Tuesday, October 31, 2006

The Test

First, let me say, IT WAS REALLLLLLLLLY hard and thank god I studied as much as I did

That being said, I failed.

I needed a 70 to pass and I got a 68---so by math stats, I needed to get something like 1.3 more questions right to pass.

Craptastic. Anyway, I'm fine. I'm treating it as a very expensive practice test. They do give you a breakdown of the areas you did well on and one's that "need study." I did fine on all the big clinical sections, but need to study things like, "communication, ethics and service delivery."
Bite me.

I have to wait 90 more days to take it again...during that time, I'm sure I'll ask, if I am going to dye yarn for a living, do I REALLY need a clinical social work license?

Happy Halloween. I'm going out tonight with the Wynne's. We are all dressing as characters from the Wizard of Oz. I'm the Wicked Witch. The kids can't wait to paint my face green.
Gus will appear as Toto...beagle-terrier...use your imagination.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Knit It All: Episode 2, DOGGIE STYLE


Project number two is also complete.
Its the perfect time to knit. It is raining cats and dogs and "Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" is on. To top it off, I made "Double Layer Pumpkin Pie" to take to Jane's tomorrow night. Let me say, I sampled the goods...YUMMY. The recipe can be found in the November issue of Real Simple magazine.

Anyway, back to the yarn.

Project #2: Doggie Style Hat
Yarn: Still River Mill (sales@stillriver.com) Seven Sammys 50% Merino, 50% Samoyed (Yes, Sled Dog). Hand Dyed in this awesome varigated colorway
Behold!!!

Hat in progress...the photo is not blurry, the yarn is THAT lofty. It does feel a bit like angora: when knitting and when the fiber gets up your nose


The finished hat! It is blocking on my giant pumpkin tea light holder. I was VERY worried about running out of yarn, as the skein was only 80 yards! So I did the decreases very quickly. End result was the hat was about 1/2 inch short of the bottom of my ear. I do believe the yarn has blocked out a bit on the pumpkin blocker. I decided to add the "I" cord and tassle to make it even MORE sassy. I love it! It is SO warm and seems to drying VERY quickly. The Samoyed gives the fiber a water resistant quality. I purchased some Manos Wednesday at Knitting Circle: Colorway "Caribe" that is almost an EXACT match to the Seven Sammys. It will become a short row scarf.

Next up from the Rhinebeck Collection: Reversable Cable Scarf from Melissa Leapmen's new book, Cables Untangled in my "Lamby" Alpaca.

Did everyone hear about the ANNE EXTRAVAGANZA at knitting circle. Holy crap! Lisa had 10 skeins x 10 colorwats of ANNE! TEN! I bought three "Indira Ghandi" and 2 skeins for mom who is ready to dive into lace knitting. I'm going to make a lace mobeius from the other new book on the block, Arctic Lace.

Back to the needles and beagles and Charlie Brown...

PS Christmas Knitting Progress: Stalled.

My new mantra: Knit it all...

On the way home from Rhinebeck, I decided I needed a challenge. I needed to take the blog up a notch in the knitting niche. I decided that I am going to KNIT IT ALL. By knit it all, I mean, every last skein I bought at Rhinebeck. I challenge myself to knit all of the yarn...I can't even guestimate the yardage...before Rhinebeck next year (which by the way is October 20th and 21st next year--mark your calendars!).

To start this week off, I have knitted TWO (2) projects with Rhinebeck yarn.
Project One: Fishknit Scarf from Morehouse Merino
Yarn: 1 Skein Morehouse Merino Bulky: variegated Denim Blues
Needle: Size 13
Number of hours to complete project: 4


This is the scarf after knitting: it's only 29 inches long!


But here comes the magic: you maximize the length by dropping stitches before binding off...

Voila! The finshed scarf!!

Model/Muse Molly Models (how's that for alliteration?)

The scarf was gifted to super beagle sitter and fabu social work student Erin. Thanks for everything Erin!!!

Monday, October 23, 2006

Sheep and Wool continued...


More photos from Sheep and Wool...


This is lamby, my aforementioned Alpaca. I can't wait to show off how gorgeous the yarn is that I bought...courtesy of Lamby. I'll bring it to knitting circle Wednesday.


This was the view from the parking lot. The fall colors were breathtaking. Those are the Catskills in the background.


The award for most interesting fiber; this hat is made out of 50% Merino and 50% Samoyed...yes...DOG. I bought a skein for a hat...I'm always game to try new fibers.
This yarn is called "Seven Sammy's." I will put a link up for the distributer.



Thought I would share some more of the gorgeous colors...


Not to be outdone by the deep fried twinkies...NYS Sheep and Wool has deep fried pickles...

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Sheep and wool and leaves...



Wendy and I have returned from Rhinebeck!!! It was great to meet so many people who recognized us as "KNITTY D AND THE CITY!"

It was a GORGEOUS day! I was up at the crack of down aka 645. I was ready to go! I could barely contain my excitement. We stayed at the Bates...I mean Village Square Country inn.

Be sure to lock your doors!

We loaded up on some yummy diner grub and coffee at the Eveready Diner, which was across the street from the hotel. We liked it so much we went back on Sunday!

We scored at The Fold. We each got 7 amazing skeins of Socks the Rock. I just packed it away in my sock yarn bin. I am going to visit it before bed. I am totally motivated to knit lots of socks. Wendy and I were talking about Socks that Rock and how gorgeous it is--you really don't need to knit a complex pattern for the sock, because the colors do all the work for you. I got colorways including, "Ruby Slippers," "Graphite," "Brick," & "Waterlillies." For mom, "In the Navy."
Our stash of Socks that Rock


I also got some amazing Brooks Farm Four Play for Clapotis #2, A gorgeous springy green lace weight for a shawl, some cashmere and a bunch of Morehouse Merino. I bought AMAZING sheepswool slippers that look like UGGS but cost $40 less. I haven't taken them off since I got home. Maggie has been eyeing them wantingly. Here is the total haul for both Wendy and I:
THAT IS >$1000 in yarn!

I also met my soulmate, an alpaca named Lamborghini...I call him Lamby for short. He was very sweet, a bit shy, and very soft. He lives at Staghorn Valley Alpaca Farm, about 20 miles west of Albany. Check out their website at
Staghornvalley.com. What I loved about these folks was their yarn labels state: "Yarn by..." and then the names of the Alpaca's that supplied the fiber are listed. So, I bought some of Lamby to take home with me, since my neighbors would likely not tolerate an Alpaca in the backyard.

Sadly, blogger continues to be NON COOPERATIVE in uploading more photos...so I'll post this for now and add more when blogger is more user friendly.

Wendy and I recorded some great bits for the podcast, so be sure to keep your ears peeled for the next new (or two?) episodes in the next weeks.

I must go study...I'm taking my clinical social work exam in 8 days and clearly am in denial about this event and being delusional about it's reality. I am hallucinating about passing. Maybe the anxiety will subside before the panic attack sets in and I suffer from eneuresis. I am projecting. Perhaps some behavioral interventions will help...

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Bandwagon

I admit it, I'm jumping on.

GO TIGERS. Now I've been loving MLB's commercials with Tommy Lasorda, encouraging those of us who's teams were not in the playoffs to watch and cheer for October baseball.

After the Phillies fell short by one game for the second year in a row; AND the two teams who beat them, the Padres and the Dodgers got their BUTTS KICKED in the first round, I knew I needed to throw my loyalty behind the true feel good story of baseball this year, the Detriot Tigers. Last night, when Maglio Ordonez hit a walk off three run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, I found myself jumping up and down screaming, "The tigers are going to the world series!" My neighbors must think I'm nuts ( my bad, they already do). Im hoping for a Mets-Tigers World Series; of course, then the Mets might actually need to win a game...either way, I've got my Tigers and a reason to believe in the magic of October baseball.

On other notes, I'm on the DL (disabled list). I've strained my neck and shoulder. I spent 3 hours in the HUP ER Friday waiting for appropriate drugs. I got some relief and slept for 12 hours Friday night. I was able to get through teaching yesterday. Then, all hell broke loose again in the middle of the night and I'm immobile again. I've got a massage at 12 and I can not wait. It seems as though I'm having unexplainable muscles spasms in my right shoulder and neck. It hasn't stopped the knitting though; I just have to put the appropriate support devices (pillows and beagles) near me.

Dad's holiday gift is coming right along. I'm so pleased with the progress, that I've started swatching the remaining Estelle Cashmere I have for the spiral rib hat. Maybe its that the weather has finally turned, but I can't seem to put the needles down.

Rhinbeck is in 6 days. I am so jazzed...I just hope I can move my head and drive Wendy and I there safely...

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Ricotta

Molly, Maggie and Gus managed, again, to get the refrig open yesterday while I was at work.

The carnage included, a large container of (part skim) ricotta cheese and a container of my very special, low fat pumpkin dip.

Needless to say, the clean up post ricotta, has not been fun.

Here is a shout out to friends and new parents, Tiger and Anne Marie and new baby girl Emma Anne. Emma made her appearance a couple of months early and continues to get stronger in the hospital...my thoughts and all the love of Auntie Bach your way guys! Can't wait to see you next week after my yarn carnage at Rhinebeck.

Holy Crap, Rhinebeck in 9 days!
I've done like CRAP knitting this week. I've been too obsessed watching clips of movies I'm going to show in class this week about how not to do therapy. I haven't even watched much tv this week...so I'm settling in for my Wednesday night of "Top Model, Lost and the Nine" and Tivoing "Project Runway."

Must go watch Tyra lecture the budding models about fear...because Tyra is the queen of conquering fear.

Monday, October 09, 2006

Where

has the last week gone? Seriously, I'm stumped. I can remember watching "Lost" and "The Nine" on Wednesday...I know there was a major roller coaster of temperatures...80 degrees one day and 50 degress two days later...I know I taught on Saturday...I KNOW THE YANKEES WERE ELIMINATED BY THE TIGERS...and yet, I didn't blog about a darn thing since the koigu felting.

Oh and in the BIGGEST news of the week (non knitting of course) the Eagles kicked the Cowboy's asses yesterday. It was an awesome football game. Towards the middle of the fourth quarter, I came down with a severe case of "I can't watch-a-titis." I had flash backs of the Giants game just a few weeks ago where we totally blew it in the final minutes of the game---really, we should be 5-0!!! Anyway, T.O. is a little boy and all the hype and craziness leading us to the game was just that...hype and craziness.

So Rhinebeck is just two short weeks away and Wendy and I are getting super psyched for our roadtrip, yarn purchasing, and podcasting random people at the festival...maybe we will run into you???

Also, Wendy and I will be making an appearance at the Rosie's Yarn Cellar booth at Stitches East on Sunday November 5th...I don't know the time yet, but if you have always wanted to visualize you favorite podcasters...now is your chance.

The holiday knitting (aka abominable knitting) is moving along. I have purchased all remaining needed yarn (for dad and Mike) and have managed to get all projects organized and into one large knitting bag. This week, I'm working on dad's gift...we will see how quickly I can pound it out. I have also finalized the list and included non Christmas gift items and other things that I would just like to knit (for myself) at the time.

I think it is now time to be a social worker...peace and GO TIGERS

KNITTY D

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Felting Koigu...

...who'd have thunk it???

Well, it's true. I finally caved and bought a skein...okay 2... of Koigu Felting Merino AKA KFM.
I saw swatches at Rosie's last week but I guess I had to believe it with my own eyes and washing machine. Plus, I decided after seeing and feeling it, that it would make a gorgeous and incredibly warm hat and maybe mittens for this winter.

So I swatched,




















and despite my garter stitch border, it rolled. I measured and headed down to the washer. I quickly realized this was going to be a challenge...my new washer is all digitally controlled...so I cannot set it to have continued agitation...so I guess. I throw the swatch in, with a towel, 110 degree water and pray.

About 12 minutes later, this was the result:


















Now, I'm not sure the photos do the felting justice, but it does look very cool and is it soft! It probably could have agitated 2-3 more minutes, but the cycle was over but I couldn't make it start again with this high tech washer!!!!

So I guess I am going to have to felt the finished product at mom's house over Thanksgiving in her "old fashioned" washing machine. Until then, the swatch can dry...I can re-measure and then comes the math, and the knitting...

Monday, October 02, 2006

Another finish line...

The Rhoads 6/7 Psychosocial Posey; Kava, Me and Super T

Our group of walkers with honorary chair, Justin


As twilight approached...the walkers gathered with their lighted balloons...the weather also cleared up, which was such a treat!


as Trish and I were crossing the finish line at Light the Night on Saturday we hummed the "Chariot's of Fire" Theme...before we knew it, folks around us were joining in! It was a riot...

Anyway...the walk was great---although some of us were surprised by its length (are we there yet?)

The evening was topped off with merriment and Lemon Drops at the SMOKE FREE Ten Stone. It was SO NICE to go out and not come home smelling like an ashtray...thank you Mayor Street for the one positive contribution you've made to the city during you incredibly long tenure.