Our Dogs are better than yours!!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but I have to give props to my hometown boys, Fresno State Bulldogs. They just won the 2008 College World Series beating the Georgia Bulldogs 6-1. When I grew up in the Central Valley I had went to many baseball games and to see them now win the College World Series, their first national title, that is fantastic. I may now live in San Jose, but my home is Fresno.

Not a fan...

Before anyone decides to post bad comments regarding this post, let me just say, to each is own and I respect peoples love for certain things in their lives. But I am putting it on record that I am not a fan of the color Orange. Never have, never will. I don't own anything orange, it is not a flattering color to me at all. Many people have knitted beautiful projects with different variations of orange colored yarn. One person in particular I can think of is my friend in Texas, Twisted Knitter. She did the Irish Hiking Scarf in an orange colored yarn, looks great, for her; me not so much. So a true test of friendship is when you ask me to knit orange colored yarn.

Granted it was just some finishing work, but still, it was ORANGE. Actually, it was Texas Longhorn Burnt Orange color and you will see it knit up in a book sometime next year. Only for YOU (you know who you are.)

But I have devised a list of 10 things in random order that are orange in color that I do like so you can see that I am only prejudice to the color...

1. Oranges (the fruit)
2. Gerber Daisy
3. Golden Gate Bridge (yes it is orange!)
4. Orange Bell Peppers
5. Pumpkins
6. Thai Tea
7. Chloe and Eddie's Honda Element
8. Koi
9. Sun Setting
10. Clown Fish (Nemo)

So tell me, what color do you not like to knit?

Relay for Life

A knitter friend of mine put together a team called Cap Off Cancer to participate in the Relay for Life, an event supporting the American Cancer Society. I have two very personal reasons why I decided to participate, my parents.

Dad passed away from lung cancer in 1992 when I was 20 years old and my mother is a two time ovarian cancer survivor and is currently in remission.

Cancer is something that has altered my life significantly as it does to many many others. So I am doing my part in the fight against cancer by joining the Cap Off Caner team in the Relay for Life event July 12-13, 2008 in Campbell, CA. Here is my event page for more information if you would like to make a donation, purchase a Luminaria in memoriam or in honor of someone special or donate a chemo cap. Also, you can contact me with any questions.

National Bring Your Dog to Work Day

Today is National Bring Your Dog to Work Day, so I brought Mugsy with me to work. I was watching the Today show this morning and they made the announcement so I grabbed my phone and text message my boss and asked permission, she said yes. She is the greatest boss EVAR!! I just wish that we could have our pooches at work more offen, makes for a fun place to work.

Mugsy at Mazda

Making good on a gift

This post is to inform you all that I am still alive and there has been some knitting going on too. For about 3 weeks now, I have been working 10-12 hour days six days a week. Why all the hours? Well, I am sort of behind at work for one and two, the dealership group that I work for, they are consolidating all four accounting offices into one location. With that said, part of my work is going to be handed off to another person and I will be doing more of one specific part of my job. So in preparation for the move, I have been working long hours to make everything go as smooth as possible. July will be a much better month, I can feel it!

As for knitting content, I am making good on a long awaited present. Let me give you some background. The first Christmas that I knew how to knit (2 seasons ago) I was on a felting spree. I made a pair of Felted Clogs (Ravelry link or blog link) for my Grandmother. Well, I stupidly while making the first pair, said that I could make Sensei's dad a pair for Christmas too. What I didn't know when I opened my big mouth was that I would come to HATE that pattern. I mean they are great once they are done, but the whole knitting experience is horrible. I made only one of his dad's clog/slippers and never did the other one. In fact, I don't even know where the first knitted one is at the moment it has been that long. Needless to say, Sensei has pretty much never let me forget that I was knitting his dad something which never was completed, every chance he got. So with the up coming Father's Day, I decided to make good on a knitted gift, but NOT clog/slippers!!

So here is a basic knitted vest using Ann Budds The Knitter's Book of Handy Patterns.

Ravelry details here. I LOVE this book and Ann Budds The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns. They have been so useful in my knitting projects, I highly recommend them.

Pattern: Basic Vest Pattern

Source: The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd

Size: 44" Chest Circumference

Materials: Cascade 220 Heathers 2427

Amount: 4 hanks heather brick red colorway 2427

Started: June 2008

Finished: June 2008

Ok Sensei, it is time to let it go now. No more felted slipper comments comments or I will be forced to post the picture of you wearing my fuzzy pink slippers!

Aint gunna dew it...

This coming July will be 2 years since I learned how to knit. And while I have learned to surround myself with talented knitters it seems that many of them are talented spinners too. All the while I have been watching knitters taking the plunge into spinning. I kept stating that spinning is not in my future, I needed to learn everything about knitting before I learned to spin. And honestly I thought that excuse would work. It started with, I have not complete a sweater, done-I have not learned cables, done-I have to learn to steek, done-I need to learn fair isle, done-need to learn sock, done-I need to learn lace knitting, in progress. Now I realize that is not "everything" about knitting, but you get what I mean.

So I finally made it to Mary's (mother to knitters starting spinning) monthly spin-in. I toodled in there with my plate of Snickerdoodles and my knitting bag with 2 current projects and found a comfy chair and started knitting. And then Mary said, "I am using my drop spindle, my wheel is free, LISA" nudge nudge. Well she didn't have to twist my arm that hard actually. Prior to this day, Sensei said to me that he would buy me a spinning wheel but that I had to learn to spin a bit before he bought the wheel. I found that to be a reasonable request since wheels are not cheap.

Into the fiber stash Mary and I went and we pulled out this fiber.

While Mary was untangling some singles that she was plying, Janice (another fabulous knitter/spinner) got me started. I learn some lingo, but the phrase I heard the most was, "DON"T LET GO" She was referring to my back hand while trying to draft and when I stopped treadling cause I had to much twist I would let go with my back hand. Anyway, all I can say is that it is a real learning process, one of which I am still willing to learn, Mary and Janice were great to help me get my feet wet.

So let me show you what I made, now you can't laugh, it was my first and I know I will get better when I learn to draft better.

Now the funniest thing that was said was this morning several hours after my foray in to spinning. Sensei and I were cuddling this morning talking about our up coming week and things we need to do and our future together and he says, " When we have our children and they bring home some drawing they did in pre-school and it looks like a mess, what are you going to say to them?" I of course replied that I would praise them and tell them how beautiful it was. Without skipping a beat he said, "Baby, your yarn you spun is really beautiful" We started to laugh so hard I almost peed my pants!

Too many projects

Having issues with starting to many projects, I know that I am not the only one. If you are a knitter and reading this, then I would be what my dad would say, "Singing to the choir!"

I have several on the needles at the moment, then I remember that it is so and so's birthday coming and I should whip something up real quick for that (yeah right!) Or I promised this to that person a year ago! I have a lot of IOU's out there and I am excited to get them complete and hand them off. The real issue is me, stumbling across patterns like this...

This is Elijah (Ravelry link) by Ysolda Teague. Isn't he adorable? I could not resist him! And then I get to chatting with my friends about what they are knitting, I get so wrapped up in wanting to do a mini-KAL with them on their current project. I spent hours trying to research the right yarn for the project, chatting online bouncing ideas off friends about yarn choices, because no matter how big your stash is, you never have the right yarn, right? Or is that just me?

So this is a line up of what I have in my knitting bag at the moment, they are all gifts that I am trying to complete by the end of June. Now I have to just stay off Ravelry and not open another knitting magazine and I just might stay focused!

I am sort of proud of my stitch tension on this cotton and linen number. Cotton is hard for me to maintain good tension and not row out.

This is my Elijah and he will be going to my nephew, I can reveal that cause he is 4 and does not read my blog, I am pretty sure of it!

Oh and lets not forget this one, another gift project, so no real details to be handed out. I am further along on this project than what the picture is showing. It is steadily going, I just have not taken a recent photo.

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend. If you have a US Flag, please remember to fly it at half-staff to commemorate U.S. men and women who have died in military service to our country. Regardless of your feeling about the current war, we should honor those who have fallen to defend our rights during any war.

Happy 7th Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to my little guy Mugsy. The one that I refer to as Punkin, Love of my Life, Mama's Boy, Mug-a-do and the newly established nickname...King Furry Butt.

Mugsy and his favorite stuffed toy.

Mugsy laying in his favorite spot, on Sensei!

Actual knitting content Alert!!

Mom dropped me a subtle hint a couple of weeks before Mother's Day-an email link to an Etsy site that is selling hand knit fingerless gloves with a note saying, "I bet those would look fabulous in black!"

And black fingerless gloves she got!

Project details:

Pattern: Glen from Purlescence Yarns

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash (almost 1 ball)

Needles: Addi US6 (2) Circulars (the pattern was written to use two circulars)

Ravelry Link to Project

The pattern is really quick and easy, great for a quick small gift and is offered in three different sizes.

Mom lives in San Francisco and even in the summer it gets cold there. She makes jewelry and sells them in her Etsy Store so she needs use of her fingers and these are going to come in handy for her.

Hall of Fame

Over the weekend my father was inducted into the Babe Ruth Baseball Hall of Fame. No, it is not Cooperstown where the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame is, but me and my family are very proud of this event. We even all gathered for it.

Left to right, my younger brother (the youth Minister) Kelly, my nephew Cody, Me, (in front of me) Josiah and Caitlin, my mom, older brother (the cop) Todd, G'ma (my maternal grandmother), Mimi (my paternal grandmother and Todd's wife Michelle. Crystal, Kelly's wife was unable to make it.

The ceremony was held where my dad started in Babe Ruth Baseball, Selma, CA on the field the city named after him. My father started as a coach in the Selma League and over time, his dedication and involvement led him to become State Commissioner for Central California. The state is divided into three sections due to the size and participation.

After the ceremony, we all went to Sal's Mexican Restaurant. If you live in the Central Valley of California, you know about Sal's! I have many memories of that restaurant, we used to sneak off campus to go and eat there when I was in high school. That story will have to wait, I will tell it, I promise.

On to knitting content. I started a project and I have given myself a deadline of June 30, let's see if I can make it. This is a sneak peak of the project.

This is the yarn that I am using.

I am still working on several different projects, Juno Regina, some children toys, the second Endpaper Mitts, ummm, there are others, but now I am a bit embarrased of how many works in progress I have, so I will stop there. And to end this post with some sugary sweetness, someone loves their Auntie very much!!

Greatness

This past Saturday I was in the presence of greatness. My knitting friend Sheetal and I went to see our other knitting friend Juanita in Ragtime at the Montgomery Theater in San Jose, CA.

If you did not go, then you missed out on a fantastic performance by the entire cast and Juanita was particularly great as Sarah's Friend and closed out the first act with her solo of 'Til We Reach That Day.

Juanita is a great performer and I am sure that we will be seeing more of her performances. Check her blog for more of her upcoming performances and of course the all important knitting content!!

Speaking of knitting content, the only thing I have to show you is another sock in progress and that is not very exciting but here it is anyway! My FakeIsle (my term, not the sock yarn or pattern) stockinette sock.

I don't remember the name of the yarn, I got the yarn at Stitches this year at the Webs booth, it has a German name, that is all I can remember. The ball band it at home, but if someone can tell me now what it is that would be FABO! Otherwise you will have to wait until I get home to read the ball band.

Adoption

So you are probably thinking due to the title of this post that I have signed up with an adoption agency, right? Well you are partially correct. I did sign up with an adoption organization, but not for a baby, well at least not yet (still holding out hope that it will happen) I adopted a solider! Yes, a soldier. Co-worker of mine did it and I thought that it was a good idea so I did too. Regardless of what your feelings are of the war in the Middle East, the soldiers should have our support. Both my father and my brother were in the Navy and I respect a person that serves our country no matter what decisions our government makes. So I went to this established organizations site, Adopt A US Soldier and signed up to adopt a deployed US soldier. When you adopt a soldier your level of commitment is as little as writing letters or as involved as sending care packages. The organization sent me an email with the name, address and email address of my soldier and a message from him which lists items that would be helpful if I would like to send a care package. Many of the US Armed Forces do not have easy access to items that would make them more comfortable while in the Middle East. I know when my brother was in the Navy it meant a lot to get packages of stuff when he was in the Persian Gulf. My soldier is from Florida and he is chief warrant officer (not sure what that means but I am sure I am going to find out.) Adopting a solider has given me a great feeling to know that I will make someones day a little better when they are giving so much of their life.

I thought that I would share a couple of photos of my father and brother.

Above is my father's Naval Academy Officer Flight School yearbook photo. I was trying to locate his formal officers photo but couldn't put my hands on it in time for this blog post, I will share later. My dad was stationed in Pensacola, FL in the mid 1960's

This is my brothers official Navy photo sitting on top of my fathers Navy yearbook. He was in the Navy during the late 1980's and was stationed in San Diego, CA. This is the brother who's business card usually gets me out of getting any tickets!

Since this is a knitting blog mainly, I am so close to finishing Richard's golf socks (Ravelry link) and I am just starting chart 4 on the Juno Regina (Ravelry link.) Whooo hooo, I am knitting lace!!

Breaking Blog Silence

I am breaking format that I attempted at the beginning of the year, writing letters to my great grandmother as my blog posts. Since my last blog posting was a while ago, I felt that I would just do an update of what has been happening.

First off, I am fine. Back in early March, the 11th actually, I found out that I was pregnant, the most blessed news that Sensei and I could have gotten. We have been trying for about 2 years and it was looking like we were going to require major medical help to have our family, so we were super excited when it happened naturally. However, only after a short 5 weeks of pregnancy, we lost the pregnancy. There are many details that have happened to lead up to the loss but the direct answer to what happened is I had an ectopic pregnancy. The ectopic was and is being treated with a chemotherapy called Methotrexate instead of surgery. So we are just awaiting more test and we will be trying again. There is nothing special about our situation, this happens to many people, but it just plain sucks. I have been quiet on the blog because I just didn't have anything good to say for a while. Well until now. I just want to let you know how much I love my knitting friends. They wanted to let me know that they were thinking of me when I was going through my loss, see what they sent...

And just when I thought the love couldn't get any better, in the mail yesterday I got this,




Yes, I took this picture at work. But look, I even got Hiya Hiya needles for each hank! The knitters really know me well to get me Hiya Hiya's cause my hands eat the nickel platting on the other needles.

So now I have to find just the right sock patterns for these, any suggestions? I am getting hungry for some cereal!!

Knitting projects, I started some "golf socks" for Sensei. We have been through a lot and I wanted to make him some socks. So I picked up some Panda Cotton in black and made some ankle socks for him to wear golfing. Knitting is my therapy, golf is his. And you know it is love when you knit black socks, the only up side about the whole project is that they are only ankle socks.

I am done the first one and I am on the gusset decreases on the second one. Ravelry details here.

I have more projects but I think I will save them for later so that I have more to post about. Looking forward to gettng back to blogging and knitting.

#8

Dear Grandma,



So a lot has been going on lately with the knitting. I have been test knitting a sock for my friend Margit, she is also known as Fiber Fiend. She has a booth at Stitches West 2008 that starts next weekend, February 21-24, she is in booth 738. And this is the sock that I knit...

I have miss placed, not lost, just miss placed (keep repeating) my camera. Anyway, I had to "borrow" Margits photos to show the sock. This was a great pattern and the greens and browns are really something to see. The pattern is called Willamette and the yarn colorway is Fern. She will be selling both at Stitches then on her website. I have also posted this on my Ravelry page and you can see more photos that Margit took there also.

I have also started Caitlin's Birthday Bear, it is the Classic Teddy Bear from Interweave Knits, 2007 Holiday issue. I have only the legs left to knit now and all the parts will be complete. Just blocking, seaming and stuffing and it will be finished. I am using Rowan Felted Tweed in a light brown and it is turing out well, it gives it a little bit of a rustic look too. No pictures yet, it is just all parts. Her birthday is Feb. 23, Saturday, this must be finished. Wish me luck!

And I have seemed to collect many unfinished projects lately. So I am determined to get them done by the end of March. Ravelry is wonderful, but it also can seem to taunt you with the things that you have not completed.

Ceiling update, the opening has been closed off with sheet rock and patched. It is drying and awaiting texture and paint. But since it is raining now and not very warn, that process will more than likely be delayed until better weather.

Ok Grandma, back to work I go.

Love,

Lisa

#7

Dear Grandma,



When the bathtub upstairs in your neighbor’s house has a leaky valve, then your ceiling will probably look something like this... Wednesday morning I woke up, walked out into the living room and noticed a thin bubbled line on the ceiling. Under the bubbled line was water, I knew this because when I pushed on it I got drops in my face. I called the people upstairs who own the place and they came down and the words I believe that came out her mouth was, "Holy Shit!" An hour later three construction worker guys were in my living room with drop clothes and buckets draining what ended up being 4 gallons of water from the ceiling. That is a lot of water, not taking in account what was already soaked into the sound board and sheet rock. So all the mushy ceiling has been cut out, the leaky valve has been capped and the owners have gotten an estimate on the ceiling repairs.

On to happier things like yarn! I made a small purchase of sale yarn this week. Yes, it was on sale, I am trying to be good since Stitches West is sooo close.

It Cascade Dolce, 55% Superfine Alpaca / 23% Silk/ 22% Wool and red of course, the good red. Each hank is 109 yards and I am thinking of a lacey scarf unless someone has another suggestion?!?!? However, I may have to go back to Purlescence and get another hank or two while it is still on sale, 30% off, incase I want to make something a little bigger. I have checked Ravelry, several people have made Fetching with this yarn, possibility, I love Ravelry!

Ok, I am off to work on a sock I am test knitting for the Fiber Fiend booth at Stitches, she has some really excellent yarns and fiber that she has dyed along with patterns for the yarns.



Love,



Lisa

#6

Dear Grandma:

I was just "tagged" by Jasmin on her blog to answer the following survey questions, so here goes my answers in no particular order...

4 Jobs I've Held:
Grocery Bagger
DMV Administrator
Office Manager
Program Director

4 Movies I've Watched Over and Over Again:
Forest Gump
Joy Luck Club
The Notebook
Elizabeth

4 Places I've Been:
Butchart Gardens – Victoria, Canada
The Road to Hana - Hawaii
Yellowstone National Park & Grand Tetons – Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho
I’d rather not discuss any details - Las Vegas

4 Places I've Lived:
Lompoc, CA
San Francisco, CA
Selma, CA
Vallejo, CA

Part A: 4 TV Shows I Watch: (This was hard. I watch too much TV.)
Law & Order (all of them)
Project Runway
Oprah
American Idol (yes, and I OK with admitting it. I secretly wish I could carry a tune.)

Part B: 4 Radio Shows I Listen To: [I'm going to substitute Podcasts for "Radio Shows.]
I don’t listen to many radio shows or at least none that I will admit to!

4 Things I Look Forward To:
Sleeping in on Saturday mornings
Stitches West
Knitting with Friends
Dinners with Sensei

4 Favorite Foods:
Sushi
Pizza
Cheesecake
Red Velvet Cup Cakes
Of course they are all fatting!

4 Places I'd Rather Be:
In bed asleep
By a lake in the mountains, fishing (yes, I like to fish!)
Purlescence Yarns
Getting a pedicure

4 People I email regularly:
Colleen
Gina
Mom
Knitting Friends

4 People to Tag:
Jill
Mari
Jessica

Rachel

#5

Dear Grandma,

As promised, here is the photo of the cowl that I made mom. I had no choice but to use this photography trick because Sensei was not around to take the photo. Sorry for the blurriness, I obviously needed to pull out the tripod.

Mom's cowl is knit with two strands of gray Lavish Alpaca and one strand of black Kidsilk Aurora, knit on size US 11. I just made the pattern up as I went. If I was to do this over again, I know exactly what I would change. I think it is a little big in circumference. So we are going to see what mom thinks and I will make changes of needed.

And I totally forgot to share with you these photos from Christmas at Todd's house.

You can see that Grandma, your daughter, has not forgotten how to play the piano. Cody pulled out some sheet music and she played some Christmas carols for all of us. Did you notice the black and white photo of her on the piano just to the right? Yep, it is the same piano that you bought back in 1930 from KMJ AM580 that they used during their radio broadcasts. Well as you know the piano left the family when Grandma sold the house. Well after 30+ years Aunt Wilma spotted a piano in an antique store that she thought was the same one that you had owned. She called Mom and Grandma and said, "Jalaine, I think I found your piano!" So they went to the antique store and immediately they knew it was the same piano, but found that someone had placed a deposit. Mom was determined to get the piano and after chatting with the perspective buyers and opening her check book, the piano was safely returned to Grandma's house again. Fast forward several years, Grandma gave the piano to Todd and Michelle because my nephew Cody we discovered had a real musical talent and started playing.

#4

Dear Grandma,

I made someone smile, well to be specific, I made Jessica smile. She reads my blog and listed it as one of 10 blogs that make her smile, nice huh? So now I have to pay-it-forward and award another 10 people. So I am supposed to award 10 blogs that make me smile which is hard because I follow a lot of blogs, but here goes in random order...

Janet - Twisted Knitter
Cindy - Snidknits
Janice - Knitflix
Nathania - Purls Beyond Price
Cookie/Kristi - Knitters Anonymous
Carrie - We do not have a knitting problem
Alison - Spindyeknit
Delia - Wine and Needles
Mary - Spinnity

Margit - Fiber Fiend

Sorry Grandma, I know you don't read anybodys blog but mine, I love your dedication to your granddaughter; but I give you permission to explore other blogs.

Love,

Lisa

#3 Lots of photos

Hi Grandma,

Sorry I have not written in a while. My friends Rita and Robin mentioned that it was about time to send you another post. They stay on top of me and keep me in line, you would be proud. Anyway, just wanted to update you on what I am knitting, have knitted and where I traveled since I last wrote.

A couple of weeks ago I took a fair isle knitting class at Purlescence Yarns. I have always been interested in fair isle, but truth be told, it scared the hell out of me. What do you mean that I have to hold more than one strand of yarn and use both hands to do it??? But I persevered and truth be told, I LOVE fair isle. I want to knit nothing but fair isle from now on. Well, I might be getting a little too excited, but still. So I knit this hat for my boss' mother who is going through chemotherapy. She is a huge San Francisco Giants fan and wanted a hat to represent her team. I went looking for a color chart pattern that I could use in a hat and ran across Fiona Ellis book Inspired Fair Isle Knits. In her book she has this color work on the hem of a short sleeve top but I thought that it would work great for a hat. See??

I am so proud of that hat I can't even tell ya, but I will show you my floats in the inside, pretty huh?

Ravelry details here. I do think that I am going to be knitting more of the same pattern, just in other "team colors" for friends and family because I really enjoyed making this one.

Continuing with my love of fair isle, I am knitting currently Endpaper Mitts by Eunny Jang. I have one completed now...

And the second one will be done shortly, (Ravelry details here.) I stopped working on the second one because mom had a request for a cowl to keep her neck warm. Well, she did give birth to me, so I stopped everything and whipped one up for her. I just made the pattern up as I went along. I will show you pictures and explain what I did in my next post, I still have to send it to mom and I don't want to spoil her surprise.

Sensei and I took a little trip to San Diego this past weekend. We were a little afraid that we were not going to get there using Interstate 5 but the weather cleared up just long enough for Cal Trans to open the Grapevine back up after being closed for two days. This is what we saw as drove through...

I know that it has snowed on the Grapevine before, I just have never drove through the area when it has snowed. But we made it to San Diego in one piece. Had a nice dinner with some friends Friday night. Got up Saturday morning, went to Qualcomm Stadium to catch a shuttle bus to go and watch this guy...

We watched Tiger Woods play at the Buick Open on Saturday. The weather was beautiful, Tiger was phenomenal. Grandma, he really is something to watch. I like golf, I play golf, I don't like to watch golf, but I would have followed him all day. The only problem with following Tiger over a 18 hole golf course is that you have to jockey a position to see him with the other 200 people following. Now, there are strict rules of 1.) NO CAMERAS 2.) NO CELL PHONES. I follow the rules most of the time, I do, really. But I checked my cell phone messages in the bathrooms near the 7th hole, I was not the only one and I managed to snap these photos on the 18th hole while sitting in the bleachers, come on, I had to its Tiger Freakin Woods!

I think Tiger just spotted my camera...oops!

Then on Sunday we went to a karate tournament that Sensei was officiating. After the tournament we went to dinner with friends from Cincinnati that were in town for the karate tournament also. Monday we got up and started home about noon and there was a little bad weather on the Grapevine going back but we made it home safe and sound.

Ok Grandma, I will be showing you the cowl I made mom and the new knitting technique that I learned at the knitting guild meeting last week next time.

Love,

Lisa