More to come, details to follow and there might even be a giveaway! Post a comment to let me know there's still some of you left out there!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Go Home Young Man...
I just got back from a trip to see my family. I flew into Atlantic City and rented a car. I wasn't in NJ 45 minutes when a woman in ginormous white sunglasses, driving a monster Escalade flew out from behind me and passed me going 90 miles an hour. She gave me the finger as she flew by and I knew it was going to be a perfect weekend. Classic!
The entire weekend was a harmonious blend of my favorite things -- family, friends, Mom's cooking, NYC and Winter weather as cold as 13 degrees. Winter is a character in my life that doesn't visit often enough. It's so sensory, full of life and I love everything about it. The reason for the trip was a celebration, my niece turned 16! She's a great kid. Before the party, I had absolutely no concept of what 16 year old kids were like but I was surprised that a lot of them seemed like really good kids. There weren't any obvious nose piercing, tattoos or use of vulgar language so I was pretty impressed and surprised.
I spent Sunday in the city with my oldest and one of my dearest friends. We walked through Central Park, had lunch at the Boathouse, went to the Met and had drinks at the Oak Room at the Plaza hotel. It was an exceptional and lovely day. I love everything about the city, especially this time of year. I was all bundled up in my hand knit scarf and fingerless gloves. And yes, they survived the trip and got tons of use!
I know so many of you live in cold climates but for this Florida guy, it was paradise. The only really beat part of the whole weekend was I forgot my knitting. I must have said 10 times before I left, "get something out of the ottoman to bring on the trip." Never happened! I did have my Nook so the trip was not lost. Just for fun, I wanted to try knitting with twine and two pencils at my parents. I could hear my Mom, "Joseph, give it a rest already!" Gotta hear it with the New Yawk accent ... Classic!
The entire weekend was a harmonious blend of my favorite things -- family, friends, Mom's cooking, NYC and Winter weather as cold as 13 degrees. Winter is a character in my life that doesn't visit often enough. It's so sensory, full of life and I love everything about it. The reason for the trip was a celebration, my niece turned 16! She's a great kid. Before the party, I had absolutely no concept of what 16 year old kids were like but I was surprised that a lot of them seemed like really good kids. There weren't any obvious nose piercing, tattoos or use of vulgar language so I was pretty impressed and surprised.
I spent Sunday in the city with my oldest and one of my dearest friends. We walked through Central Park, had lunch at the Boathouse, went to the Met and had drinks at the Oak Room at the Plaza hotel. It was an exceptional and lovely day. I love everything about the city, especially this time of year. I was all bundled up in my hand knit scarf and fingerless gloves. And yes, they survived the trip and got tons of use! I know so many of you live in cold climates but for this Florida guy, it was paradise. The only really beat part of the whole weekend was I forgot my knitting. I must have said 10 times before I left, "get something out of the ottoman to bring on the trip." Never happened! I did have my Nook so the trip was not lost. Just for fun, I wanted to try knitting with twine and two pencils at my parents. I could hear my Mom, "Joseph, give it a rest already!" Gotta hear it with the New Yawk accent ... Classic!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Coffee Talk 2
I love how more people emailed or Rav-mailed me about the penis-cozy girl rather than actually leaving a comment! I got a real kick out of it. So much so, that I thought it could be a fun weekly piece, "Strange Knit Tuesdays". Okay, fine, I didn't really think the name through. I thought, hey, it might even make me a better blogger or that's how I was selling it to myself. In the end, it will not be a regular piece because surfing the web for stuff like this is a ridiculous waste of time. The cursory search did bring us this darling and I'd be remiss if I didn't share it with you. It's a crocheted, anatomically accurate birth doll with a removable umbilical cord! (not pictured,, you need to head over to Etsy for all the glory). I love it. I'd spend the $15 for the pattern but it's an advanced crochet pattern and I can barely chain stitch.
Garret, I can't help ya, I just came across Penis-cozy girl in my travels. I swear (hand raised in boy scout fashion). And Krystal, a woman of few words, glad to see you back! To all you others, too scared to attach your monikers to this insanity ... I can't blame you!
I picked up the new Vogue Knitting and have been pouring over Josh's (aka Boy Meets Purl) fair-isle cardigan. I think I'm really going to try a sweater this year! It's gorgeous and I can totally see myself on this guy in this sweater. Oops.
Garret, I can't help ya, I just came across Penis-cozy girl in my travels. I swear (hand raised in boy scout fashion). And Krystal, a woman of few words, glad to see you back! To all you others, too scared to attach your monikers to this insanity ... I can't blame you! 
I picked up the new Vogue Knitting and have been pouring over Josh's (aka Boy Meets Purl) fair-isle cardigan. I think I'm really going to try a sweater this year! It's gorgeous and I can totally see myself Friday, January 7, 2011
Coffee Talk
I give you this ... talk amongst yourselves! I'll start you off...
Why? Just why?
Why is she praying? Could it be for a new outfit?
Why would a woman wear a full body penis cozy?
Do you think there's a pattern?
You're on your own from here!
Why? Just why?
Why is she praying? Could it be for a new outfit?
Why would a woman wear a full body penis cozy?
Do you think there's a pattern?
You're on your own from here!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
I trust your holidays were wonderful! I enjoyed entertaining friends this year as I did not get home but truly enjoyed new traditions and tons of wine, excuse me, laughter. Tons of laughter!
Since the holidays, it's been quiet times at casa knitguyla. I fiddle with my CSM and Twitter but mostly enjoy long walks in the "cold". Actually, it's been absolutely chilly and a few nights have even required long pants!
I finally finished, meaning "sew the seams" on the fingerless mitts from a while back. They are quite comfy and I have to say that my mattress stitch skill is clearly improving. The join is actually good in the stockinette portions but marginal in the basketweave sections. I wanted a quick knit for my weekend in NYC and this free Rav pattern fit the bill. They are charcoal gray/black and knit in Cascade Superwash. If they don't fall apart on the trip, I'll consider them a slamming success!
Little Colonnade of Stephen West designs also begins to take shape. I found myself with the wrong number of stitches and the center YO's veering toward the right so it had to be ripped back about 6-10 rows. I'm back on track, keep your fingers crossed!
I finally received the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice on Netflix and I'm totally crushing on this new Mr. Darcy. His voice is so sexy, you should rent it just for the listen. This version has some "teeth" and really humanizes Miss Austen's characters. I like it but when have I been known to not adore anything Jane. Make fun but I embrace the 15 year old girl inside me! You're all just jealous. The closing scene in the U.S. version is a mess, be warned! If you like, listen a bit here to Matthew but definitely click ahead to 3:29 and deny you don't want to be Keira Knightly!
In the comments, we welcome Pam! She said the nicest thing, "Gabbing with a friend about knitting, I agree, that's nice. That's what started me reading your blog." That's exactly how I hope my blog seems to readers. I'm so pleased to hear that! Thanks again for stopping by!
And Dave, please don't use dirty words in my comment section like CSM. ;-) A full post about the nasty varmint is pending. Enjoy the snow for me!
Happy 2011!
Since the holidays, it's been quiet times at casa knitguyla. I fiddle with my CSM and Twitter but mostly enjoy long walks in the "cold". Actually, it's been absolutely chilly and a few nights have even required long pants!
I finally finished, meaning "sew the seams" on the fingerless mitts from a while back. They are quite comfy and I have to say that my mattress stitch skill is clearly improving. The join is actually good in the stockinette portions but marginal in the basketweave sections. I wanted a quick knit for my weekend in NYC and this free Rav pattern fit the bill. They are charcoal gray/black and knit in Cascade Superwash. If they don't fall apart on the trip, I'll consider them a slamming success!
Little Colonnade of Stephen West designs also begins to take shape. I found myself with the wrong number of stitches and the center YO's veering toward the right so it had to be ripped back about 6-10 rows. I'm back on track, keep your fingers crossed!
I finally received the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice on Netflix and I'm totally crushing on this new Mr. Darcy. His voice is so sexy, you should rent it just for the listen. This version has some "teeth" and really humanizes Miss Austen's characters. I like it but when have I been known to not adore anything Jane. Make fun but I embrace the 15 year old girl inside me! You're all just jealous. The closing scene in the U.S. version is a mess, be warned! If you like, listen a bit here to Matthew but definitely click ahead to 3:29 and deny you don't want to be Keira Knightly!
In the comments, we welcome Pam! She said the nicest thing, "Gabbing with a friend about knitting, I agree, that's nice. That's what started me reading your blog." That's exactly how I hope my blog seems to readers. I'm so pleased to hear that! Thanks again for stopping by!
And Dave, please don't use dirty words in my comment section like CSM. ;-) A full post about the nasty varmint is pending. Enjoy the snow for me!
Happy 2011!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
I'm 33...
That's enough laughing from the peanut gallery. I received an email from a stranger the other day telling me that I'd been chosen as one of the top 40 knitting and crochet blogs. At first, I thought the whole post was about garnering more traffic to her site. I'm sure that's part of it but it was an awful lot of work researching the 40 blogs so I decided to post her link all the same.
I find it fascinating that I don't know who the #1 knitting blogger is (anyone read her?) but I'm pleased that several of my friends made the list. The fact that I was ranked #33 and Marilyn was #34 is ludicrous!
She said this about my little place on the web, "This blogger is dedicated to small projects, making his site the perfect read for the newbie knitter. We love the blog because it isn’t too formal, so you feel like you’re gabbing with a friend about knitting."
"Gabbing with a friend about knitting", I kinda like that!
Happy Holidays Everyone!
I find it fascinating that I don't know who the #1 knitting blogger is (anyone read her?) but I'm pleased that several of my friends made the list. The fact that I was ranked #33 and Marilyn was #34 is ludicrous!
She said this about my little place on the web, "This blogger is dedicated to small projects, making his site the perfect read for the newbie knitter. We love the blog because it isn’t too formal, so you feel like you’re gabbing with a friend about knitting."
"Gabbing with a friend about knitting", I kinda like that!
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Harry Potter and a New Project
Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 1 is without a doubt the best in the series! I saw it last week. I loved it. Keep your eyes open, there are some great knits in there! In between, I ate tons of turkey and took 4 days off from work. All in all, it was a great week! Is it wrong of me to want a iPhone just so I can play the Harry Potter theme song on it?
Knitting...couldn't muster the energy for the cast-on in my last post, too lazy. I wound up a skein of Hazel Knits yarn that was gifted to me at the Fall Retreat by the fabulous WonderMike. As soon as I saw it in that perfect, center pull ball, I knew it had to be a westknits design. Little Colonnade is safely on the needles and just above the 100 stitch count. That's about halfway through section one in just an afternoon! This is my kind of pattern. I'm using the blue because I love all blue tones [footnote for your Holiday lists]. Knitting with this yarn has me thinking of Seattle and the most recent retreat. Even though I was sick times eleventy-million, I did enjoy one afternoon and even discovered a wonder of nature named after me. It must have been the fever, I'm usually far too afraid of heights to lean over the edge like this! Missing Seattle and hoping you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Up Next...
Cast on 346 stitches. Oy! I waited for my new Addi Clicks to arrive to start this project as it requires two needle sizes. The pattern called for a cobweb lace weight cashmere yarn (used doubled) but I'm opting for a fingering weight all by itself. I don't have the patience for doubled cobweb lace yarn nor do I have a LYS that carries it so I went stash diving and came up with an alternative in a pseudo-tweedy wool/silk blend. I think it'll work if I can get beyond the cast-on edge -- all 346 stitches of it! We begin ... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 marker.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
3 ingredients and 45 minutes
+
+
= dinner tonight.
YarnHarlot and Hizknits made me do it. I don't think I'll make it on Christmas Day but it is the most excellent Wednesday night dinner. Try it...it's so simple, really yummy and has butter in it! Need I say more? Details over at Smitten Kitchen. While you're there, check out the chocolate cake as well. You won't be the same, swear!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Last month, the Men's Fall Knitting Retreat was held at Dumas Bay and altough I've been meaning to post about it, I haven't had the inclination to write it up. You'll see why if you continue on. As always, it was great to see the guys who attend these events! I really enjoy their company and wish I lived closer to many of them. On top of that, I love the little city of the Pacific Northwest that is Seattle and could easily live there. Unfortunately, the trip was slightly overshadowed by the plague I suffered from while I was there!
To the lady on my flight to Seattle in 26B, I hope you're still sick and I hate you for coughing on me for 3 hours.
I left the retreat on Sunday having missed all of my classes and having visited with the guys for barely a day and a half. I was hopeful for the remainder of my trip. WonderMike couldn't have been a better host, he looked after me and gifted me the most amazing yarn from Hazel Knits. The camera is not playing nicely with the computer at the moment but click the link, she's amazingly talented. I'm thinking a Stephen West design should do the yarn justice. I also received tons of swag and even won the coolest pattern markers and project bag from Slipped Stitch Studios. Visit them on Etsy and spend money there!
Monday was spent in bed ordering room service.
9AM May I have a pot of tea? ... Yes
12PM May I have tomato soup and a pot of tea? ... Yes
2PM May I have chocolate lava cake and a pot of tea? ... Yes
5PM May I have tortilla soup and a pot of tea? ... Yes
6:30PM May I have creme bruilee? ... Yes and a pot of tea.
If nothing else I'm consistent.
Tuesday, having ingested a bottle of Dayquil, I set off for Bainbridge Island and Churchmouse Yarns & Tea. I loved the shop. I purchased some lovely Rowan Kid Silk Haze for a scarf from Churchmouse's private designs.
The following day, I was actually feeling well and spent a lazy and lovely afternoon at the Public Market and the Seattle Art Museum. They have a varied and beautiful collection of work and this really cool tour that can be accessed with your phone where you can listen to the curator's take on an individual piece. It was like being there with a very knowledgable friend. I especially liked the knit/crochet exhibit! It was really unique and filled with different yarns and stitch patterns! Phone photos don't do it justice and I stupidly left the camera at the hotel. All the more reason to visit SAM again!
Upon my return, I was feeling a little sorry for myself and the fact that I barely spent any money in Seattle, I was encouraged to treat myself to a few "welcome home gifts".
I opted against photographing the new china, flatware and glassware that will adorn my Thanksgiving table but I was concerned for Blogger's bandwidth capacity. ;-)
Sorry I missed ya'll at Rhinebeck. It wasn't in the cards this year!
To the lady on my flight to Seattle in 26B, I hope you're still sick and I hate you for coughing on me for 3 hours.
I left the retreat on Sunday having missed all of my classes and having visited with the guys for barely a day and a half. I was hopeful for the remainder of my trip. WonderMike couldn't have been a better host, he looked after me and gifted me the most amazing yarn from Hazel Knits. The camera is not playing nicely with the computer at the moment but click the link, she's amazingly talented. I'm thinking a Stephen West design should do the yarn justice. I also received tons of swag and even won the coolest pattern markers and project bag from Slipped Stitch Studios. Visit them on Etsy and spend money there!
Monday was spent in bed ordering room service.
9AM May I have a pot of tea? ... Yes
12PM May I have tomato soup and a pot of tea? ... Yes
2PM May I have chocolate lava cake and a pot of tea? ... Yes
5PM May I have tortilla soup and a pot of tea? ... Yes
6:30PM May I have creme bruilee? ... Yes and a pot of tea.
If nothing else I'm consistent.
Tuesday, having ingested a bottle of Dayquil, I set off for Bainbridge Island and Churchmouse Yarns & Tea. I loved the shop. I purchased some lovely Rowan Kid Silk Haze for a scarf from Churchmouse's private designs.
The following day, I was actually feeling well and spent a lazy and lovely afternoon at the Public Market and the Seattle Art Museum. They have a varied and beautiful collection of work and this really cool tour that can be accessed with your phone where you can listen to the curator's take on an individual piece. It was like being there with a very knowledgable friend. I especially liked the knit/crochet exhibit! It was really unique and filled with different yarns and stitch patterns! Phone photos don't do it justice and I stupidly left the camera at the hotel. All the more reason to visit SAM again!
Upon my return, I was feeling a little sorry for myself and the fact that I barely spent any money in Seattle, I was encouraged to treat myself to a few "welcome home gifts".
I opted against photographing the new china, flatware and glassware that will adorn my Thanksgiving table but I was concerned for Blogger's bandwidth capacity. ;-)
Sorry I missed ya'll at Rhinebeck. It wasn't in the cards this year!
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