Happy Samhain!

Samhain is the name for the pagan holiday that has now morphed into Halloween. Traditionally, you honored your ancesters who had departed this realm for the other realm as the threshold or veil between these realms was the thinnest on this evening. I plan to light some candles and set a place at the table for my grandmother, Clara. I wear two bracelets, one she left in her jewerly box for me when she passed on with bracelets for my sisters that our grandfather, Clyde, had reportedly made from melted silverware. The other my mom recently gave to me. This one has grandma's name inscribed on it. I wear them every day and if I leave the house without them, especially the braided one I've worn for years, I feel a little off. Maybe it's just the feel of them on my arm that I'm missing. I don't know. Remember your dearly departed this evening and not just those you knew personally; remember all the family you have ever heard about and those you did not and honor them. Say something simple, light a candle, talk about them fondly with family. It will feel good, I promise.

So my knitting, it's kinda slow. I am now swatching for the beret featurned in an issue of Interweave Knits of bygone days. The needles I have had for some time, bought in a ziplock with a bunch of other needles (crochet and knitting) but haven't used. They are all teeny tiny sizes but it's weird, the sizes don't match up to our current needle sizes. The needles I'm using are equivalent to size 1 today but the package says they are knitting PINS, size 12. Anyone out there know what's up with this? The crochet hooks are incredibly tiny and fragile-looking, what would they have been used to make? I ponder this as I poke along on my swatch.

My gauge will also be off so I think I will try and adjust the pattern accordingly. Wish me luck!

My party this weekend turned out well. My guy and I were John Lennon and Yoko Ono. It was fine unless I wasn't right next to him, then you really couldn't tell I was Yoko. She's hard to capture on her own. A few beers later and I didn't really worry about it much.

I wish I had some vegan candy right about now...or maybe I'll just go make me some dinner and wait for the lil' goblins in the neighborhood to come by for their treats. Happy Halloween!

Look what followed me home...

They always know I can't say no. They sit and look at me, all sad and fluffy and bam, they are here living with me. Eating me out of house and home, they are!

That's 6 skeins of Habu linen, 2 skeins of 3 colors. The colors aren't named but numbered so I will now name them myself because I find numbers irritating: meet sand dollar, twig and celery. Maybe a pillow or curtain with these, not quite sure yet. $8.75 a skein but 30% off as they were in the orphan bin. They feel a bit like paper to me.

Behind them is some Tatamy Tweed, a cotton/acrylic blend that looks to me like wool but without all the suffering and pain for sheep involved. Three skeins in Navy colorway at $5.45 a pop. Hoping to have enough for a beret and some mitts to match a certain peacoat. Soft and machine washable-yippee!

So they will join the minions upstairs and patiently wait to be fashioned into something fabulous. It's all they aspire to be: something other than what they are.

If you are here in the burgh, check out knitone, the fine supplier of the aforementioned fibers. If you aren't here in the burgh, either come on out for a visit or find yourself a local yarn shop to hang out in where you are.

Falling Snow

Here are the S.C.O.T.S. magnets:













Here are Madison Penelope and Chloe Jean fighting over the new Vogue Knitting issue:


If confused, please see the previous post. If too lazy to check back one post, just know this: blogger sux.

Tonight: ran to the store after work, found two small doorknobs at Anthropologie for our laundry chute doors. If I were wealthy, I think I would shop here more often. As it be, I only purchase things on sale or tiny things here but it is my favorite store. Got some ideas for a new sweater design too! Then I purchased some cheap fake flowers, some black Krylon spray paint, some Halloween confetti and two spools black ribbon for party decorating at Michaels while avoiding purchasing any more yarn. Hit the 1/2 price book store and bought some used CD's to pimp up our party music--like the G. Love & Special Sauce Hustler, Beastie Boys Hello Nasty and Weezer Make Believe selections, also scored a super-cheap Chieftains Celtic Wedding. Hit the Giant Eagle for some soy candles in Fresh Fallen Snow frangrace for party ambience, can't wait to decorate this old haunted house!!! By the way, there was snow falling here in the 'burgh today, I was kind of excited about it all. Came home and my guy turned on the ole gas fireplace, was really nice. Then the stupid Cowboys vs. Giants game came on and the magick was lost...maybe tomorrow there will be a nice blanket of snow outside. A girl can dream...

Much Ado About Non-Knitting...

In my last post I informed my guy's parents were coming for a visit. They did not in fact come due to a family emergency (and no it was not fire-related). My guy and I did purchase a smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detector which currently is resting against our television set in our living room ready to be hung. Now we will be ready.

In the past week, I managed to see the Southern Culture on the Skids, or S.C.O.T.S. show AND the Carbon Leaf show, both at the Rex. Which also meant knitting has been to a minimum. Here is a picture of my fine new S.C.O.T.S. magnet set, which graces my fridge: Blogger will not allow me to post more than one picture this evening, so I chose the knitting picture. Will post once blogger allows!
This show was FANTASTIC and I had a great time. The Carbon Leaf show, not so much. For one thing, they were opening for Matt Nathanson (???), whoever that is (not impressed with him either). This meant they did not play much. The other problem is they are going in a "new direction" as described to me by the bass player. No stand-up bass, no mandolin. They sound like everyone else on the radio right now, sadly. They were big-pimpin' their new CD which I purchased in hopes there were maybe one or two good songs that harkened back to the old ways, but no. I think I might email them to discuss my sadness. I now have an opening for Favorite Band and I am auditioning for replacements...any contenders out there?

Since the knitting continues to be slow, I will show you this:
Me with my Steelers Fan Fingerless Gloves, designed by Me. I am also showing off my vegan brownies from Sarah Kramer's book, The Garden of Vegan. They are her Decadent Brownies with her Chocolate Mint Icing, sans minty-flavor. I made the brownies last week, the gloves last year. Photographer is my guy.

So this week is countdown to my Halloween Party and I still don't have a costume. Keep tuning in to see what I eventually manage to come up with! I have not yet begun the Craft Challenge as posed by my sister, but will inform you of this event once it begins.

Oh, and here is Madison Penelope enjoying our new issue of Vogue Knitting with her sister Chloe Jean. Sharing is hard. Once again, Blogger will not allow me to post more than one picture this evening, so I chose the knitting picture. Will post once blogger allows!

Yesterday I served as tour guide of the beautiful city of Pittsburgh for my mom and aunt, who ALSO KNITS. We had a good time though I am not the best guide. We took on Phipps Conservatory (now I want to grow orchids, mums and bonsai trees), rode the incline, had dinner and then a drink in the very bar I met Ben. Sadly, he could not meet us as planned as he was in Atlanta. He missed some good conversation about the indispensible, seam-saving 3-needle bind-off, too.

Oh, and Ben, I'm sorry for the loss today and for the injury, there SHOULD have been a flag for a helmet-to-helmet hit. Charlie, stand-up job filling in last-minute, you always come through for us. Nate, don't be too hard on yourself, that was a bad call at the end of the 4th and Jeff would've scored. Good job guys and we'll get the Raiders next week!

ME vs. THEM

So I am just recovering from the Steelers vs. Chargers game. What a sad evening Sunday turned out to be after all. Ben, if you're out there, I'm sorry. You too Troy, Alan, Joey, Hines and Casey. We'll get em' this week!

I am also sick to death of hearing about Ms. Sienna Miller and her burgh-bashing, she truly is not a very polite guest. I bet she hates it even more at this time, with the whole city ready to scream at her. Maybe she can get a flight back to London soon. Oh, and thanks for all the skinny jeans and leggings this fall, too. Thanks for all of it.

So I went back to the Hive for knitting on Monday. After planting 50 bulbs and raking leaves all day Sunday and then watching the Steelers lose, I needed a day off. And Columbus was right there to help me out! I spent the morning doing laundry, then caught a lil' Knitty Gritty and Uncommon Threads, then went to the Gap with my gift card in tow. I bought a brown t-shirt for the CRAFT CHALLENGE my sister has posed. I will unfold that little gem later in the week--cause I need to keep you coming back, that's why!

Anywho, after my lovely day off, my guy came home from work, we caught up a little (not much had transpired since Sunday) and then I left to get to the Bead Mine and knit with old pals. The Bead Mine was closed so I ended up arriving a little early at the Hive but no worries, some of the group were already there. The flamingo still was wearing his scarf although it was bit on the warm side. Two of the original members did not come by though, missed them. I did not get too much accomplished on my "chair pad" and frogged it this evening. It was a tad bit tiny. So sadly no pics again. I need to get some inspiration here. I get paid this week, maybe a new skein or two will do the trick.

In other random, unrelated news, my guy's parents are coming to town this weekend and I am afraid. Why? His dad is a retired fire inspector for the city of NY. AND we bought our house about two months ago now and STILL don't have a smoke detector or fire extinguisher in sight. AND I'm sure he will notice and drag us by the ears to Home Depot and make a huge deal of installing them ASAP. AND I still do not have any spare keys for my car and he always yells that I will lock them in there, even though I have not yet in the history of me ever done this. I know, but we SHOULD have these things to increase our safety, blah blah blah. It's just sometimes you need to do things when you think you can tackle them and not when someone makes you do them. And it may take years until you are ready to do it but it just fits better on YOU time then on THEM time. But it's hard to explain this to my guy's father, it just won't be enough in his eyes and then you just look idiotic and impractical. Maybe I can distract him with Tour of Pittsburgh Part Deux this weekend, you know, get him so tired he won't even notice. Him and Sienna both. I'll send my invite over to the Omni tomorrow...goodnight, all you crafty Pittsburghers!

No yarn for you!

Not much to blog about. I've been sidelined by a nasty cold virus and have been in a sad non-knitty funk. I tried to get to the yarn shoppe on Sunday but alas, arrived just as the doors were closing. Maybe I'll get back there this weekend, though I really don't need any more yarn. I think I might start my own shoppe up and base it's hours to fit conveniently past the competitor's for those ill-planned, flying-by-the-seats-of-their-plaid-pants types who blow about town running their errands in a whimsical way without a watch to be seen. Just like me.

After work I managed to buy a lovely VEGAN cake at Whole Foods for work tomorrow. We celebrate b-days and each month, about 4 of use are assigned to bring in a cake, so once a year in October I have to do my duty. It's chocolate raspberry and I hope I get a taste. I also managed to secure my No Miss vegan base coat nail polish I paid for on Sunday after the yarn store let-down to soothe my psyche but left behind on the lovely conveyor belt once my practical items (tofu, soymilk, bell pepper, tomato, mushrooms and bread) were all safely bagged up. They really are nice folk over there, and they don't seem to judge a girl either. What a great city I live in--I really and truly love it here! Oh and two of my most favorite bands are coming to town to the Rex on the Southside this month only a mere 5 days apart--can't wait! I'll fill you in on that fun later--I need to get my stuffy head to bed!