Shameless Plug...

Not for myself, but for our little monster's place of origin. http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080127/FAMILY/334209215/1016&template=nextpage

We adopted Annabelle from the Washington Humane Society right before Christmas...while I'm all for a beautiful purebred dog and sure, it would be nice to have an animal who you're still not trying to figure out the full extent of thier personality two months later, I wouldn't trade Annie for the world. She's always been pretty happy, but its so nice to see her adjusting fully to life with me. Riding along in the backseat this weekend, she nearly passed out from excitement when we pulled up to the airport to pick up the Tall Guy from his week away. Considering everything she's been through (two owners previous to us in one year, two stays at the shelter, what appears to be a scar from another animal on her back and some serious seperation anxiety issues), it was so nice to see her nearly wag her tail off upon spotting the Tall Guy before the car had even stopped moving.

Okay, I'm done with my plug for adopting homeless animals for the day:)

Babies are fun!

No no no. Not for ME! But, to knit for? Yes. Here's the thing about little rugrats. They're small! So, that means knitted items are finished in a flash. That reminds me, Ms. Lily. Kids "one day" doesn't mean, 10 months from now. Its sort of like the idea of "when I retire" or "when I'm rich". Don't panic.

Anyway, this is going to my future niece...that's funny. Its future in both ways...both not born yet AND I'm not "in" the family yet. Anyway, I bought this yarn Monday afternoon, cast on Monday evening and finished last night. Its the umbilical cord hat from the first Stitch and Bitch, but I think it looks more like a little sprout.

Knit on size 6 addis, using Lion Nature's Choice Organic Cotton. Its super soft and 100% cotton. Sweet.

happy monday! eerrrrrr...Tuesday!

These are the best days. You totally have a "Monday" and then realize that tomorrow isn't Tuesday... its Wednesday! Yay! I had been prepared today for "Winter Weather" as the DC news stations predicted. So far, its spit once or twice and that's about it. I'm okay with that after the bone chilling cold of the weekend.
As I made my way back from VA last night, I was listening to NPR. Bill Clinton was speaking somewhere yesterday in honor of MLK Day and made an observation I had been thinking about myself...
This year, the Presidential hopefuls include: A female, A black male, A Mormon, A Southern Baptist minister, a former Prisoner of War and a former ambulance chasing attorney (Okay, Clinton didn't say all of that, but he said a lot of it). Anyway... the point is, regardless of who actually wins, I'd like to think that this one of those elections that will start the change of tides to the United States leadership so perhaps to at least appear to be reflective of the population. 40 years ago, our parents witnessed enormous change in the United States when the idea that skin colour differences weren't the basis for inequality. My 94 year old Grandmother can still talk about watching her mother go to vote (wearing her best Sunday suit) in her first presidential election. How insane is that? I can only hope that one day my kids will be able to ask me about the Presidential race where I witnessed a huge change in our history. Not to sound petty, but it would be pretty cool, huh?

brrr baby its cold outside!

I am positive I'm the million and second person to be blogging about how stinkin' cold it is on the East Coast right now. But, it is. Like, I walked Annie tonight for about a mile and my eyeballs were icy cold. Weird. I decided after fighting the flu and dropping the Tall Guy off at the airport on Friday that I would come down to my Aunt and Uncle's house in Northern VA for the long weekend to camp out, recover and chill. Annie and the pups here (two minature dachshunds) seemed to have reached a peace treaty and I'm spoiled rotten here with homemade comfort food (I am Italian you know) and wine in front of me as we speak. Add the access to free laundry and its a wonderful respite from the chaos the city has been the past few weeks.
I've been knitting here, but not enough progress to really show anything finished. I'll leave you with pictures of where I would rather be, as I sit here in a turtleneck and hand knit socks. Why didn't I stay in Italy? (and I can't believe that was nearly 3 years ago!)

The view from our villa in Positano...

Self portrait in Capri..

Novelty yarn? Yikes!

There's nothing better then the days you manage to not have to go to work, but still work from the local cafe with wireless. Technically, today is my "normal" day off, but I was struck down with the FLU (yes all caps) earlier this week, which rendered me useless for about two and a half days. So, today was a half-work day from Panera.
I'm finally getting back into a knitting groove, trying to get more gifts out the door, thinking of upcoming projects and... I just got yarn in the mail for my next sweater. Wicked is DONE, but still a little damp from blocking. Pictures will have to wait until the Tall Guy comes back from a week of sailing in the Keys. (Yeah, I know, I'm more then jealous, don't worry).
Here's the yarn for my next sweater and this is a photo of what I'll be knitting .


My Aunt went to New Orleans prior to Christmas, wandered into an LYS there to see what was there and brought back yarn she desperately wanted me to make into a scarf. This is the aunt that does so much for me, and I love so much, I can't say no to. But, just look at this yarn. Its a train wreck of novelty yarn to the 10th degree. Nice, novelty yarn, but still. That kind where you can't see a stitch, can't figure out what will best suit the yarn (I'm doing mostly garter with a drop stitch row every ten rows or so) This is what I call love.

As I've mentioned, my future sister-in-law is expecting a little one in March. I've been playing around with some ideas and knit this little guy up in about two hours while languishing on the couch earlier this week. I love it, the Tall Guy loved it, but I'm just not sure its their taste...it may be a little goth for this part of my future-family. I think this means a trip to Stitch DC today for something more baby-like and softer colours...hmm.

Annie says "Why are you taking pictures of knitting, when you should be taking me for a walk?"



Note: that's not trash behind her, its one of about 10 bags of clothing that's going to charity. Apparently, it was time to get rid of clothing I'd owned since high school!

check it out

Before I forget... Lime and Violet were talking about this site in terms of yarn/wool/fiber the other day, but they have some pretty rad info, resources etc. about local farms all over the nation and you can buy direct from them on the site.. Check it out here.

happy birthday blog!

I guess bloggers say Blogiversary. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Either way, I just realized that I've been posting pretty steady now for a year!
Here's a link to my first post, only because I think its funny.
I've already talked about the good things of 2007 and all that fluffy stuff, and say I will keep posting. I love that people read, but a lot of the knitting content is just so I can keep track of what I do.

More pics will be up momentarily! See, as I'll be moving in March (seriously, could I come up with one more thing to make life more hectic right now? Sure, why not!?) I figured there was no sense in having DSL set up when I can just get the Tall Guy to deal with Comcast at the new house. Oh, and the new house, is right across the street from this one, no joke. That means my posting will continue to be sporadic, at times when I get a connection and when I have my camera with me. I'm actually knitting a good amount right now, I swear!
My next set of projects (while in the midst of way too many others)
involves my future sister-in-law's upcoming new baby. The Tall Guy totally spaced on telling me the shower was today (!), so I'll be late in my gift arriving to them. The baby isn't due 'til March, so I think I'm okay.

Off to enjoy way-too-warm-of-weather (about 60) in January....

finally!

It has happened. I got around to ordering a new cell phone today.
Its not the hippest one, but its a phone and it looks like a sturdy little guy. I wanted a sweet fancy one...or the iPhone, but decided that with upcoming events looming, money will be best spent elsewhere...like a cake topper or a veil. Yuck! I'd rather a fancy phone, but am trying to be a good future bride:)

And... I have a terrible photo of the knitting I've been doing this week. Its fetching, from Knitty and a super quick but entertaining knit... I'm using the alpaca yarn picked up on our Fall Adventure and I may get a hat or another pair of fetching (for a friend, perhaps?) out of the skein. Its a little less dense then the pattern calls for, but its working just fine. Also, for those who know the pattern, I did lengthen it on purpose... I liked the cables so much, I just kept going!

No place like home...

Every four years, my home state gets far more press then it normally does. People suddenly starting drop names like Concord, Manchester and Portsmouth in a manner like they may actually know where New Hampshire is on a map! So, as the primary season kicks off, I can say "Yay New Hampshire!". My dad feels otherwise. As a registered independent, he has been complaining for weeks of the multiple phone calls he's been receiving daily from all the candidates. Poor Dad decided yesterday that he was going to go through and figure out who hadn't called the house at least once and vote for them! I would think he was exaggerating, but while I was home at Christmas, I had my share of answering the phone. In general, Hillary's people were by far the most aggressive and obnoxious. That bummed me out! Until those phone calls from her campaign workers, she was my favorite. I can't say I cared for her staff's etiquette on the telephone, however.

So, all that said, don't forget to vote and I'll show you knitting soon!

Giving Thanks...

Every year I pretend to make a resolution and then promptly throw it out the window. It's just what I do. Last year, was going to be more of the same and I had forgotten about it all together until Monday night. As the Tall Guy (do you really think I'm going to start using his name right yet? Nahhh, its part of the fun!) and I strolled with some friends to a New Years Eve party, we had a brief conversation about resolutions for the upcoming year. He asked if I had kept last years... I paused and thought and thought. "Well..." I said slowly. "I think I did!"

In retrospect I remember pausing in the middle of a fairly chaotic party last year at a good friends house, thinking "This year. I will take better care of myself, strive to be happier and remove things from my life that don't contribute to my health, happiness or general well being". And. What do you know.

(Photo from the party last year..)

• I said goodbye to some demons, some real-life ones and some just, in-my-head ones. The real-life ones were easier to let go of then I thought they would, which was surprising, but nice.


• I traveled a bunch, saw my HLP lots this year, which was freaking awesome


• I worked for the Yoga Studio and then quit the Yoga Studio when I realized I couldn't fix everything. Its hard for me to admit when I can't fix it all... (that's the control freak)


• My family had a pretty good year. No losses, no setbacks. This is really good for us...


• Little sister started college; marking my 10 year anniversary of doing the same. I like to think I handled it with dignity and grace (yeah, right).


• I put more effort into my love of knitting (yay for Socks that Rock for Christmas!)


• I got a dog, whom we adopted, who truly needed a home. Sure, she's a lot of work, but until you have a dog that you are helping to have a better life asleep on your feet, you really can't tell me you don't want a dog and really know it.


• Obviously, I caused hell to freeze over, if but for a minute by getting engaged. I'll just say, when you know it, you know it. I'm so excited to not necessarily know where my life is going, but knowing that I have a co-pilot for the ride has me grinning from ear to ear.

So, this year, 2008 is going to have to have some big things in it order to beat 2007... that said, I say bring it on, I'm ready!