Baby it's cold outside

Holy crap is it cold here today. And of course I don't have a nice warm hat or scarf because I can't seem to find time to knit for myself, and you KNOW now that I know how to knit pretty good, there ain't no way I'm buying them from a store. Days like this I wish I could work from home instead of standing on the train platform like a moron with my teeth chattering. If I could just win lotto I would be all set...

We had quite the amazing weekend. We had some really great news regarding adoption...it seems things might happen quicker than we thought. If everything goes as planned we may have a child before Christmas. God I can't even believe the words as I write them. We are a little freaked out to say the least. It was also hubby's birthday yesterday, so it was nice for him to spend it telling everyone the good news. To spare those of you who actually come for knitting content, I have decided to create a whole separate blog to write about the adoption process. Link is over on the side bar, feel free to pay a visit.

In knitting news, I am officially at the half way point of the leaf lace shawl. I am definitely getting a little sick of all these repeats. And the odd row "k2, purl to 2 stitches before end, k2," seems ENDLESS. I tried to do some of the cable scarf in the car this weekend, but I realized I missed a cable twist, and didn't feel like trying to rip out and restart while in the car. I am digging the Starsky sweater that just got added to Knitty. I have been dying to do something with a shawl like collar, and this might just be the thing...cause I also loves me some cables! I really better get some "me" knitting in soon, methinks I have some serious baby knitting to get to pretty soon (holy crap).

I also got some more good stuff from my SP, which just added to the happiness this weekend:

El Cheapo, you just crack me up. I loved the anti-poncho post card. I
especially like the purple number on the lower left. You're turning violet, Violet! She looks horrendous in that thing! I also love the stitch markers..great not only because they are starfish...get it...but because they are small and light...most stitch markers are way to heavy and end up getting in the way. Thanks girl!!

Time to try and get some sleep now.I feel like the kid on the disney commercial "I'm too excited to sleep".

Hey Kool Aid

I wish I had witty things to say about all the little happenings in my life this week. Truth is it's hard to be witty. I thought blog writing would come easy since I have such a big mouth. It seems that all of my sarcasm is much better appreciated in person. Oh well, you'll have to deal with it, and try to arrange a meeting in person some day. We'll knit, it'll be great.
This week I met with a psychologist at work. Our genius president, who is too much of a...oh let's see so many words to choose from...snob, yes snob is good...social misft, yes, there's another good one...oblivious idiot, inept leader..well you get the point... He decided to pay someone alot of money to find out what is own staff is like...money, I might add, that could better be used in MY BUDGET to get some WORK DONE, especially since he continually demands us to CUT COSTS. Whatever...so I had to take 2 personality tests and meet with this guy for 2 hours to find out exactly what I already know about myself. You'll be happy to know that I am smart, honest, logical, questioning, thoughtful person, who can tend to overreact, and ignore things that I don't want to deal with. I am also a control freak who needs alot of affection. (I'm an ISFP for all you Meyers Briggs fans) As I said to the guy..."is that so wrong??" What a colossal waste of time.

Anyway...other than that I have been battling the raging hormones (getting better, I only cried 3 times this week!) and the dibilitating cramps (had to stay home today since 3 advil every 6 hours wasn't making a dent) but hey who's complaining? I went for acupuncture last night, which was very cool. It is probably too late to help any infertility issues, but I am hoping it will help ease the stress, pain and lack of sleep. It is really amazing how those pressure points can affect your body. I am also on some chinese herbal supplement (which hubby and I affectionately call "ancient chinese secret") and fish oil pills to cure my "dampness & stagnation" (which is apparently what is REALLY wrong with my uterus...who knew). That deadly combination is apparently very difficult to be cured with acupuncture, but we're giving it the old college try.

So what's a girl to do with all this craziness in her life? Get jiggy with some yarn of course! I continue to slog away on the shawl...I think I am reaching the halfway point tonight. But I decided to try kool aid dyeing for the heck of it. I won't bother to rehash the whole (microwave) method, there's plenty of instructions out in blogland. But here are the pics:



I couldn't get a great picture of the finished product. The one on the left has great variegatedness (what?) of blues, greens and yellows. The pink one has more subtle tones...somehow the colors all schmooshed together (technical term)with that one..I think a little grape goes too long a way. The colors weren't as rich as I expected either. I used 4 packets, one of each color, and I guess I should have used more. I think I am going to make the Sophie bag with the pink skein. I was thinking of doing one more overdye to add some orange & yellow in to make it more interesting. I have no idea what to do with the green/blue skein, but it was fun to do! And sorry for the crappy balls (love to see who I get on a google search for that one) but as you can see I desperately need a ball winder.

Medication time...Medication time...got to go take another handful of Advil before my uterus falls out. Carry on people. Ice skating finals on tonight...go USA!

Love and presents (yay!)

Happy Belated Valentine's Day to all you sweethearts out there...hope you had your version of a good day. Me and the honey had a fabulous dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant and it was dee lish us. Not enough chocolate was ingested, but my hips will thank me later.

Still slogging away on that leaf lace scarf - it is a relatively easy knit, but if you miss one dang yarnover you have to tink back to kingdom come...It is coming out great, but I already can't wait until I'm done. I decided I am going to knit myself a pair of socks when I'm done. Two socks. I make that distinction because I have never actually knit a PAIR of socks before. Come to think of it, I have never knit anything for MYSELF before. I have this crazy stripey yarn that is just my style...will have to pick a good pattern for that..hmmm....

Haven't watched much of the olympics...only what I catch from 8-10 while I am catching up on my life outside of work. Olympic knitting is just a ridiculous concept to me...but from what I hear 2000+ people jumped on the bandwagon...I hope you don't get any demerits for not following the blogland bandwagon...

After a long day of work, I came home to a GREAT gift from my Cash Free SP...here is what I found when I opened the envelope:
I was quite perplexed..at first I thought it was a baby album or something...and I'm thinking, well, at least my SP seems confident about this kid thing....and then I untied the bow, and opened it like a book....

What the heck?? I realized it wasn't a book at all....

It's like a pop-up (out? over?) thingie! It's a free baby pattern sweater, complete with instructions for both pullover and cardigan, with adorable teddy bear charts!! How COOL is that?? Props to you SP, I am totally impressed. It is a very unique and creative way to present a pattern!! It is just the cutest freaking thing EVER. I LOVE IT! Even the husband was impressed, and trust me, he just doesn't get the knitting thing... You've inspired me for my SP gifts...although I could never duplicate your amazing effort. Thank you Thank you, I will treasure this! (Am I gushing?)

Yay presents! Yay tomorrow is Friday! Yay I have off on Monday!

YAY!!

Manic Monday

Well, I thought I would be spending the day getting pregnant, but alas it's wasn't meant to be today. My uterus continues to be uncooperative, so it looks like we have to put those suckers in the deep freeze and wait until next month. I guess I could have gone to work today, but between the snow, the railroad being inoperative today, and well, the I don't really give a fuck attitude today....well, it seems that a mental health day was in order.

So I watched a little "What not to wear", ate a peanut butter sandwich, knit a little of the shawl, and basically felt sorry for myself all day today...I did however, create a little package for my SP, and everyone knows that doing nice things for others is a real pick me up.

Anyway, just a little vent, I'll be over it by tomorrow....I was surfing the knit blogs and came across this interesting meme. If you find it interesting, tag yourself and let me know you did it too.

Directions: Open iTunes/iPod or Windows Media Player to answer the following. Go to your library. Answer, no matter how embarrasing it is.

How many songs: 1395

Sort by song title...
First song: #34 – Dave Matthews Band
Last song: Zanzibar – Billy Joel

Sort by time...
Shortest Song: “Blank” – John Mayer
Longest Song: That was a Crazy Game of Poker – O.A. R.

Sort by album...
First Song: Your Winter – Sister Hazel; 10 Things I Hate About You
Last Song: Three is a Magic Number – Blind Melon (album name blank)

First 5 songs that come up on Shuffle...
1. I see you baby – Groove Armada
2. Don’t come around here no more – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
3. My Vision - Seal
4. Call Me - Blondie
5. So Damn Lucky – Dave Matthews

Search...
1. "Sex"--How many songs come up: 11
2. "Death"--How many songs come up: 1
3. "Love"--How many songs come up: 74
4. "You"--How many songs come up: 166
5. "love" and "you" --How many songs come up: 15

Sleepy Saturday

So I'm just sitting around here basically waiting for the snow to start...we're supposed to have a big nor'easter round these parts tonight... So with the hubby out buying provisions (soup, hot chocolate and the makin's for chili - that's why I married the man folks) I took up the official position as couch potato and did some knitting while watching all my DVR'd episodes of Will & Grace and ER. I loves me some John Leguizamo...

I was able to rip back the leaf lace shawl and figure out where my mistake was - note to moronic self - count those stitches before slipping in a life line, those yarn overs are sneaky little bastards. So here is my progress with only 1 bazillion repeats to go...

I have ripped this sucker back no less than 4 times...I am forbidden to knit this in my husband's presence because I am either counting out loud (KNIT 2, YARN OVER) or cursing the damn thing because I dropped ONE STITCH and unlike Grumperina, who would not only find her mistake, but be inspired by it and design a whole new shawl as she goes....I just keep ripping back until I get a row that has the correct number of stitches!!

I have also made some progress on the cable scarf, though I realize I am going to need more than three balls...this is just about one skein:


Alongside are some great notecards I got from my Cheapo Secret Pal! Little does she know that my hair looks just like that with the flippy thing going on...I love them. And of course Willow has to supervise everything!

This SP is quite the challenge..I swear my person (downstream/upstream whatever the lingo is) couldn't be more opposite of me!! Not that it's a bad thing, but for goodness sakes she doesn't even like ice cream!! I have a few ideas for gifts, but this is harder than I thought!

In IVF news, I laid 4 eggs yesterday and 3 fertilized. We'll be putting these three back in Monday morning, hopefully anway...of course as usual my uterus doesn't want to cooperate, so I have to go have a sonogram tomorrow morning, assuming of course the office is open and I can get there in the snow. I swear if you knew me this would be no surprise. I do everything the most difficult way possible. Sometimes I think God knows I can handle it, so he spares some other poor schmuck from losing their minds from the stress...other times I think he just has a very very sick sense of humor....

Thought I'd edit to include some pictures I snapped from the windows. We put out some birdseed in the backyard and were visited by a beautiful cardinal:

The Music Meme

No one tagged me, but I read this at a blog I read regulary, and I decided to tag myself. I have to tag 7 other people, which will be a challenge...I don't think I know 7 other bloggers yet... but whatever...

Instructions: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.

Okay, we're just talking right now...and not my favorite all time songs, right?

Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple - love that retro sultry voice. "Be nice to me, or treat me mean..I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine".

Looking at the world from the bottom of a well by Mike Doughty - LOVE this guy..I am listening to the Haughty Melodic album over and over like a mental patient. He's just starting to hit the mainstream, after riding Dave Matthew's coattails a while. I listened to him way before this song was played on Gray's Anatomy. "Oh all the days/That I have run/I sought to lose that cloud that's blacking out the sun/My train will come/Some one day soon/And when it comes I'll ride it bound from night to noon."

Tremendous Brunettes by Mike Doughty - "slow down, dont f**k with my high, I want be left alone here with my monsters.."

You're Beautiful by James Blunt - I love the romantic notion of falling in love with a stranger on the subway "My life is brilliant/My love is pure/I saw an angel/Of that I'm sure."

Sugar we're going down by Fall Out Boy - can't help singing to this one when it comes on in the car. "We're going down, down in an earlier round. And Sugar, we're going down swinging. "

Breathe by Anna Nalick - Great voice "We're like cars on a cable/And life's like an hourglass glued to the table"

Gold Digger by Kanye West & Jamie Foxx - I still love my hip hop from my college days..and this one cracks me up. Especially when Ellen sang it on her show! "Get down girl go head get down"

L. Cheapo is el neato

Behold, the sheepskate:



Secret Pal, you rock.

TGIF

Yeah so I decided I hate Interlocking Balloons. No matter how hard you try, the knit stitches that make up the "balloon" aren't really straight and it makes the pattern look like something you would buy in the clearence bin at target. I think that's why they don't show you a closeup picture in Scarf Style, but rather a far away mostly fuzzy picture. And come to think of it, that guy doesn't really look like he likes the stupid thing. Anyway, I decided that balloons don't really equal "cabley" as originally requested. So I frogged the whole dang thing and am now using a cable pattern taken from a baby sweater pattern...pictures to come when I have enough rows to show some decent progress.

As for the leaf lace shawl, well, can you say "life line"? Of course I kept saying to myself, ya know I really should put a life line in here before I F#&$ - oops too late. Needless to say what I had already done became an instant cat toy and I started again, this time WITH a lifeline. I'm too embarassed to show you a picture.

So I joined my first SP thingie recently. It's a cash free version that seemed a nice transition into participation into one of the "real" SP events (that and I missed the deadlines)...but holy crap I am so nervous now. Cash free means I have to be creative and clever, and well, what if I can't live up? What if I am not cool enough? What kinds of stuff can you send for free or for nominal amounts? Well, I'm crafty, I'll think of something I guess. Man, the pressure!! My client presentation today wasn't HALF as nerve wracking!!!

Well I am glad we are having a girl's night out tonight to ease the pain..it's been a crazy week, so a margarita will come in handy. Lucy's Latin Kitchen in NYC, should be fun. Especially the part where I go into the bathroom and attempt to give myself fertility injections without anyone thinking I am a drug addict. (Maybe I should offer some around just for kicks) Booya!

(Oh, and note to whoever my SP is...sorry for...well, just, sorry. Do the best you can)