Llama Knits

Autumn Socks

2010-11-10T06:40:00.006-06:00

I finished up my Socktoberfest socks. Even if it was a bit later than I planned. I really like how they turned out. Llama enjoys getting his new socks too so I am very glad that he is knitworthy. The yarn is Patons Stripes in a red and black mix. It was nice to work with, not splitty or twisty. I used a ringwood pattern which I love how it looks, but there were times when I got tired of knitting the pattern.Here is the full sock.

And a detail of the ringwood pattern.

Just in time too as we have had a drop in temperature and handmade wool socks are always welcome.

Dude Craft

2010-11-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Have you heard about Paul Overton? He is a blogger, crafter and artist that blogs at Dude Craft, he pulls together some wonderful art and artists as well as some really great tutorials and crafting info that applies to both genders.
He has also started the Every Day is Awesome blog which gives more in depth articles about art, crafting and creating.

He is an intersting renaissance man that I have found very valuable as a creative instigator and he gives lots of inspiration to add to my creative ideas file.

Here Knitty, Knitty

2010-10-26T10:46:00.002-05:00

I am very excited as Amy Singer, Editor of Knitty.com and author of No Sheep for You will be attending my local knitters guild next month. I am very excited to meet her and see what she has to talk with us about. She has created a great community and wonderful magazine with lovely patterns. It has helped me find many new blogs, patterns, and friends on the forums.

I also finished up the first sock of my latest pair of socks, pictures soon. I doubt I will be able to finish for Socktoberfest, but I am glad I was able to work on a pair thoughout the month.

Socks

2010-10-19T09:00:00.002-05:00

These are my latest socks that I knit. They are my basic sock pattern with a waffle stitch patttern on the cuff and top fo the foot. They are knit in the Mountain Colors sock yarn, which is lovely and soft. The colors are completely intoxicating, bold and saturated. I can't wait to pick up more of this yarn soon. Absolutely lovely.

A beautiful voice

2010-10-12T10:24:00.002-05:00

Opera lost a beautiful voice this week, and I was even more sad when I learned she was a charming woman and she knit, backstage while she waited to sing. Lovely.
Read morea about Joan Sutherland here.

Please read this. Fight hate with knowledge.

2010-10-08T14:09:00.003-05:00

I know that I haven't blogged here in, well, too long. I have plans to change this, but please for today. READ THIS and remember, the words you use on others could someday be used on you. Please treat all humans with respect and tolerance. There will always be people that will work to deliberately lose your respect, but start with respect and tolerance, we are all people and we deserve at least that upon first inspection.

New Car!

2009-06-04T11:20:00.001-05:00

We bought a new car last month, after much decision making and concern, Llama and I decided that it would be best for us to buy a new car instead of trying to band-aid our old one. So since it was to be Llama’s main vehicle, I wanted to make sure he got what he liked. So it is sporty, fast and a manual. Which means I am slowly learning how to drive a standard vehicle. Which has been nice. Our dealer said that only 7% of Americans know how to drive a stick shift, which seems extremely low, but also kind of sad, my Dad drove a stick and I always found it fascinating to watch him drive.

I am glad that I am now getting the chance to learn myself. I think it is still important to understand out things work, take them apart, see the gears, work the levers, I am not an engineer or mechanical by most standards, but I can follow directions, I can understand concepts of motion, friction, and how parts work together to make other parts work..

I remember as a kid, watching my Dad take apart our car, sometimes just for an oil change, fix a belt, change filters, clean valves, it was interesting and educational. Now, vehicles are so small, you can’t even work on the engines or have so many computer part that it isn’t a mechanic that works on your car, but a computer technician.

I am however, all for technology too, our new car is a Honda Civic SI Coupe, which fits into the latter definition of cars, you can’t reach anything in the engine, more computer than metal, and I am okay with that.

I do think however, that while we move forward, we as a culture can’t forget how we got here. We need to know what makes our cars go, some things are so autopilot for us that we might just forgot how it all started. So while we go Vroom, Vroom, I tip my hat to the creators of the automobile, who figured out how to make a bunch of small metal go forward. Onward.

Jordandal Farms and Argyle Fiber Mill

2009-04-13T10:59:00.007-05:00

Llama and I made a trip to Argyle, WI yesterday to visit Jordandal Farms. We spent some time talking with Carrie and she showed us around the farm. We saw the Jersey milk cows and they are very cordial and weren't skittish at all. They like having their noses petted and were comfortable with us only a foot or two away from them. We spent some time checking on the chickens that are very cute (and yes, tasty, the Jordandal Farms chicken we have had in the past was delicious simply roasted) but I found it interesting that chickens are not smart animals at all. They have to have rounded corners in their brooding enclosure to make sure they don’t pile up on each other and kill one another. Although Carrie did say that soon they will be large enough to move out to the pasture and run around on their own. There was a lamb birthed on Saturday that was abandoned by its mother (one of a set of twins), so Carrie has taken to bottle-feeding the little guy twice a day, which will continue for the next two months. I still find (and Llama too) that it is too cute to see the newborn lambs in knit sweaters, knowing full well that one day these babies fleeces will be used to make sweaters, but for now, they have to keep warm somehow.

We also were nuzzled by Nellie, who I am sure has a crush on Llama. Nellie is one of Carrie’s calves (I think a hybrid Normandy and Jersey, can’t remember for sure). Nellie likes to push her nose up against you for a pet, she reminds me of a dog with her love of being petted and hopefully you won’t ignore her or turn your attention away or she will bump you with her head so you will pay attention again.

Carrier also has 25 acres of land with produce on it for the Dane County Farmer’s Market and other surrounding restaurants that use her meats and products. Jordandal Farms has pork, beef, chicken, lamb, and even turkeys in the fall. We have purchased most of the Jordandal farms products from the DCFM over the last year and everything has had wonderful flavor, we had some pork chops from Jordandal a few months back and other than some kosher salt, we didn’t add anything and they were the best pork chops I have ever had. I highly recommend Jordandal Farms products. It was a treasure to go see the farm and meet the animals. Carrie knows all of their names and has every inch of the farm tightly under her care.

At the end of our trip I told Llama that we would need to make another trip out to Argyle to see the Argyle Fiber Mill and Yarn Shop when it was open. The fleeces and yarns from Carrie’s sheep/lambs are processed and sold there. However, I did not realize that it was Carrier and her fiber partner that ran the Argyle Fiber Mill. Carrier offered to take us there and give us a tour. We saw the carding machines, where they created the roving and batts for spinning, all of the rows and rows of fleece waiting to be processed. She showed us the washing room and the drying racks, it was a cool room filled with drying fleeces of wool, alpaca, llama and even some angora. Then she took us up to the storefront and showed us around. I even was able to see the scarf and hat that Carrie has been working on in her spare time (yeah, that’s right, in between running a farm and a fiber mill she actually has a few minutes to knit and craft). It was a great time and am looking forward to our next trip to Argyle to go to the fiber mill when they are open and to also see the rest of the Jordandal farms and visit the pigs (yes, for Llama). It was a great time and very inspiring for my amateur chef as well as very nurturing to our souls to get back to nature and see all the great things Carrier (and Eric, her husband) is doing to promote sustainable agriculture.

Early presents and just in time presents

2008-11-23T16:29:00.003-06:00

Last weekend Llama gave me my birthday present early! I am truly a lucky knitter.
Lots and lots of baby alpaca, I got a whole sweaters worth of KP Andean Treasure in Embers, dark reds, which I am planning on making the Dollar and a Half Cardigan from the spring 2007 Interweave Knits.
I received 6 skeins of their new line Imagination in three different colour ways; Evil Stepmother, Wicked Witch and Frog Prince(2 skeins of each. There was also some more Andean Treasure in Mystery Heather, Lilac Heather and Midnight. There were also 8 skeins of Gloss sock yarn in autumnal colours; Pumpkin, Cocoa, Dusk, and Woodland Sage. Also to top it off (like there needed to be more!) 8 skeins (2 of each colour) of the lace weight Alpaca Cloud in Tide Pool, Raspberry, Midnight and Stream. Yes, I am spoiled, why do you ask? Is it that obvious?

My husband is the most knit worthy man ever, he enables me all the time. Here is my pile of yarn that I would love to dive into Scrooge McDuck style.

I also finished up the Shifting Sands scarf for Llama's co-worker, this finished up just as it is starting to get really cold here so I am glad, I did mix up the pattern a bit with stripes of a diagonal pattern a couple times and it really turned out lovely, and since it was an alpaca, angora, silk blend it was heavenly to touch. I do hope it will keep him warm through out our wonderful winters!
Here is a close up of the stitch patterns as my other photos were unacceptable to post!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, have a great week!

Today, is a good day, to be an American.

2008-11-04T22:12:00.004-06:00

President Elect Barack Obama!

some days we need more than mac and cheese

2008-10-14T19:53:00.002-05:00

Today I woke up wiped out. I don't remember my dreams (which is odd for me). I had a hard time getting motivated to do anything, usually I get get through the morning dishes with out a second thought, and even tonight there are still half a sink full of dishes to get done. When I got ready for work today, I had to resign myself to the fact that I needed a little extra comfort today. I am not sick, that I know of anyway but tired and a bit run down. It was just one of those days that I wanted to curl up on the couch in my PJs with a big cup of tea and a good blanket and read, sleep, knit and snuggle with Llama for the whole day, but it is Tuesday and they won't pay me to do those things. So I settled with wearing one of Llama's sweatshirts and also added my grandmother's ring to my hand. Might sound silly but those two things made me feel better. I was able to get out the door with my tea (can't skip all the comforts!) I know there are many things, usually very individualized, that can comfort us. I just don't usually come across the need to have them physically close to me. Today was different. We had a busy, eventful weekend and I think it just wore me out a bit. It will all get back in sync and even this evening I am just taking it easy and not pushing things too hard. I am allowing myself to just rest. I have a knitting swap that I am researching patterns for, reading through some magazines and newspapers I have been meaning to get to and am starting to feel like myself again. I think there are days when I have to remember to give myself permission to take it easy and slow down. Definitely need to do that more often.

September is flying by...

2008-09-21T12:50:00.007-05:00

It has been a crazy week, S and B were up visiting and it was good to see them, even though it isn't very conducive to knitting. I am completely exhausted this weekend, and it is a good day to stay home and do some cleaning and some knitting. We went to the farmer's market yesterday and it was a gorgeous morning for it. We picked up apples, hopefully I will get around to making some applesauce soon too. Lots of veggies and some beef chuck for Llama's new meat grinder, he made some delicious chili which I might have to go dig up for lunch.

We were able to go to the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival a couple weeks ago, it was really nice to see all the wonderful hand spun wool, I did have to pull Llama away from the angora bunnies, he is pretty sure that they taste better than they they make yarn but thankfully I was able to keep him away. We also got to see the lambs from the UW farms that were only a day or two old. They are so cute and tiny.

I also joined the Madison Knitter's Guild this year, the first charity they are sponsoring this year is "Knittin' a Mitten for Midvale Elementary". The goal is to cover all the students with a pair of mittens. These are the two pairs I knit up before the first meeting. I have found that lately I have needed my knitting to be complicated/challenging or I am getting bored, so I added the stranded colour work for fun, I love watching the patterns emerge.

The MKG has a bunch of great speakers set up for this year including the Yarn Harlot at the Madison Knit Out in the spring as well as a library for checking out books, I borrowed Latvian Mittens which is very intesting, I had never had the chance to look through this in person before and it has been fun to read and learn about Latvian culture. My english teacher in high school was Latvian and would sometimes tell us about her family, wish I had knit back then, I could have asked her more about it.

Also, one of my co-workers is having a baby, so we had a shower for her on Friday, I made up some baby feet washcloths as well as a couple plain clothes in a variegated yarn for her. She thought they were wonderful, but she appreciates hand made items. Sorry the pictures are so yellowish, last minute pictures before I had to wrap them up.

I have also been puttering along with the shifting sands scarf, I have decided to also add a band of another pattern for a couple inches on each end of the scarf, balanced although, not necessarily symmetrical to break up the knitting a little bit. I am just not sure what to use yet. Here is an update picture, it is approximately 10 inches long, and I will probably do the band of the second pattern for about 2 inches, guess it depends on how it looks.

Well, that is all I have for updates at the moment, the last couple of weeks have been so busy, so it was good to relax and look at my knitting this weekend. I have been reading about all the gift/holiday knitting knitters are planning on Ravelry and Knitty and I have to say, that whether you celebrate the winter holidays or not, it is so important to not be too busy with making gifts that you miss out on the gift of time with your family and friends.

Work in Progress Update

2008-09-02T06:40:00.004-05:00

It was a quiet Labour Day Weekend, which was good as I was able to get to work on multiple knitting projects that I would like to get moving on.
Here are some pictures, I am so excited as to how the arm warmers are coming along.

I am 1/3 of the way on the first arm warmer from Knit So Fine. It is coming along beautifully and other than some frustration on the first inch or so, things have been going along swimmingly, although I have taken over the dining room table since that gives me the most light and I can lay out all my charts more easily. Llama is an enabler.

This is the shifting sands scarf by Grumperina and it is lovely with it's undulating cables. It is meant as a thank you for one of Llama's co-workers. I love the soft denim colour of the yarn, a lovely alpaca, angora blend. Should be nice and soft around the neck.

Finally,
There is the Sunray shawl, that feels like forever, but really only about 8 months. I am trying to keep going on it. It is lovely yarn and beautiful pattern but it is definitely challenging for me. I love the colours and am trying to have it done by the end of the year, so I will keep chugging along.

That is all for this morning, but I can't wait to share more.

KSF fingerless glove update

2008-08-24T21:54:00.001-05:00

KSF fingerless glove update
Originally uploaded by madda79

Well, This is how far I got on the fingerless gloves in Canada and I have slowly been making progress since I have returned home. I will be taking more pictures soon. I did learn that following the advise of the book, definitely use a cable needle. I also found that placing the cable needle stitch back on the needle before knitting the stitch worked better for me than knitting from the cable needle.

I love watching the pattern emerge and I have to thank Llama for encouraging me to stick with it, after the first couple of rounds of the patterns, I was getting a bit discouraged. Canada came to the rescue and I worked at a table, which allowed me to lay out all of the charts and have plenty of room. I am going slowly and trying to get two rounds done each night, It really is turning out beautifully and I am on row 33 of the repeats so I have been slowly falling in love with the pattern. It is also going faster the more I do, the first 5-10 rounds or so took 15 minutes each round, but now I am getting a round done in about 4-5 minutes, depending on which cables are being used. I have also found that I am starting to memorize the cable patterns, so I can tell when reading the charts which cable to use without always having to reference the key.

I am still working on my shawl and hope to post update pictures soon. I also and still working on a pair of socks for Llama out of Patons Kroy in a waffle pattern. I am also going to start some child mittens for charity soon too. As they are small, they are good for instant gratification knitting.
Be back soon!

Dirtiest Husband Ever?

2008-08-10T19:30:00.005-05:00

Okay, the title just sounds dirty, it is actually a clean post.

For our anniversary this year, Llama decided to get me something different, we usually order matching rings, which we will do later this year when we can but he found something else and I couldn't live without it.

I got this in the mail when we returned from Canada...
an autographed photograph of Mike Rowe, from Dirty Jobs!

There is no place like home...

2008-08-07T20:26:00.004-05:00

We are back from Canada and we had a great time! There were some bumps and surprises but I can understand the concept Gone Bamboo after visiting St. Joe's Island.
I have lots of pictures and stories to share, but it will take some time and this will be shared in a series of posts (I am trying to be consistent, it takes some work).
But I wanted to share the darling Ruby pattern that the lovely Rain inspired me to try. I used my plain sock recipe for the structure of the sock, but the idea was planted by her pattern.

These are for a friend of the family who apparently is the only one having a girl at this time (out of the 2 who know they are having boys and the other 4 that aren't sure yet) I was excited to have little K come along and I hope to soon see her in these little sockies.

Here we go!

2008-07-22T18:30:00.002-05:00

We are on our way to Canada tomorrow morning at 4am!
I can't wait and hope to have lots of good pictures!
See you soon!

Shady Nook Dock, Richard's Landing, St. Joseph's Island, Ontario, Canada 2007

me want cookie!

2008-07-13T16:03:00.003-05:00

One of our friends (one of many) is pregnant and due in August, so I set out to create a little something for her new baby. Since I have been a long time cookie lover, I thought it would be fun to create a baby hat of another cookie fan :)

This hat was knit on size 3 needles, working on a 16in addi Turbo circular and finishing decreases with size 3 DPNs.
The yarn is FrogTree 100% Alpaca sport weight with KnitPicks Essential sock yarn in black for the mouth. Color 309 which I think it a very close match to Mr. Monster.
Sew on googly eyes.

I had a lot of fun figuring out how to make the mouth work on this hat, I also included some small loops on the inside so that if you place your fingers in the loops the hat becomes a puppet.
This was a pretty quick knit and I hope to do a few more in the future, with the amount of babies around here, that won't be a problem :)Hopefully, I will also get a picture of the recipient in his/her hat when they arrive this August.

2008-07-07T19:02:00.003-05:00

I figured I better post my swatch while I am still thinking about it :)
This picture does not do the Handmaiden yarn justice, but I love the colours and it has a beautiful sheen to it.

2008-07-06T18:10:00.004-05:00

And now for something completely different…

Interweave Press 2008

I recently picked up the book Knit so Fine from Interweave Knits and I am in love!
The patterns are lovely and the fine gauge fits me to a T. My plan of attack is to knit every pattern in this book, one at a time of course and blog about it here! Hopefully this will “kill two birds with one stone” and get me back into blogging while increasing my knitting knowledge and experience.

I have decided to start knitting the Fingerless Elbow Gloves.

Interweave Press 2008

I have started swatching (my first swatch ever) with some beautiful Handmaiden Sea Silk in Seafoam. This swatch created a beautiful drape and lovely shimmer that I couldn’t even begin to capture with my camera. I began on size 3 bamboo needles and created a swatch in the round, once I had enough done to get a good measurement, I realized I already knew the gauge for this project would match what I get on my size 2 needles. However, I am glad I swatched, and will continue to do so for my future projects. This did give me more information about how the piece would hang and fit my arms.
I do have to say a bit about this yarn, even just while working with it the little while; I have fallen in love with how the colours play against each other. I would have never guessed how lovely they would be knitted up in a smooth fabric. The sheen and feeling of the yarn are irresistible. I do need to take more breaks then I would if I was knitting in wool and I can feel the strain on my wrists but I will give myself regular breaks and also have a couple other projects going on in the back ground with other needles sizes and yarns to help keep my hands stretched and safe.
I have finished the ribbing for the left glove and it is going pretty nicely. I have used charts before but never this many at once. I am a bit apprehensive but also excited. Now I just have to keep everything separate.
I also started a shawl a few months ago and it is slow going but I was able to do another lifeline this week and added a couple more rows to go, hopefully pictures next time.
I finished a baby hat too for a co-worker of Llama, who is due in August. I will post soon with pictures, as I am very happy as to how it has turned out.
I am also trying to get back into blogging as I like to read other’s blogs and I think it is a nice form of community.

Arrrr you ready for some socks?

2008-01-05T12:35:00.000-06:00

Yeah! My pirate socks are done! I have more pictures that Llama is modeling the socks but I wanted to post this week before it becomes next week. These are the Jack Sparrow's Favorite socks pattern from the lovely Trillian42

Llama loves them and I am completely in love with the fact that I tried stranded color work and they turned out pretty well. They are a little tight to get on and off but no problems while wearing them!
I finished these up right before New Years so Llama showed them off when we visited family.

2007-12-31T13:18:00.000-06:00

As we wrap up 2007 today, I wanted to look back on the last year, I have accomplished so much that I didn't know I would or could.
1. attempted and succeeded at stranded colorwork,will try to have pictures soon.
2. changed jobs
3. passable attempt at blogging (more for the new year)
4. passing my first semester back to school
5. made my first batch of good shortbread

They may not be amazing, life changing events (we most weren't) but they have added confidence and strength to my life and a few pounds, that batch of shortbread and a weekend stranded in my house were not quite the healthiest choices, but I am not too worried about it.

I have some new goals for 2008 and may talk about them at another post, I am still trying to figure out the logistics of incorporating them into my life. I hope at the very least my resolve will hold out for my yarn diet, lots of yarn as I found out while photographing my stash with Llama last weekend.

From the thoughtful LibiLou, I wanted to tell our Knittypal Yorkie that we love her and know how strong and wonderful a person she is.
Here's thinking of you kiddo.
You are in my thoughts.

Here's hoping for Peace, Hope, Love, and Heart for all in the new year.

2007-12-14T13:17:00.000-06:00

This was on Katydid’s blog and since I always get inspiration from her for knitting, I thought I would try to get some inspritation from her blogging too

1. Elaborate on your default icon:
Llamabean, just a nickname for my husband actually, one that I am quite sure he keeps to himself.
2. What’s your current relationship status?
Married to my best friend and soul mate Llama
3. Ever have a near-death experience?
I have been near death experiences but not in one my self.
4. Name an obvious quality you have:
my father’s eyes
5. What’s the name of the song that’s stuck in your head right now?
I’m a little teapot…I know, I know…
6. Any celeb you would marry?
I don’t know about marry but I wouldn’t seeing Stephen Cobert smile at me.
7. Who will cut and paste this first?
No idea.
8. Has anyone ever said you look like a celebrity?
Not really, but I don’t think that is a bad thing.
9. Do you wear a watch?
Always, I have one with an alarm and everything.
10. Are you pierced?
Sure thing, two holes in my left ear and one in my right. I wear everyday earring in the main holes and then my Dad’s earring in my upper left.
11. Do you have any tattoos?
I have a large Harley Davidson logo on my lower back and I don’t own any Harleys!
12. Do you like pain?
Doesn’t really bother me and I certainly wouldn’t let it stop me.
13. Do you like to shop?
Yeah, but for almost anything other than yarn, I prefer to shop online if I am able.
14. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
Dinner out with friends.
15. What was the last thing you paid for with your credit card?
Gas for the car
16. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone?
My mom J although, since I have started in Customer Service, I don’t want to talk on the phone anymore than I have to, but my family doesn’t count into that area.
17. What is on your desktop background?
A snowy day on my work comp and a picture of Llama on my home one.
18. What is the background on your cell phone?
Currently, it is my sock that I am working on for Llama, my first try at colourwork, I am so excited at how it is turning out.
19. Do you like redheads?
Of course, silly question.
20. Do you know any twins?
Yeah, through school I actually know a few sets.
21. Do you have any weird relatives?
Yes. Lets just leave it at that.
22. What was the last movie you watched?
The Producers or The Ringer, same weekend I think.
23. What was the last book you read?
The last book I finished was the series of David J. Pelzer books, they just make me ache for him. I am still working on the Art of Forgiveness by the Dalai Lama and another book by David Sedaris
24. Is there such a thing as love at first sight, or it is more likely to be lust at first sight?
I knew Llama was part of me.
25. What’s your favorite book?
The Pink Jacaranda, old seventies romance novel, but it still thrills me J
26. When was the last time you visited the street where you first lived?
At least a couple years, I think I took Llama to see it when we first started dating.
27. When was the last time you googled your own name?
A couple of months, we were bored at work one afternoon.
28. What was / is your favorite subject at school?
English/Art/History, or some combination just turns my pages
29. What was / is your least favorite subject at school?
Oral Presentation/Speech class. I am getting better at talking in front of groups though
30. Do you like having your photograph taken?
Depends on why it is being taken but usually it is not an issue.
31. What time were you born?
10:16pm , it is engraved on my baby picture otherwise I don’t think I would know that.
32. Ever seriously questioned your sanity?
I think at the point that you question it, it is already gone.
33. How many phone numbers do you have remembered and can say off the top of your head?
Most of my family so about 20 some numbers.
34. Can you Limbo?
Sure, when the bar is at the very top J
35.Have you ever killed your own dinner?
Define kill. I helped Llama steam some lobsters.
36. How long have you been living at your current residence?
Just over 3 years
37. What phobias do you have?
Small spaces definitely, I don’t even like to be caught in the blankets when I am sleeping, spiders (although I am getting better at this since my trip to Canada),
38. What’s your ideal breakfast?
Homemade biscuits and gravy, heaven.
39. Where are you right now?
Hard at work, it is quiet today.
40. Why do you blog?
I am trying to record for posterities sake.
41. What would you call your autobiography?
A good egg.
42. What’s the longest time you’ve stayed out of the country / where?
8 days in Ontario, Canada
43. Do you use ICQ, AIM, etc..?
Google talk mostly.
44. Do you have nightmares frequently?
Yes, sometimes very disturbing ones that I remember in extreme clarity
45. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?
I would hope so, but you just never know…
46. Which TV character could you be friends with?
Dexter
47. What’s on your mouse pad?
A mouse, it is the logo for my company.
48. What is your ring tone?
Motorcycle sounds and glasses being toasted.
49. What did you watch on TV last night?
Classic boxing
50. Scary movies or happy endings?
Happy endings, I can’t even watch the previews for scary movies so I stick with the happy movies.

Happy Friday!

checking in

2007-10-24T19:57:00.000-05:00

Well, the last few weeks have been more than hectic and part of me wishes I could turn back the clock but then all the good things that have happened wouldn't be. So I guess I will just keep on truckin...
My friend MellyMel had her beautiful baby boy a couple weeks ago, I will have photos soon. But my lovely MIL quilted her a darling baby blanket that will keep little Dez warm for many years to come. I have been studying for tests and projects for my Human Resources classes as I work toward being certified. I have also quit working for my previous employer and have started working in a much smaller customer service department. There are only us 8 women but it kind of feels like an old fashioned secretary pool, but in a good way, we all work together to get our product out the door. It is a wonderful change from the "it's not my job" feel that I was working for.

Llama and I are slowly trying to lose weight but more importantly trying to make healthier choices with our lives. Things are going okay so far, Llama makes such wonderful food that everything tastes good :) Even healthy stuff like salad, he makes the best whitefish salad on baby spinach that I eat all of it. and I don't particularly like lettuces.

Alrighty, my break is over but I thought I was well overdue to check in to the world outside. hmmm. more studying. ohh and laundry, that is exciting.

quite a break

2007-09-03T17:38:00.000-05:00

Well, it is almost the end of summer and I have neglected my blog, but things are starting to get back into a rhythm. I have been busy and stressful and finally took a well deserved vacation. Llama and I went to his family cottage in Canada for a week and a half at the end of July. It was beyond beautiful and so refreshing, and I can't wait to do it again next year. We saw huge cows, and I mean HUGE, but there were also calves and they were darling. We spent time bathing/swimming in a part of Lake Superior. We devoured pie, raspberry, blueberry, lingonberry and blueberry cream. We spent time at St. Joseph's Fort and watched The Voyageurs video (which I highly recommend). We ate poutine and butter tarts (which Llama made from scratch last week to see if they would turn out)and they were delicious!

I finished the braided cable socks for Mellymel and I am glad they fit her. Made out Tofutsies yarn, they are very soft and very pink.

We also had Mellymel's baby shower last week too and she loved her day of relaxing conversation and I am glad she likes the baby Harry Potter sweater for her soon to be here baby boy.

I have also added a picture of her baby shower gift bags for the guests, the book marks had info on them like the definition of Mother and Father etc. and the letters spelled out the family's last name. Wrapped candy bars and the small blue bag had animal crackers in them.

She also gave me a lovely thank you give of the Interweave Knits Favorite sock book, some beautiful sock yarn and a darling personalized notebook.

It has been a nice labour day weekend and I am glad to have the extra day to relax. Llama is feeling under the weather so I hope I can take good care of him.

Currently I am working on some socks for my mother in law and I was able to make sure they fit this weekend and she has a ton of knitting needles from her mother that she gifted me with. They are now neatly tucked away in my knitting gear with the exception of the straights which have found a home in a large glass vase on my end table.

I will do my best to not take such a long break from my blogging. hopefully I will also have new photos soon!

Quiet Weekend

2007-06-17T13:31:00.000-05:00

It is hot and humid here, just sitting around makes you sweat. I have just been taking it easy, finished up a shrug to wear at a wedding next week, I will post pics after the wedding. But look what I have here!

Is it a gift from me to myself?

with two Hawaiian handkerchiefs, some old ribbon and a couple of hours with my sewing machine and I have a dpn knitting roll!

I really like it, it isn't fancy but I have wanted to make one for quite some time now I have one that is very colourful.

Here is to a nice quiet weekend! I love being able to create something that will make me smile everytime I look at it, just like my knitting!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there, remember it is a privilege to have the title Dad, one that my father earned every day and I miss him every day of the year but most especially today.

Socks, Soccer, and Sushi

2007-06-02T19:17:00.000-05:00

Here are the socks that I knit for my Mom for Mother's Day, I think they turned out lovely! And they were pretty fun and quick to knit up. I used Essential Tweed- Plum from Knitpicks and the SKS pattern Baby Cables. I hope she likes them and they keep her toasty.

I finished up our rec league for Soccer through Llama's work last week, No we didn't win one game, but we had a good time doing it :)We are the blue team and we might not have been experts but we definitely got better as a team!

Plus, Llama has been craving sushi, so I knit him up some sushi to have at work to tempt him! One is a piece of spider roll (soft shell crab- long legs) and the other piece is flying fish egg (roe).

We also had the weekend off last week for Memorial Day, it was so nice to have not only a long weekend, but to actually have a weekend off.

We have started the summer bowling league on Tuesday nights. I finally got a 126 game! It was great! I am going to keep working on it, I want Llama to have a good team member, but I am starting to see how much skill and hard work actually goes into bowling a good strong consistent game.

Today was fun too, I got to go meet with a friend to help plan a baby shower for Mellymel_517! She is due in October and I am sure she will have a lovely Halloween baby!

Then I met up with Mel and Court and we went yarning to Knitch in Delafield, WI. It is such a cute town, and a really nice shop. They were having a Blue Sky Alpaca trunk show during June, so we took a little trip over and got some yarny goodness. I picked up some beautiful natural cotton and two skeins of a lovely shrimp coloured cotton. I can't wait to make a nice little shawl for an upcoming wedding. I also picked up a nice bright striping Trekking XXL that I am planning on some sunny socks for Llama.

Tomorrow, we are heading out to see Llama's family, should be a nice day! We haven't been down since the first weekend in May so I am sure it will a good time and I have lots of clutter to donate since I have been cleaning our pantry and extra bedrooms!
Hope to get some of it out of our apartment and into the hands of someone who can use it.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Spring is here!

2007-05-01T17:47:00.000-05:00

Here are some lovely tulips at Llama's work. They make me smile when I pick him up at the end of the day.

And this weekend I finished up some lovely socks with the waffle rib II from Sensational Knitted Socks.
Llama loved them so much he wouldn't take them off!

Here they are with a detail of the pattern

In Memory of...

2007-04-27T18:11:00.000-05:00

my Dad.

Miss him everyday. I know it has been three years but there are still moments that I can hear his voice. I still expect him to answer the phone when I call. I still catch my self thinking, " I should tell my dad about this...". All I hope now, is that if he is watching over us, I hope he is proud of us. Dad, Please know, we will never forget you.

Michael J. McCabe
June 20,1949- April 27,2004

How Llamabean got her groove back!

2007-04-25T19:56:00.000-05:00

So Wow, it has been almost a month, I might have to start putting a reminder on my calendar to keep up on my blog!

So March was kind of a slow month, knitting wise, I just didn't feel into it, I don't know if I just couldn't relax or if I just wasn't inspired by the socks I was making, even if they were for me. Go figure.

But two of my good friends and I had a day off of work a couple weeks ago ,a "spring" holiday (that's Good Friday for those who celebrate it) and we took a mini road trip to Delefield, WI to a lovely little shop called knitch.

A good time was had by all and I found Lorna's Laces Shepherd sock yarn! In the lovely 702 Fresh Stripe colourway!

This little bundle of joy (as you can see here, it is ready and waiting to knit from my wonderful yarn balling Llama) was enough inspiration to finish these bad boys up for me! They are the Tech Guy socks from Magknits and I really do like them, although my feet look kind of funny in them, but I suppose not any funnier then they do with out socks on. Perhaps, one is not meant to have their feet photographed from the front.

And I am 3/4 of the way through another pair of socks for Llama, I figure if he winds the yarn, he should get some payment. Plus, he is most appreciative of hand knit socks!

My SP Rocks!

2007-04-01T21:04:00.000-05:00

I am Completely SPOILED by her!

Check out the pictures to see the wonderful gifts I received!
This lovely box arrived and my Llama was excited to help me open it.

a peek inside...

Yea!, little packages...

All together...

Some absolutely delicious chips!

Some lovely handmade magnets.

in their natural habitat.

lovely handmade stationary, I think my SP knows my weakness for letter writing.

a lovely bit of chocolate, that may or may not have made it through the weekend.

Some beautiful 1824 Wool to play with. Of course the obligatory detail shot. check out the cards, it's from Lettuce Knits! Here's hoping my yarn was fondled by Yarn Harlot or KnittyAmy

A nice note explaining the contents and wishing all a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

PLUS, a beautiful Irish Hiking Scarf hand knit by my SP!

And by special request...me modeling my new scarf, I have to say it does look good on me :)

Many Thanks again LLD, can't wait to find out who you are next month!
Thank you for the lovely chats too!

Hello Again

2007-03-25T14:27:00.002-05:00

Wow, how time flies, I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, it has been so busy here.
Last Saturday, Llama made a lovely 7 course dinner for four of our work friends and my sister Zutzan and her fiancee B. We has such a good time, started off with delicious baked Lime Olive Red Snapper. As you can see below, it was snarfled up quickly, so quickly we forgot to take a before picture.

Then a light and refreshing Citrus Mint salad.

Yummy roasted red pepper cous cous and the favorite of all, Poutine.

Baked Manicotti with three cheeses and spinach plus a wonderful lamb curry with homemade Naan.

We finished off the meal with creamy homemade vanilla bean ice cream topped with wonderful Canadian maple syrup.

It was such a wonderful night. Great food, good friends and it was the first day of my sister and B's spring break, they came up from Missouri and stayed with us this past week. We got to look through all of my sister's wedding ideas and hang out and relax. I took a day off and a few afternoons off ( I am the only early riser in my family) So I thought I should give them some extra sleeping in time.

We baked a cake together and Zutzan showed me how to make frosting roses and lots of other cake decorating tips, she also made and ate a batch of cupcakes, they were very good and lots of fun.

I am so glad they could both come up and visit and I hope we gave them a nice relaxing week off. Plus I finally was able to see her engagement ring!

They left for home yesterday afternoon and this morning Llama and I went bowling, Llama is very good bowler and I am not so much, but I enjoy playing. We have been together over all most 6 years and I finally this morning, for the fist time, got a 100 game. actually 111, and I have been extremely excited about my score!

Early Birthday Surprise!

2007-03-03T09:34:00.000-06:00

So Llama's birthday is coming up soon and he also got a great yearly review this week! So while he was at his night class on Wednesday, I made him a birthday cake! I used my good old Betty Crocker cook book for the cake and the buttercream frosting and I think it turned out great (hint: it is supposed to look like a piece of sushi.)

Cozy FO,
I also thought it was about time to post pictures of my cozy from Knitty.com (I apologize for the quality) I finished this just in time to post on the Lacevember KAL last November. I think it turned out really nice, I will probably make another one some time in the future. It is a soft fingering weight yarn (unsure of what it is officially)got it back in college before I ever started knitting. It is a lovely dark grey. I am very proud of this as it was my first attempt at lace, and I learned very quickly WHY knitters use life lines!

Close up of lace pattern

FO's and some lovely snacks

2007-02-25T12:08:00.000-06:00

Here is my latest FO, it only took a couple months and one trip to the frog pond.

It is the Lunchbag from Knitty.com. When you don't try to adjust every part of a pattern and just follow as it states it turns out beautifully!
This lunch bag is for Llama since his old bag was falling apart.
I really like how this turned out, I did add a handle for Llama just for carrying convenience.

Also,
Here is a photo of the absolutely delicious truffles that Llama made yesterday with the dark chocolate from my SP! They turned out wonderfully, he used the recipe from Good Eats and it was really fun to help make them ( I was designated to roll the truffles in the cocoa powder or coconut.
Splendid!

I finished a pair of Tech socks from Magknits for Llama. He had to try them on right away to make sure they were soft enough. They are knit with STR Alina colourway.

Yeah, hopefully I will have more soon!

Yeah, I have the best SP

2007-02-24T08:06:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago, I received my SP Package in the mail!
It was an awesome package from CANADA!!!

Okay, So I know I am a slacker but I am planning to make amends right now.

First thing, my SP sent me lovely Vinegar and Sea Salt chips which Llama promptly opened and ate, I was able to sneak a few for my own tasting!

She painted some beautiful frames with my nephews name on them, I have taken one to work and the others adorn our entertainment center. They are wonderful in chocolate and pumpkin colours.

Also some beautiful stitch markers that my SP handmade, and made me very envious of her craftiness!

Also a Black Sheep tape measure! He is so cute!

You can also see some of the wonderful stationary that she made for me! They are just darling and I can't wait to use them, ( one had an angel on it and I have already sent that to my Mom as she loves angels).

I got some beautiful Koigu and some gorgeous Zephyr Wool-silk blend lace weight yarn that I am in love with, hope to find the best pattern soon!
And also, I apologize here and now that I am very sorry for the quality of my pictures, apparently I need to relearn how to work with my camera, I will have Llama help me with future packages. The first picture is better quality but the second picture is closer in colour. It is a lovely deep sea green!

There was also some lovely dark chocolate that has been partially consumed! Llama is promising to make some truffles with it soon!

Well, LLD, I am sorry I didn't get these up sooner and I will try not to be as much of a slacker in the future, thank you for the Spoils!!!

Happy Saturday!

Memories by Smell

2007-02-09T20:34:00.000-06:00

Today, I was washing my hands in the ladies room while a co-worker was washing out her coffee cup. And I smelled something I remember...
It was the exact scent of my grandmother's coffee that I remember when I was a little girl. She would sit at the kitchen table every morning with her cup of coffee and the newspaper and I can't remember what she put in the coffee, but it has an aroma that I will never forget.

Smelling my co-workers coffee may sound strange, but I have found that our sense of smell can be a powerful thing. In that one moment in the bathroom today, smelling my co-workers coffee I was taken back 20 years to when I would sit next to my grandmother while she would read the paper and scribble out a grocery list all in capital letters, I never knew why, but her grocery list was always written in printed caps with a mechanical pencil. I remembered the soft flowery scent of her robe from her bubble bath, the feel of the sturdy wooden chairs that we sat on. How is it possible that after almost 12 years after she was left this earth, I can recall all things as if they happened yesterday from the smell of someone's coffee? How can that hole in my heart, that I thought had healed, feel so raw and open today?

My father once told me " that sometimes the things that don't kill us, don't make us stronger, they just don't kill us". Some days, that phrase makes an immense amount of sense to me, but other days it makes me sad, that there might not be magic or powers with in the universe that watch out for us. I like to believe that we are never given challenges that we are not able to overcome. I also like to think that my father speaks good sense in remembering our limitations but I like to think, I might just be invincible. It's not always probable but ANY thing is possible.

Sometimes, days like today, make me want for the past, but it also reminds me to pay attention to the present, so in the future, I will remember those everyday, ordinary moments that can bring memories crashing back so real you can touch them.

Writing my thoughts really does help me think my emotions out, that is a good feeling. Do you know what else brings out good feelings...
Getting a package from your Secret Pal!
I will post about my spoils this weekend, with photos!
If you are reading this SP, It is SO WONDERFUL! I LOVE IT!
Thank you,Thank you,Thank you!

ups and downs...

2007-02-01T18:35:00.000-06:00

So it has been a busy couple of weeks.
That said, I have a bunch of stuff I am excited about and a few frustrations to vent also.
I had my endoscopy and found out...drum roll... not much.
Well, the good news, no ulcers, no esophagus damage and my stomach lining looks good. Which I am very grateful for these positive things.
The bad news is that the muscle that connects my esophagus to my stomach is "loose", now I understand that I was completely under sedation for this procedure and the diagnosis, so I am going off what Llama told me later but really, "loose" is the best term we could come up with? :) But I suppose that is the layman's terms and trust me, I am no doctor.
But it has been a hassle to get my new prescription, so I am just going to not worry about it this weekend and just wait until my follow up next week...sometimes even I have to admit defeat.

Other things going on have been better, I always like to get the venting done first and then go for the good stuff!

Secret Pal 8
Started today! Yeah!
I have the best upstream and downstream! This is my first Secret Pal and I am so excited and a little nervous (I want to be a good SP), I got the cutest penguin e-card from my SP last Saturday and boy do I love me some penguins (actually most black and/or white animals...pandas, polar bears, seals, zebras...I guess with a childhood nickname like Panda, something had to come out of it). Please see the penguin above for my cute e-card! Thank you so much Llama Llama Duck!!!!
I also got a yummy recipe for skor blondies and if I can get moving tonight,I plan on making a batch to bring to work tomorrow. Yum. And as my SP had tempted me with chips of all kind, I have been having so much fun planning for my downstream SP... and thankfully since I have a great SP, it is inspiring me to think up fun things for my downstream.

now I am feeling better!
and to make it even better tomorrow is FRIDAY!

Whew.

2007-01-20T21:27:00.000-06:00

What a week. I feel as though it has been go, go, go all week. But thankfully, the Friday and Saturday activities have been fun ones, but it has been nice to get caught up on laundry and dishes tonight, no matter how much fun those two activities lack.

Friday night we went and saw a HS Hockey game, Waunakee vs Wisconsin Dells. It was really fun, chilly but fun. Both teams did really good and it was a blast for me as it was my first live hockey game ever!

Saturday morning, we got up early and drove to watch the Dells Wrestling Invite. HS wrestling is very interesting to watch. I have been slowly learning all the rules and what the different calls mean. It helps to have Llama around since he know so much about wrestling, he was a wrestler in HS and is taking the test to become a ref. Matches will keep us busy in the future.

My Mom sent me a package in the mail and it was a new apron! I love to bake and have been using the Santa themed apron that she made for me almost 4 years ago, it was time for a new one although the Santa one has held up incredibly well. It was fun to get a new one, it is double sided and had sparkly hearts all over it for Valentine's Day. It might be a little early but she wanted me to get it with time to make some Valentine's goodies. But it is simple hearts so I will keep it out all year.

Still working on my Tech Guy socks for Llama. Just turned the heel this morning while watching the wrestling meet. I really like the STR Alina sock yarn. It is really nice, I am getting so spoiled with these wonderful sock yarns I have been using lately. The colours are just beautiful and I love the swirling that the sock is creating. Can't wait to get some of my pictures down loaded to put on here. I am still learning all the ways to work my blog.

Yeah Badgers!

2007-01-12T22:20:00.001-06:00

The UW Madison (Badgers) men's hockey team just won a game against Minnesota Gophers and they were not supposed to win, younger team, less experienced, and not to mention that MN had a 3 streaks going, including a 22 game winning streak. Now I am not attacking MN since I am originally from MN. However, since moving to WI, I have come to enjoy the love and admiration that the fans have for their teams!
It was a great game, lots of close calls and high tension, they will play again tomorrow and I am sure it will just as much fun to watch.

Last weekend Llama and I went shopping for WI college sweatshirts to wear to our first Badger game later this month. I am so excited and I got to wear it tonight also (although I was just sitting in front of the TV with my knitting) so it was nice to be rooting for the underdog and have them win!

I also get to sub for Llama's bowling league tomorrow. I am always excited to play and I enjoy hanging out with my husband outside of the house sometimes. Usually I go knit with the wife of one of Llama's teammates, but this week there will be two people on their team gone so both her and I will be subbing, I sure hope I do a good job. Sometimes I don't take sports/games as competitively as Llama and I just want to do my best and have a good time.

Hopefully, I will be able to post some photos soon of my knitting and things going on around here. Although it is very icy and slick outside tonight, I am hoping it warms up to good driving this weekend.

Socks or Felting...

2007-01-07T10:52:00.000-06:00

Okay, I think it is time to admit it... I am addicted to socks.
I have been trying to work on a felted bag for the last two and half weeks. Now if you have ever deliberately felted your knitting, you know that it is created on large needles with at least worsted weight yarn (in general), so it usually only takes an afternoon or a weekend to make a felted bag or slippers. So why the delay with this particular bag... well, two weeks ago Llama wound a center pull ball of some new STR sock yarn and it has been calling to me. So finally Friday night, Llama asks if I would rather just make a pair of socks, and I quietly said, "yeah, I think so". In my head I was overjoyed, something about tiny needles and soft merino wool just works for me.
Since the knitted bag is for him (for lunches)he was really good about it, which I think happened more because he LOVES hand-knit socks and this pair is for him too.
I am still going to try to keep working on the bag, he really needs a replacement lunch bag ( me too). This way when I start to get antsy, I can pull out my socks and change up what I am doing.

In other news, Llama is gearing up to take a class for his CCNA certification, I think he is excited to get it and know that it is done, but I am not sure what I will do with myself one night a week for the next four months! I see lots of knitting in my future. I know that he will do a great job and pass everything with flying colours. I think it is just a little overwhelming to try to do it on his own, so I am glad that he decided to got he classroom route. We will see what happens in May!

I am also very excited because we got tickets to the Badger hockey game in a couple weeks. This will be my first live hockey games ever. I think we might have to go buy some Badger wear. It will be a busy weekend, since we are usually watching the game at home but maybe we will go out to eat first, lots of good places to eat near the Kohl Center. My favorite so far is a Serbian/Arabic restaurant, they make the best hummus!

2007- Here we go

2007-01-02T19:42:00.000-06:00

Well, I have been sucked into the world of blogs. I think it will be a nice way to keep a check on my knitting habits as well as keep friends and family updated on our lives.

Living in a different state than my immediate family has made sharing daily events harder than it used to be, so I am hoping this will allow a bit more communication.

Okay, now for the name, rank and serial number bit...
I am married to my wonderful husband "Llama", we are living in the capital city of the Dairy state. I currently work a 9 to 5 job that allows me to knit and bake in the evenings and weekends. We have lived here for approximately 2.5 years.
I started knitting due to some encouraging and now enabling co-workers. We regularly get together for knitting club. Which somehow ends up being more about watching reality TV and eating chocolate than knitting but it is nice to have friends to share my knitting with.

I have two siblings, my brother JBear who lives in the great state of Wild Hockey and my sister Zutzan who is currently en-route to Missouri. Both are students at their respective colleges and I want to be able to communicate with them more often.

I also want to share my daily life with my Mom who I don't get to see as often and it is hard to explain every knitted object over the phone.

I also have a wonderful nephew, who is my only nephew at this time, so much is lavished on him.

Hopefully I will be able to expand my blog in the next few weeks and add some of the wonderful things I have seen on others blogs as I have done my research to begin this blog.

I guess my New Year's Intention is to keep up with this blog and share my hobbies and experiences.

Happy New Year!