Can you believe it? A knitting picture:

Disregard wonky camera angle; it really is a rectangle


I got 12 skeins of this (6 skeins of Deepest Black and 6 skeins of Moonlight Blue) to make 2 of these. The only problem? This alpaca is sending me into a histamine hissy fit! My nose is totally stuffed up and my eyes are watering the entire time I work with it. I'm ordering a bottle of this to see if dust mites are the problem. I've got the 2 black rectangles blocked and ready to sew. The 1st blue rectangle is done; the 2nd is 1/3 done. Heaven help my nasal passages 'til I'm done. Nasal Update! We're having a "Cold Santa Ana Wind." Usually Santa Ana winds usher in 80-degree temps. We're having a cold version, and it's wreaking havoc with my sinuses. Phew! I didn't want to blame the yarn, ya know!

Letters from Home
My mother sent me an email, informing me that my stepfather became a bit concerned while shopping recently in a Columbia Sportswear Factory Outlet Store in Portland. Apparently, there were 2 large dogs in the store (think: lab or shepherd size), and they were not service dogs. My stepfather asked the girl behind the counter about it, and she rolled her eyes at him and retorted, "Well, they're on leashes!", like that was the issue. The "back story" here is that basically, dogs are taking over Portland. Dogs, dogs everywhere you go. And they're being afforded more common courtesy than the average human being. That's the issue being taken up by my stepfather.

This being said, I must let it be known that my stepfather has a very, um, unique sense of humor. Rather than get mad, he got the email address for Columbia Sportswear's customer service department, and wrote them the following email (under my mother's email addy):

Dear Columbia Sportswear:
While shopping your company store, in Sellwood Or. I noticed two big dogs leashed to their owners. I'm concerned if this is safe? I have a monkey who I keep on a leash. He likes getting out, now I'll be able to bring him along. Also, my son has two four-legged reptiles who will enjoy the warmth of your store this winter.
Please reply,
Thank you, Judith

And Columbia replied!

Incident #041128-000138
Thank you for your request. Our consumer services department will reply to your request soon.

Power to the people, man. Happy Monday, everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

You Are Mashed Potatoes

Oridnary, comforting, and more than a little predictable You're the glue that holds everyone together.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

Another Weekend, Another Triathlon
This time we're at lovely Lake Perris, about 1-1/2 hours northeast of San Diego.

Lake Perris, 6:30 am ...


... and about 1 hour later (7:30 am), with swimmers heading toward the lake


A Sea of Swim-Capped Heads are all I can see ...


Here's my darlin' man, coming in after the 27-mile bike portion:


And here he is in the Transition Area, getting ready for the 4-mile run:


Our team did very well. Felipe, one of the coaches, won the event, and another teammate got 1st in her age group. This was DH's longest race in terms of distance, and a challenging race in terms of the course itself. We lucked out with the weather; it was overcast and chilly until about 1pm, when the sun came out. But the next day the temperatures dropped dramatically and it rained all morning. That would have made for a very miserable race for participants and spectators alike!

I did do some road knittin' ... and even some spectator knitting! I'm sure the competitors were wondering about the crazy woman standing by the side of the road, knitting away, yelling, "Good job! Keep it up!"

Happy Monday, everyone.

There's some sort of powerful Force Field laziness that's keeping me from snapping pictures of the oh-so-nearly-finished Panera Throw. But whatever this Force Field is apathy, it seems to require a woman stronger than me to conquer it. I'll try again tomorrow empty promise.

And by the way, my maternal grandmother invented the word "snarky." She used it since I was a little girl, whenever I acted up. "Don't get all snarky, now," she'd admonish me. So I claim snarky for Nama.

No time for pictures of the Heinous Yarn Shortage Incident. Allow me to entertain you with another example of Crimes Against Yarn. May I present:

The Kevin F. Sherry Sweater Project (link via Freakgirl).

On the First Day of Christmas ...
...my parents gave to me (pretty appropriate for RockStar, dontcha think? Yeah, so did we.)

Happy Monday, everyone. Lurid tales of running out of yarn and pulling out of hair to follow soon.

Don't Look, Marcia!
'Cuz we're talking garter, here. Acres of wide open garter. To stay motivated during the endless garter-fest that is the Panera throw, I've compiled a list of Garter-Related topics:

Garter snake

Most Noble Order of the Garter: Knights of the Garter, Ladies of the Garter

Star & Garter

Garter belt

Getting Gerdie's Garter (movie, 1927)

Ye Harte & Garter Hotel

The Red Garter Bed & Bakery (former bordello)

Yellow Garter Band

Green Garter Band

James Garter (oops, Garner)

Ah, that puts me in a garter frame of mind. I'll leave you with pebbly pix, featuring 42" of Grade A Prime Garter:

Looks like a freshly plowed field, don't it?


Gorgeous Garter, as far as the eye can see!


Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Lotsa knitting progress on the Panera throw (on Skein 8 of 14), but no time for pictures this morning. Maybe manana? Hokay.

Does anyone else have recurring dreams? I have 2 that recur fairly frequently, and have for many years. One involves houses. I dream up the most labyrintine(?) houses possible -- rooms leading into rooms leading into more rooms. The decoration style varies, too. For instance, last night I dreamed that my father, sister and I were heading to the beach for a weekend, like we often did when we were kids and young adults. However, we drove directly onto the beach in our car and picked a beach house from any number scattered along the shore. Apparently, one could just drive up to these houses/cabanas, open the door, and stay there! For free! What fun. The one I dreamed up had rather '70s decor -- avocado green Herculon covered furniture (ew!) and paneled walls (double-ew!).

My other recurring dream theme involves freeways -- specifically on and offramps. I dream up ramps that soar hundreds of feet into the sky and curve across rivers. BTW, in real life I have a fear of heights. Veddy interesting!

The weight loss saga continues -- I'm down 17 lbs. as of this morning, but I'm a bit dehydrated, so it may go up a pound from all the water I plan on drinking today. The Medifast boogie is boring, but it's certainly effective.

And I ran yesterday! Total of about 3 miles, and I ran about half of it. Knees are holding up *so far*. Keeping fingers crossed.

Happy Monday, everyone!

5:36 pm Update: OMG! I've made it onto The Monkey's blog list! Now I have to be interesting and amusing! Oh heck. I'll just be myself. I'm sure he'd approve of that. He's having a birthday. Go wish him a happy one!

Mondo fuzz in the mail. On top, Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Kid Mohair in Tranquil. From Elann. On the bottom, Lion Brand Chenille Sensations in "Amsterdam Print," from Smiley's Yarns:



Not sure what the Jo Sharp mohair will be for ... it was too good a buy to pass up, so into the Stash-o-Matic it goes. I purchased 6 skeins of the chenille; I'm thinking of making 2 scarves (3 skeins each) in a ripple (feather 'n fan) stitch for my mom and sister for this winter.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
The Panera throw continues apace. I'm finding that like most ribbon yarns, Berroco Suede likes to twist while you knit it. After a frustrating evening spent untwisting every row or so, I happened upon a solution:



I popped an elastic ponytail band onto the ball, and spool out about a yard at a time for knitting. Works like a charm. I just attached Skein 6 of 14 last night:



Happy Tuesday, everyone. Get out there and vote!

Seems it never rains in Southern California
seems I`ve often heard that kind of talk before
It never rains in California, but girl don't they
warn ya, it pours, man it pours
It Never Rains in Southern California, Al Hammond, 1973

The 2nd big fall storm hit us yesterday ... the Sierra Nevada mountains got about 5' of snow ... ski areas are opening early ... it's all good! We really need the water down here. This Oregon girl's rainy day driving skills came right back as she slalomed her way to work this morning. Weee!

And on the knitting front? More future projects I'll get around to someday (sigh):

From Hip to Crochet, yummy kid mohair for the cover scarf. After publicly railing against the return of the granny square, this girl is eating her words after seeing this scarf. Purchased from One Fine Yarn, a very nice vendor to deal with:

Filanda Kid Extra Fine and Karabella Lace Mohair>


Another treat from One Fine Yarn -- IKnitiative's Souvenir Shawl pattern, in the Ivory Coast colorway:



Happy Thursday, everyone.

Well, she was right next door
And I'm such a strong persuader ...
Strong Persuader, Robert Cray

OK, enough navel gazing and introspection -- let's get on with the knitting. And such knitting it is ... the Panera throw, made of Berroco Suede, in the Roy Rogers colorway.



May I expound on how intriguing this yarn is? It really does feel like suede, albeit a smoother, softer suede than the real deal. Perhaps a suede as soft as that chewed by a loving Eskimo mother for her little one. Ewww! But truly, this is one funky yarn. I've got enough of the Hopalong Cassidy colorway for another Panera, and more Roy Rogers for an Oakley shawl for meself. Yes, this yarn can persuade me to wallow in it for quite some time.

Happy Monday, y'all.

Years ago, right after my divorce, I was in therapy trying to sort out my "junk." I clearly remember my therapist asking me at one point, "How old do you see yourself living to?" And I honestly couldn't give her an answer. Not that I saw myself dying at a young age, but looking that far ahead was like peering down a dim, misty tunnel.

Today, I still can't come up with an "age" that I see myself living to, but I do believe it'll be old. Liver-spotted, grey-haired old. This belief comes from encounters I've had with various elderly women over the years. I've co-opted physical "pieces" of these women and have composited them into how I see "me" someday. I remember the lovely slender wrist of a woman at the local gas station/mini-mart I frequent. She was paying for a cup of coffee. She had beautifully manicured hands, with bright red fingernails. On her wrist was a chunky, expensive gold charm bracelet. I remember another woman with straight, silver-grey hair, cut in an adorable chin-length bob. I remember another woman walking in the evenings with her husband. I don't mean strolling, either. Fast fitness walking. She had a lovely, trim figure and looked quite fit in her track suit.

What prompted this post? A casual glance down at my freshly manicured, bright red fingernails. A gold bracelet clatters against the keyboard as I type. Oh, and I've got some sort of exercise scheduled for tonight.

So there I am, someday. Doesn't sound bad to me, at all.

So it occurred to me, while inwardly raging AGAIN against the dumb*ss woman who REFUSES to use air freshener in an office bathroom shared by at least, oh, a DOZEN other women, that maybe, just maybe, going off my antidepressants while rapidly losing weight that's releasing GALLONS of estrogen into my system and making me the most irritable person in the world, ISN'T A VERY GOOD IDEA?

Yeah, I thought so, too.

Hey.
I've confronted this empty screen numerous times over the past week, with no luck. Not feeling depressed -- just not terribly inspired. I am losing weight, though, so that's good (13lbs so far). The downside -- estrogen is stored in fat cells. When one loses weight, the estrogen is released into the system, causing crankiness. And I'm loathe to inflict my cranky *ss on y'all. So I'm going to take a break until I feel a little less ... whatever.

Wan Wednesday
"Wha's happenin', hot stuff?"
Long Duc Dong, Pretty in Pink

The answer: Not much. Got the fall blahs today. Always happens this time of year -- less daylight, chill in the morning air, etc. It'll pass; it always does.

Got a few patterns in the mail:

Hoodie Pattern in Reynolds Saucy


"Hippy Chic" Pullover in Reynolds Odyssey


Really, I don't have much to say today! Kind of on autopilot. See you Friday.

Ode to a Giant Blanket
Oh, Sof'Bankie
Thou art so huge,
and so purple.
Your purple hugeness
blots out the moon
or at least an entire desk.



I'm about halfway through Skein 10 of 12. Took the blanket to the Chargers/Titans game yesterday, but it didn't feel like coming out of its bag.

Word to the wise: Don't go to an NFL football game while on Medifast. The smell and sight of stadium food will drive you maaaaaad!

Happy Monday, everyone.

Yippee! It's Fried-Egg
Got some love in the mail from Vintage Knits:

Nice Aran booklet from 1960-something:


I love dolmans! From "Women's Day Needlework & Sweater Ideas," 1984:


The Microspun Sof'Bankie is zipping along -- I'm almost done with Skein 9 of 12. It's getting cooler here in the evenings -- I gotta get this blanket done! DH is going to start eyeing it hungrily.

Can't We All Just Get Along?
Or: "Get Off My Designer Suit"
Warning: mini-rant ahead. The opinions expressed are strictly those of the management and do not reflect the world at large. Just me. Do not fold, spindle or mutilate. Your mileage may vary.

I completely bypassed the Reality TV craze of the last 3 years, until this year. My obsession? The Apprentice. DH and I are completely hooked on this show. However, I don't agree with The Donald about pitting men against women, and here's why: Get any group of smart "alpha" women together, give them a task where a prize or objective is involved, and watch them rip each other apart. I swear, women are their own worst enemies. The group on this season's Apprentice almost make me ashamed to be a woman. Constant fingerpointing, backbiting, and infighting has caused Apex Corp. (the name of the women's group) to lose the last 3 challenges.

DH has a nickname for me: The Ultimate Chick. He calls me this because he says that even though I'm very feminine, I have the ability, when the situation calls for it, to think like a guy. The older I get, the less I can stand to be involved with a group of women where something has to get done. Don't misunderstand me, I fully love and enjoy being a woman, but I do admire the overall ability of men to get down to it and get a job done, with a minimum of fuss and bother. Granted, a lot of them go off in directions I wouldn't agree with, but geez, they don't sit around and analyze a situation to death, then blame and snipe at each other when things go south. OK, rant over. Thanks for indulging me.

Have a nice weekend, everyone.

The Best Laid Plans (Redux)
The night before DH's 1/4-Ironman race, he had a spill on his race bike during a training ride. He got a nasty gash across his Achilles tendon (which probably could have used a stitch or two), but even worse, his bike was out of commission for the race (bent wheel). He was beyond disappointed. Months of training, anticipation, and driving across 4 states to get to this race -- poof! Gone in an instant.

For a brief moment, I know he wanted to turn tail and drive home the day of the race. Here's why I love this man: he stayed and cheered his teammates on, graciously putting his disappointment aside and helping provide the much-needed encouragement required to finish this grueling race. His teammates knew how bummed DH was, and most of them made a point of personally thanking Tom for his support.

Of the 7 athletes competing from our team, 5 did the full 1/2-Ironman distance: Swim 1.2 miles, Bike 56 miles, Run 13.1 miles. The conditions were brutal: no wind and temperatures over 100 degrees, with almost no humidity. The athletes had streaks of salt lining their faces and bodies. 2 teammates did the 1/4-Ironman (half the distances, but still an incredible test of strength).

The upside? Our team swept 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the 1/2-Ironman, and another got first in her age-class in the 1/4-Ironman. Here's the 3 winners:



And here's me 'n DH, my all-time winner in any contest :-)



Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Short post today -- I'm halfway through Skein 8 of 12 on the Microspun Sof'Bankie; pictures to come. Is it getting hot in here, or what? Oh, it's just all those yards of microfiber :-)

Today is a very special day -- it's DH's birthday! Every time I think about it I smile -- today was the day he came into this world, and I'm luckier for it. I love you, sweetie. Happy Birthday.

No more posting for the rest of the week -- tomorrow afternoon we leave for St. George, Utah. DH is competing in a 1/4-Ironman Triathlon on Saturday. We drive back on Sunday. This is DH's biggest race yet. He's been training so hard for this. Wish him luck!

See you on Monday. Have a nice weekend, everyone.

Monday is Just One Day
... of the week. But it's definitely the hardest! DH dragged my poot butt out the door at 5:20 am for a swim workout. I'm glad he did, but man! it's hard getting up and out the door. Thanks sweetie, for getting me there :-)

The Microspun Sof'Bankie was out 'n about this weekend; most notably at the Chargers vs. NY Jets game on Sunday, where the Chargers almost clawed their way back from behind to win. Alas, it wasn't to be; the Jets won, 34-28. Remember cute little Doug Flutie? He's San Diego's 3rd quarterback. At age 42, has no right to be on an NFL field, except that he's kept himself in top shape and injury free, and by golly, still has the chops to be put into a game in the 4th quarter and score a touchdown (which he ran in himself) to nearly tie the game. Woo hoo!

Ch-ch-ch Changes
The digest-sized Knitting Digest has changed its name and look. Now called Creative Knitting magazine, it's expanded to full magazine size, and has a fairly decent selection of patterns. Here's two that I liked:

Cute little cardigan


A bit bulky for San Diego, but still cute


And I got this cute blankie pattern in the mail. It's Oat Couture's Auntie's Afghan:



Cute, huh? Have a great Monday, everyone.