my english & shopping

Hey Y'all! Okay, so I don't really say that much....found this test, and apparently my English is almost everything except Midwestern:

Your Linguistic Profile:

45% General American English

25% Yankee

15% Dixie

15% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Oh well. So, I went on a yarn store jaunt today. Someone mentioned on the LA SnB board that they'd gotten bamboo needles for $1.50 at a 98 cents store in Torrance. I did some research and found the store. I decided to figure out what yarn stores were in the area and hit those today. I did buy needles, way too many, but they were only $1.50 a pair. I also got dpns, and plastic needles as well...and lo and behold there were crochet hooks too! I got every size they had of those just because. Most of the stuff in the store was labled in Japanese..........maybe. I ended up spending $80 in this store. **sigh** Not so much left for yarn purchasing.

I then headed up to Let's Knit Yarn Shop. It was a small place on Western in Gardena. Kind of dusty. Again, everything labled in Japanese....ever go some place and feel like you don't belong? So, I walked around for a bit and waited for the lady to stop following me and made my way out. Nothing spectacular there. The next place was The Slipt Stitch in El Segundo. It was a lot like A Mano Yarn Center. She had a nice selection, and it seemed to be categorized by fiber content. The silk section was nice, found a very nice cotton silk blend. I did not buy it. I'm resisting the urge to buy what feels good. I'm buying for specific projects now. What I did buy was a fingering weight yarn to try to do lace with. I'm not sure what's up with me and this lace thing, but here I am wtih over 700 yard of this stuff. It's varigated and sort of royal colors: purple, gold, hunter, some reddish color. I really like it. I don't remember the fiber content, but I know it's not fuzzy....ergo, easier to frog if--ahem, when--I frig up.

I then moved on to The Knitting House in Beverly Hills. It's a small dusty place off of Beverly Drive, south of Wilshire. Not worth the trouble. She didn't hear/feel me come in so I announced myself so she wouldn't freak out when she looked up and saw the back of my head. OMG! Black man in my shop!!!!! After that she followed me around. Pain in my ass. She did have a shawl hanging that I thought would be wonderful for the yarn I'd just gotten but she didn't have one, and showed me a pattern of a sweater to explain that it was a ripple stitch....ugh. Did I mention she was Asian too and her English wasn't great. Not a great selection, and limited colors. Small place where I think you would go if you were going to buy specific yarn for one project, not to wander and look and feel....not at all like Wild Fibre. You gotta wonder how she's been in business for 16 years.

After that I was sort of disgusted and wanted to just get home....I was going to nix the Knit Cafe idea. I headed east on Wilshire, and turned north on La Cienega. As I passed the Beverly Center I remembered (thought I did) that it was on Melrose east of La Cienega (is that spelled wrong?). So, I turned east on Melrose, and traffic was clear and there it was wtih a spot right in front! It too is a small place, but nicely lit and the ladies who work there were great! I got a hank of some sparkly thin yarn to attach the beads to Carol's shawl. Yes, all the crocheting is done I think! Whoo hoo! The lady told me that the hank would slide off the swift and she would be more than willing to help me ball the yarn as long as I didn't mind holding it while she wrapped. How great is that? Now I just have to get help from Victoria for the finishing.

So I happily headed off towards home. I really hate driving here most of the time, but today on a whole wasn't bad. The ride from Knit Cafe to home was the worst.

Alright, I better get back to work on the stocking. A week off is more than enough. :)

I'll have pictures of my purchases next week. I left the usb cord on my desk at work.

ttfn!
tb

cables and books and hooks...oh my!

Alright. I think the saga with the cell phones is over. He’ll have to figure out the rest of it on his own. God willing and the creek don’t rise.

I volunteered last night for LA Works at APLA. It was nice. I’m going to try to do it again. I’ve already signed up for the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Yesterday I was in a frenzy to find a birthday gift for my friend Erin. I decided she should learn to crochet, because doesn’t that make everything better some days? :)


I headed down to Michael’s. It was a nice walk, and it’s been a long time since I’ve done any walking. I got her a ball of Sugar and Cream, a skein of Simply Soft, the three hook set and a book on learning to crochet. I showed the book to Christine, who had recently learned, and she said she thinks it’s good for a beginner. So, I’ll let you know if Erin likes the stuff:




I also bought myself a little something. I resisted the urge to buy any yarn; although I do need yarn for three afghans…xmas is a coming. Anyway, back to my purchase. I’ve been thinking a lot about learning more knitting and upping my skills. I’ve been eye-ing this book in the Knit Picks catalog for quite a while and Michael’s had six or seven copies. I would have loved to have gotten money off, but I wanted it bad enough to pay full price.
Here is the newest member of my knitting book family, Scarf Style:




I didn’t get a chance to look thru it beyond the cursory first flip until I got home from Priscilla’s. I started reading the patterns I like and realized that I might be able to do one of them without any help. I’ve been watching Elena, one of the Burbank SnB ladies, work on a cable knit sweater. She uses a dpn as her cable needle. I have my infamous size 11 bamboo dpns so I decided to give it a try. Here are pictures of the picture from the book, and what I accomplished. I’m so proud of myself…here comes the fall….. I think I dropped a stitch and tried to pick it up…..I thought I had, it looks fine in the front, however, there’s some funky long loop in the back. UGH! Well, I know I can do it, and I also know I need to be really careful when I do decide to do it for real.











I think that’s all the news that’s fit to print today…..Oh, hold on. Off needle topics, I got a call from the University of Phoenix today in response to a request for information. Don’t places just send out mailings anymore? Anyway. They sent me to the International student section because I didn’t get my HS Diploma in the 50 states….But wait, St. Croix is a US Territory, under the jurisdiction of the US Dept of Education. Oh, it doesn’t matter, it’s not one of the 50 states. Okay, moving right along. So, you want to know about our Nursing program. Yes, I do. Well do you have your RN? No, do I need an RN. Well, yes, we don’t accept students into the program unless they have an RN. Oh. All I could think was Thank God for an easy out on this one. Oh, and I am still wait listed at Antioch if anyone is keeping track.

That’s all for today…..the stocking has been untouched and the shawl is coming along nicely! Hopefully, Victoria will make an appearance and show me that edging thing. ;)

ttfn!

tb

more phones and driving....less needle play

Okay, I tried to update this thing yesterday HOWEVER, my boss REQUESTED that I meet him downtown again. I sort of refused, but did agree to go over to Pan Pacific Regional Park. Not sure why (it's the park the personal trainer tried to kill me at), and I wish I’d thought to go over to Suss while I was there, but ah well. I went home for an hour before going back to the office. I chatted with Tara for a bit, ate some Rollitos (no, not on the WW plan) and came to work. Today I’ll be updating QuickBooks and going to lunch with Erin. Hopefully, I’ll get in some needle time too. I don’t think I’ll be able to SnB tonight. I volunteered to help pack food bags for AIDS shut-ins with LA Works. It's in North Hollywood and goes from 6-8pm. I'm going to try to pop into Priscilla's before I head home.

Okay, on to needle news. I went down to the fashion/fabric district on Saturday. I decided to make a birthday gift for my WW leader. I decided on a shawl/wrap made out of Brilliant in Black, and wanted to put beads along the short edges. So, Tara and I headed down to the area. I found a meter to park at half way between Bohemian Crystal and Levine's. I told her, we have to hurry, I've got a limited number of quarters. So we walked to Bohemian Crystal first, and it was closed. UGH! We went further to a bead store with a big sign, and they had a shitty selection that was way over priced. So we went back to this place next to Bohemian Crystal and I got some beads there.

Here is the start of the wrap, and the beads, they're hematite and black glass. I think I want to scallop the beads in threes along the edge.










I also got fabric and needles at Levine's. I either heard or read somewhere that Bryspun needles are good for lace. So, I'm going to give the peach piece another go. Not sure the needles will improve my abilities, but I'm going to try. Dixie just be patient with me.

Here is the stuff I'll be working with, including the pattern and yarn that spawned it all:


Here is the kit.

Here is the yarn that I'm obsessed with.

Here are the tools that I'm hoping will make it all possible. :)


Other than that. I got done with George's black hat and have started on the last one, the powder blue. After I finish this all that's left to do is stich up all three and set a date:



And of course The Stocking. Not a whole lot of action on it, but got some of the ribbon portion finished beneath the first round of the horn...








I think that's all of my needle news. In other news I just averted disaster and headed off a visit from the boss. He's re-ordered the Palm Treo, and I have to send back the Samsung. HOWEVER, he wants me to learn to use the phone before he does. WTF? I explained that I can work on transferring the info from the original Palm to this one, but he must learn to use it himself AND connect the service in order to do so. I'll see if that bit sticks with him. Wish me luck. Burn a candle or something!!!!

all for now!
tb

tevana needs....

Okay, so two posts in one day? OMG! Not enuf cross-stitching to do obviously…Well, I actually have a $700 cell phone to play with too. My boss purchased this phone before his vacation and can’t figure out how to use it. He wants me to do that for him…I guess this means I have to turn my brain back on.... I had to drive from my office in Pasadena downtown to the Westin Bonaventure to pick it up from him. When I got back to the office I figured out that BOTH of the batteries were dead, and he didn’t include the disc with the instructions on it. I hope he doesn’t expect this worked out today. I really must remember to ask Erin if she did this kind of crap for him.

Anyway, I just looked at Danielle’s blog and then Clare’s and saw the top ten needs thing....here is the "Tevana needs" list. I swear I am NOT making this up! And I got hits from two of your websites!

1. Tevana needs news releases from PR Web the free press newswire.

2. Tevana needs Foot Fetish…something about the Banff....let’s not bring up unpleasant things.

3. Tevana needs movie review of Jo Bole So Nihaal – Music India Online.

4. Tevana needs Gaia Retreat & Spa…whoo, if only someone would get this for me!

5. Tevana needs The Doctor Who Ratings guide, fan reviews…uh what? So I went to the page and searched for “Tevana”….here’s what I found:

“Other than Tevana, every woman in this book is nothing more than a sex object. Therefore Tevana is barely seen in this book, and her eventual fate is quite sad. It can be argued that she effectively ceases to exist without dying.”

And here’s a link just in case you want to get the isbn or read the entire review....Any thoughts on this?

6. Tevana needs Indian Cinema Newsletter....this all has to do with that actor: Thomas Tevana.

7. Tevana needs a marketing promotional tour....okay, I’m game!

8. Tevana needs Bitch of Stitch....something about cake! ;)

9. Tevana needs EUR-Lex 52004PC0654-SL....I don’t know! But I did visit the site for further edification: EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1. INTRODUCTION

In the interests of the consumers and of business alike, liberalisation in all transport sectors is explicitly included in the Lisbon Agenda . In fact, in the conclusions of the European Council of Lisbon of 28 March 2000, transport……blah, blah, blah…….

10. Tevana needs apparently more Jo Bole So Nihaal review and other movie reviews at ....damn that Thomas Tevana.

Okay back to work....uh, cross-stitching, knitting, cell phone programming....napping? :)

tb

I am from the Sun!

So, I get a comment from Monica on my first post at this new location, and she found me because John pointed me out...OMG! I've known Monica since 1999 and John since about 1994, I think...has it been that long? Jeez! I go visit John's blog and I see that he's from Neptune...I decide to find out where I'm from. Apparently, I'm from the Sun....you will all have to let me know if even one word of this is true:

You Are From the Sun

Of all your friends, you're the shining star. You're dramatic - loving attention and the spotlight. You're a totally entertainer and the life of the party. Watch out! The Sun can be stubborn, demanding, and flirty. Overall, you're a great leader and great friend. The very best!

What Planet Are You From?

Not much progress on The Stocking since yesterday morning, but here's a picture anyway:





I went to the Burbank SnB last night and had a good time. I did not work on the stocking. I knitted half of George's black hat. The deep cadet one is done, just need to stitch it up, and I must cast-on the powder blue one....then I can call him and set up another coffee date. Not sure there will be an Atwater gathering tonight....only time will tell....

I must also get the Brilliant to make Carol's shawl....oh the queue is getting longer and longer...MUST FINISH THE STOCKING!!!!

That's all for now.

John your little girl is adorable!

tb

Hail? What do you mean hail?

So, it's been rainy here and I LOVE IT!!! I'm a relocatee (is that a word?) from New York, and I miss seasons terribly. On Monday, while I was nervous about driving, I was estatic that it was rainy. I was on the phone with an acquaintance watching the rain, and the drops started to look white and to make a plinking sound, and then the entire courtyard was covered with hail. I couldn't think if a descriptive ball to compare the size to, but I heard walnut-sized. I'm on the second floor and I don't think they could have been any larger than hazelnuts, pecans at the most. Anyway, it's dried up now, but still grey! :)

I'm still working on the stocking. I feel like I should name it or something. It's been in my life so long, and will be here for a while more. This is the little one it's for:



Don't you just LOVE B&W photos...that's her dad's arms she's in.





So, I actually took a break from it on Saturday. My aunt's father (she's married to my uncle) passed away earlier this month and I went to the memorial service. The Stocking requires too much space to work on while travelling, so I took one of George's hats...got it mostly done. 10 more rows I think, then I have a black one and a light blue one to finish up. The black one is cast on already and the other is completely unstarted. I love this color, it's deep deep cadet:








And the stocking.......here's my progress as of Saturday:







...and as of this morning...not going too badly, right?







Not much else going on for me. I've got Gab & Brian's afghan started, and it's the same color as George's hat above, just a different type of yarn. Perfect Match to be exact. Feels crunchy to me when I'm working with it, and makes my skin crawl, but as Danielle told me it washes up so soft and comfy. Next will be the wrap for my WW leader Carol. She's wonderful and celebrating the 10th anniversary of her 50th birthday this year. I want to make the wrap for her to take with on her birthday cruise. Her sister & mother are taking her for a 16 day trip around the Hawaiian Islands....If only I had a sister. :)

That's all for now!
tb

Relocated and still playing with my needles

Hey all, I've decided to try out blogger for a bit. I've tired of the process with LiveJournal, and I think they "share" my email address with other. Not good! The spam has gotten way out of control for me.

While I haven't been blogging, I have kept up the stitching. I am working on a Christmas Stocking for my friend Cathy's little one. You remember Cathy, the one I made the two blankets, sweater, and hat for.....well, she requested a special stocking for her little peanut, and I agreed. Reluctantly, but I did agree nonetheless. So, after looking at a multitude of knit and crochet patterns I thought back to the stocking I attempted last year and remember how BAD it looked, and then realized that I don't want to learn to make socks, at least not yet Dixie ;). I headed off to Michael's in the hope of finding inspiration. I did, in the form of a cross-stitch kit. I'm not sure exactly where my common sense had gone at that moment in time, but I thought the $9.99 kit was a good compromise to the knit/crochet debacle I was headed for. Yeah, not so much. In retrospect, it would have been simpler to learn to knit a sock. **sigh**

So, I've been working on the stocking, and it is slooooow going. I've got pictures of the progress, and if I can figure it out, I will post them.

There probably won't be an SnB gathering today. I fear the Thursday Atwater group has lost steam...interest...time for the meetings. Ah well, there are always the Sunday gatherings to look forward to.

The pictures/progress:
The Kit. What is should look like in the end...I couldn't get the image to turn in the right direction and gave up, but you get the idea. :)



I think this was after three weeks of work, pics taken on Thursday, 6 October.




These pictures were taken on Monday, 10 October. You can see some progress, right?









I think I'll be blind and crazy by the time it's done, but it will make her happy, hopefully. Well, I better get back to my needle!

ttfn! tb