Back from Vacation

Hubbie and I went away for a few days. We went to Connecticut and hit some really nice sights. On the way to our hotel in Mystic we visited an old prison, Old New-Gate Prison. The prisoners had once mined copper in the caverns beneath the prison and visitors can still go there. Hubbie and I love Eastern State in Phili so much, we couldn't miss this. It was really cool in the caves in temperature as well as experience.

The 2nd day of our vacation we went to the Mystic Seaport and the Mystic Aquarium. I'd been to both places before, but it was nice to go back with Hubbie, and the whole trip lends itself to relaxation, which is what we were after.

On the 3rd day we visited Gillette Castle & Park. The drive there was wonderful, but long. On the way a deer crossed the street in front of us and checked us our as she went. The houses were beautiful rural, farm looking, just lovely! As we drove the forest was like a pair of flowing green ribbons on either side of us. Once we reached the castle we were pleased to see the long ride had been worth it.
Gillette was the 1st actor to portray the character of Sherlock Holmes on stage. He designed and partly built the home. It was awesome. The doors, the windows, had been hand made and were opened and closed with wooden cranks and knobs and doodads...brilliant! After we'd looked through the castle we made our way outside to a multitude of hiking trails on the grounds. The woods were breathtaking. We happened upon a pond complete with lilly pads and frogs (if it you don't already suspect, I love animals!!)

On the way back to Jersey we visited The Beardsley Zoo, and The Maritime Aquarium. The zoo was small, but lovely. Some of the enclosures were a bit small, but the zoo is certified so I supposed it's okay. The aquarium was more for small kids, but we had fun. We saw some seals, and a sea turtle, and some sharks..very cool.

I do have some pics of the trip and some of the little guys we met along the way.

I got very little of the surprise jacket done, and none of any of the other projects I'm dreaming up. I want to make a small sweater for myself out of some Schaefer Yarn. I love their yarn. And now i want to make an iPod case - got the idea from one of the ladies on Punk Rock Knitters.

I did get some yarn on my trip.
The Araucania Patagonia, (on top) is from The Knitting Niche in Greenwich, and the other skeins are from Mystic River Yarns and are by Ellyn Cooper.

The Ellyn Cooper yarns were so delicious no one could keep their hands (or noses) off them.


Smudge is just as nuts for yarn as I am...the perfect pair!

Green Woman Sweater...

I told my Mom I'd post it so she could see. Not how I wanted it to be. If it were a bit larger or I were a smidgen smaller it would look better. Berroco Ultra Alpaca in Pea Soup.

For Better or Worse

Today is my 2nd wedding anniversary. Sometimes I still can't believe I'm married. I'm a bit shocked I did just because it wasn't in my sights at all. I think if I could travel back in time and show my 21 year old self, or my 17 year old self the life I have now I'd give myself heart failure from the shock of it.
We didn't go to sleep until after 4 b/c we received a late night call from my mother in law. Sadly not unusual. So we're both really tired this morning, but he still managed to make the morning a delight. Aside from being adorable (which he often is) he got me a gift.

I think this makes 57 of them...too many dolls.

Aside from that I've been working on the Zimmermann Surprise Baby Sweater. It's a lot of counting, but really a wonderful pattern just in the knitting of it alone, like solving a good sudoku:)

Pepper and her hubbie are back from Otakon. They brought back some great pics, and a Gir shirt for me!!

Pepper @ Otakon, Zimmermann Madness, Rainbow Sweater, & Crochet Baby Blanket

I am very sad...once again Pepper has left the Garden State. This time she went to Otakon in Maryland. It's an anime con. I don't know very much about anime...I really loved Full Metal Alchemist, and I've enjoyed some other animes. People get dressed up and go all out, so just looking at the costumes is interesting.

Pepper tells me that she's see some people dressed as the characters from Labyrinth, which has me incredibly intrigued. No one can look as skinny-guy-hot in that outfit as David Bowie. So we'll see when she comes back with pics. I assume anyone who'd read this has seen the movie, but if not, you are missing out. The soundtrack rocks also. Nothing beats As the World Falls Down; Bowie's voice in awesome and I must say quite hot:)

I finished the "Puzzle Sweater", but the puzzle piece theme didn't really work so I'm calling it my "Rainbow Sweater" now. I still need the crochet edging and buttons...massive, huge buttons.





I had this really nice but very difficult to work with yarn: Sirdar Confetti. I'm going to just do a simple crochet blanket of rows of half doubles. The yarn is so funny to work with...I was originally going to do chevrons but chickened out.





Last, but not least, Mom and I have gone EZ crazy. It was very strange the way it all came about. We're pretty much new to knitting and didn't know about her, but all of a sudden it seemed her name was everywhere we turned, and now I'm just in awe of what an incredible person and artist she was...so we've gotten these two books and a DVD of her PBS specials so far. We're both going to do the Surprise Baby Jacket, like everyone else in the free world.

Crochet Crazy and Puzzling Sweater

My mom has been working on multiple projects (a rarity for her) and here are two of them...
1st: the back of a crochet cartigan with Lionsbrand Microspun.

She lengthened it. I was thinking I might try it more fitted with kimono sleaves.

The next pic is of a simple shell blanket she's doing with some sort of cotton yarn (no label).

I'm trying to come up with a semi creative sweater with this Katia Nepal and decided on a puzzle theme...we'll see how puzzly it is.

Productive Day...

After finishing that rainbow sweater with the Noro yarn last night I started on a baby sweater with Katia Nepal yarn. My mother and I e-mailed back and forth like lunes about our next projects and agreed to do something by Elizabeth Zimmermann. We're fascinated. Little sis Pepper finished her chocolate and mint Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino infant hoodie.

Mom was determined to try to find a nice sized, long strapped pocket book, but left Macy's empty handed. They really are nowhere to be found, and the few we saw she didn't love. We saw Licence to Wed , and it was really cute. We chose that one because "the husbands" (aka my dad, Pepper's husband, and my husband) would never have agreed to see it. I'm not a romantic comedy person per say, but Robin Williams was hysterical (as usual) and that guy from The Office (a fantastic show, by the way) is a cutie pie. I also wandered into Spencers and found Jacob and couldn't resist even though I shouldn't be spending money on crap I don't need...

He's my 55th if you count the twins as 1. I think I have far too many, but I think they're really adorable. I love to look over at them while I'm working on my writing. When I stare at them too long my thoughts inevitably stray from my storyline to wondering what I'm going to do with them when I do have a baby. Who knows . . .

Friday the 13th

My rational self insists that there's no reason to succumb to superstition, but with most things I manage to stomp that sanity right out. I flip pennies to the heads side before I pick them up, I toss spilt salt over my shoulder (just in case). But there are some things that just don't seem to bother me. Black cats, for instance, don't seem particularly ominous. The number 13, and Friday the 13th specifically, doesn't bother me at all.

Two of my husband's friends got married yesterday. Apparently co workers gave my husband a funny look when he said he'd have to leave early to go to a wedding - like, 'who would get married on Friday the 13th.' I get the superstitious state of mind in general, but just don't see the unluckiness of 13.

Anyway, the wedding was very nice. It was in their yard, and they set the whole thing up really well. The table settings were each a different Victorian looking terrarium surrounded by pillar candle holders wrapped in gauze and adorned with tiny safety pins. Very pretty. I got to see my good friend who just returned from Habitat for Humanities-type trip to Kenya. She & the organization she's involved with helped improve a school there and worked with the students as well. She brought her camera and showed me some of the most incredible shots of the animals and the people she met. I think it's great that she did that, and I like to think that I'm a semi good person, but I can never see myself doing something like that. I don't even know all the reasons why.

Current Projects 7/12/07

I should have been working on this stuff today, but I spent the day goofing off:)



This is a toddler sweater. The white, periwinkle, and green yarns are all Caron Simply Soft, just like the Bunny Sweater . Some people get weird when it comes to yarn and insist that more expensive yarns are better, or that items made from inexpensive yarn aren't as nice. Basically, I don't care what anyone else thinks and I use the yarn that feels or looks best for me.

The varigated yarn that looks greenish-blue is Araucania Pehuen. Proof that I do mix it up as far as pricing is concerned. I really loved this yarn and had very little of it in this color. Mom suggested I use it for something special so I chose to take a risk here. I don't know how all of this will wash together, but either way, the process was nice. The Caron is so nice to work with, as is the Pehuen, but in different ways.

The next piece is something I started during the last few days of school. I had no work to do in the evenings and didn't want to go back to this Fitted Knits piece I have sitting around quite yet (I've ripped it up three times). It's a from the top down raglan and I just decided to wing it. I had some Noro Silk Garden I got on sale and it seems to be coming out o-tay.

Pepper in California

Pepper is in California (did I spell that right?). Come home soon. Mom and I are scrapping by without you. I'm almost finished with the thing for your ID holder...don't know what one would call this...a necklace, a lanyard, who knows...anyway, here's a blurry scan of it. You get the idea about the colors, though.

It's not sterling, but I don't think it needs to be. The yellow and blue are lampwork (obviously not by me), the white are shell, the crystally chunks are the aquamarine chips and the tiny Swarovski beads.

I'm bored and figured I'd try this. Maybe I'll stick with it. Maybe I'll junk it.

Anyway, this was a pattern I dug out of one of my mom's baby books...it may be a Debbie Bliss pattern. The yarn was Caron in black and TLC in lime green. I swiss darned the bunny on there and gave her a 3D cotton tail. We're making baby clothes in prep, but I'm not prego yet.

The color in the photo is off, but you get the picture.