It’s still March right? **checking watch**

March socks are from “Sensational Knitted Socks”…the pattern is an elongated corded rib, knitted on double pointed 2.75mm bamboo needles. I had this yarn left over from a jumper I made as a Christmas present and can’t find the band to save my soul….I hadn’t planned on knitting socks with it but Sweetness (the granddaughter) insisted that she have socks that “match Haley’s pretty dress” and there was no way to talk her out of it. The yarn was a major pain in the butt to knit with on size 2 needles and split on me a dozen times….after much swearing and much procrastination the damn things are done….and the granddaughter is happy (which in the big scheme of things is all the really matters)


Nothing like taking it right down to the wire.

The pictures are lousy but once I had her try them on I couldn’t get them off her feet…

OMG...I must have this!

angry little girls

Is that the best damn bag you've ever seen?

My secret pal

Guess what was waiting for me when I got home from work last night? Yes you guessed it….a package for my secret pal! Some yummy merino in the most amazing colors (yes I’m in love with this yarn).

I opened it….hugged it (go ahead, call me a freak) and set it on the table. In the time it took me to use the restroom (heck I had just driven home from work….I really had to ‘go’) and then find my camera so I could take pictures of it to share with you online….

I came back to find THIS:




Courtesy of HER: (horrid bitch)



After two hours….yes I said two hours…I finally had THIS:



I love this yarn….and can’t wait to knit a pair of socks with it for my own two feet. And what about the she bitch from hell? Well she's in the doghouse.

THANK YOU Secret Pal….you rock!

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A day unplugged

It was wonderful….really truly. No work, no phone, left my cell at home…I don’t do enough of that.

I eased into my day….drank coffee outside on my porch swing with knitting in hand. Took my sweet time getting dressed, went to my LYS and picked up some goodies for my secret pal, which will be in the post and on its way on Monday. Picked up sushi for dinner, had a beer, got in the hot tub, watched some boob tube and slept….Slept so hard that I actually overslept and was nearly late for work this morning.

I could really get use to doing that everyday….I wouldn’t miss my job (much)…well at least for a month or so. The Europeans really have the right idea with longer holidays. In America you’re luck if you get a week (two tops) off. That just isn’t enough time to decompress and stop hating work.

I heard back for my SP’s local yarn shop and my plan is doable. She’ll be receiving something for them either in the post or if she lives close enough they will bring it to her house. This way she gets something right away, since the post from the US to UK might take a little while. Shhhhh….don’t tell, it’s a secret.

Thursday stuff….

I have a secret pal package on the way according to my pal….she is oh so sneaky and now has me wondering where in the world she lives. I’m going to have to try very hard not to accost the poor postman every single day and really need to curtail the urge to search his truck for my goodies. As my mother can attest….I’m horrible at waiting to be surprised. It’s a growth opportunity for me….damn it. ;)

It’s about 80 degrees and raining right now….welcome humidity my old friend. My hair has missed you. Seriously I could barely get a brush through it this morning…..nappy and looking a bit ‘little orphan Annie-ish’ today….no that wasn’t the look I was going for. Sheez…..

I’m taking tomorrow off and hitting my LYS for goodies to top off my first SP gift so I can send it out. It has to go all the way to the UK and I have no idea what the timeline is on that. Still waiting for the finial word for her LYS on whether my first surprise is possible or not. I feel a bit sneaky myself….this is so much fun.

The poncho is now an ‘ex-poncho’….why did that just make me think of Monty Pythons ex-parrot skit? It’s a sickness I tell ya. My Denise Needles are yarn-less and I am still poncho-less. By the time I get my act together it’ll be 100 degrees in Texas.

Mr. Man wants me to knit him a Rastafarian hat….now where in the heck am I going to find a pattern for THAT? Google has not been very helpful.

Feeling the love and the socks from hell

Got an email from my SP10 pal! Yep pretty darn excited, I also got all the information on who (whom?) I get to spoil and after combing through her blog I have some great ideas on goodies to send her and a completely brilliant surprise that her local yarn shop is working on for me.

The March socks are heading towards the home stretch….both are now past the gusset decrease and I’m working on the foot length. The ‘hell’ part comes from not being completely confident that I have enough yarn to finish them since I decided to make these knee-highs. Good planning on my part. I might have to go back to Hill Country Weavers hopefully they still have this yarn in stock.

I might frog the poncho I have on my Denise Circulars. I’m just not thrilled about the pattern. I didn’t give very much thought to what I really wanted to knit….I was just excited to start knitting on my new needles. I’m a third of the way done but I know I’ll never wear this thing the way it is….so a ripping I will go.

Happy Vernal Equinox….the Bluebonnets are starting to bloom.

Randomness

I’m finally getting a handle on this mountain of paperwork left over from the festival. I think I can actually see desk under there, instead of piles and piles of stuff.

I’m calling it a day at 6:30….done….home to watch American Idol and eat Cajun food, blackened catfish and shrimp for me and chicken and sausage gumbo and black beans and rice for Mr. Man. Yum….I’ve been craving it since Sunday when we were planning on picking up takeout from the little restaurant around the corner but they had some sort of water damage incident and were closed until today. Really bummed me out….had my mouth all ready for catfish and ended up having a icky burger (that I eat less then half of) instead.

So the plan tonight is dinner, TV, food and knitting….turning off the phone and climbing in bed at an insanely early hour and sleeping.

BG has been a bit wonky today….and I’m so tired I think I might have actually dozed off once or twice at my desk….how pathetic is that? I can always tell when I’m running high….I get cloudy and sleepy and my attention span is nonexistent.

I need to make an appointment to have my thyroid tested again….Dr. N’s office called right in the middle of hell week to remind me. Need to do that sometime this week….enough rambling.

Oh and still no secret pal match up? Must admit I’m getting a little bummed. I’ve been trolling the participants blogs and everyone is commenting on getting an ecard or email from their pal….and me….well nope, nada, nothing. Feeling unloved….Where’s my pal? Who do I get to spoil?

I should be sleeping

But up until a few minutes ago I was feverishly knitting my SAM3 March socks. They rock….this is by far my favorite pattern. I’m knitting them for my granddaughter ‘Sweetness’, in this pretty white, pink, blue and yellow yarn from Italy. Open rib knee-highs. I’m going to have to knit a pair in my size, but in a solid color so the pattern really pops. I started them Sunday and I’ve already finished the gusset on both. I should have then completed by tomorrow night at this rate. Pictures soon.

Things should go back to normal at work so I’ll have more time to knit. I also have a few batches of soap to make as well as a dozen or so washcloths. That’s a nice mindless knit….just what I need right now.

Still haven’t been matched with my secret pal yet for SP10. My blog is on the participants list and I’ve received a welcome email…..just not my pals name. Hopefully soon….this is my first swap and I’m really looking forward to it.
Ok, now I really hear my bed calling me…..

Ugggg.....Work Hell

All the gory details are at the 'other blog', which can be found on the sidebar if you're interested.

Needless to say, there is not knitting going on here this weekend.....And so it goes....

Day two SXSW

Music Festival....day two. What looked like a light day has turned out to be anything but light. Everyone is crunchy and tired. We still have two days left. I might make it home by 3am....if I'm lucky. I haven't been lucky yet.

I'm going through yarn/knitting withdrawl....

Day one of SXSW

Still at work....no end in sight. I'll be here until 3am at least and then home to sleep for a few hours. I think I have to be back here at 8am....

Three days left of this fun.

Haven’t even started my March Socks yet

I’ve looked at the yarn, decided on a pattern….moved the double pointed needles from the plastic bin to the nightstand next to the bed. And that’s as far as I’ve gotten. Slacker.

I really need to at least get started on them tomorrow since next week is going to be so ugly with this ‘festival from hell’ consuming all my time. My schedule is unbelievable ….getting to work at around 7am and not leaving until 3am the next morning….for 4 days straight. If the dogs didn’t need to actually be fed, watered and taken out I’d just sleep in my office on a cot or something. Mr. Man is working for me….so we’ll both be dragging ass.

Can you tell I’m so looking forward to this?

In my last ditch effort to waste time, I made my virtual self….look on the sidebar. Scary, it actually looks pretty darn close to how I look in real life. Except I have this sort of bang thing going on with my hair....and my tattoo's are missing. I'm even wearing pretty much the same thing in real life as my virtual me is....except my tank top is black. Yes thrilling information, I know....oh and glasses, virtual me is without them and therefore in danger of banging her shins on things and running into walls....because I'm just as blind as a bat, thank you very much....

that is all....

Because everyone is ‘doing it’

And I just can’t bear to deal with not even one more band and their never ending backline requirements…..and I’m sooo...sick…of…SXSW right now…. so working is out of the question at this very moment.

I give you……Tattoo meme. Yes I have ink….lots and lots of ink.

Tattoo number one: an itty bitty little single rose on my left 'shhhhh' don't tell breast. Inked when I turned 18.

Tattoo number two: a treble clef on my right ankle. Inked on my 21st birthday.

Tattoo number three: a butterfly on my right shoulder. Inked when I turned 23.

Tattoo number four: Kokopelli on my left ankle. This is sort of a family tradition as Mr. Man and my daughter and I all have kokopelli’s.

Tattoo number five: (right about now you’re thinking “good gawd she really IS trailer park trash”…admit it) two feathers / leather and beads…tattooed bracelet on my right wrist.

Tattoo number six: Claddagh inked on my left wrist.

Tattoo number seven: Kanji on the back of my neck for “Balance”, ‘Success”, and ‘Happiness’

Tattoo number eight: Ganesh, the remover of obstacles on my left shoulder / upper arm.






About here you would expect me to say “that’s all folks” but anyone that’s gotten ink will tell you….it’s addicting and I’ve already got a little something else in the back of my mind that I might want to get….someday….soon….maybe.

Good thing I work in Rock and Roll….cause this just wouldn’t fly down at the neighborhood bank…don’t’cha know.

It lives….

Just barely but I am alive. This was the worst case of flu I can remember having since childhood. And in true form I managed to give it to at least two of my employees which sucks since I’m still on the mend and this festival is crawling up my behind and the employees I really count on are at home hugging the great white Buddha.

I’ve managed to drag myself to work the last few days but have ended up walking in the door at home and crawling straight into bed until the next morning when I’d start the process all over again.

My BG levels have been all over the place….and I’m just now actually able to eat something that resembles an actual meal. I’ve been surviving on Gatorade and crackers. Good times….good times.

There has been no looming, knitting, yarn gazing, pattern lusting or fiber fun at all….I plan on remedying that just as soon as my head and eyes stop hurting.

As predicted

Sweetness and Light is feeling much better….Mr. Man has had the ‘Crud’ for 3 days and is wishing for death (I know this because he mentions it every single time he coughs….much to my annoyance) and this morning I woke up with a sore throat, cough and feeling nauseas…go me. I’m at work with no end in sight because I have the music festival from hell starting in less then two weeks.

Guess what my disposition is like? Yep….I’m a happy camper.

BG sucks…thanks to the walking crud. ~whimper~ I hate being sick.

If I’m feeling even the slightest bit human tonight I’ll cast on for my March SAM3 socks….if not I’ll being wishing for death every time I cough.