Holiday Craft Fairs begin

In the hopes of trying to do the Homemade Gifts challenge again this year for Christmas/Holiday giving, I figured I'd share information I have as the Fall Craft show season is in full swing
I'll be knitting, but there are just some folks who knitgear isn't quite right for...

This weekend, if you have time, check out the DC Craft Mafia Event. It's close to my house, so I plan to swing through.
Info: It will be this Saturday, Nov 1 from Noon to 6pm at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad, 5020 Battery Lane, Bethesda, MD. 50 + vendors

Website: http://www.dccraftmafia.com/events.html

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!!!
Annie got into the spirit last night with her pumpkin squeaker toy (I told you she was spoiled, she always has holiday themed toys). She was in motion the whole time, so please excuse the photo quality. This is my entry into the Tall Guy's family pumpkin carving contest.

And this is his. (We all carve and then email the results, it's always fun)

Side by side...

And, while I went the "normal" route of using a pumpkin carving knife the Tall Guy bought a Dremel this year. So, yes, he carved outside with his new power tool, while Annie assisted. (We discovered that Annie likes raw pumpkin last night. She really is a very odd dog.)

Have fun tonight, hopefully tomorrow I'll have pictures of our costumes!!!

to all the knitters out there...

I have owned Malabrigo yarn for at least a year, maybe two. I've started projects with it, and frogged it, never getting too far.
Well. Tonight I cast on for one of a good handful of holiday projects (i.e., you don't get to see the result until post December 25) and OH my LORD.
I am in love with this little cake of yarn.
I may only knit in Malabrigo worsted weight yarn for the rest of eternity.
Really. I'm not kidding. I recognize the error of my ways for not joining on the Malabrigo bandwagon long ago.
It's that soft and the color is just that amazing.

i love my couch

Whew. I'm back on the couch.
48 hours in NH. It was awesome, I love my family, but I do wish it didn't take a plane to see them for a day, a meal, a celebration (Grandpa just turned 80, hence the trip) etc.
Plane rides do mean good knitting time, so I've wrapped up some long lingering projects.
The Spring Forward socks were stitched up on the flight home today.
(This is a recycled picture, I admit).
I also finished the labor of love novelty yarn scarf for my aunt in time to see her this weekend.
I nearly went blind with it. The good news is that my aunt loved it and really. When it comes to her, that's what matters.
(This is recycled too. Clearly, I suck)

We have one more trip coming up in two weeks for a friends wedding Tampa. After that, I won't be on a plane or in a car for longer then an hour until Christmas. You have no idea how happy this makes me.

Alarm Clocks.

Alarm Clocks.

Such a mundane part of everyday, 9-5 life, right? I've had quite the drama with alarm clocks the past few years and it shows no signs of stopping.

A little background:

• I'm not a morning person. At all. I'm grumpy, dizzy and unable to speak before a cup of coffee and an hour of movement.


• I have terrible eyesight that keeps getting worse.


• I always have a glass of water on the table

Anyway. I had a great alarm clock for quite awhile that was about 80% of what I wanted. The numbers were HUGE, it had settings for an "A" and "B" alarm, so I could have a weekday alarm set all the time and an different one for weekends etc and a big snooze button. It did not, however have digital radio settings , only the tuning wheel.

Well, this alarm clock met its demise when I knocked over my umpteenth glass of water right onto it and it finally called it quits. It was around this time that the Tall Guy and I were "shacking up", so we just used his.



The Tall Guy's alarm clock, however has small numbers which I can't see from my side of the bed. (Remember my opening bullets) That's not why I don't like it though. See, when you turn the alarm button to "on", nothing on the face of the clock lights up. Call me crazy, but I don't trust that the alarm is "actually" set, unless the Tall Guy does it himself. This is resulting in some issues, to put it mildly, as when the Tall Guy is out of town, I refuse to use the alarm clock and just use my cell phone. This all said, we've been shopping for an alarm clock. Do you realize how hard it is to find a "normal alarm clock"???

Here is what I would like and can't seem to find.

1. Normal to large size numbers


2. An indicator that the alarm is set on the face of the clock (this is not completely needed, but a wish)


3. A digital radio, not a tuning wheel which always results in our clock radio moving from NPR to CSPAN without warning


4. The "A" and "B" alarm were nice but, once again, not absolutely needed


5. I don't need or want the ability to plug in my iPod. My iPod is downstairs in my bag for work and I like waking up to NPR, thank you very much.


6. Waterproof would be amazing, but yeah, that's not going to happen. I'll just be more careful with my water.

So, now if you're still reading, you probably think I'm completely anal and insane all in one ball. Truth is, I'm really not, but the Tall Guy and I have been on such a search (every time we're near a Best Buy, Circuit City, Target etc,) That it's getting to be nearly funny. I will happily accept any alarm clock radio suggestions or donations you may have.

My love of fall continues

Yesterday the Tall Guy, Jessie and her Partner-in-Crime and I went on a fall adventure much like last year's trip. A bunch of farms in the Leesburg area have "open farms" one weekend a year. It was another gorgeous day.

We went apple picking (I have one in my mouth, excuse the weird face)

And we went to a winery, which I have no photos of, and we went to two more farms who's name are escaping me, but one had a rather daunting looking corn maze (which we didn't participate in, it looked like we'd be in there for hours!)
Today, I spent part of my day making a pie...the fruit of my labors (ha ha):

I'm currently working away on this scarf. I frogged the original piece, started over this week (yeah, I know it was sitting for a long time, but you can't blame me...). I have put a deadline on myself for this weekend, when I see my aunt. And then I'll be free from the novelty yarn curse.
Bleck!
Off to watch the red sox game! Go Sox!

winner of weirdest LYS

While in New Buffalo last week, I managed to locate a Local Yarn Store mere blocks from where we were staying. On Sunday, we made our way over to take a peek. 

Now, before I say anything, I'll say that everyone in this "store" was really. really. nice and friendly. 

I suggest you check it out if you're ever there for the sheer gawk factor. I regret not taking photos. 

See, the website looks normal. Check it out here. Flash and everything!

But, then you walk in the door and you are clearly in someone's house. Not like, oh maybe they live upstairs, but no, you are in their living room. And it's FULL of people! Yarn hung all over the walls. A TV, side tables, with magazines (like a house, not a waiting room). I walked back into what I think was the eat in kitchen to see an espresso machine on the same counter as Ella Rae yarn. There were cubbies around with yarn in them, and the table in the middle of the room was covered in yarn with a half eaten hamburger and fries on it. 

The owner, I would presume, offered us a latte and told us they were having a sale and I think I was so disoriented I may have just stared at him. Oops. 

I'm sure, if I hadn't been still recovering from the night before, perhaps this wouldn't have seemed so odd. I think it was the hamburger on the table that really threw me off. 

Deja Vu?

If you've been reading for awhile, this may look familiar to you. See I knit it about a year ago. But, this isn't the original scarf.

Sometime between the Tall Guy throwing a ring on my finger in front of a few people and our trip to NH the following month, the scarf went missing. I had no clue where it had gone. I searched high and low, checked cars, sent out an All Points Bulletin and we both moved out of our respective houses, leaving no stone unturned as we went. (below is the original)
Finally, this summer, I called it quits in the search and bought new yarn. Yup. The colors are nearly identical, though they may not look it in the photos. I used Tiny Toes instead of Fleece Artist for the green, but I'm 99% sure that the multi color stripe is the same colorway of Koigu (who can keep their shades straight with that numbering system? Not me.)
So there you go. I didn't advertise this project much because it seemed silly in my head to be knitting something all over again, but I loved that scarf so much and it had such good memories attached to it. Chevron 2 got to go to Indy this weekend,(me with the soon-to-be-bride and if you look close, Chevron 2)
so it starts its new life of travel along with me. Hopefully, I can hang on to this one.

Another state off the list

This weekend the Tall Guy and I were in South Bend, Indiana and the Western area of Michigan (mostly New Buffalo). I'd never been here and yes, western Michigan is gorgeous, the lake is pretty and the dunes are cool, but I'm still an ocean girl.
We were there to assist in friends getting hitched,

Do some hanging out
And enjoy the weather.
Knitting got done and I'll show you tomorrow.

Have you ever had to go from one terminal to another in the Detroit Airport? There's an underground tunnel that is one of the stranger installations I've seen in awhile. This photo does not do it justice, but the colors are all trippy and it changes hues to the music. It's all very odd.
In the meantime, cooler weather means I'm cooking and baking again. Yay!!!

Worth a read...

Given how much stock undecided voters are putting on the debates, actually knowing the facts is a pretty smart idea, dontcha think?
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/factchecking_debate_no_2.html

(Factcheck is a nonpartisan, nonprofit somehow attached to Newsweek.)

another blog to get sucked into...

The Tall Guy's buddy Rob sent me a link today...and I love that he thought of me when he saw it. Check it out.
Seriously, this is one of the more entertaining sites I've seen in awhile.
Enjoy.

Edit: I should note, while there's nothing particularly rude on this site, it's not all for the faint of heart, please take it that way.

I love Fall

It's probably the best time to live in the greater DC area, as far as I'm concerned.
Yesterday, Jessie and I took a field trip down to Virginia for the Fall Fiber Fest. It was held on the grounds of James Madison's house.
So, in addition to seeing Llama's

and buying yarn


and more yarn...
we also toured Madison's house.
It was a gorgeous day!

So, I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but Annie is kind of a weather wimp. As in...if it's raining, she refuses to go outside...at all. Last winter, she would act all crazy when it was cold outside and would hop all over and howl on every walk. We're not sure if she was just acting nuts (it was the first few months we had her) or if she was reacting to the cold. So, I bought her a vest today (and it matches her new collar). This dog is the most spoiled, bratty hunting dog I've ever met.

I would be remiss to explain part of what has had me missing this week. Since last Sunday, I've read almost the entire four books in the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. I'm not sure what it is about a young adult series revolving around teen romance and vampires that has me sucked in, but I'll be sort of happy when I finish this fourth one (oh year, they're each at least 500 pages) so I can go back to everyday life.