Archive for December, 2006Page 2 of 3

Snow Day! 19Dec06


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12/20: Still snowing…Work is on a 2 hour delay this morning, cause the roads aren’t looking too good. If you’re in Albuquerque too, hope you’re enjoying it, cause it looks like we’re going to get plenty more these next few days.

Yeah, it’s a Snow Day! I even got early dismissal from work! This was the sight that greeted me when I got home from work (although it did take a whole hour to get home).

Snow Day!

There was about 3″ of snow in the highest parts, which I haven’t seen in Albuquerque for quite some time. I was expecting the storm to peter out about an hour or so after it started, but it went strong all afternoon. I don’t mind, cause it’s lovely and means I got to make some comfort food for dinner.

mmmm, perfect cold weather food!
Mmmm! Nothing like a pot of chili on a cold winter day.

Mmmm, I can’t wait to eat this!

Rest assured, I’ll be staying home to watch movies, knit and drink warm substances. Should be a perfect evening. :)

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Ok, I Can Calm Down Now 19Dec06


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Jeez, I was beginning to worry a bit! See, my job eligibility is directly tied to my GPA…which is a fantastic way to drive your stress level through the roof. Basically if I don’t get a 3.2, I get one semester to bring it up or lose my job. Nothing like becoming a broke college student again to motivate you eh?

These past few days were a bit nerve wracking because I had 2 of my grades in, and I needed a B+ or better in my final class to get the required GPA. While I was very certain I had an A in the class going into the final, it was difficult not to let the “what-if” scenarios play out. “What if I bombed the final?” “What if my professor suddenly doesn’t like me anymore?”…And many other similar questions. Needless to say, my fears were just nerves, because I got an A+ in the class :) (Seriously, A+? That’s so crazy! Whatever happened to a good old fashioned 4.0 being the highest?)

Now I feel a whole lot better, like my break can actually start…now that I have job security for another semester. I really can’t wait until I have my MSEE and actually have benefits and the whole nine yards. That’ll be the day.

In an attempt to divert your attention from the fact that I have no pictures to accompany today’s blog post, I give you a lovely picture of M Mountain (found on Flickr) with a slight dusting of snow. For my non-college buddy readers, my former school New Mexico Tech sits at the base of M Mountain. Snow is a rare sight in Socorro (this picture was taken in 2005, and I don’t think there’s been that much snow since then), so all the students pretty much go crazy when it falls. Classes are ditched, whiskey flasks are filled and sleds abound on the slopes of the golf course. Ah, the college days.


Sledders and ‘M’ Mountain, originally uploaded by jclarson.

I figured a picture of snow was fitting, since Albuquerque has yet to be doused in it as the weatherman has been predicting. The ominous clouds lurking overhead have proved to be somewhat impotent thus far, but all that could still change. (And I hear there’s some snow on the West Side.) Here’s hoping that maybe Sandia Peak might actually have a decent winter this year.

In knitting news, I’ve come to the realization that The Project That Shall Not Be Named will definitely not be done for Christmas. I suppose it’ll be gifted still on the needles with a picture of the final product. At least I got a few other things for said recipient to open. I suppose I should start gigantic projects like this more than 2 months out in the future huh? Oh well, it’s the thought that counts…

Finally, I just want to say thanks to everyone for making my special Snow Angels yarn a success! I sold all but one skein, which I decided to keep for myself as an early gift. It’s just so lovely, I couldn’t resist. So thanks, you guys are awesome, and enjoy your yarn!

5 Minutes Later:

icing on the parking lot
hey, I’ll take what we can get, even if it is lame.

I stand corrected. I looked out the window and got a lovely surprise! The clouds have decided to flex their muscles and give us some snow. Yay! Maybe we’ll have a white Christmas after all ;)

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Phew! 15Dec06


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I’m exhausted! But so excited, because I’m free! Woo-hoo! School is over, and I finally have order restored to my life. Granted, only for a month, but I’m going to relish the downtime while I have it. And you all know what downtime translates into…more knitting!

Speaking of which, the Christmas knitting is beginning to catch up with me. I’m not entirely sure that I’ll be able to finish The Project That Shall Not Be Named in time, so it may end up being a “here, look what’ll be finished in another week!” I think I can finish the main oody of the project, but then there’s still the border which is the longest part of the whole pattern. There’s only so many hours in the day, and I refuse to kill myself over it…but I can kick myself for not starting sooner. Anyway, I have lots more evening knitting time now, so we’ll see what happens this week…maybe I can pull off a miracle. ;)

The sickness is slowly leaving my house, like a slow fog lifting in the afternoon. I feel much better, although I still have a mild cough and a deep throaty voice. Which means telemarketers don’t call me Miss recently, so I don’t mind that too much. The dogs are slowly on the mend, but they seem to oscillate between good and bad days. The vet gave me some antibiotics for all 3 of them, but they make Emma really nauseous, so I think I might take her off of it. Kennel Cough will go away without the antibiotics anyway, cause often times they’re ineffective against the Bordatella virus. Kinda like taking Amoxicillin wouldn’t really cure you of the flu that much quicker. Also, Dallas just entered the coughing phase of kennel cough, and man does that dog sound like he’s dying! Let’s just say there haven’t been too many sleep filled nights around my house this week. I’m hoping that we’ll all be back to normal sometime soon.

Despite all the sickness and final exams occurring this week, I somehow managed to get all the Snow Angels Yarn dyed and sent out. There are still 4 skeins of the 1500 MHz Sport Sock Merino left and there’s still time to order before Christmas. If you want one of those, place your order by the 19th at the latest. If they’re not sold by then, I’m going to claim them for Christmas presents for various family and friends who have expressed interest and dropped some hints. So get em’ quick, before I do!

basket of yarny goodness snow angels: extreme closeup
"Snow Angel, Snow Angel, someday I’m gonna fly…"

I’ve never dyed this much yarn in one go before, so I was a bit nervous, but it all came out great. I got all 20 skeins dyed in just 2 sessions on Monday and Tuesday, I have no idea how I pulled that off! I’m getting a lot more efficient, which means that dyeing is a lot more fun, since I can be more creative, rather than worry about the details of the process. Now if I only had a studio…I’d really crank! Someday.

on their way!
"Gonna fly like an eagle…" Darn USPS song, get out of my head!

To round off this post, and add some more fiber pictures for Yarn Pr0n Friday, here’s a custom colorway that I just dyed in Texas Tech colors. This customer wanted some yarn she could use to make something for her husband, who’s a big Red Raiders fan. And being an expert in guy approved yarn, I was the right person for the job! Just a reminder that if you ever have an idea for some yarn in your head that you can’t seem to find anywhere else, run it by me, I’d love to give it a shot.

go raiders! - 1

Tomorrow I venture out into the world to do some Christmas shopping with a friend. Wish me luck, cause I’ll probably need it with all those people out and about!

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The Weekend of Ugh. 10Dec06


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I had lots of plans this weekend. Most of them not involving lying in bed being sick, but that’s not exactly how things always work out. I went to bed Friday night with a slightly scratchy throat, not thinking too much of it. When I woke up the next morning I was most definitely sick. The mental conversation went something like this:

“Sore Throat? Check. Stuffed Up Nose? Check. Grapefruit Size Lymphnodes? Check. Aches and Chills? Check.“

“Crap, I’m sick.”

Then I proceeded to lay in or about the bed most of the day, slamming down Airborne fizzy things and Zinc Cough Drops at an alarming pace. I drank lots of water and herbal tea too. I had planned to do lots of yarn dyeing, to get all the Snow Angels preorders ready to go, but I just wasn’t feeling up to the task.

I did get lots of knitting done however. I caught back up to where I needed to be on The Project that Shall Not Be Named while watching a lot of TV. Then, I got a nice surprise when the mailman came, because this lovely yarn was waiting for me. :)

yarn pirate - malamute - 1
Yarn Pirate Superwash Merino in Malamute

Georgia, otherwise known as Yarn Pirate, and I had arranged a little swap a few weeks ago, and this is what she sent me. It’s called Malamute, and has black, gray and two different shades of blue. I love it! Thanks Georgia! Nothing like yarn on your doorstep to brighten up an otherwise crummy day.

To compound matters, Dallas also got sick this weekend. He started throwing up and acting very punky on Saturday. Junior appears to have a case of Kennel Cough, so it appears that Dallas caught it as well. There was definitely no shortage of sleeping people and dogs at my house this weekend.

But we’re all feeling a bit better today. My sickness is mostly just a cough and sore throat now, and Dallas ate some rice a bit ago and seems to be doing a lot better. Thankfully, I was able to get stuff done today, including dyeing up most of the Snow Angels preorders.

snow angels - drying off

These will be dry, reskeined and ready to ship in a day or two, so if you’ve put in a preorder it’ll be on its way soon. I’ve dyed all of the allotted skeins of 900 MHz Sock Merino, of which 3 are still left in the shop. There’s also 7 skeins of the 1500 MHz Sport Sock Merino for the taking, which is a very nice yarn that I highly recommend. Be sure to order by the 18th to guarantee delivery for Christmas.

Lastly, I just wanted to show off a quick bit of knitting that I did last week. It’s an iPod Cozy (pattern in Knitting with Balls), that I knitted for Scout to take with her to her taping of Knitty Gritty. She was looking for people to make stuff using her yarn, so I volunteered my services. This cozy is knitting in her Sport Merino yarn, in the Storm Surge colorway. Also, I highly recommend the pattern, it’s quick, easy and would make great stocking stuffers for Christmas. (Especially in Snow Angels yarn ;))

iPod cozy

That’s it for now…if you don’t hear from me too much early next week, it’s because finals are upon me. I don’t have it too bad, I have one take home and one open book, which leaves only one final I have to study for. But that doesn’t mean I won’t get bogged down in working on the other two, especially the take home one from Dr. Meanest Professor Ever. He’s a very irritating person.

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Oh Yeah, It’s Yarn. 09Dec06


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With just about an hour to spare, here’s my contribution to Yarn Pr0n Friday. All these yarns were obtained from my recent (bank busting, birthday money spending) haul at Loopy Yarns in Chicago. Loopy Yarns is a charming little store that’s located downtown, with a great selection of Lorna’s Laces and some other fantastic yarns. I originally said I would only buy what I couldn’t get here in Abq, but I never knew they’d have so much unique stuff!

First up is some Austermann Step sock yarn in colors of turquoise and grays. I really liked this color and though they would make some great socks. Plus I have a weakness for the German sock yarns, I admit it. It supposedly has Aloe Vera and Jojoba Oil in it that will last for 40 washes, but it could be a marketing gimmick. But who cares? It’s soft!

Yarny Goodness - 1 Yarny Goodness - 3
Austermann Step and Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock

Next we have some Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in the Black Watch colorway. Now technically, Village Wools sells Lorna’s Laces, but because the LL factory is in Chicago, Loopy Yarns had a huge selection and closeout prices! It was a one two punch that I couldn’t pass up. I’ve always liked this colorway, and have never seen more than one skein at the LYS, so that helped the rationalization along too.

Lastly, I made off with two balls of Lang’s Mille Colori, which is so soft! I loved the colors and have been wanting a new winter beanie, so I snagged it up. It’s 50% acrylic (GASP!), but it’s machine washable and super soft. I’m weak, I know.

Yarny Goodness - 2

Also, there’s still preorders left for the Snow Angels Yarn, so go get some while they last! There’s 4 skeins of 900 MHz Sock Merino and 7 skeins of 1500 MHz Sport Sock Merino left. I’m going to be dyeing up all the skeins over the weekend, so if you order now you’ll receive it in plenty of time for Christmas.

Another incentive to order is that I’m looking to change base yarns to an even nicer yarn, one that I think you guys will love. The only hitch is that this yarn is a tad more expensive than the stuff I’m currently using. My prices will stay the same as they are now, but I need a few more sales to help me cover the cost of the order I just placed. So buying the Snow Angels will help me expand to even nicer base yarns and provide that much better of a product.

Thanks also for all of your support as I branch out into dyeing yarn, it’s been a lot of fun and I couldn’t have gotten this far without all of you! I’m excited for what’s coming next, I still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve. :)

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