Wine and Needles

say it aint so...

[dies]




alas.....

you belong in my closet

[dies again]

It's Day #35 since my last fiber-related purchase. I am so glad I am getting out of town this weekend (yay Santa Cruz!) so I don't have to see Barnes & Noble EVERY TIME I LEAVE MY HOUSE, driving past it with the fear and furor that I can only liken to Odysseus and his men passing by the island of the Sirens.

I'm currently knitting away:

• Straight-laced socks (I love this pattern, by the way) on the road
• Light as Air Sweater on my couch
• Debbie Bliss Shrug in bed. I'm stuck on sleeve island. Joyous.

At this moment:
I am wrapped up in my Le' Clapapapaotis, FREEZING my chi-chis off in my ice-cold office. This wrap reminds me of San Francisco, because back in the day I stopped off at Imagi Knit 3 different times to keep picking up more Karabella 8 to finish her. Poetic, isn't it?

May your weekend be filled with good friends, good wine, and lots of lounging time to knit. I know mine will be!

People, I am having a total problem overcoming the urge to buy patterns right now. Yesterday, it was the Phildar thing. Last night, I went to Barnes and Noble to tourture myself browse the growing wall of knitting books and magazines. See, I am dead broke after moving and thinking it was cool to spend like $500 at Target in one month, so I put myself on a STRICT no yarn, no pattern diet until March. I wish there could have been a microphone inside of my head as I sat there in the Craft aisle surrounded by:




Me: But if I buy just one, then my need will be satisfied and I won't think about buying knitting books all day.
Rational Me: If you buy a book, then you are going to find a project you want to make and will run out and buy $75 worth of yarn.
Me: No I won't! Remember, I'm working on clean sticks by 2006(ish)?
Rational Me: Tell me you didn't spend your lunch hour yesterday pouring over the Knit Picks website, doing yardage/gauge calculations?
Me: I thought you were out to lunch!?!

I put them all back. Damn this being old and responsible stuff....

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edited to add: Oh my god, I just realized I was nominated for Best Knitting/Craft Blog / Best of Blog Awards by Erin. Thanks girl (although belated...), that totally made my day.

About 3 minutes before my fingers tore open by the claws of death. I love my little killer kitty kitty so very much.

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PS - Has anyone ordered from Knit N' Tyme before? I am dying to get my hands on the new Phildar mag. and she has them for sale. Of course, if you know of any other good sellers, please let me know.

PPS - New updates on the knitting in the sidebar. I'm still on a 'clean the sticks' trip, but I can't resist throwing in all those smaller items as distractions... DOH!

Funny story...
So this morning when I was getting ready I said to myself "man, I could really use a pair of black wrist warmers". Something simple, I thought. Maybe some cables. Worsted weight. Where on earth would I find a pattern like that...

...

Hi Delia, click on your own webpage.

So yeah... I started some Irish Hiking Wrist Warmers this morning.

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In other news, Wine and Needles has been tagged by CJ!

Instructions: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot.

bird's nest knits
see mi knit
one by one
Cj's Knitting Basket
wine and needles

Select 5 people to tag: No really, I know these things are akin to chain letters and they take some time, but there's nothing like direct questions to learn more about folks.
Lori, Kate, Jennifer, Diana, Kimberli

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was 16, a sophmore in HS, and the most important thing in my life was taking my driving test and making the competition cheer squad. Oh lord....

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Settling into a new job at SJSU. Short lived, apparently. I was also about to embark to Napa for the first time in a long while.... Note to self: MUST get up to Napa again soon.

What were you doing 1 hour ago?
7:50 am... Driving down Cedar Ave to work, tailgating some chick who needed to get OFF her cell phone and DRIVE.

List five creative things you want to achieve this year:
Organize all my recipes
Learn to knit continental style
Paint my apartment
Start sewing again
Design and complete a knit garmet from start to finish

List five snacks you enjoy:
Salt & Vinegar Chips, Tomatos w/ Lemon Pepper, Bloody Mary's, Oysters, Pepperchinis

List five things you would do if money were no object:
Open a small restaurant
Travel the world
Donate a whole buncha' money to Cardiac Care
Buy my family houses
Learn to sing

List five bad habits:
Biting my nails
Talking too much
Timeliness (I'll be there in 5 mintues!)
Losing things (keys, cell phone, wallet, mind...)
Tailgating (See above)

List five things you like doing:
Knitting (duh)
Wine Tasting
Sleeping
Cooking
Meeting New People

List five favorite gadgets:
My laptop
Palm Pilot
Mini Food-Processor
(only 3 I can think of)

Name one thing you like about yourself:
Good with People

Literally, some of the best days of my life were spent with a bottle of Ca'del Solo on that beach. It was one of the first places I went when I moved to Santa Cruz. Upon its sand I have danced in the dark, laid on my back and looked at the sky, knit a whole lot, drank many a' bottles of wine, dined on picnics fit for kings, and had conversations that changed my life. It is one of the last places I went before I left the Bay Area.

I'd tell you where it is, but then I might have to share. If you do find it, and see a girl with long dark hair doing cartwheels in the waves, you found me. Come play!

SP7, Behold!

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?
Oh i'm saying it. Yes I am! I enjoy knitting with natural fibers / blends, but in a pinch when someone asks me to make something for them, I'll break down and use the ACK-rylic stuff.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I crochet only when I have to do an edgeing. Haven't really gotten the urge to spin yet.

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Um, my needles are all over my house. My cat likes to attack them and hide them. When they are not being chewed on by the kitty, they are in a basket next to my bed.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I guess I am intermediate. I've been knitting for about 2 years now, and I've done socks, fair isle, and am pretty comfortable with lace.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
At Target. But that's a bunch of boring apartment stuff, if you're interested, email me.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Men's Cologne. Seriously. But since there ain't a lot of men's cologne-scented candles out there, I like woodsy-things, and lavender.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
A sour tooth. I love Sour Patch Kids and Berry Skittles.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?Cooking, decorating my apartment, throwing dinner parties and wine-tasting parties.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?
I like a lot of stuff, mainly classic rock and 80's rock. Country, some pop, and alternative makes its appearances every now and then. I'm cool with MP3s.

10. What's your favorite color?
I like light blue and red, especially together.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I just moved back to my hometown (Yeah Fresno!), but live by myself with a very moody cat named Viva.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
yes, yes, yes, & oh god no.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Rowan Calmer. Koigu. Knit Picks Andean Treasure. Rowan Cashsoft.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I will NOT knit with 100% acrylic, unless I am working on that damn Ditka sweater and destroying my hangs in the process.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Hats. Socks. Actually finishing a sweater.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
See above.

17. What are you knitting right now?
See sidebar. Too many projects at any given time.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
It depends. I like accessories, but beyond that I'm sort of tough (being honest here!)

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
I like them all. Circs are probably my faves, but I like a good afternoon in the sun with my bamboo straights.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Bamboo or aluminum, depending on the yarn. I hate plastic.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No... not sure what I am going to do when I want to knit something with those 400 yd. hanks...

22. How did you learn to knit?
With a book (Stitch n' Bitch) & the internet.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Over a year. I'm close to finishing it though! (the Mock Lace Scarf)

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Viva is my favorite animal. I am a crazy cat lover.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas. I love the entire season!

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Old Seventeen magazines, wine.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
I'd love some Lantern Moon needles. or Kidsilk Haze. or Debbie Bliss books.

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'd like to get better at colorwork.

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, I love making socks. I wear a womens size 6.5

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
March 24th

32. Allergies?
Mold and cats. But I love living in foggy conditions and cuddling with every cat I see. I laugh in the face of allergies!

Post a comment with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL MEMORY OF YOU AND ME. It can be anything you want--good or bad--BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE. When you're finished, post these instructions on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people DON'T ACTUALLY remember about you.

Thanks, Christie.

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Edited to add:
Fun Yahoo! search that got someone to my page today: "how to ask a girl out text messaging"

Are you kidding me? I got no skills over here.....

IP Address logging is FUN!!! Why didn't someone tell me you can see who's been looking at your site?!?!?

The Stash Clean-up, 2006

Lookie what I did this weekend:

Organization is not my strong point. I was so proud, I told my sister she had to go take a look at the bookshelf in my room to which my sister responded "Holy shit Delia, that's a lot of yarn!"*
Of course, that's not ALL the stash, but merely a representation of what I have for my browsing pleasure. I elected NOT to inform her that there were two more boxes under my bed.

That basket on the third shelf holds all my pattern books and magazines, although I see the very real possibilty that the basket may be 'movin' on up', pending the addition of more yarn in 2006.

* Alexis obviously doesn't know about the yarn-hording tendancies of knitters.

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Standard FO photography

FO's that were spoken of previously:

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New Additions

I just started this hat last night.

For some reason, I am neglecting massive projects in favor of hats that can be finished in a couple days. More Caron's Simply Soft in Gray... stash busting at it's best.

I am also thinking about ordering some books from Crafter's Choice. Has anyone done this before and are there some secret catches that I am missing? I am on such a bargain-hunting kick right now that 4 for 4$ is hard to resist....

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On that note, peace out from Fresno.

4 years of Chapter Presidents at Alumni Weekend 2004

And I know there has got to be somebody out there reading this, rolling their eyes thinking 'I hated those sororiy girls in school who just paid for friends and popularity', and to you I have to say this: So what if I did? I wasn't in it for frat guys and kegs of beer. Those girls made college the best 4 years of my life to date. Being the sorority turned me into my current line of work and I LOVE it. I met my roommate + close friends in San Jose, 400 miles away, because of my association with the group. There are sorority women and sorority girls, and I am proud to say I was the former in a wonderful organization called Alpha Phi.

My only regret is not learning how to knit sooner. That would have made Monday night chapter meetings go by MUCH quicker!

Sorry to any SC fans out there but....


HELL YEAH TEXAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DOWN WITH USC!!!!!!!!!!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.

Ok, so I didn't exactly "clean my sticks for 2006" (a la Lisa), but look at my sidebar -->

I spent the last couple days doing a glorious amount of NOTHING except laying on my [new!] couch and finishing up everything in my 'needs finishing' box. That included two socks (be it for different pairs, but anyways...), sewing in Lelah's elastic band, and seaming + end weaving for both pairs of mitts and the Cashsoft Shrug. I also finished up 2 scarfs (and almost a 3rd, the damn mock-lace scarf that is now over a year old) that were pointlessly hanging around, and just need to block them. I may or may not end up photographing these items. I'm just saying.

Anyway, I did start ONE new project (so much for THAT New Year's Resolution). That damn Ticker Tape was screaming "knit me into a bottom-up sweater NOW!", so I obeyed and now have an arm, a front, and 1/2 a back. And the thing weighs like 8 ounces. Hense the name "Light as Air", for our "Hot as Hell" winter in California. I'm sure you have been reading about all the crazy rainstorms/tornados/flooding in this little state of ours, but I would just like to add that I spent the New Years Holiday at 5500 feet and still had NO SNOW. Lots of rain, but not 1 snowball! I felt like a fool for lugging my big 'ol boots and snowpants up there.

[returning to the topic....]

So knitting. Instead of making a resolution along the lines of "finish this before starting that" (because the last time I tried to assert that, I realized what a FOOL I sounded like) , my resolution is to knit what I want, when I want, without apologizing or rationalizing why. It's the anti-resolution.

So here is what I am gearing up for in 2006

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