October 28, 2005

Hat, scarf and other things....

As promised pictures of the finished my wavy gravy scarf and hat (SnB Nation Book) and a hat to match (pattern is a conglomerate of other patterns). Last night was the first time in a few weeks I didn't have something going on after work. I just got to sit on the couch and knit- and then make a yummy risotto dinner for hubby. I miss getting to cook all the time! So that felt really good to do. (you can see my nice new kitchen in the picture below, it is almost the 1 year anniversary of our remodel!)

Here is a picture of me in the duo (nice self portrait, huh?). Here are a few of the detail- so you can see the pretty light brown and pink yarn that I used.
(okay, I got this yarn at Target, in the dollar bin- it was SO soft I couldn't pass it up!). I am having a great day off. I had breakfast with my mom this morning and have been studying for yoga class since around 10:30. I feel like I am catching a cold- ak- so I am extra glad to have the day to just be mellow and be around the house. It is cold- there is snow up on Mount Rose after yesterday's storm... it is upon us. wouldn't be Halloween if there wasn't snow. Andy and I are headed to Nevada City to see our dear friends Tiffers and Mikey tomorrow. (this picture is from when I saw them last at the BWII. This is our anual camp trip out to the Black Rock Desert... a going home for me (yes, I grew up in GERLACH. Yes, I have gone to Burning Man, no I am not sure if I like it. Yes, I DID work at BRUNOS! the resturaunt and the motel thank you. Yes, I know, I know...but I wouldn't give it all back in a MILLION years...), I am excited to see them! NV City has the best little shops and silly things going on, plus a great yarn shop called Fibers. (YES!) I am off to continue my studying and reading for class... check out my yoga blog if you are interested in what is happening there.... Have a great weekend!

October 26, 2005

Happy Nevada Day!

I love this time of year. I am not sure what it is, maybe it is the color of all the trees in town and up in the mountains, maybe it is because I can snuggle in with my man when it is cold- or maybe it is just because we get a three day weekend in order to celebrate Nevada Day! Yup, you read that right- we get a day off in order to commemorate the day our state was welcomed into the Union. (It is extra sweet because this means we get to have Halloween off sometimes too!)

I grew up in a little town (ten kids in my class) and every morning the entire school (all 60 of us) would tromp out to the flag pole and say the pledge and then sing a song. During the month of October we would sing the Nevada State song- I make my mom laugh so hard because I know all the words. I am going to have breakfast with her on Friday (the observed holiday) so I can't wait to knock on her door and sing her the song- I can't wait she is going to roll!

Gotta love the Silver State!

On a knitting note- I finished my "wavy gravy" scarf at the craft bazaar last Saturday. OMG that was the worlds WORST craft fair. Not because of the painted toilet seats, or the belly button brush (I am so not joking here) but because there was NOBODY THERE to even think about buying your art/craft. I sold one photograph- I was excited for that, but sad that it didn't go better. The City of Reno didn't organized any sort of advertisement so people didn't know about the darn event. Plus, there was a rather large craft fair at the events center in town on the same day. Live and learn!

I will post pictures tomorrow of the scarf and the start of the matching hat.

I think for my bestfriend's sister who is expecting in Feb. I will make the "bubby". I might also make a hat, but I thought it would be fun to try out a new pattern.


Happy Nevada- oh, and Halloween too!

October 22, 2005

Got my Fix - again

The second fixie is all finished- I think this one turned out equally adorable!
Here is Lester helping me inspect the quality of the hat,

Not much going on in the knitting world- Work has me so busy that I can't even talk about it with out getting stressed- thank goodness for my yoga!

I am participating in a craft fair today- I didn't get that much knitting done- but I do have a TON of photographs that I have matted and will sell. I hope I do well! I have over 30 photograhps...

October 18, 2005

Variation on a Fixie

The Fixie is done- I used Cascade Fixation for this and #7 needles. and second is right behind it. For this one I used some left over Rowan Polar and # 9 needles. It came out a bit bigger then I had hoped, more of a hat for a 9 month old than a newborn... But that is because I can't follow directions. Or is it really because I am too cheap to buy the right size needles?
To do the 'ears' I turned the piece in-side-out and weaved the yarn on a diagonal from the side to the top and back down to the other side. I pushed the triangle in and then pulled and tied the woven yarn tightly. Turn it back right side-out and you have little ears.

Here is the baby that the first hat is for- isn't she beautiful???

I am thinking that I will send the Polar Fixie to Kicky back in MN. Since mom says it is the "deep freeze" I think a nice warm hat will do the trick! Kicky should be born any day now, I can't wait to see pictures (and visit for that matter!)

Fall is definitely in the air here in Reno- it actually snowed on the hills last Saturday morning- it was really beautiful the way the white played off the golden glow of the aspen groves that are showing up on the hills. I think I want to take a ride up to the hills to take pictures before they all turn brown and fall off. These photos were taken on my morning walk yesterday. I live right by a park with an arboretum. What a great way to start out my day.

October 17, 2005

Vanessa Needs...

( go to your favorite search engine and type in your name and then the word needs) So silly what will come up!
-----------------------------
Vanessa needs......

  • 24 hour care

  • Guidance

  • To know about Italy
  • To be empowered to provide for herself and her children by having the kind of job that allows her to work from home
  • To be loved because you are not like the others

  • The senator’s spring schedules
  • To take some regular daytime courses

  • To watch this show so she can see all the boys in their 70’s hair

  • To take charge in the bedroom and enjoy sex like she used to

  • To be talked to about not changing so often

  • A major reality check

  • Plenty of wood if she is staying out here for long

October 15, 2005

Obsessed???

I never really saw myself as an obsessive person. I wasn't one of those kids who could be put in the "Super Fan" category for any band (okay, there was that little stint with the NKTOB-but I was 13 and didn't know any better). Anyways, I haven't usually let something absorbs me, and take over my thoughts- but sitting here today, I realize that I have been in complete denial- I am obsessed. Here is a list of my latest addictions:

  1. yarn (and all things knitting)
  2. blogging
  3. yoga
  4. digi cam(here and here are evidence)
  5. surfing the internet
  6. looking at other peoples blogs and getting lost in "blogville"

I suppose this isn't bad, but.... It is starting to consume me. Shouldn't work be on there? Isn't that the rule, find a job that you love, and you will never work a day in your life. hmmm, maybe my obsessions are trying to tell me something.

There, I admitted it- Isn't that half of the battle?

But! Wait, what if I don't want to become un-obsessed with these things? Here is the tricky part, I am really afraid that at some point one of these things is going to fade off into the sunset and not be on that list anymore- will that make me less of the person I want to be? I am especially worried about my yarn yoga and photography addictions- I WANT those to be part of who I am every day. (the surfing is fun, but it really is getting in the way at work and I NEED to STOP!)

so- that is my resolve, obsession of good positive things- keep going. Moderation is the key for # 5 and 6. Got it, got it.

October 14, 2005

Friday Morford-

I love this guy's writing. Check out today's "Morford"
happy friday people.

Knitting:
Hubby put a few more rows on the hat last night. I am almost done with Mia's hat, just need to seam up the sides, gag I don't like to seam. Wavy Gravy needs a foot or two and will be complete.

October 13, 2005

Surfin' at lunch

So I am bad, I have a horrible habit of multi-tasking while at work. After all, it takes so freaking long for some of the stuff I do to load that my mind has turned ADHD and I have to surf... The cool waves and salt air of the internet call my name. I see my self running and splashing about in the waters of blogville- but then I get totally sucked in by the under "toad" (that is what my sis calls it) and I can't get a breath of air, I am pulled deeper and deeper into the salty water and sand, I can't get back to what it is that I am SUPPOSED to be doing. That which I am paid to do...
ug.
BUT fortune for you, I find cool things-
Here is one of them. Check out this yarn on this link. YUMMY

On a non-yarn note, here is something worth looking over-
If you are a "Burner" (one that goes the annual Burning Man Festival) and you love the area around Gerlach, NV, check out this site.... (and even if you aren't a "Burner" but believe in re-newalbe energy sources, go check it out) It is so important that this plant doesn't open-
Sign the petition! now!

Okay, off my political soapbox, I am going back to work- gosh!

I LOVE fortune cookies-

Your Fortune Is

Passionate kiss like spider web, soon lead to undoing of fly.

October 12, 2005

Baby Mia!

Leonard and Lori had their baby on Monday morning... got to go visit Mia last night- she is goregous and wonderful- gave me chills to see Leonard holding the little peanut. Mom is well dispite the c-section at the last minute. Didn't get the hat (fixie) done quite yet for them, but should finish it off tonight at SnB.

SPT 2nd week


I am so bad about actually posting this picture on Tuesday- oh well...
Since I haven't upgraded my Flicker account to Pro, I really must think over getting my account upgraded, it is only $25- just trying to justify it all in my mind...I am out of room there, so I will have to direct you to my yahoo photos....
Go here to see this weeks picutre.
This is a crazy Picture we took a while ago (can it still count?) We had just found the bus station that would take us from Puerto Viarta to the little beach town Manzanilla in Mexico.

This was the first adventure that my now husband and I went on together- after we had only known each other for 2 weeks! What a trusting sole I am sometimes.

October 10, 2005

I'm gonna knock you out, hu- Mama said knock you out~

Its Monday morning again! This weekend was wonderful. I had such a fun time making these (I used stencils and a bleach pen- I have a new addiction people!)


For all of us It was a cold, early morning so thank goodness for this guy. Doesn't he look like a ghost-buster trapped in Starbucks garb? "when the light is green, the trap is clean"
The walk was great, the weather was great and all in all The ChIPs raised over $1000.00! You might be wondering what is up with the "Knock Out" theme. The celebrity sponsor for this years Walk was Joey Gilbertson- he is a local Reno boy, who just happens to have made it pretty far on the show "The Contender"- so, knocking the crap out of a disease sounded like a good theme for this year's event.

The ChIPs are already started to talk plans for next years event.
Thanks to everyone who helped make our up donations, with all of your help they might just find a cure.

KNITTING: Didn't get a lot of knitting done this weekend because I was busy making the shirts. I did start making the mini sweater, but frogged it because it started to get lopsided some how. I need to use flat yarn for my first go around with the pattern... Started the Wavy Gravy scarf from SnB Nation with the yarn instead.

October 08, 2005

Random Saturday Morning

I am surfing the web for a stencil to use on a t-shirt I am making for the walk tomorrow. I am lovin' all the really cool stenciled graffiti art out there. Here is one of my favorites that I have found this morning....

I have a few projects in the making :
This is the start of a "fixie" hat. I am using cascade fixation- it is a little wild to work with because of its elasticity, but I I am getting used to it.

This is yarn I bought at TARGET! Ha- a dollar for 90 yards.. Not bad. I am going to use it to make my Mini-sweater.

C
And, just because I haven't posted a cloud picture for a few days- here is what it looked like outside in the Target parking lot. The texture and layering of them didn't show up as much I would've liked, but still they look pretty cool.

October 07, 2005

ChIPing in to Fight Diabetes

This weekend I will be participating in the "Walk to Cure Diabetes".
It is a great cause- and one that I feel is important since 2 of my close friends are living with Type 1 Diabetes.
Here is a bit of story about my team:
ChIPs take on Diabetes
I have been hanging out with a group of wonderful woman for about 1 1/2 years now. We are all about the same age and found each other via work-
We are all land use planners in one way or another (hence our groups name The ChIPs or Chicks In Planning).
Our friendships have grown from just small lunch gatherings to mingle and network with one another into full scale weekend get always for wine tasting tours and camping trips. We have had many wild and silly adventures- and I am confident that we are set to be friends for a very long time.
The ChIPs have helped each other find new jobs, and understand the "planner shop talk" when we need to vent about work. We keep each other laugh when we want to cry-

Last month one of the ChIPs emailed us all to tell say that she had just been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes... This was a shock and we all started to think of ways we could support her in this situation- That is when we found out that the Walk for a Cure was coming up in October.
The ChIPs moved into action-We decided that we needed to take or gang to the next level and participate in a cause-
We have already raised almost $1000 between the 6 of us.

So, a walking we will go this weekend to help find a cure this weekend! Feels great to be a part of something so important. If you would like to support our team please click !here! Your donation would be greatly appreciated-

October 06, 2005

The Fixie

Started a sweet little hat called the Fixie today. I am hoping to get it done by the end of the week so I can take one of the "moms to be" out to lunch before she has the baby.
I found Cascade Fixation on sale at the LYS last week and was STOKED! On the price. I bought the last two balls in the store, one is pink/red and the other is a variegation of blue, white and green. Not my first choice in color mixtures, but I think it will be fun.

I will post pictures later today of what I have started....

October 05, 2005

Flower Facecloth Finished


Face cloth
Originally uploaded by NessieNoodle.
I finished the face cloth I was working on last Sunday, and had forgotten to put up a picture. I love the way the colors turned out on this! I wasn't sure what I was going to do with all that cotton rainbow yarn I bought last January... this is a perfect use for it.
1 down, 4 to go.

Self Portrait Tuesday


Here is my first SPT picture.

I decided traffic is a perfect time to take some pictures.
Story:

I have had to do a lot of driving lately. Hubby is hurt and can't work the gas/brakes/clutch on the 4-Runner, so viola, I am the transporting device. "Glitch" (this is the name of my Toyota Matrix) is putting in over time. This means my usual 5 minute commute to work (NO, I am not kidding about this. Doesn't that ROCK?!) is now 45 minutes to an hour. I am so not a commuter.

October 04, 2005

Birthday bag


I finished a very pretty birthday bag for my MIL birthday (today). I used this yarn (in Wild Rose) and this pattern (on the book cover).
I am really happy with the way it came out and LOVED working with the yarn. Next project with it will be something that can be close to the skin (maybe "my so called scarf" or maybe a baby hat for Kicky).

I will post pictures of it later today.
Here it is, complete with kazoo, tea and chocolate money!

October 02, 2005

Wait a minute Mr. Postman...

Just an average Saturday morning, reorganizing my closet and getting things cleaned up around the house... When all of the sudden... Hubby says, there is a box on the porch for you! YIPPPPPPEEEE!
Oh what could it be?? I love packages. Open, open, open, open..

Look at all those colors.
INVENTORY:
4 skiens each of Wool of the Andes (WOTA)
Snickerdoodle, Rain, Grass, Mist, Daffodil, Cranberry
3 skiens of Shadow in Vineyard
2 skiens each of Andean Treasure
Peach and Wild Rose

I am lovin' Knit Picks right now.

----After hearing my ooooh and ahhh Hubby walks in the livingroom and says, "Whoa, you got a lotta stitching to do sista! Where you going to store all that fiber??

hmmmm.... good questions. Good thing we just moved around the living room- these little night stands should do the trick.

Some one else wants to help organize all the yarn, Gertrude Marie just loves yarn.

Look how pretty it all looks stacked up in there. I can hardly wait! I must put a dent in that stash.

October projects:

baby hats x 5

sweater to purse x2

polar navel hat or polar scarf x1

mini sweater x1

flower face cloth x5

felted yoga bag x1

PLUS-It's my sweet mother in laws birthday this week, so I have to figure out a giftee for her. Also have sisters in law (they are twins) and Tiffany's birthday coming up in November. It is the birthday season in my family right now...

I am off to knit--