You gotta be kidding me

Almost done with Clearwater Rapids - binding off the final edge and...


I know I made it a little bigger, but I thought I'd figured this out! And this includes cutting off yarn tails and tying them on the end. Oh well, I also noticed this, back at the first few rows of edging...


So I frogged back the bind-off across the shoulders, 2 rows of seed stitch, the picked-up edges, the bind-off across the bottom, 2 rows of seed stitch, 6 rows of edging, and 2 more rows of seed stitch. Now how many stitches do I have?

I counted and got 230, 232, and 233. TK helped me out by counting (is this true love or what??) and got 231. You gotta be kidding me. I counted again and am sticking with 233. Back to edging, I hope to have it done over the weekend, then wash and block, and show off at Peninsula Knitters on Tuesday night.

For my Whenever Bottle Swap

These goodies are going out to Kay in New Mexico on Monday:

Namely, a bath pillow, knitting greeting cards, Mary Engelbright magnetic notepad, Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn, the bottle, Daisy Duck Pez, chocolates, 3 herb pots (chives, parsley, and basil if I remember correctly), a tealight holder, a K post-it pad, magic towel washcloth, a doggy rubber stamp, a jewelry bead kit, and homemade stitch markers.


Everything barely fits in the bottle.

I'll send her a note telling her how much fun it was to shop for her (she's a fellow Scorpio who loves jewel tones and has a pooch and a toddler daughter) and that next year my last name will be Kay! We're both first-time bottle swappers.

Dude, You're Getting a DELL

Got an offer the other day in the mail from Dell - Desktop from $449 or Notebook from $549. My laptop's been on the fritz for the last several months (A drive sounds like Chewbacca on a bad day and is not recognized by the system) and can only be upgraded to a max of 128MB RAM. This computer has been a lemon from the start - I got it to finish my MBA and has been down more than it's been up since I bought it in early 2001.

Dell thinks I'm a small business because they bought my name from a mailing list - I'd signed up for a Marketing Trade Mag under the name of McMullen Consulting, so I must be a legit business, right?

It's funny, on the Dell website the same computer can go for multiple prices depending on where you shop. If you check the Home Office site, the Inspiron 2200 starts at $599. On the Small Business site, it starts at $549. Then, depending on whether you have the "e-value code" or not you get different configurations. By not using the code I spent an extra $25 (actually, $29 but you pay $5 less in tax - yes, I figured this out. How anal am I?) on upgrading the CD/DVD drive, but then I don't have to deal with the $100 mail-in rebate. I got the system I've been looking for (512MB memory, 30GB hard drive, 14.1" screen, CD Burner/DVD drive - I have an external DVD burner if needed - and wireless 802.11a/b/g card), plus free ink-jet printer and free 3-5 day shipping, for the LOW LOW price of $749. I'm really excited. Only weird thing is that it has no parallel/serial ports, only USB. But I have a USB hub with the parallel/serial ports, so it's no big deal when it's docked at home, and how often will I need those ports when I'm mobile?

My current laptop will visit Fry's or Best Buy to get the A drive fixed, and will be handed down to TK. His laptop (The Brick) will go to charity or someone in worse need than us. Ship Date is 6/8 so I'll have it when I get back from the Wine Country with my sis. Yay!

Interested in getting one yourself? Just go to Dell.com and click on Small business, then notebooks, then the ad for the Inspiron 2200. Only lasts until June 1, so act now! (I only wish I was paid for this blatant ad on my blog...)

Fun Stuff from Other Blogs

From Abigail's blog: May the Farm be with you

From Elspeth:
Just in case you didn't have enough to do, why don't you try the meme I just got tagged with ...

choose five things from the list below and complete the sentence. Then tag other people and they answer in their blogs.

If I could be a scientist
If I could be a farmer I'd grow tulips in Skagit County, WA
If I could be a psychologist
If I could be a librarian I'd have all the books I'd ever want to read at my fingertips
If I could be an inn-keeper I'd open a B&B in Sonoma County near family
If I could be a professor
If I could be a writer
If I could be a llama-rider I'd win the contest for the most interesting job at any cocktail party
If I could be a bonnie pirate
If I could be an astronaut I'd be reminded how small we are compared to the universe around us but yet can make such a difference to the planet we live on
If I could be a world famous blogger
If I could be a justice on any one court in the world
If I could be married to any current famous political figure

Who to tag next? Emy, Jeni, Abigail, Mary, and Christina.

Catching up

I think I'm getting the hang of this thing. I figured out how to edit my Hello posts on Blogger thru Hello, which gives me the ability to create this post and then go to Hello to add the pics in later. Nifty roo! And the posts have finally showed up in my Edit Post history on Blogger so I can edit that way too.

Clearwater Rapids has taken over my knitting life. This comes together so quickly since it's stockinette with one simple row of yarnovers. And I can't put this yarn down, it's so yummy. The shawl has grown considerably since the last time you've seen it:

I worked on it on Sunday at a friend's housewarming party in Fremont. We're such party animals, everyone took a 4:00 nap in front of E! before dinner, and I got quite a bit done. I think I ended up leaving my pattern somewhere over the weekend but I figured out the pattern repeats and both Lia and Margie sent me the count of the last pattern repeat so I knew where to start the borders. Well, look at the picture. See the yarn on the left edge? That's the first ball of yarn, and coincidentally the end of the last pattern repeat. Too small. I want a shawl, big and substantial to keep me warm on Bay Area nights, not a little capelet. The section beyond the yarn strands is what I've done in the last 24 hours (Peninsula Knitters agree it should be larger) and I think I'll do at least that much again before I take it off the needles for size again. It's not really scalloped, that's just the blocking pins.

Other good news yesterday - the company I had the phone interview with while I was at HoJo's called me back and I now have an interview scheduled for Tuesday at 2:30. They're supposed to send me info on location, etc. but I haven't seen it yet. I'll wait until Thurs PM and then call back the number on Caller ID, because the office is closed Monday for Memorial Day and I don't want to end up SOL.

Grrrr....

OK, as you've noticed, I'm still working out the kinks in the picture posting. I don't like the fact that I can't edit any of my posts that were submitted thru Hello, which is how I get my pics online. Advice greatly appreciated.

Anyway.... The shawl (below) I cast on for is out of the Knitting Pattern-A-Day calendar and is totally easy. It's all stockinette with every 4th row a YO row, and the YOs line up to create the wedges. The Popcorn is going to be lovely, I already can't wait for it to be finished. Yes, this is from the kangaroo bag of yarn I helped label the other day (see it? top right of the bag), so I had a few extra days to fall in love with it before the launch party. I only wish she had more of the colorway on the bottom left with the purple in it, or I would have gotten that one instead.

HoJo's launch party was great, lots of people oohing and aahing over the yarns and she had quite a few sales. It's definitely better to see yarn in person, and she's done a great job of finding gorgeous and unique yarns at a variety of price points.

Hee hee, HoJo's got a picture of me labeling yarn. I shamelessly stole it to share it with you here:


Busy week... GO SEE STAR WARS. It's awesome. I also walked 4 miles with Julia yesterday and watched LOST - big finale coming! I love this time of year, longer days, more sunshine (finally), TV finales and big movies coming out. And this year I have the time to enjoy it! Keeping fingers crossed on hearing about the job interview, hopefully will hear early next week.

Raindrops in Blue Haze

Here's the Raindrops

already cast on for:

(edited to fix layout! Hooray, I did it!)

Stash!

My haul from Full Thread Ahead's Launch Party. From top left: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Spanish Moss, Quarry Hill (for my Bottle Swap partner) and Super Glitz in Moody Blues and Spanish Moss -- can you tell I LOOVE this colorway?? On the right is Dale of Norway Ara #6 for SIL's birthday bag. Below the sock yarn is Taiyangshan Laceweight wool in black (825 yds!!), then a ball of recycled sari silk (no label) and 2 skeins of Rainbow Wools Raindrops in Blue Haze. Quite a haul!

Does anybody really know what time it is?

My watch battery died sometime last week and I have been without ever since. I'm used to having a watch and have been fairly compulsive about checking the time, esp. if I think I'm going to be late. I'm starting to enjoy not having a watch, however. Most places I go have a clock somewhere, and those that don't are lovely places where I sit and knit with my friends and don't notice the time flying by.

The last couple days, in particular, have flown by. I've been quite productive at home of late, applying for jobs and getting stuff done around the house. Why, why, does laundry take so darned long? Last night was Peninsula Knitters, and then there was today. God, I'm exhausted. I feel like I've worked a full day - and it was all fun stuff! I forgot what this feels like.

Firstly, I went to HoJo's to help with the yarn labeling. This was my project for the afternoon, and what fun it was!

I'm looking forward to Saturday and getting some shopping done! I want to find something in fingering/DK weight in a pink/blue/purple colorway for a shawl, I'm assuming around 600 yards (that's how much a clapotis needs and that's pretty substantial), some wool in black and varigated bright colors for SIL's birthday Sophie (forgot about that 'til now!) and some other random buying. I try to be good and buy for projects, otherwise I could go crazy.. and I'm paranoid I won't have enought of what I bought for what I want to make. While I was at HoJo's, I got a call back on a job I'd applied for on Monday, and hopefully I'll have a call to schedule an interview by Friday! Fingers crossed!

Then it was off to a networking event. I didn't want to go at first, I hate walking up to someone to say, "hi what's your name, what do you do" but that's what this event was for, so I sucked it up and went, and made some GREAT contacts. Again crossing my fingers that things are on the move for me. And for $15, I also got some deep-dish and a glass of wine. Not bad!

My last stop of the night was at the SC Co. Knitting Meetup. Good size group, had a good time. I'm 2 bind-off rows from being done with the back of Big Brother Rugby Sweater, and then I can start the front. Next Meetup we're going to talk about charity knitting, and I'll bring info about the Relay for the Cure in case anyone wants to sponsor me. (you do. you know you do. click the button and sponsor me!)

Tomorrow is Star Wars with JayCat. Woo hoo!

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day Kit: Book, felted bag, sock yarn and pattern (missing needles)

Sundress FO

Yasmin's sundress, from Debbie Bliss Cotton Knits for All Seasons

A hoarse is a hoarse of course of course...

Yes, I'm a little hoarse today hee hee!

Over the last few days I've been all congested, coughing up all kinds of icky goop and somewhat lost my voice in the process, so I have to keep my trap shut - a challenge!

Saturday was Lisa's (aka SIL-IL-to-be) Bridal Shower at Liz's (aka SIL-to-be) house in SF. I remembered later I wanted to knit pillowcase edgings from my new book as her shower gift, but I ended up getting her the spoon rest she registered for ($30 for a spoon rest, which I JUST discovered is 1/2 price at Macys.com! Can I get a price adjustment??) In attendance were mostly little old ladies in the extended family, but it was nice to meet everyone again and get a better idea who the older generations in this family is. I'm starting to feel more and more like a Kay, thanks to Liz. I wish we were going to Lisa and Rob's wedding, but it's in Key West on a Friday night and it would end up costing us over $1K to make it there. We'll definitely be going to their reception out here, though.

Then I drove from the Sunset in SF to Dublin (!!) to meet some friends for dinner and a movie. Crash was pretty intense and thought-provoking, about the current state of race relations through a montage of inter-connected short stories. It made me think about my own subconscious prejudices.

Yesterday was a lazy day at home getting better. Pretty Comfy decided it really didn't want to be a sock after all, so I frogged it again after getting to the heel turn. I think it wants to be Zaftig! instead. I then cast on for Diagonal Fixation Sock #1, thanks to HoJo's recommendation, and am already almost to the heel turn! This is the KAL with Mom so I hope she finds it as easy as I do. I added one repeat for my wider feet (pattern says I should still have enough yarn) and all seems to be fine.

Today's been busy, with laundry and updating my blog (check out the Relay for Life info on the right) with some new info and buttons. I've requested to join the Shapely Tank KAL and have the pattern printed out and ready to go, and I'm going to swatch with the leftover cotton from Yasmin's sundress.

I've now got to figure out this Hello! thing for pictures....


I have a headache or I'd post more

Just got home from last-minute babysitting TK's little nephews in SF - Ryan is almost 3 and Aidan is almost 1. We had a good time, the boys were pretty good, and I'm tired. Fun to be the Auntie, but also nice to not have to deal all the time.

Tuesday's jaunt to CommuKNITy was kind of a waste. Turns out the Asst. Mgr. was wrong and they aren't hiring any more until they know what their traffic patterns will be, but I left a resume just in case. Oh well. Had a nice time with the Peninsula Knitters on Tuesday and have started TK's project - it's a double-knit afghan in black and orange with the SF and Giants insignias on it. It's probably going to take me all summer 'cause I'm only going to work on it when he's not home.

Other than that I've been lost in my Dark Tower series. I've finished 1-4 and now need to scrounge up the rest, either used or at the library. Can't afford full-price hardbacks right now.

Found this BlogThing on Lu's blog. Hmmm, what does it say about me?

Your Birthdate: November 1

Your birthday suggests that are executive ability and leadership qualities in your makeup. (thus the kind of marketing jobs I'm looking for) A birthday on day 1 of any month gives a measure of will power and self-confidence, and very often a rather original approach. (will power and self confidence? those are both areas I need work in... I like the "original approach" part though) This 1 energy may diminish your ability and desire to handle details, preferring instead to paint with a broad brush. (funny, I'm a little TOO detail-oriented!) You may be sensitive, but your feelings stay rather repressed. (this is true, I hold them in and then they come out in a rush and then I regret it.)

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Uh Oh, Mom's Got That Look

That's the title of a cute little book I found for my Mom for Mother's Day. It went in the felted bag with the sock pattern Hollis found for me, needles and sock yarn. Should be a fun little KAL!

MIL's Flower Basket Shawl was blocked Friday night and I wove in my ends yesterday. It's beautiful and I can't wait to see her face when she opens it. I love knitting for people who realize the effort behind the results. I don't have a lot of money these days, but lots of time, so I'm happy to spend time for the ones I care about. Pictures of FO's this week!

Yesterday was a lazy day watching baseball and reading my book. I also spent a ton of time online and on the phone trying to work out the Florida trip. I'm trying to use either an Alaska $50 Companion Certificate or my miles so we only have to pay for one ticket. As it is, with those restrictions, we can't go or come back exactly when we want to, and it keeps getting more expensive as we have to add hotel room nights. At this point it might be smarter to save $$ and go somewhere cheaper, as TK has Wed-Mon off from work, and celebrate Rob and Lisa's wedding at the reception here a few weeks later. No final decisions anywhere, yet.

Gotta get going, we're meeting SIL's family and MIL in SF for "linner" :) - dinner at 3pm. Will be more like lunch for us! Happy Mother's Day, all you Moms out there!

Friday Funday

Yesterday was craziness, and today was fun too. Busy busy!

Yesterday morning was my job interview. This was one of the strangest interviews I've ever been on. Last Thursday I met the CEO of the company, Dr. Jeffrey Wei, at the SCU job fair (which is strange in and of itself; generally HR or recruiter staff are at the event, not the CEO). I approached the table, read a job description on the table for a MarCom-type job, and said I thought I'd be a good fit and handed him my resume. He read it, said "how about Wednesday at 10" and that was it. He then called on Friday to say he'd been double-booked and could we meet Thursday. No problem. This company makes herbal products for chronic pain - sounds good, right?

Thursday, I get to the building about 10 minutes early. Dr. Wei is out front with a couple people; he says, "oh I'm so hungry, I have to get a burger, so-n-so can you meet with Amy first?" It's 9:50 am, and he needs a burger? and he hasn't taken my interview into account? OK whatever. So I go in the building, there's no reception area, just a receptionist behind a crowded desk and a ton of boxes everywhere. I am ushered into an office where a woman is behind a desk speaking in Chinese, and am told to wait there. Awkward, a little?

Eventually, she leaves and so-n-socomes in (I'm not introduced, I don't get his name, although I introduce myself out front). We talk for a few minutes about the history of the company, created by some biochemists who've reverse engineered Chinese herbal medicine, reproduced them in the lab, and are selling them to Chiropractors, etc. and then he says he's looking for a "classic" marketing person and how does my experience fit. Excuse me? Market segmentation and analysis? This I can do, but I thought this was MarCom/Events (my particular niche)? Can I see a copy of the job description? Haven't seen it in a month, but the job is is all of that too, as he's drawing the Adoption Curve on the back of my resume and asking me what I have to say about it, and have I read, oh what's his name... Jeffrey Moore, Crossing the Chasm, I supply for him, yes I have. This place is a marketing mess. Their website looks like something a 9 year old made on GeoCities, and the marketing collateral targeted to patients is so hard to understand and the pictures so off-putting it's scary. I tell him I can put a positive customer-directed face the company so they don't look like quacks, Chiropractor conferences, direct mail, etc.

Off he goes to find Jeffrey or "Sarah", whoever she is. Aha, it's phone lady. She comes in and asks if I have any questions. Uh, yeah. What is your role here? Oh, I'm Jeffrey's wife, I do some of everything. OK, startup, I get it. Do you have a copy of the job description? Mike (aha, so-n-so's name is Mike!) or Jeffrey should have it. Can you walk me through your resume? How much did you make here? How about here? ----- this is the strangest interview I've ever been on ------

Mike comes back in, asks me what my salary expectations are. I give him my range, pretty standard for an MBA, and he says it'll probably be 20K lower, but they're interviewing for the next month so we'll see what happens, and keep in touch. Bye bye. No meeting with the boss. I didn't feel like they thought I wasn't a fit for the position, they just didn't know how to conduct an interview properly. Oh well, if something comes of it, fine, if not, no biggie.

Had lunch with Julia and Jeannine at Su's, then went to Costco (much nicer at 2:30 on a Thursday than 5:30 on a Saturday, but still, there needs to be lines down the aisles because people are clueless about how to drive a cart at Costco) and then to the post office to mail out Mommy's Mother's Day kit. This year I thought ahead! My sisters each contacted me Thursday to see if I wanted to go in with them on something, like usual, but I bowed out. I think Mom will like her package.

I then stayed up waaaaay too late, ok only 2 hours extra, to finish MIL's Flower Basket Shawl. I don't know if I'm allergic after all, I think it's just that my lungs don't like the particles in the air as I work with the alpaca. Not itchy, although I do have a cough that's come out of nowhere.

Today was much more relaxed. Julia mentioned that Nathania, the manager of CommuKNITy, had posted on her blog that they still need staff there. I also needed to go back to the used bookstore nearby to exchange one of the Dark Tower II books for Dark Tower III, so I headed that way and inquired about a job at CommuKNITy. I should have known today was not the day, as Nathania had blogged that she's off to Maryland for the fiber fest, so I'll go back Monday morning and meet with her. What do I put on a resume for her? I've never worked retail, but am a very fast learner, great on computers (now that their PC-based register system is up), great with people, and am a fairly proficient knitter (sweaters, felted items, intarsia, now lace... just haven't done Fair Isle). Will she be concerned that I might only be working there until I find something permanent in my career path or until my knitster-friend's store opens up? (can I talk about it? I haven't but would love to spread the word to fellow knitters). I'll make up a resume over the weekend. Just not sure what will be going on it. Suggestions?

I blocked the Flower Basket Shawl! Wow, it really expands and it really looks like other pictures I've seen. I'm so excited - this is my first real lace project, and it will be ready to take to MIL on Sunday afternoon in SF. However, tonight I really need to do something about THE DESK. Yes, it looms that big and scary to me. I need not be afraid, just file and organize a little. Get in a FlyLady zone and tackle it 15 min at a time. All I really want to do is drink some more lovely Sauvignon Blanc and curl up with Dark Tower III since there's nothing on TV. Baby steps.....

One step forward, three steps back...

First of all, I have to figure out how NOT to lose my post in the middle of composing it. I accidentally go to another site... or I click the back button... but I end up writing this thing three times before it goes to the web. sigh... baby steps....

Secondly, I need to update my WIP-meter for my Pretty Comfy Sock #1. I was past the heel turn but frogged it all the way back to a friendly ball of yarn, and now it's about 20% finished. I tried it on last night and decided I needed more room around the leg. So now I have 2 more pattern repeats around the leg, and will only repeat the pattern 3 times instead of 4 so I don't run out of yarn.

oooh, gotta remember to Ctrl-D often to save as draft. Nifty trick.

I've been cranky all day. I think I worked too hard on the house yesterday and just wanted to veg out today. I managed to get through 3 rows of MIL's shawl before I got itchy (turns out, I am itchy - got a bug bite while pulling weeds yesterday). I finally dragged myself to Peninsula Knitters tonight and am glad I did - being social and knitting always cheers me up. I got lots of kudos on Little Brother Rugby Sweater and cast on for Big Brother. Hooray!

Successfully made a Rachael Ray recipe tonight, although it took longer than 30 min because I'm such a spaz in the kitchen.

TK brought home a JOB LEAD from one of his co-workers, so I'll be following up on that tomorrow, plus tackling the evil evil evil desk of papers. If I write it here, it has a better chance of happening. So come back and check on my progress!

One more for good measure...

Wow, cut and paste pics look pretty good! I'm getting the hang of this! :)

On the JOB FRONT, last Thursday's SCU MBA Career Fair was quite a success, as I got an on-the-spot request for an interview, this Thursday at 10. Hopefully all will go well.

I'm also kicking butt on FlyLady - if you haven't been to her site you need to - she will help you declutter your house in minutes a day! Since I have all this extra time at home these days, I am using it for a useful purpose!

Success!!

It worked! :D

In knitting news, I'm almost done with Mom's Mother's Day Kit - I have to felt her bag (it's the top left bag on the Felted Knits cover), find some DPNs and an easy sock pattern, and then send it off. It also includes 2 balls of Cascade Fixation and a funny book called "Uh Oh, Mom's Got That Look". MIL's Flower Basket Shawl is coming along more slowly since I discovered my alpaca allergy. I work a couple rows until I can't breathe, then set it aside for another time. In the meantime, I have my Pretty Comfy Sock in Cascade Fixation that's coming along nicely. It's the first time I've used Fixation, so I'm finally getting the hang of keeping tension without pulling tight and defeating the purpose of stretchy sock yarn!

Saturday I gave Yasmin her sundress at her 2nd birthday party. Her mom Amy was very touched. She said she used to knit but it's been awhile, and now with Yasmin around she has to be careful what she leaves around. Hopefully this will inspire her to start up again!

Sunday we went to Borders and I used my 30% off coupon to buy this:

It's got some cute and easy projects that I can't wait to take on.

Long time no see!

OK, 3rd time's the charm, right? After 5 months between blog postings, this is now my 3rd attempt at getting a posting published. I have got to get this blogger business simplified, rather than the convoluted mess it currently is for me. I have updated my page with my current WIPs and the blogs I read on a regular basis. Send me your blog address so I can add it to my list!

Next step is the pictures. Problem is, my laptop's seriously on the fritz and it's the only one with the software for my camera. Then I have to install the blogger software program... arg. Guess I should talk to TK about it, since it's his computer.

OK, fingers crossed, let's hope this publishes.