Offices all moved

Boxes are everywhere….seriously I can’t find my stapler to save my soul. But I’ve gotta say….I LOVE THE NEW DIGS. It is a little bit of a pain in the arse to have to drive across town to keep track of two locations. But my office is SO big and the warehouse has much less foot traffic and none of the annoying daily rental phone calls. I can actually get uninterrupted work time. (or blog time) no annoying owner just dropping by. Big plus.

I’ve started splitting my time….a few days here and few days there. I’ve set up things so I can remote ‘office’ which means I can work in my pj’s if I feel like it. ;)

I did manage to finish a pair of socks for ‘Sweetness’ but nothing more happening on the knitting front. I suck….I know….

Ok….that’s all she wrote for now….

Ok…I’ll admit it

Getting goodies in the mail brings out the 5-year-old in me.

Today after an unbelievable ugly day at work I had this waiting for me on the kitchen table:

Ok….it was packed and wrapped up in lovely white tissue paper each sealed with little winter themed stickers.

I am slightly more mature then I was at age 5…..I did manage to open the card first:

It revealed my SP11’s identity…..Penny from pennylane.blogspot.com

Lookie….Lookie…..This is “The Magic Loop” by Sarah Hauschka’s….Penny also included Knit Picks circulars 32” size 1.


And just incase that wasn’t exciting enough Penny also included this:

Yes….that’s right Cat Bordhi’s “Socks Soar on Two Circulars Needles” complete with two Knit Picks circulars 16” size 1….WOW….I mean….really WOW!!

But wait….there’s more! The first yarn is 80% merino/20% nylon hand dyed by Penny herself….it’s beautiful! The second one is Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome in Moody Blues….I’ve always wanted to try Cherry Tree Hill….yes I’m new. ;)


Next Penny included some “Soak” in citrus….and some Wild Honeysuckle body lotion. I love it!



Last the surprise that made me smile the most:

SUGAR FREE Twizzlers! This managed to reduce me to a giggling fool. Seriously Strawberry twists….sugar free. You can’t even believe how thoughtful and wonderful a gift that was.

Penny, you are amazing! I can’t thank you enough!

The promised pictures of Mr. Mans booties will have to wait until I have a chance to wash them. They ended up on his feet about 2 seconds after they came off the needles and now are much too sticky to get close too. :) good thing I love that man.

It’s amazing what you find when packing

In the middle of packing up my office I found a few goodies.

Chuck E. Cheese has those cool photo booths….here’s two pictures of the daughter and granddaughter.




Mr Man drawn by our son….


And while I’m at it….Here’s a clip of some of our sons work from Sponge Bob (this is from the Atlantis Squarepantis episode)….


I finally finished Mr. Man's booties and started on a pair of socks for the granddaughter....I'll post pictures soon.

Ok....enough wasting time...back to packing. Happy belated turkey day.

I completely SUCK

In the blogging department these days. For that I sincerely apologize. My real life (not to be confused with my online life) has been turned upside down and I’m dealing with it (or not dealing with it depending on who you ask) the best I can.

My office is a wreck…..it looks like a bomb went off on my desk. Given that we’re moving in a mere 9 days you would expect there would be boxes everywhere. You would be wrong. I have not managed to pack a single thing. Not in my office and certainly not in the rest of the warehouse. Nothing, nada, zilch….not because I haven’t wanted to pack (ok…’wanted’ might be too strong of a word here) but because neither of the new warehouses are even close to move in ready. Add to that Turkey Day breaking a perfectly good week up and my employees insisting on actually being with their families (the nerve) and people wanting to celebrate their holiday down time by going to concerts (again…the nerve) building and moving progress is painfully slow. Yesterday the electrician cut through the main water pipe at the warehouse across the street….so today the plumber is doing his best to fix it. This entire move has been a case of “if it can go wrong it will go wrong”.

I’m not knitting much….a few rows on the two projects I’m dying to finish (Mr. Mans booties and the Debbie Bliss silk shawl) each day is all I can muster. Last night I fell asleep with the booties in my hand, in mid row. I woke up at 3 am with a sharp pain in my ‘arse’ thanks to a metal knitting needle and yarn tangled around my arm. No stitches lost thank goodness….the knitting muse had pity on me.

The last goodie box for my SP11 is nearly done….yarn and knick knacks with an Austin flare. I’m hoping it makes up for my lack of participation in her blogging world and this hasn’t been a completely underwhelming experience for her.

To my upstream pal, I send my apologizes….it’s no fun to spoil someone who rarely posts and whose glimpse of life are chaotic with little or no fiber content. I hope once her name is reveled she’ll give me the opportunity to make it up to her.

Ok….must run….the drywall guy just ran over to inform me he broke one of the ceiling light fixtures….sigh.

No rest for the weary

I always look forward to this time of year….things slow down at work and I have more time for friends, family and my favorite pastime….knitting.

Not this year….this year work as been steady, with shows every weekend and here and there in the middle of the week. Add to that the unexpected office move and things are darn right hectic around here. We thought we would have 4 mouths to leisurely move 12 years of crap only to find out this week that we have until the end of November or be charged triple rent. Triple rent in addition to paying rent on the two new places while we remodel is undoable if we plan on keeping the business going. We just don’t make enough money to take on that kind of expense. So we’re scrambling….rushing to finish remodeling the small warehouse across the street enough to make it at least workable for us…..scrambling to build the infrastructure of the big warehouse enough so it’s ready to except our gear….all while continuing to do concerts and PA’s because this year business just hasn’t slowed down at all. Go figure.

My office is a complete disaster….my employees are a bit freaked out over all the changes. So am I but I have to keep it together and try to project a little confidence that everything is under control….We’re flying by the seat of our pants.

Other then that….things are fine. **insert hysterical laughter here**

Boo!!

I’m working from home today. Things are interesting at work…we decided to split my department in two with one part (the PA’s ) staying close to the retail store and the other part (the backline) warehousing across town. The PA department move will be relatively easy since the new location is directly across the street. But the building is a complete nightmare so we are going to remodel it. I haven’t seen the warehouse where my backline will live yet….DB and I will head there on Friday. I’ve been busy drawing up plans for the remodel and trying to figure out who and what will go where.

Our truck got tagged but it’s so darn cool I’m going to keep it and hope whoever did it will come back and finish it.


Mr. Man’s socks are still unfinished …..here look:

These should have been a fast easy knit….they’re booties in a super simple pattern and yet that’s how far I’ve gotten on them….seriously….what a slacker.

While Sunshine and I were outside butchering….er….craving her pumpkin….the postman delivered a box….from my SP11! Lookie:


I LOVE it….Love that bag! I’m hiding the Skull pads and pencils because the evil daughter will try to steal them from me….maybe I’ll share….maybe not. ;) I have the BEST secret pal. Even though I don’t post nearly enough she has always managed to pick the exact right gift at the exact right time. THANK YOU SO MUCH SP11.

Ok….off to make dinner and do my best to get an excited 5 year old with candy on her mind to actually eat it….wish me luck, I’m going to need it

Nuts but alive

The knitting muse as left me….hopefully only momentarily. I still haven’t finished Mr. Mans socks. In fact I’ve actually frogged them 4 times….every single time I attempt to do the heel decrease I mess it up. This is making me nuts….

Work is stressful right now, someone bought the building we’ve been renting for the last 12 years and we have to move the business. This too is making me nuts.

Hey but I'm alive....:)

Promised pictures

This is such cool yarn. It has aloe vera and jojaba oil in it….I have no idea how they do that, but I do know it smells wonderful and it’s really really soft.

Along with the yarn (don’t you just love the color!) I also got a really neat project bag….I’m a freak for containers and bags and zippered things. So this is right up my alley and I’m thinking it’s a real handy place to store my double pointed needles. Also notice the sticky notes…..I’m a sticky note fanatic (you should see my office).

Thanks again SP11….I love the goodies!

I’m back!

Festival is over….much stories to tell but that will have to wait until I get some of this paperwork done and my head is clearer.

I had some very cool yarn waiting for me when I got home last night. I love the color and the smell is wonderful! Pictures later today after my eyes can focus again. But I did want to thank my SP11. That’s seriously neat yarn.

Alive and well

Wow, I’ve really been neglecting my blog. Sorry about that. I’m still in festival hell but hopefully things will slow down soon.

I frogged the green socks meant for Mr. Man. I had him try them on right after I finished the gusset decrease and they were way too big. He was swimming in them. So I started over….I’ve gotten to the rib on the first sock and no farther. I’ve been busy with work and when I do have time to knit I’ve been distracted by the Debbie Bliss black silk which I’m knitting up in an English lace pattern. At this rate he might get his birthday socks by Christmas. I just can’t help it….that black silk is so soft and yummy….and I’m so weak.
;)

Bhahahahaha:

Finally

The daughter finally got around to taking a picture of her purple socks….sorry the picture is so fuzzy.

Exhausted

Of course I didn’t go to bed until 3am so that could explain my ‘arse’ dragging today. I did finally finish the purple socks and gifted them to the daughter. They fit her perfectly and she really likes them. The batteries in my camera are dead so I’ll take pictures of them tonight after work.

I’ve already started on a pair for Mr. Man in that lovely green merino that my SP11 sent me. I had intended on keeping that yarn for myself because it’s just so pretty but after about a dozen not so subtle hints about how I’ve managed to make socks for everyone in the free world except him…..well I caved and cast on his future socks. I decided on a manly garter rib stitch pattern which should be a quick knit. Ok….quicker knit. Work is really interfering with my knitting time.

I think I’m going to frog the lace shawl. I did some quick calculations and I don’t think I’m going to have enough yarn to make this as big has I want, and since the yarn was gifted to me and didn’t have a yarn band identifying the type of yarn it is, chances of finding more are slim. But I know I can find more of the Debbie Bliss silk in black that my mother sent me so that’s the direction I’ll head….besides a black shawl in silk sounds yummy…..of course as I cruse around the ‘nets’ I’m sure I’ll change my mind a few times.

So....how was the festival you ask?

Other then this: (I was right on the other side of that white tent when it happened....scary)



It went fine....I'm a little tired and am spending the week closing out the show books and getting ready for another festival this weekend. I'll post some pictures later....

Danger Will Robinson….we have pictures

I’m stuck at work…trying to rap up some of the loose ends for the festival.

Last night when I got home I had this waiting for me:


OK….it WAS actually closed and sealed up nicely…..notice how I trashed the box ripping into it. Geez…what am I two? ;) It’s a present from my SP11. The label says Tulsa. SP if you’re in Tulsa, I hope you’re staying dry and safe with all that flooding. I know ALL about flooding….trust me.

Inside I found this sweet little card:



And this:


The granddaughter already claimed the pen and one of the sticky pads for herself:

Notice the lovely PJ’s she’s sporting….it’s 90 freakin’ degrees here and I can’t get her to take those off and wear something even slightly cooler….it took me a half hour to convince her that she didn’t really need to wear her fuzzy slippers….I mean it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the porch.

I also found this yummy 100% super wash Merino sock yarn. Isn’t it the prettiest green! The daughter was eyeing HARD. But it’s mine…all mine (insert hysterical laughter here)


And just cus I’m on a roll…..pictures of the STILL not completed August socks:

They will rock….once they’re done.

And the still not done shawl:

Heck…the lack of progress on this is embarrassing.

Well…there you have it….must get to work now.

THANK YOU so much SP11….you’re the best!

Why yes I am in hell...thanks for asking

Actually not so much.....just in Festival mode so I won't be around much for the next 10 days. Needless to say there will be no knitting getting done around here...lots of Rock-n-Roll....but knitting, not so much.

Challenges

I’ve had a few these last three weeks. Mostly blood glucose related. Even though I’m not taking a sulfonylurea Byetta is kicking my ‘arse’. I’m still experiencing lows in the evening (40’s and 50’s) which make getting anything accomplished nearly impossible.

My knitting for one is suffering….it’s hard to focus when you’re struggling to get your BG up. These lows last for several hours and by the time I manage to get my BG up into the 70’s I feel like a truck has drug me down the road by my ankles and all I want to do is sleep.

I’m nervous about how I’m going to deal with all of this in the middle of this outdoor festival I’m doing the second week in September….dealing with a low would not be a good thing. On the plus side this stuff has really made my morning numbers great and I’ve had fasting levels that would make a non-diabetic envois. 82 morning fasting when I take the dinner dose….140 when I don’t. And of coarse when I start my day with a fasting of 140 my numbers the rest of the day stink. It’s just those pesky evening lows….which by the way no one has an explanation for. Not my doctor, not Lilly, not other people using Byetta….no one has every heard of that happening to anyone not also taking a sulfonylurea. I’m an anomaly.

I hate being an anomaly.

But again….on the plus side….I’m drinking a boat-load of juice….something I hadn’t be able to do in a long time. I ‘heart’ juice.

I’m still hoping to finish the August socks when I get home tonight….lets just hope my body cooperates.

I’ve been distracted

This came the other day:


A birthday present from my son…..I ‘heart’ it. Even though it’s a little frustrating since the shuffle is a continuous play MP3 it makes it nearly impossible to use for audio books which is what I was hopping to use it for. But I’ve downloaded an Agatha Christie podcast which will hopefully take me through finishing my August socks.

I see a regular ipod in my future ;)because I'm hooked.

Pictures of the finished socks and ‘not even close to finished’ wrap later…..

Back among the living...and a contest

I took 3 whole days off….3 days. That’s nearly unheard of around here. I had planned on taking Saturday off for my birthday and it just snowballed from there. Of course this will be the last day off until ACL Fest is over….

The daughter and granddaughter took me out from dinner on Saturday at Carrabba’s my favorite restaurant of all time. I’m sure I ate too much (ok….I KNOW I ate too much and that 300 BG confirms it) and yes I did have the tiramisu complete with a candle stuck in it.

Lots going on in the health front (if you want to be bored to tears feel free to go to the other blog )

I haven’t finished my August birthday socks yet. Have turned the heels on both of them but I’m not even done with the gusset decrease on one (yes I knit two at a time….but on double points because I’m just a freak that way) For some reason I just haven’t been all that interested in working on them. The yarn is yummy (a gift from Janette for SP10) the pattern is called ‘baby cable’ which I don’t hate….I just really haven’t hit my stride with this pair.

I’m not getting very far along with my wrap either (also in yummy yarn gifted to me by Janette)….knitting in spurts.

My mother sent me two 50g skeins of Debbie Bliss 100% silk in black….not sure yet what I’ll turn them into but right now petting them is making me very happy….they are SO soft. ;) She also sent me a birthday ecard everyday for a week leading up to my birthday….silly woman. ;0)

I also got a very funny ecard from my secret pal…..thank you SP11...I loved it.

Speaking of Secret Pal 11…..Jenn (my SP11 hostess) has this little contest to kick off SP11 in style. The prize you ask? Handpainted sock yarn!! And I do love me some handpainted sock yarn….don’tcha know. ;)

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without? My Denise interchangeable needles. I ‘heart’ them so much.

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If
so, how much and what type of project? Heck I take my knitting to work with me…so of course I’d take it on vacation. Ahh….not that I actually ever GO on vacation. I’d take whatever I’m currently working on that I can do without having to refer to the pattern too many times. Socks are always good…and maybe a wrap or shawl.

3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot? Well I LOVED New Orleans before Katrina….Anywhere there is ocean works for me.

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it? Sensational Knitted Socks is a real staple….but I’ve fallen in love with Vogue Knitting. Nope don’t own any Vogue yet.

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)? No podcasts YET….my son bought me an ipod for Christmas and then never sent it to me. :/ He swears he sent it the day before my birthday….tap tap tap….yep still waiting. Once I get it I see many podcasts in my future.

Alrighty must get back to work….

Secret Pal 11 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Guess I’ve turned into a fiber snob….natural fibers are by far my favorites….novelty yarn gives me a rash ;)

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? My straight bamboo needles live in a vase on my dresser (hey it’s art…ok?) my double points are in a plastic stackable organizer (which seriously needs organizing) and my circulars live in their Denise ‘box’.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? My grandmother introduced me to knitting. I’m a beginner in some things an intermediate in others….and advanced in my dreams. ;)

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes I do….on the side bar somewhere.

5. What's your favorite scent? I love lavender, rose, carnation, sandalwood, patchouli….not very found of fruity smells.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I have diabetes so I don’t indulge my sweet tooth often….BUT Welch’s makes these fruit snacks which are kinda like gummy bears only fruit shaped….YUMMY.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I don’t spin….yet ;) I do have a knitting board which I LOVE and I make soap, candles and jewelry.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like rock and blues and Cajun stuff….New Orleans Jazz and bluegrass and SOME country. Rap makes me break out in hives.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I love earth tones….and greens and blues. Just can’t do pink.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I live with my husband and our two boxers Brutus and Janis. Our adult daughter moved back home with our granddaughter temporarily (please God let it be temporarily)

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Not very often but I do LOVE ponchos and shawls and wraps.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks…

13. What are you knitting right now? Socks and a wrap

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? I do very much!!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I’ve bent all my bamboo double points SO I have to go out and buy some aluminum or plastic (knitting too many socks) I’m swearing off bamboo for awhile until I stop snapping and bending all of them. :/

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I got a yarn winder from my last SP and I love it. No swift yet.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? Well….I hate to admit….6 months (a poncho) and 8 months (a blanket from HELL)

18. What is your favorite holiday? I LOVE Halloween!

19. Is there anything that you collect? Pigs…I love pigs… Wade 'whimsey-on-why' houses….Boxer dog figurines, and anything 'tea' related.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I have a subscription to “YARN” from Australia (LOVE IT!!) other then that…I love to get my hands on all kinds of fiber related things.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Socks on circulars and socks toe up.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yep…I knit socks. I wear a US 71/2

23. When is your birthday? August 18th

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? Yes I am…although work hasn’t allowed me to really spend much time there….my id is: Monika

Happy Birthday Mom

I love you!!!