almost finished with the yoke. I apologize for the low quality of this photo.... it was taken with my phone.

On Sunday night, after attaching the sleeves and beginning the initial decrease rounds of the yoke, I had a bit of a knitting revelation. In following the directions of the pattern, my ssk and k2tog were not looking right.... not slanting the way they were supposed to. And I realized... the way that I wrap my yarn around my needle when I purl must be different than most people. I've just always done what is most comfortable and fastest for me. But I think it reverses the way the stitches are facing when I flip it over to the knit side and start knitting. In the round, this would not matter because I'm always working on the RS of the fabric.

Is this common among other knitters using the continental method? Does it matter as long as I understand what the pattern is telling and I reach the same outcome?

Then I was trying to calculate how many stitches would be knitted in the yoke section... to try and figure out how long it would take me to finish this part. In my younger math-whiz days I would have known how to calculate this.... where's my genius sister when I need her????

If I start with 312 stitches in a row, and decrease 8 stitches every other row, 30 times... how many total stitches is that??? I did it the long way and came up with 12,032. So if anyone out there knows the formula for this problem let me know!

At this point I am just about ready to do the collar, front bands, lower hem, weave in ends and block! Then there's some seaming... then finding a zipper... okay so there is still a decent amount left in the home stretch. But I'm ready to wrap this up and send Steve out in the blizzard with a wooly cardigan to keep him warm.

Wintery Weekend

Dude, I'm totally feelin' the winter blahs. It's not so much the snow and cold as it is the lack of sunlight.... the days lately are gray and dull.

Last weekend was much nicer. Sunny and 35. Talk about a heat wave. I actually went ice skating with Kristen, which i haven't done in about 5 years, and I wasn't too rusty.
I did alright. My feet were a little wobbly since they don't have women's sizes or half sizes.... I ended up in a MEN'S TEN! It was a tad too long but mostly it was way too wide. I'm thinking about buying some of my own skates.... maybe I would skate more often. I found some online that are only about $35.

There were a lot of small children skating (more like the act of running with blades on their feet) with helmets on. Lots of people doing the windmill... ummm.... I didn't fall once. And I think I burnt a decent amount of calories.

Here is Kristen on the rink at Warren Park. Only a few blocks from my place. Plus they play music!!!! Reminds you of the old days at the roller rink.

Another shot of me. I actually enjoy winter when the sun is shining.

This weekend is the pits. There is about a foot of dirty snow everywhere. It's easy to get stuck if you are driving. The only thing that is keeping me going is my knitting... oh yeah, and a couple of glasses of Pinot doesn't hurt either.

So, did Phil see his shadow today or what????

she who has been pricked by many needles

The verdict is in!

I finally met with an allergy specialist today who confirmed what I was fearing the most. First I was pricked on the left arm with 30 little plastic points containing various allergens. After about 5 minutes the column devoted to many different types of grasses was aflame with large welts. Explains the constant dripping of my nose from about April to June every single year.

Exhibit A

The other puffy spots awards were given to Exhibit B - Ragweed, which is why I am not particularly fond of indian summers - when these golden plumes rear their ugly heads and release what my body mistakenly assumes to be toxic....

And finally, the ubiquitous arachnid that snuggles you to sleep every single night: Exhibit C, the dust mite. Take a gander at this guy. Funny that the organism whose feces is trying to suffocate me while I sleep is a cousin to the you-know-whats that send me into phobic seisures should I see a photograph of one.... you know what I'm talking about... I dare not mention the "S" word.

UCK! So NASTY!

But the spot designated for cat dander! It was no where NEAR swelling! I prematurely squeeled with glee and sent out some text messages. The nurse told me to wait... that they had to do an actual INJECTION of the allergens with no reaction just to be sure.... and sure enough, it turned red :(

I give you: Exhibit C & D, my sweet little fluffy children.... how could these precious creatures be the cause of nightly asthma attacks... they are so innocent, and they only want to be loved :(

Rest assured, my new allergist is wonderful and is willing to help me continue sharing my life and my apartment with these two sweet angels. I didn't even have to bring in a photo of them!!! She did say that the absolute best option would be to remove the pets from my home, but she knew I would not do that. I think my general practioner may have warned her of my crazy-cat-lady-ness. In fact, Exhibit C is sleeping right here on the desk.

And oh yes we are going to do something about those pesky bugs in my bed.

Baby, it's cold outside

Over the past week Chicago has been blasted by a severely frigid wind leaving us to fend for ourselves in sub-zero temps. The wind chill is often 15 below... and after riding the CTA on Monday and Wednesday, arriving to my office with numb hands, feet, and legs, mumbling four letter words under my scarves, I decided it is best for all if I drive to work in this weather. As long as I get here at least 30 minutes early it's not too difficult to find a parking spot.

This weekend I managed to muster up the guts to brave the cold and go to yoga, the vet (of all places - poor kitties), the LYS, and out for dinner to celebrate Stephanie's b-day! No, I did not get to wear this hat the whole time (boo hoo). This is that I was trying on and I LOVE IT! I want one! NOW! I think I'm going to buy it. It's from LL Bean.

The ONLY thing that I hate about it is the fur. Except that's the part I love the most.

Any of you who know me know that I LOOOOOOOVVVE fur.... as bad as it sounds. All of the furs I own are vintage. Some of you would even protest against THAT. If I bought this hat I would feel bad for the poor bunny or bunnies... however many it takes to wrap around my noggin. Do you think they use the rest of the animal? If so, then I would be less upset about it.

There is another hat that is very similar at Land's End and it has faux fur. But faux is sometimes scratchy and not as warm as real fur.... What should I do????

Steph (right) and her friend Alyssa, visiting from out of town

By the way, the birthday dinner was at Indie Cafe in Edgewater and it was very good! The decor was fun and the food was great. Plus, you can't beat BYOB.

These temps are really only good for one thing, and one thing alone.... one guess.... KNITTING! of course, you moron! I have so many projects I want to work on right now. After the holidays I vowed to work on something for myself, but somehow I have four projects started and they are all for other people.

Main project is a zip up cardigan for Steve. I'm using Lamb's Pride worsted in a heather gray color. He picked it out a while ago. It's sort of itchy so I hope he's okay with that..... Anyway, it has a cabled band around the bottom. I'm getting ready to start the sleeves. It would be nice to have it done by his birthday. Part of that will depend on if I can get the last two back ordered skeins that I need.

The next most important project is a secret for someone special... but here's a little sneak peek.

In other yarn news I am expecting a large Knit Picks order.... say 3,000-yards-ish. Good deals. I wonder what the average yardage per order is from Knit Picks?????? Maybe that order really isn't so huge. I'll keep telling myself that.

Something else I thought was very knit-worthy: When we stayed at my Mom's house for christmas something from my past emerged. I was a little chilly so I asked for more blankets on the bed. The only extra one she could find was this one that she crocheted when I was in high school. We were the Hudson Tigers, so this blanket was made specifically for football games. How sweet!

Resolute

Maybe it's a little late in the year to be posting my resolutions. I promise you I have been working diligently on them.... I just want to write them down and make them known.

First on the list is the same as everyone else - lose weight! I'm finally doing something about it. I'm not saying I'm a sumo wrestler or anything, but it would be nice to lose this spare tire and look good in a bathing suit again. So I started watching everything I eat and have made some modifications. I guess I didn't realize that I was pigging out every day and eating sweets every day. For the past 2 weeks I have been eating very sensibly and I'm staying active. I'm doing yoga again... that 90 minute session yesterday kicked my ass. I can hardly lift my arm today!

As soon as it starts getting warmer out (unlike this weekend with a high of 10 degrees) I will be able to do more cardio type of activities.... walking and RIDING MY BIKE!

Second resolution is to take better care of myself and my pets. I went to my new doctor this week and, despite questioning my attachment to Monkey and Elvis (possible allergen), she is great! I think she'll be realistic and be able to work with me and my lifestyle... and by liftstyle I'm referring to a world I share with the animals I've made commitments to. Next step is a visit to the allergy specialist.

Monkey and Elvis also went to see their doctor this week. They are both fine except for the phantom peeing in the chair in the middle of the night. We are working on that. This is the fourth time in one month! Just when I feel I have gotten rid of the smell, which takes days and even weeks of spraying with an expensive solution, someone does it again. I'm not sure if I really like the vet we go to. They seem mediocre. Not good enough for my babies.

Third resolution: Become more obsessed with knitting. This will include embarking on more challenging projects.... several things going on at once.... I think I'm well on my way. I started listening to a knitting podcast that I really like. It's called "Cast On". I had never listened to a podcast before.... and I knew there were many on my favorite topic. It's a whole nother world, the podcasting world. I feel as if I'm diving deeper and deeper into crazy-knit-lady-ness. My friends laugh at me but they NO IDEA that I am just floating on the surface of the knitting-e-sphere. I'm making up words here.... More on knitting later. (Just one more thing: I started teaching my first formal knitting class this month and things are going great!)

Fourth resolution: Play music! I would like to find some ensemble to play with. My saxophone is sitting here collecting dust. I know my embochure is out of whack, but the goal would be to improve whilst having fun. Ideally it would be something community oriented. Some sort of wind ensemble. A swing/jazz/big band would be REALLY FUN.

christmas bounty!

I have been so busy using all of my christmas presents that I haven't had any time to blog about christmas presents. Some of my faves are this Dirt Devil Kone - sleek, stylish design elements and vaccuuming together at last!

I love the patagonia jacket that my mommy gave me. It's exactly what I wanted.

It has become a tradition for Steve to give me a new purse for christmas, even though I never ask for one. He always surprises me by picking something out himself. And I always love it. This year he bought me a clutch made from gum wrappers... it might sound weird, but it's more like a piece of art than something you would carry around every day. What I love about it is that it doesn't look like most recycled bags that you see at green stores or 10,000 villages. It's much more subtle. But it's beautiful.

We also received funds for a new bed and an external hard drive - woo hoo!

Okay - now for the knitted goods that were given at christmas this year... You know, the ones I had slaved over the entire month of December, down to the last minute, binding off stitches and weaving in ends... sewing on a button or two...

This is a little cable knit cowl that I made for Mary Tholking and it is probably my favorite thing that I knit this holiday season. First, it is made out of the SOFTEST alpaca.... so soft, you wouldn't believe it! (Misti Alpaca Chunky) Secondly, I knit it in one day. And the third reason - it is the best gift ever because it's so luscious and rich, yet only takes one skein so you won't break the bank. I think this would be a great project for learning cables because it is a straight rectangle and not too complicated. I already have several of my friends making them and I want to make about three more. You can get this pattern for free from Arcadia Knitting... and I think Kathy was talking about posting it on ravelry, but I'm not sure if she has yet.

The little duo is a gift I made for Steve's mom. I think it turned out so well, and a lot I owe to the yarn - fancy yarn, and lots of it - Malabrigo Greusa.... funny, it sounds like this yarn has genus and species names. Hhhmmm, what would Linnaeus think of that? Anyway, this is the Urchin hat from Fall Knitty, i think. And a simple drop stitch pattern scarf. Nice combo.

Doesn't she look pretty?

This one was a last minute mad rush, but I finished it in time. A BSJ in cotton, with an Aurora 8 edge, which for whatever reason I decided I wanted to do in stockinette. But it looked good. With a nice little rolled up edge.

I made these guys for my dad to wear outside to keep his hand warm. I actually started them before christmas 06. I should have just made the top open but instead I wanted to try half fingers.... not entirely pleased with how they turned out. I couldn't get the finger lengths right for some reason.......? But they are still warm and cozy and he liked them.

This is another Urchin hat, and was actually the first one that I made. It was for my dad's girlfriend, Cheryl. I used Lion Brand Homespun because it's so soft and easy to take care of. If you've seen the Urchin pattern you'll know that it is knit radially in 8 "wedge" sections. I think only knitted 7 for this hat because of the way the fabric drapes. It would have been way too floppy. I was pleased with the way it turned out. This photo is before grafting the ends together. Also, this is a pretty fast knit.

jingle bells, ho ho ho, santa clause, and presents to pretty girls...

I hope everyone is having happy holidays. So far we have consumed massive amounts of sugar, ripped pretty paper off of boxes, and exchanged some sweet gifts. Then we snuggled on the couch and watched movies. To quote Monkey: "This is the best christmas EVERRRRR!"

This is our official holiday photo for 2007. No, it is not photoshopped! I physically coerced the felines into sitting nicely in front of the tree... magic...

It took several photos to get this one. You can see the out takes in the Picasa photo album.

But christmas is not over! Tomorrow we are abandoning the furballs for some holiday cheer in Cincinnati.

Christmas Dreaming

I know this is a little late to be posting since I am celebrating christmas with my mom and dad this weekend.... but I thought it would be fun to post my wishlist.

- needle holders for straight, circ, and dpn knitting needles. I like these ones: http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/accessories_notions_list/32

- patagonia jacket - I have been wanting one of these for a long time, but have been too poor.
I like the following
W's Free Box Jacket in Spiderline:Poppy Fields size Medium
W's Retro-X Jacket in Pale Blossom size Medium
W's Synchilla Windzone Jacket in Teakwood size Medium I like this one the best!

- juicer/citrus reamer
- ice cream ball: it's a ball that you roll around and make ice cream in
- headphones: Bose like these or something else that's nice... maybe the kind that go around the back of the ear to stay secure
- a better radio and/or cd player for my kitchen (I currently have an alarm clock that was $4.99 at Target)
- dust buster: not a crappy one... I just threw that one out
- bigger computer monitor

I also have an Amazon Wishlist - click here

I would also love contributions for the following items:
- external hard drive
- bed
- tv (we already bought this and are paying it off)

These are good too:
- Target gift card
- Best Buy gift card (probably where I would buy a hard drive and/or monitor)

Okay now it's time to wrap the gifts I bought for OTHER PEOPLE including parents, sibling (because I only have one - who will be 20 yrs old on Monday - sister), and other loved ones, and pack my clothes so we can hit the road!!!

Homey for the Holidays

(I'm using homey as an adjective here...)

The holidays are in full swing around here with decorations, shopping, christmas parties, and lots of knitting of course! This is the time of year when daunting deadlines prevent sleep and I could practically start a fire from the friction of my needles.... why metal needles are often a good option. I feel like I have a pretty good handle on things, and since our family events are spread out I'm not freaking out.... yet....

Since this is our first christmas at home, and since we have a faux fireplace, I'm making our stockings. Here are the first two. The red one is Steve's and the green is mine. I'm pretty happy with how they are turning out. I'm just using basic sock style proportions and I've charted out my colorwork designs. Originally they were all going to be the same design, but (with some prompting from Steve) I decided to make them unique. It's more fun that way, right? I still have to design two smaller stockings - one for each cat. And I may have to make a third one in case we have someone visiting for christmas. This year it may be Steve's mom.

Still have to do the loops.... I'm thinking i-cord but I will welcome other suggestions.

Here are some detail shots:

We took a big road trip for the Thanksgiving weekend making stops in Covington KY, Cincinnati, and Toledo. Visiting relatives is always fun.... so is the food! Here are my four uncles with my dad and Granny.

The following weekend my mom visited us and we bought our christmas tree!

She also helped me rearrange the furniture and finish the couch cover - a 2+ year project!!! finally accomplished. If you can recall, it used to be a nauseating red country plaid.... and it looked horrible underneath Steve's large orange toned piece (my fave). So now it's a nice almondy-wheat color and the fabric is a microsanded duck canvas... very soft and durable. However, when the couch was by the windows the room seemed a bit too creamy, but this arrangement breaks up the plain areas with the orange chairs, and now the couch is across from the fireplace. Plus, everyone likes to see a tree lit up in the window, right? You will also notice our new TV!!!! - an early christmas present from ourselves and Steve's dad. It's AWESOME!!!! click on the photo to see more.

Last, but certainly not least, our tree! We only have about ten ornaments but I know we will accumulate them over the years. I also won a set of tree toppers on ebay, which should be arriving soon. We bought the tree from the guy in the lot on Sheridan Rd. We walked in a he sold us this one. I was a little skeptical to take the first tree he showed us. It looked nice but I wasn't so sure that many people used spruces for christmas trees. It's been dropping needles like crazy even though I've been making sure it has plenty of water.... next year I'm going with a frasier fir.... But I still think this one is pretty despite that there are needles everywhere. One of the cats will walk by and you will notice about fifteen tree needles littering the fur on their back... evidence? Well at least so far none of the presents have been chewed on.