I Love My Job!

Have I told you the news???? I'm now working at the Yarn and Fiber Company in Windham, NH. And, you know what? I LOOOOOOOVVVVE it!!!

Cyndi...the fabulous and "boss from heaven" Cyndi...helped me learn the cash register and credit card machine on Wednesday (the last time I used one, I was 18 and working in a gun store) and showed me all around the shop. (The mock shopping spree she did so I could try out the routine was very funny.....)

The shop, of course, is fantastic...with all my favorite yarns and patterns. It's just the right combination of faint music, the smell of yarn and fiber, big table with comfy chairs and....best of all...the friendliest people. Truly. They go out of their way to help you with anything and answer any questions you have.

Nancy, one of my coworkers on Saturday, has been super helpful...showing me how to stock online orders and been very supportive and wonderful. Hannah is a sweetheart and, please don't let her pretty and youthful face fool you...she knows yarn, patterns and knitting...so make sure you don't overlook her when she says, "Do you need help with something?" She is my lifesaving angel on Saturdays when I make a mistake on the cash register, have no idea where something is or have an avalanche of Rowan Kidsilk Haze drop on top of me for the fifth time. (I swear, that stuff is possessed!) I've only met a couple of other people who work there....Jerry (Cyndi's fiance) is hilarious and a whiz at the sock knitting machine I'm sure everyone else will be great, too.

On my first night, I hosted the very first "Yarn and Fiber Co. Knitting Group" and it was a great success. What a fun night....we, of course, knit...fondled the yarn, had dinner, fondled more, knit more and laughed and talked. I was blessed by the arrival of the Manchvegas Knitters....or more specifically....Lovely Laurin, Sexy Jackie, Hot Heather, Blogless Koigu Donna and Super Hands Sarah...(massage therapist, people!) Wanna see?

(L-R: Donna, Heather, Jackie, Sarah's forehead and Laurin)


(Laurin, I know you are going to kill me for showing the pic, but I just had to because it was so funny....and also 'cause you shared that narsty pic of me on your blog...even? LOL!)

And, I learned on Saturday that Donna (Chris' Mom, not Koigu Donna) tried to come to the shop, but went to the wrong place...so technically, she was there, too. Thanks, everyone, for being so supportive and hanging out with me on my first day!

I can't tell you how lucky I feel for having a job that I love with awesome people and one that is not too far from home. If you are ever in the area on a Friday night or Saturday, please come visit me! (oh, and buy stuff....)

On the knitting front, I haven't worked on the Sahara since last week, but will be working on it all this week. I've designed a new pattern, which I will be showing in the next blog and posting on Ravelry as well. I think you're going to like it. I hope!

On the spinning front, I am finishing up plying with my green Holly EQQ fiber (came out soo nice!) and am going to start my Sereknity batt...Smouldering Embers. Pics on the next post probably.

On the podcast front, I am finally, finally going to get the podcast out, so if you have unsubscribed or whatever, make sure to resubscribe to my podcast on iTunes. It seems to work better if you unsubscribe and then resubscribe every 6 months or something. Not sure why. It's only been, what, y-e-a-r-s?????

And a belated Happy Birthday to GiGi!!! Here's the cupcake I knit for her...what a fun project...



I will leave you with a pic of Ben wearing his new Ben10 costume for Halloween...he's been wearing it almost every single day for a week. Hopefully, it will still be in existence by Oct. 31st.



P.S. Don't forget to visit the Yarn and Fiber Company website!!! Happy Knitting! Did I tell you that I love my new job??

Too Eager

This is Ben when he is looking very eager. Eager to play, eager to eat "chips with green sprinkles" (Sour Cream and Onion), and eager to do new things.

With me, I am usually very eager over one thing. (well...one other thing as well...TMI, right?...LOL!)

Yes, you guessed it.

Buying Yarn



Before entering into the TKGA Knit and Crochet Show last Saturday, I said to Laurin, "Please don't let me buy a lot of yarn. I don't need it." After snorting loudly, she says in a tone I know only too well, "Ha!"

And, you know what happened?

Yes, you guessed right again. (You know me SO well!)

I bought more yarn than I meant to...or at least price wise. (Ian, don't read any further)

As soon as I found this Judith (I think) yarn, Reflections, at the first booth, I bought it. Oh, is it sparkly and gorgeous!



Then, I saw some hand knitted holiday stockings and just HAD to get the patterns for them. They are very unique and fun....



Then, I went to the Yarn and Fiber Co. booth and saw this shawl:

I just HAD to get it...the pattern is from the new book by Cheryl Potter of Cherry Tree Hill yarns, "Special Knits Using Only One Skein"...or something close to that. Isn't it beautiful???



Here is a closeup of the figure 8 design in it:



And, of course, I needed the laceweight yarn to go with it...



At the same booth, I got some of Heather's new hand carded batts: Coral Reef and Smouldering Embers...you can see them in her shop HERE. They're not only super soft, but the colors are LUSCIOUS!



(Heather also surprised me with this fantastic sock bag, too. I am in LOVE with it! I wish I hadn't already finished Ben's socks. Will just have to knit more, I guess!)



The other fiber I got (I cannot remember at all what the company was...I WILL find it...somewhere...) is, I believe, a super sparkly (golden) mohair/wool blend roving in the colorway "Autumn Leaves with Glitz". You can't tell how sparkly and lush the colors are from this photo, though. It's so nice.



Hmmm...what else did I get? Oh, a pattern (and yarn) to make the kids a soft as hell Teddy Bear.



It was a great day (despite my headache) and we all got to sit in the vendor area "cafe" to have lunch. They had nice, big tables and our group all fit at one. Some other shoppers sat there with us as well. I think it was Heather who asked the woman (sitting two seats down from me) what she was here for and she said, "Oh, I'm signing books for the Elegant Ewe." (That's a LYS around here.) And we said, "Which one???" She says, "I wrote, 'Never Knit Your Man a Sweater'." and we almost fell over. ( I MAY have squealed.)



We were so excited to be eating lunch with Judith Durant!!! She was sweet and friendly as can be. I'll just have to find a sweater Ian likes from her book so I can knit it up! That book is GREAT! (please go buy it and support Judith!)

After lunch and much laughter, Jackie, Laurin and I were knitting at the table. Jackie and I happened to see (aka drool over, stare at and envy) a woman from the Dream Weavers Yarns table wearing the sweater we've both wanted to make.



It's the Sahara by the very, very talented Wendy Bernard. I always knew it was the most beautiful and flattering sweater pattern I'd seen, but it was even BETTER in person. Oh, I was weak. Very, very weak.

I ended up buying the pattern and the yarn...actually only 4 skeins of yarn total....3 of Pure and Simple and 1 of the Disco Lights in Ruby Wine. 100% silk. YUMMY! LOOK....



Actually, that was a huge mistake. Not because the pattern isn't fabulous...or the yarn...but for the fact that I am a.....

YARN BULEMIC

(This is not in ANY WAY belittling the people who have the very real condition of bulemia nervosa.)

The wise and witty Ericka came up with this phrase the other night and we couldn't stop laughing because it totally fits me to a T.

I get so super, overly excited about some yarn, I buy it impulsively and then have buyer's remorse the next day. I do love, love the Sahara...but, although I've never knit myself a sweater or tank top or anything, I did overspend on this. Yikes.

So, the Manchvegas Knitters came to the rescue. I sent out a "Yarn Distress Signal" and they came running. I brought some of my most luxury stash yarns to knitting group and sold them all to my friends so I could go back and put the money back for the Sahara "kit" I bought. All even and much, much less guilt. Whew!

Speaking of knitted luxury items....while we were at the show, Jackie almost bought the Mermaid Jacket kit. Look at how beautiful she looks!



The most fabulous Donna (our overseas yarn connection) told Jackie that she could find that kit for $100 less overseas and Jackie was thrilled. Woo-hoo for Donna! And Jackie!

Last, I have to show you this photo of our "Crochet Master" of the group, GiGi. She is holding a kit called, "Knitting with Gigi" and I knew I couldn't leave without taking her pic holding it.



Am I caught up now??

Not sure.

(I'm almost done with Ben's sweater, but have done nothing on my lace trim. I have to get motivated, dammit!)

Hope you're having a good weekend!

I've been TAGGED!

Here's the deal: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog. I've been tagged by not only Julie, but also by Nichole. Okay, here goes....

1. I love green beans/string beans. I've loved them all my life and they are my favorite vegetable. Mostly, I love them stir fried with a spicy, asian sauce and lots of garlic (sorry, Ian!) and served over rice (god, I'm hungry!).

2. I am a total obsessive person about my bed. I have to have the sheets and blankets the "right way" and I must make my bed every day. I like to have a whole "bedtime routine"...I know...I'm so wacked...strangely enough, this bed thing doesn't extend to other places....like if I go somewhere else. Just my bed at home.

3. Before getting pregnant with Ben, I was on Weight Watchers (as I am AGAIN now, but not as motivated) and lost 132 pounds. After having him and gaining the 60 pounds of pregnancy, I lost more. Then, I gained. Then, I lost....the vicious circle of weight loss. Now, I have to lose a lot again (not the 132 pounds, thank goodness) and I'm finding it twice as hard as last time.

4. (once upon a time I was smart and geeky...though now...?) In high school, I graduated 5th out of 282 students and got scholarships to Boston University, Renssalear (I never spell this right), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (where I ended up going), Stonehill College and Northeastern. I now have a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics (which is not being used) with minor in Art History....oh, where did my brain go????

5. I used to have a horrible speech problem when I was little. I had to go to speech therapy (being pulled out of class in elementary school is NOT fun) and I was incredibly shy and couldn't talk to anyone. Now, I can't stop talking! LOL! In junior high, all of a sudden, I just "remembered" how to breathe before talking (though I sometimes forget this nowadays) and go more slowly. If I'm REALLY excited, I still do have a bit of trouble. But, boy, that air in the lungs truly helps.

6. If you know me personally, you know that I'm incredibly sensitive. Not always a good thing because I take things to heart easily and the smallest things sometimes hurt me very deeply. Being sensitive is good other times, though. I feel like I can more easily be understanding and compassionate. Doing Reiki helps to keep me more balanced, but on the whole...I feel like my feelings are all out in the open...to be cherished or crushed. Most of the time, they're cherished, so I'm lucky : )

7. My favorite doll growing up was Raggedy Ann. My great-aunt, Roberta, was a talented artist/crafter (I have some of her paintings still) and I learned everything from her. She made me my very first sewing basket (filled with goodies!), taught me to crochet, paint and "be crafty". Before I was born, she made me (hand sewn!) a Raggedy Ann doll which I love to this day. I slept with her and held her every second until I was in grade school. She even went with me to college! She is still alive....new arms, head, and clothes, though. (I used to always get her head stuck in the back of my chair...!) She is filled with all my childhood fears, tears, dreams and happiness. This doll was made with love and I hope that my aunt, who passed away when Tim was 4, knows how much she meant to me and how much I loved her.

Whew...time for a little sobbing....okay...better.

So, now, I will tag Jackie, GiGi, Laurin, Ericka, Melissa, Amanda and Heather.

Knitting group tonight! Can't wait!! (did you see the new Interweave Knits? It's awesome!)

Help....I've Lost the Will to Knit!

Yes, you've read correctly. I-have-lost-the-will-to-knit. I think it has 100% to do with the fact that I am knitting "Lace in FrigginLand". I've been living there since May 1st, when I cast on for the Myrtle Leaf Shawl. There are three things wrong, as I see it:

1. The Lacey Lamb laceweight yarn, though truly lovely, is like thread. Thread, I tell you! I've knit with laceweight before. I've knit shawls before. I've knit laceweight shawls before. And this is totally different.

2. The pattern, on row 13, is incorrect. I've read the corrections, wrote them down, seem to understand them...and, yet, the row never comes out right. What's up with that?

3. I can only do a maximum of 2 rows done at a time while Ben is in the house. I think he hears when I pull out the chair to sit down and the slight "whip" and metallic "tink" as I knit the lace row. Not that it's his fault, of course, he's just a little guy wanting attention, but I'm getting up every few moments and that causes MAJOR screw ups. MAJOR. I've ripped out the 13 row repeat approximately 3 times. I may be going for a 4th soon.

Blogless Amanda, how are YOU doing on this?? Help me, please!

Everytime I take out my knitting, I'm cringing. It's even affecting my spinning. I haven't been able to start spinning any of the gorgeous fibers I got from Sheep and Wool on Saturday. (pics later on in this post)

Any ideas? Can someone "jump start" my knitting enthusiasm? Should I try another lace pattern? Should I try another yarn? Hmmm...???? Whatza Whatza??

Okay, now that I've whined a bit....I'll go on to the good stuff...

Exhibit A: Flowers from My Garden

Lovely Lilacs almost in bloom



Beautiful Tulip, not sure what kind



Exhibit B: My New Fridge

Yes, I know...I'm lame...but I love my new bottom freezer fridge.



Exhibit C: My Wonderful Mother's Day

I had the most wonderful, relaxing and sweet Mother's Day ever. Ian bought me gorgeous flowers, Ben made me a homemade card (with his very own scribbles), and Tim created an animated-and-totally-awesome card on the computer. Tim and Ian made me dinner (using Tim's cookbook from school)...mini pizzas and ham/cheese cups with blueberry ice cream and brownie crumbles for dessert. YUM! Ian even took the kids out so I could have some time to myself. I am SO lucky!



Exhibit D: NH Sheep & Wool

Jackie and I met up with a bunch of the ManchVegas Knitters (GiGi, Amanda D, Laurin, Ericka, Chris, Melissa, Vicki, and Heather) for lunch after shopping. Wow! What a difference from last year's flood/downpour! The day was cool, sunny and gorgeous. I even got to see the llamas, alpacas and other adorable fiber animals. They are SO adorable! Here's the group at lunch:



Here is the adorable, "teddy-bear-like" alpaca that I loved:



And here is the fantastic Spunky Amy...who I was thrilled to get to see and meet her sweet family, too



Exhibit E: New Stash Aquisitions

I was much better this year than last year. I actually could SEE over the load of stuff I bought (unlike last year, right Laurin?) and I didn't get any yarn. Jackie was my "Stash Officer and forced (I mean, helped) me not to buy things I didn't need. Like more drop spindles, yarn and excess fiber...oh, that lovely kid mohair I didn't buy! Here is my fiber haul (one of the fibers is for a Blog Friend):

(2 bags of llama from West Mountain Farm, batt called, "The Mystery Bump" (LOVE THAT!), wool/angelina batt from FoxFire Fibers, 2 bags of baby camel/tussah silk from the same place, and Lambspun Merino/Silk roving in a beautiful fern green)





Also got an alpaca coloring book for Ben, some honey sticks for Tim and handknit finger puppets for both of them. So cute!

Oh, and here is the new Weavette that I got....it's a 2x2 weaving loom frame...and I'll be using it with my leftover odds and ends of handspun to make small squares of woven fabric to make flowers. Cool, huh?



And, lastly, I got some adorable bunny cards and a Heal My Hands cream in Lavender Mint....wonderful stuff!

Conclusion:

The weekend was chock full of fun thing to do, enjoyed myself immensely and only wish I could revive my will to knit. Will be accepting all cyberhugs, ideas, suggestions and virtual (or actual) yarn gifts (LOL!) to restore my love of knitting until midday on Wednesday....at which time I will be freaking out trying to decide what I will do at knitting group. So please, HELP ME!