Yarn, Giants, Tigers

My boss offered me the companies Club Level seats to the Giants vs Padres game Saturday and of course I was happy to accept. I rounded up some friends, we set the time to leave and off we went. Karol, Erin, Betsy (Erin's mom) and I all took the Cal Train up to Millbrae, transferred on to the BART to go into San Francisco. I know you are asking, why would they transfer on to the BART if they are going to the Giants game...cause we went to Artfibers first silly!

I saw the most beautiful brownish/bronze color in the Satori yarn. It looked beautiful knitted up, but not sure it the color would really be flattering on me. So I took my little swatch with me to ponder the color choice.

Then we headed out to the game, got food and drinks (I had a margarita or maybe two.) Knitting, food, drinks, sunny day at the ballpark, it was great!

My uncle, aunt and mom were at the game too, they had seats only one section away and we met up with them after the game for a short visit.

Me, Uncle Kevin and Aunt Barbi

I started working on my Giants socks out of Panda Silk, they are really soft.

And I have finished the second and final project for the Ravelympics. These were originally called, We Call Them Giants, but since they are no longer going to be the socks that my boss gets for her to wear to the Giants games, I have renamed them.....

Sorry Roger, You Tiger Now!

And if you are not familiar with that tag line, here is where I got it from...

(The embedding is not working, so you will have to click on this link.)

Pattern: Hedera by Cookie A
Source: Knitty Spring 2006

Materials: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Lightweight Socks that Rock in Rocky Horror

Needles: 2.75mm Magic Loop Method

Ravelympics, Fiesta!

Pattern: Fiesta Mittens by Lucy Neatby (Ravelry)

Source: Tradewind Knitwear Design

Materials: Curious Creek Fibers Wasonga in Moon Shine and Omo in Early Sunest.
Amount: Not sure the exact amount, it was a test knit and not full hanks were supplied.

Needles: 2.0mm cuff, 2.25mm hand and 2.75mm on thumb (right hand mitten) and 2.25mm cuff, 2.5mm hand and 2.75mm thumb (left hand mitten)

Start Date: July 26, 2008

Finish Date: August 17, 2008

Funny how things just happen; I came into contact with Kristine Brooks, artist/owner of Curious Creek Fibers through a friend of a friend. We exchanged emails and the next thing you know, I was knitting for her. Curious Creek Fibers is partnering with Lucy Neatby to create kits for Lucy’s patterns and trunk show. I was given several choices of patterns to pick from and the Fiesta Mittens were one of them, you all know my love of fair isle now.

Lucy Neatby used Koigu originally and Kristine wanted to see how the pattern would work with her beautiful hand dyed creations. I think they are very nice, don’t you? She had the idea of using two different yarns in her line. The main color yarn is Wasonga, her fingering merino yarn in Moon Shine. It is a really pretty eggplant color with touches of black and pale lavender throughout. The contrast color is Omo, her fingering 4 ply silk/merino. The use of the Omo just pops beautifully.

Fiesta Mittens in Curious Creek Fibers should be made available soon as a kit; a great pattern with beautiful hand dyed yarns! Since my deadline also corresponded with the Ravelympics, this project was entered in WIP Wrestling.

Decent Day: BAD ending

Monday’s are sometimes the worst day of the week, agree? Well, yesterday was not a bad Monday until I got ready to leave work. If you don’t already know, I work at a car dealership. When you buy a car, I am the one that ensures you get registration and plates for your car, I process the DMV paperwork. It’s a job a job and pays decent. Along with that, sometimes our customers get tickets and the dealership is forced by the DMV to pay the ticket in order to complete a transfer of ownership on a vehicle, speaking strictly of a used car. So there was this customer who leased a car and when his lease was up he went ahead and bought the car out right. When I transferred the ownership of his car from the bank to him there was a parking ticket on his record and the DMV would not do the transfer unless the ticket was paid, so we paid it. I then sent the customer a letter stating that we paid the ticket and requested reimbursement from him like I have done many, many times before from other customers with the same situation. Let’s just say that he was adamant that the ticket was not his, even though he owned the car when the ticket was issued and he in not so nice words declined to pay the ticket and was getting quite worked up about it. I was very calm, believe it or not (I have a witness) and I realized that continuing this conversation was not going to be beneficial to either of us. Now, I am leaving a huge amount of dialogue out (see me for more detailed summary and facial expressions) but here is what turned a fairly decent Monday in to a crap day…

Customer: They made a mistake, I was not in _______ during the month of February and I am not going to pay the ticket.

Me: Ok, I will pass it along to my manager and you have a nice evening.

Customer: I don’t think you understand, I am not going to pay that.

Me: I do understand, have a nice evening. (still trying to end the conversation)

Customer: No, you are going to listen to me, you don’t know how to do good business, let me tell you how do to good business, you are going to listen to me or I am going to call ______ your General Manager and tell him what a horrible job you are doing, you scumbag.

Me: Excuse me! Did you just call me a scumbag?

Customer: Yes I did…

Me: (action) Slam phone receiver down and hang up on customer.

All of this over a $20 dollar parking ticket!

Hope your Monday was better than mine. Tomorrow, detail on my Ravelympic knitting event completed.

Beijing Opening Ceremonies

I had a dilemma Friday at work. My boss came by my desk waiving Club Level tickets to the Giants vs Dodger game asking me if I wanted them. Well of course I do, the company tickets to a Dodger game is damn near impossible to get. "When is it ?" I ask like a silly girl, tonight she says...ouch. The dilemma is, I love the Olympics, my knitting friends and when drinking is involved that is a trifecta...but I love going to Giants games and its even better when I have Club Level seats and they are FREE. Then I uttered the word that shocked both me and my boss, "I can't, I have plans already."

Some of the Team BobaKnit knitters gathered at the Firehouse in Sunnyvale, CA to watch the opening ceremonies and WOW what a site they were. I knew that it would be spectacular, but it was more than I had expected, even if we could not hear what was happening or the commentary. BobaKnitters in attendance were, Jeni, Teenuh, Jill, Linda, Juls, Margit, Julia, and Sheetal. There was knitting, food and of course there were drinks!

The sad thing about my knitting is the cuff of that sock was already done when I got there, I only completed 4 rounds after that. I was loving the Cosmos just a little too much to knit. Our server was fun, he had a great sense of humor. I wanted some coffee with my desert and while trying to express to him that I like a lot of cream I said to him, "I like a little coffee with my cream." I guess you should be careful of what you ask for...

Oh and since I was having too much fun and forgot to get my camera out, I totally stole these pictures from Teenuh's Flickr stream. She has other great pictures from that night on her blog. Thanks Teenuh.

In hind site, I am super glad that I passed on the baseball tickets. A good time was had by all of us watching the Beijing Opening Ceremonies and the Giants lost that night anyway, Saturdays game was better :)

Ready, Set, Cast On!!

I love the Olympics, Summer or Winter, makes no difference. Our TV will be tuned to the station with the games everyday. The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics I was 12 years old, I stayed with my grandparents in the San Fernando Valley and they took me to see the torch go by on its route. I took pictures (that I can't find at the moment) and it was memorable to watch.

And now that I knit, I am participating in the Ravelympics this year. You must cast on a project during the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics (Aug. 8)- and finish before the Olympic flame goes out (Aug. 24). That’s 17 days. I have joined Team Bobaknit and entered two events, Sockput ( knit a pair of socks) and WIP Wrestling (finish a project that is already underway.)

Tonight our team is gathering at the Firehouse in Sunnyvale, CA to watch the Opening Ceremonies together and root each other on as we knit to the finish line!

What are you event are you knitting in and what is the project?

A moment of weakness

I just have to put it out there, it is all Irishgirlieknits fault. I was reading her blog late last night thinking I am going to be reading all about her trip to Sea World and then at the bottom of the blog post she goes and mentions that Sundara opened up her Seasons Club. I have been wanting to purchase Sundara yarn for some time now, I just got paid, I was home alone, enough said. I chose the Winter season, it suits me best and I can't wait for my first shipment. Thanks Carrie!!

Things in which I did not knit...

Last Friday I went to lunch as usual and when I came back I found a package on my desk, happy surprises!! When I opened it this is what I found…

My friend in Texas, Twisted Knitter, sent me this beautifully hand knit drawstring bag. I was so shocked and happy. And as if that was not enough of a gift, I found my second surprise…

She put a center pull wound ball of a beautiful red fingering weight yarn, she knows me well. Janet (Janet Ravelry Link) is a wonderful knitter and is truly inspirational. She is on a blog vacation at the moment, so it gives you time to browse her archives and see the beautiful things she makes.

And the gifts keep on coming. Saturday night I attended an anniversary party of one of the owners of Purlescence Yarns where I received my birthday gift, a pair of hand knit socks. December is my birthday month and when we were in the shop chatting I had mentioned that I have never had anyone knit me anything. So the Purl Girls decided that as my birthday gift they were going to knit me my Notre Dame socks (they know me well too.) Kaye (Kaye Ravelry Link) did the lion share of the knitting with a stunt knitter, Jasmin (Jasmin Ravelry Link) to complete the toes. While we were all around celebrating the anniversary Jasmin was finishing the toe on the last sock and I got to take them home. So I am all ready for the new football season with my beautiful birthday/Nortre Dame socks.

So may I suggest, knit another knitter friend something, anything, they will love you for it!