Somebody stop me

You Are a Mai Tai

You aren't a big drinker, but you'll drink if the atmosphere is festive. And when you're drunk, watch out! You're easily carried away.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

Another Saturday night at home. Talk about not being a big drinker. I went shopping for my needle exchange buddy and my Secret Pal today. Yeah. I got quite a few goodies. Can't talk too much about them though or I will give myself away.

Love to spread the joy though.

I shall from now on only answer to . . . . . .

Your Outrageous Name is:

Minnie Skurt

Outrageous Name Generator

Nah, not really but I thought that was a pretty funny name. You guys know how much I dig these types of things.

Hanging out having a great little family evening. DH was home before I was home for once. DS was thrilled to eat pizza and wings in front of the TV while watching a new episode of Avatar. My sweet little puppy just sat at our feet nice and content to have us all together. I worked on the second hat for the 'peas in a pod'. I should be able to finish tonight. I am ready to switch to the DPNs for the top of the hat. My Zara sweater is coming along nicely and quickly. I am up to the armhole shaping already. Working in the round doesn't seem to be too bad for this particular pattern. I really like the way the Reynolds Blizzard is working up.

Well, I want to go finish the baby hat, check on Rita (I can NOT believe this) and get to bed. Tomorrow is DS first flag football game. From the scrimmage his team had on Thursday I think that it is going to be a LOOOOONG 45 minutes.

I'll fill you all in. My thoughts and prayers extend to all my knitting blog buddies down south. Keep safe and let us know real soon that you are OK. God Bless you all.

I really HAVE been knitting.

Really, no lie. I just haven't had the time to get the camera out to put it on here. So here is a post to catch everybody up on what's going on in knittingnurse land. First, I started a new project (shock, dismay, disbelief!). I am currently working on ZARA. Yeah! I saw this recently and thought 'this is my winter sweater project' woo hoo! I am using Reynold's Blizzard in color 641 (the bright pink). I am altering the pattern so that I can work the body and sleeves in the round until I get to the shoulder shaping. I think I will then place the body onto 2 circs to do the shaping and add the sleeves that way. Whaddya think? So far it's working out OK. I got gauge on try #1 (yeah) but I had to frog my medium and cast on for the large. I still think it might need some good blocking to fit as slouchy as on the picture. We'll see. Thankfully it is a bulky yarn and a fast knit. Pics would not really do much right now. I'll post when I get past the middle of the body portion, kay? :-P

OK, so what else have I been working on? Well, I have made 2 more baby caps. Another one in white with blues and now I am working on my "2 peas in a pod" hats. My officemate has a cousin who is expecting twins. I am going to make her a set of caps, one green with white accents and then a mirrored white with green accents. #1 is done and I will be starting number 2. So, here's what the first one looks like:


My officemate says her cousin isn't find out the sexes so the green and white was appropriate (plus it works in my whole 'peas in a pod' motif).

What else might you ask has this little nurse been doing? WELL (I am really psyched about this one) I finally finished the little black beaded knit bag that I was making! SEE?


She's so pretty and dainty and she looks like something you would find in an antique store. I finished her at my sit and knit and one of the girls said "She's just perfect for a girl to carry her . . . . . .MILK!" I said "WHAT?" and she went on to explain that all a girl needs when she goes out is her MILK. Money, Identification, Lipstick and Keys! How cute is THAT? Has anyone else ever had that before? I certainly hadn't but I love it. Tee hee!

She obviously still needs her little strap but that won't be anything now that the body is done and on the clasp. Yeah. DH is going to have to take me and her out on the town!

Lastly, I wanted to say that I have been selected as one of 41 employees at my hospital to be sponsored as a Red Cross Volunteer to aid in the whole Katrina Disaster. When all this happened many of us in the hospital NEEDED to go and do something. The hospital looked into it and then sent out forms asking for volunteers. 41 applied and were accepted (they needed to be sure that no one department would be dangerously short-staffed). We are all going to get our mandatory training for the Red Cross & vaccinations and be paid to do so. Red cross will supply the transportation and lodging but the hospital will also pay us our full wage and benefits while we are there. Only 4 of us will be gone at a time but we will be called for up to 2 weeks of volunteering. Just went to the informational meeting tonight. Have to do my training and vaccinations no later than November 1st. I will keep you all posted on that. We can be called to serve for ANY disaster but the hospital was pretty sure that the RC would be using us for the Katrina effort. Again, more details will come as I know more.

Lastly, for all my internet buddies being affected by Rita, I am praying for you and yours. My heart goes out to you all and I hope that God keeps you safe in his hands. Stay well and keep us posted.

I'll close with a gratuitous DS shot (at last friday nights HS football game with some of his buddies. Go DEMONS!)

Needle Exchange Questionnaire

Ok, I know that I have been a very BAD knitting blogger. I am knitting and I will post about it soon, 'kay? However, I must take care of business for the needle exchange so here goes:
1. What do you like to knit or crochet? (socks, sweaters, etc.)
I like to knit whatever strikes me at that moment. I DO love socks very
much though.
2. What fibers do you like?
I find myself liking 'natural' fibers more often than synthetics but I
have knit with just about everything.
3. What type of needles do you use most often?
For straight needles I like wood (rosewood, ebony, hardwoods, etc) but
for circulars, I love me some addi-turbos!
4. Do you like to knit in the round?
Yep!
5. Do you use a magic loop method or any other we should know about? Are you interested in learning a new method?
I knit straight, in the round on both DPNS and circulars and YES I know
and do knit via the magic loop method. If there are any other ways to
knit, I will try it.
6. Do you have a favorite place that you shop online? (knitpicks.com,
knitpixie.com, jimmybeanswool.com....)?
I like knitpicks and I have also ordered from patternworks. I tend to
buy from my LYS though more often than not.
7. Do you want to be surprised? then erase all your answers above and write
surprise me!!!
I like surprises but I like giving people some idea of who I am as well.

Tee hee, I couldn't help myself. . . . . .

You Are 30% Weird

Not enough to scare other people... But sometimes you scare yourself.

How Weird Are You?

On a serious note.

My DH and I spent 3 1/2 wonderful years in The Big Easy while he attended Tulane. It is so difficult and painful to see all the footage of that wonderful city all GONE! I have been heart sick for days now. The immensity of this tragedy transcends all levels and I am heartbroken. We've always wanted to take DS back to see that grand lady of a city but she is gone. I hope that that spirit of what made her so wonderful will return when she is rebuilt but I fear that the "taste" of New Orleans will never fully be returned. So much of what she was had to do with the history, heritage and beauty of her old buildings and sites. The people there are so fabulous, loving and kind. It is horrible for me to see what they have had to endure from nature, the small amount of criminals that tarnish the overall goodness of the southern folk and the limitations of man to rescue/assist those in need quicker than is possible. I hurt and I cry every night while watching the news in the comfort of my soft bed, under the roof of my home, with ALL of my family and a full belly. What can I do??? I can do quite a LOT. Please, Please, Please consider going to Give a Little and donating WHATEVER you can. Drink less coffees, pops or bottled waters. Buy less snacks or treats. It isn't a huge sacrifice considering.

Understand that 30-40% of the Greater New Orleans population lived at or below the poverty level and 112,000 households owned no means of transportation. These people where STUCK! And that is just in New Orleans! To that we must add all the victims in Mississippi and Alabama.

Imagine no housing, no food, no water, no electricity, no phone, and for some, no word of other family members. Is it really too much to ask?

Stitch markers

Here is my present from Suzie. These are great! I love them. YEAH! 

I love stitch markers. I recently started making them and can't get enough of them now. They are so pretty and handy and I am a gadget fanatic so of course I have a ton of them made up for my friends. I was lucky enought to win a contest on Suzie's very cute blog and got these very cute markers. Yeah for contests and generous talented people. Woo hoo!

A bit late but here is a gratuitous first day of school picture. Wow, the antireflective stripping really works! Thanks Land's End! 

Front of 'Tivoli". I need to get moving before it's too cold to wear it this year. 

I started working on this in mid summer and I have not gotten around to finishing it yet. I've made a couple of baby caps, worked on socks, made a scarf and now I am trying to work on the UFO's so I am really going at this one. I have the back piece started and hope to go on it quickly. Last week I did quite a bit of KIP (knitting in public) and DS flag football practices. He was finally eligible to play this year and I think it's a hoot!

Will keep you all up to date on the football, knitting and stitch markers. I have picked up the spindle but I put it down quickly b/c before I know it a couple of hours have gone by and I have not done any knitting. I have to get the UFO piles down. MUST DO SO!

Here is a very bad shot of the needful yarns 'Tivoli' sweater I am working on right now. 

Ok, Ok, just one more and then knitting stuff.. . .

I told you. I am such a SUCKER!

Ok, I will REALLY post about knitting next time. . . . :-)

I just can't help myself. I LOVE these things! Tee hee!!!!

Meme time again!

Well, I get this one from my good buddy Amy Here goes:

My 23rd post, 5th sentence reads:

"I think that quality work (and time) deserves quality materials."

That is still SO totally me!

Ok, this one is simple:

Instructions for meme:
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five people to do the same.

I'm tagging Royal Amy,Cheryl, Lisa, Suzie and Denise. It's easy, and enlightening.
Let's see watcha got girls! tee hee!

Fall means "Caring Caps"

OK, so I have been posting as diligently as I should be. Is it just me or did the second half of the summer just whizzzzzzz on by??? So, I got some help from my blogging buddy Amy and she has now shown me how to do hyperlinks for my posts! Yeah for Amy. I truly do appreciate it.

Been doing a lot of blog reading but not much knitting. I am going to start in the Another Weasley? from the blue blog's Alison. I don't know WHAT potter related item I will be making. But I am making something!

I have quite a few UFO's to tackle but am getting "itchy" to start something 'fallish'. Must be good. MUST finished some FO's. . . . . . .

where is everyone? I miss you all.

I just love these things. . . . . . . .

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

What movie are you?????

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

A new obsession to begin. . .

OMG, it's here! It's my very first drop spindle and roving. Here I go!!! 

Well, it arrived and I immediately ripped open the packaging to get to it all. Did I research a gazillion articles on how to spin and what to do and proper technique and what to avoid? NAH! I read a few sentences in the photocopies that came with the spindle and off I went. Do I need to go back and do all those things? Heck Yeah! But I HAD to spin something???? See results below.

The roving - I feel sorry for it. It's so pretty to end up in my hands. 

Better look at the color of the roving 

Do you see what I see??? It's Yarn! Really nubby, uneven, probably not usable yarn, but it's YARN! 

Obscenities to follow.. .be forewarned! ;->

The following posts contain images that may be offensive to some of my viewers. There WILL be YARN PORN. Please be advised and proceed accordingly. You have all been duly warned. Now on to our regularly scheduled program. . . . .

What is WRONG with me????? I have an illness, I truly do. I can NOT stop BUYING. I dream and I buy. I knit and I buy. I think I might just MAYBE want that yarn and I buy. HELP me. Stop the MADNESS!!!

Seriously though, when is enough, enough? I keep trying to find support and strength from my DH but he just smiles and says "it's OK honey, whatever makes you happy". What a guy, huh? In the meantime however, I am going to end up putting us into a pauper's home with all this yarn buying. Besides all the following yarns that I purchased over the last weekend, today I won an eBay auction for a (dare I admit it? OK, here goes). . . . a drop spindle and some agate wool roving. AUUUGH!!!!!!

Ok, so to make the following pictures even MORE obscene (doesn't seem really possible but it is my friends, trust me it is) you will NOT be seing an additional 4 skeins of koigu (2 in pink and 2 in green colorways) and 2 different sets of sock yarns (1 in pinks, cream and brown - napoleon ice cream like, and 1 other in blues & greens) because I gave them to my lovely sit n knit friends Royal Amy (seam-stressed from my links list) and my Sensay (sp?) Cheri (aka "polly pocket" from now on). So the obscenity was vastly greater than shown here. OK, here it is. . . . .


These are my 5 koigu's. I decided to make Charlotte's Web all in a single colorway. This isn't anywhere CLOSE to the colors. They are muted "earthy" tones. I will have to get a better shot. 

This is a skein of hand maiden overdyed silk (on the left) and yarns plus hand painted 2/10 tencel. The yardage on these babies is outrageous (4,200 yards on the 2/10 tencil!!!) 

My fleece artist hand-dyeds out of their wrappers. Aren't the colors amazing! 

My sock yarn. Colors are much nicer in person. 

The goods (minus 4 skeins of Koigu and 2 different sock yarns!) 

SEE? Don't say I didn't warn you! Now, does anyone have the number of a 12 step program for addicted yarn buyers???????

Here are a few pix from this past weekend

First of all, I have yet to learn how to put multiple pictures into a single post so you will all have to scroll down to see the others. We had a good time as you can see in the next few pix. Aren't my boys handsome????


DS LOVED this bit of advertisement. Doesn't that look like it really came out of that wall? 

Don't look down fellas!!!! 

Here we are!  

YEAH, I got RAOK'd!!!!

A fuzzy side view of my fabulous tank RAOK! Again, check out the 'ceps! Now I have to work on the gut! 

Well, my good pal Amy (Royal Amy in our sit n knit group - it's a long story) from seamstressed (see button to the right) RAOK'd me at sit n knit on Tuesday night. She brought me 2 FABULOUS tops! The one here is a halter from stitch n bitch made in microspun (yummy, soft and shiny!) and then the other is the shapely tank in a pheldar (is that right?) yarn that's a pale butter yellow with little white specks throughout. VERY VERY COOL. My knit pals spoil me so much. I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!

Off we are to Toronto tomorrow. Can't wait. I am hoping to be up early enough and that the clouds cooperate in order to see the meteor showers. Sigh, I've NEVER seen a shooting star. I will say my prayers EXTRA EXTRA tonight! I am truly hoping to score some Koigu while we are in the great white north! Have I ever mentioned that Toronto is like, one of my most FAV cities, EVER??!!?? Well, it's true. We've been there a half dozen times or so and I never tire of it. Plus Canada is just so beautiful as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, CA - NADA! hmm hmm humm humm humm HUMM! (I just know the first 2 words of their anthem but I know the tune so I hum it instead, tee hee!). Oops, there I go again with the flight of ideas. I can't seem to help myself when I am excited. (plus not sleeping for the last 2 nights ain't helpin' either)

So, back to knitting, I am hoping to score some Koigu while I am there. Have yet to ever see it in person in any shop that I have been too. Sigh. Love the colorways that I see online though, so hopefully, I will be successful with that endeavor. Planning on doing a little Geocaching while we are there (reminds me I have to go to the geocache website to download some caches) Ooops, I will focus again. Sorry about that. OK, knitting. Well, I am excited to see what beautiful yarns I will find up North. This is just my FIRST trip up to Canada since becoming a seriously addicted knitter. My DH is preparing himself for the sticker shock. Tee hee.

OK, I will go now but we are taking a laptop (hotel will have high speed access - yeah!). I'll hopefully get to let you all know how things are along the way. If not, we will be back on Sunday night.

AMY, again, thanks SOOOOOOO much. Wore shapely tank today after work and taking the halter with me to Toronto! Yeah for RAOKs!

An RAOK from my pal Royal Amy (see seamstressed button to the right). Check out the biceps! 

My Shapely tank from Royal Amy (seamstressed blog) 

This looks MUCH better in person and with my arm down. I wore it tonight and it was so comfy too. Hey, there's my little girl at the door behind me. Tee hee!

The sunset as we saw it on the night of our anniversary!