4/25/08

Sorry no pictures yet. Look at the bright side, when I get the camera working again, I will have a lot to show you. Since I don't have a reliable laptop, I have been doing a lot of stitching. Working on Dear Jane, and my new project Charming Leaves. Haven't had knitting needles in my hands in over a week, just applique and sewing.

I finished all seven books of the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. They are good light reading. I very much enjoyed them. I like his writing style. Very short chapters so you don't have to stop in the middle of a long one. I don't like to stop in the middle. I am now reading the Blue Zone by Andrew Gross. He co-wrote several of Pattersons books. Very good. Heavier then Women's Murder Club, but very good.

I have been walking, trying to get ready for walking the half marathon. I do hope my hips hold out. They don't hurt while I walk, but after they are miserable. Not sure how this is going to work out. I also have to start riding my bike. Nephew and I are doing a 25 or 50 mile bike ride in September. Hopefully my hips will do better on the bike!!!

Laptop is doing better. Adding software slowly. Windows has been reloaded 3 times, as we add software, it dies again. So doing it very slowly this time. Hopefully in a few days I will have the camera back.

Chat later
Susan

4/19/08

Haven't forgoten you!!! My laptop has died, so no camera link until that is fixed. Also, my internet connection STINKS. The last week or more has been horrible. I can't stay logged in long enough to write a post.

See you when the technical issues are solved.

Chat later
Susan

4/6/08

Wow, where have I been? I had no idea that it had been so long since I posted. T, you usually remind me to post. Where have you been?

I have been working on Dear Jane. Here are another 21 blocks. I now have 120 of 169 center blocks done. I started it last May. I had hoped to finish the center in a year, then a year for the border. Don't think I will make the first deadline.

I am blogging from the Outer Banks so have been getting a lot of stitching time since it has been raining and cold the whole time I have been here. We got 4 1/2 inches of rain yesterday!!! I have 2 more blocks of Nature's Chorus done and am working on the next block of Expressions of Morris. No pictures, I didn' t think to grab the camera when I was packing. I had taken this picture earlier and uploaded it, that is the only reason I have that one.

Had a quilting weekend last weekend at a LQS. Had a great time. It was wonderful to have one of those that I wasn't in charge. I got to enjoy and shop instead of being the hostess. We hope to have one a quarter. I really got a lot done. That is when I finished 10 of the DJ blocks and started one of the Nature's Chorus blocks.

I finished the Hemlock Ring Throw I was knitting with my personally hand spun yarn. It needs blocking really badly. I hope it looks better after that. Right now it looks like a pile of mess. I started a Cabled Pleated skirt. Hope it is big enough it looks awfully small. I need to get enough knit so I can try it on. It is knit top down so at least I can try it on.

I am up to the 5th book in the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. These are really quick reads with short chapters. I am enjoying them. I had hoped to sit in the porch swing while at the beach and finishing the series of 7. The weather is not cooperating. It is supposed to be 54 and windy today. Not really porch swing weather. So not nearly so much reading getting done.

Exercise is also suffering because of the weather. I don't do rain!!! And I don't have a treadmill here. Weather needs to improve so I can train. Not sure what I am going to do if it rains the day of the half marathon!!!

Soapbox time: I am pissed with Paypal. I have had an account since 2002. They are now requiring that I get verified. Problem is, my husband also has an account with them. Our checking account is tied to his Paypal account, so they won't let me tie to the same account. We only have the one account, so I can't have a Paypal account. Seems pretty crappy. Why doesn't my 6 years of being a good customer mean anything? I get through life without Walmart, so I guess I can do without Paypal, but so many vendors will only deal with Paypal!!! ;-(

Well off to the showers, so I can get to stitching and reading and housecleaning. Not much of that last one, I assure you.

No puppy pictures, they are home with husband-unit. They miss me though. I know that.

Chat later
Susan

3/18/08

Sorry for my absence, my Father had the flu and ended up in the hospital. Of course, this was while my sister and her family were on vacation, so I have been very busy. It has taken 2 weeks to get him back on his feet. But he seems to be much better, so I can get back to my life a little.

I finished my toe up socks I was working on sitting at the hospital. My toes were so cold that I put them on with the tails still hanging. (No pictures since they are currently in the washing machine). I started this pair with the new Noro sock yarn. The colors are gorgeous, but I am concerned that I have broken the thinner places twice already, and I am a very loose knitter. Not sure how they are going to hold up. I am using WendyKnits generic toe up pattern with a 3by1 rib on the foot and cuff. I had decided I like the ribbing on the top and the bottom of the foot. With the 3-1 rib it isn't enough pattern to bother the bottom of my foot and it makes the sock snugger. This yarn is getting softer as I work with it, but these will never qualify as world's softest socks.


I finished the Rosalin Fair Isle Hoodie. I haven't worn it, but it fits great. It still needs to be blocked, but it has gotten too warm to wear it, so it is ready for next year. It is a great knit. Pattern is well written and best of all, it is free!!









This is my Ribbi Pulli. I finished it with a turtleneck. I didn't like the thick t-neck wearing it, so I ripped it out and reknit it with a hood. I haven't worn it since I finished. One, it is too warm and two, it needs blocking. Do you see a blocking theme here??? ;-)

I have also been working on the Hemlock Ring Throw. I took a picture of it, but Blogger won't let me upload it for some reason. It doesn't look like much balled up on the needles anyway. I am knitting it with yarn I spun. It is the first thing I have ever knit with MY handspun. It is uneven but it is fun to use my own yarn. Hopefully once it is finished and blocked it will look ok. Even if it isn't great, it in all mine!!!


Here are the next 14 blocks of Dear Jane. I think this gets me to 99 of 169. I will have been working on it for a year in May, so that is pretty good.

Haven't done any applique, just the little bit for the DJ blocks. Need to get back to that, now that things have settled down a little.

Went two weeks without walking or exercising at all. That is no way to train for a half marathon. I got back to walking yesterday, now I have to reestablish that habit.

I got a lot of reading done at the hospital. That is easier, along with sock knitting, than most other things you can do at a hospital. I started A New Earth, Oprah's book club selection, I doubt I will ever finish it. I have read about a 1/3rd of it. It hasn't "said" anything to me yet, and it is HARD READING. If I am getting something out of it, I can deal with hard. But hard, just because Oprah said so, isn't cutting it.

I finished "Losing It", Valerie Bertinelli's book. It was a fun read. It is like reading something aobut someone you know. After watching her on TV all these years, it is like she is someone you know. She has had a tougher life than I realized. The paparazzi wasn't around when she was coming along, so we just didn't know.

I also read Eclipse. That is the third book in the young adult series by Stephenie Meyer, about vampires and werewolves that live amongst us. I have always had a thing about vampires, so this is right up my alley. Easy reading, and quite enjoyable. I pass them along to my nephews when I finish.

I am reading the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. I am on Second Chance. I had read the first one before, but reread it before I started the series. I like the tv series. Hopefully it will be back since the writer's strike is over. There are currently 7 books so there is lots of material.

We have also watched the first 3 seasons of Lost on DVD. I had never gotten into the show. It was good to fill in during all the re-runs. They are enjoyable, but I think I like them better being able to watch on DVD instead of in weekly installments. I had Tivo'd the 4th season so far, so now we are working on those. By the time we catch up, new shows will be back on and we will have something to watch while I knit/applique/crochet/etc.



Have to include some puppy pictures. Here is Chad. It is hard to get a good picture of a black dog that likes to sit in a navy blue chair.












Here is Chelsea. She is usually still upstairs in bed when I take puppy pictures, so I snapped this one in the afternoon.














Then there is Mr Comfortable!!! Macklin has no problem getting in a "good spot"!!!

Happy St Patrick's Day late!!!

Chat later
Susan

The Rosalin Fair Isle Hoodie is coming along nicely. I am working on the shoulders then I just have to knit the hood. This pattern is well written and knits up smoothly. Even if you have never done Fair Isle, this is a good project.

My Ribby Pulli that I finished a couple of weeks ago, with a turtleneck, I have decided to frog the turtleneck and knit the hood. I don't like the worsted weight T-neck on my body. So guess that one isn't really finished, OR does it count at TWO finished projects since I finished it twice???



We finished Basketball season with my nephews this week. I also finished my mindless project. This is a scarf knit in the round out of the Skacel 1776 sock yarn. Now I need another completely mindless project since baseball season starts April 1st. Any suggestions?


Training is coming fairly well for the Rock n Roll Half Marathon (walking it), but I had to slow down this week. My hips were hurting a lot. So I have slowed down to a more leisurely pace, that has helped a lot, BUT, I can't finish within the 4 hour time limit at my current speed, so hopefully I can speed back up soon.

My nephew wants to do a 25 mile bike ride in September after the walk in August!!! So as soon as he gets out of school, I will be training for that too!!! I won't be able to walk most days. But I should be in good shape!!!

I got two Dear Jane blocks done this week, but didn't get a picture of them yet. I will put them in once I have a few more done.

No applique this week.

I went to the Mid Atlantic Quilt show last week. I was VERY unimpressed. There were not nearly as many quilts and only a handful were hand done. Most were art quilts, which really aren't my cup of tea. Even the vendors were a disappointment. There wasn't anything new. Every thing is just a "retread" of a couple of years ago. Booths had patterns that I know are 8 years old. I already have those. I go to a show to get new stuff!!! Anyway, I may never go back, which is bad since it is one of the largest shows on the East Coast and I only live 25 minutes from the venue, but why pay $12 to get in to see old stuff and quilts I am not crazy about? I would love to hear what others thought. Was it just me??

Saturday I went to Nags Head to the musical theater to see an Elvis impersonator. It was fun. Took my parents and my aunt and uncle. We had a really good day, except... Daddy came down with the flu on Monday, so now I am sure we will all have it. He had the flu shot, but it doesnt' seem to have helped. With each sneeze, cough, or twinge, I am sure I am next. Wish me luck.


Boys are snoozing in their chair. The sleep all night, each breakfast and go get in their chair. What a life?













And when it rains, Macklin really likes to dig in the mud, notice the "white" paws. That is what I call "terrior toes", he also has "terrior nose", but it is hard to see in this picture.

Chat later
Susan

2/14/08

Happy Valentines Day to all!!!

Chat later
Susan

2/13/08

Two more blocks of Nature's Chorus done!!! That is 26 of 49. I am over half way. So, of course, I have gone back to knitting.

Started the Rosalin Fair Isle Hoodie. Not much to show, still working on the turned up hem.

No progress on Expressions of Morris or Dear Jane, will get back to those one day.

Have had a good week training for the Half Marathon. It seems to be taking a lot of time out of my week, but I need to get in the habit of exercising more, so hopefully this will help. By the time the race comes up the end of August, I hope it is such a habit that I can't break it.

Still reading Murder in the Heartland. Hopefully I will finish it one year!!! It really is good, just not devoting any time to it.

Chat later

Susan