Eat.Knit.Sleep

Happy Monday!

It is 8am and I am not at work. Woot! (Not to rub it in for all of you that ARE at work, but I'm happy so don't rain on my parade).

I had been saving vacation days since June for our impending move which isn't happening, so now I am forced to take some vacation before the end of the year, so I decided to take this week off.

C and I are bailing on Thanksgiving and heading down to Cape May on Wed and I am super excited.

My weekend was pretty great. It started on Friday with some takeout from a local Mexican place. Can't go wrong with Veggie Burritos and Rice and Beans.

Saturday I went for a run, and came back home to C preparing bagels and lox. My favorite! Then he and I headed out shopping to pick out my birthday gift. He had decided to get me a full head-to-toe outfit for our dinner out in Cape May and he got me a beautiful tweed skirt with embroidery, a silk blouse, and hot new knee high boots, and came home and made me dinner to boot. What a catch!

Yesterday it was snowy here, so I stayed in my pjs and am thisclose to a finished Ariann (minus the belt and buttons) but I did manage to complete a Monkey sock.

I'm spending today cleaning the house, but hope to get a little knitting done too!

Posted by Jenny at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So, I had a great birthday weekend.

Friday, I took the day off work, because while I don't make big deals out of birthdays, my job is really not where I want to be ever, so seemed as good an excuse as ever to take a day off. I didn't really do much of anything, but finish ripping back the raglan decreases on Ariann (which didn't really decrease), and clean up the house a bit. Went for a short run too (did I mention I'm doing a half marathon in April?)

C picked me up and took me to dinner at a local restaurant. The service was a little off but the food was great, and it was nice to have a nice dinner out without C stressed out about not having a job. Very nice.

Yesterday, because apparently I get a birthday WEEKEND, not just a day, I got a pass on Oscar's vet appointment at 8:45. He and Oscar also found time to bring me back bagels and lox, my all time favorite breakfast!

We then went to the Allentown Fairgrounds to pick up some food for my SECOND birthday dinner, but ended up getting everything at Wegmans instead. We had a cheese course with some lovely champagne, a pork loin stuffed with fennel and onions, some roasted cauliflower, and for dessert Chocolate Grand Marnier Mousse. Am I lucky girl or what?

So, while I should be working on my grad school applications, looking for a new job (someone please think of a career for a girl in the suburbs who has only worked in sales and hates it), and training for my half marathon, I am instead basking in my laziness and knitting on Ariann and enjoying my birthday hangover. That is, until it is time to go to the store, and for me to hope that C doesn't notice that my home made mac and cheese will pale in comparison to his culinary skills!

And just because I haven't posted a picture in a while, here is what I am wearing today, which I think will be Tweedy Vest's last appearance. It's comfy, but kind of hairy and not flattering. I see Fuzzy Feet in my future . . .

Posted by Jenny at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Still frogging, hope to knit soon.

Posted by Jenny at 09:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I want to thank all of you for your good wishes on C's new job (and on the brown sweater - which I love). He starts tomorrow and he is uber excited.

Friday, I took a half day at work so we could celebrate. We went down to IKEA and bought a whole bunch of stuff -- a new bookshelf/yarn storage unit for me, some shades for C's office, a desk chair, and then headed down to Philly for the best place on earth: Monk's Cafe

While I know there is a lot of great food in the Lowell/Boston area -- I'm so glad we don't have to leave the driving vicinity of Monks! Belgian beer, mussels, what more can a girl want (and also in walking distance of Rosie's Yarn Cellar, but I didn't go this weekend)

Saturday we did a whole day of "back to work" shopping. C has lost some weight and wanted to get some new clothes and I have gained some weight and reluctantly bought new clothes; all in all a long tiring day where I DID NOT buy a new MacBook Pro.

We also registered for a half marathon this weekend, which is scary and exciting being that neither of us currently run on a regular basis.

I've also been knitting. Here are some progress shots of the Monkey socks and Ariann:

Posted by Jenny at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This is the current state of Ariann after I wrapped my head around joining the sleeves and starting the raglan decreases. I am still enjoying this sweater very much.

I'm in my room keeping Oscar calm while C vacuums, and am going to be spending some time playing around with Ravelry.

Posted by Jenny at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

but evidence of progress!

This is actually the second sleeve of Ariann which means I might actually have a finished object some time this millennium.

I had a good time in Cleveland, but time with my family always makes me reevaluate what I'm doing with my life, as my family always seems to be doing something more meaningful and seem more content with their respective lives.

Apparently, my introspection makes me somewhat difficult to be around, and thus C has been feeling a bit like this lately.

I'm tired and it is hot, and I have to go out to dinner with the boss from hell tomorrow so I leave you with Oscar on the road . . .

CLOSEUP!!!

I love that dog!

Posted by Jenny at 09:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ok, one of my guilty pleasures is the show Work Out on Bravo. Watching it makes me feel both really fat and lazy and motivated to work out. Problem is that I catch it either when I'm sick, or feeling lazy late at night so the working out never really happens.

I've been saying as long as I've been saying I'll post more here that I want fitness to be a part of my life. I don't know how much I meant it, as mostly I was just concerned with the number on my scale. I'm still concerned with that number and wish it was about 20 lbs. less than it is, but really I just want some energy back. I want to be able to stay up late if I want, or get up early if I want, and not feel that I just can be a lump when I get home from work. I also don't want to feel guilty if I DO feel like being a lump.

I read Crazy Aunt Purl, and I admire her "Not a Diet" and I want to adopt that for myself, with a a "Not a Workout," plan or some sort of mindset that gets me healthy and happy but maintains my sanity. I feel liek posting this type of thing here, keeps me accountable so expect more of that here in the coming posts.

I've also been noticing a lack of comments when I don't have a big bandage on my face, so now I know what brings you guys out! I've decided on the Wildfoote for my pal, because I don't want the beautiful handpaint to be wasted on me, when I have the opportunity to knit it for someone who will really love the colors. I haven't picked a pattern yet though, so if you have any ideas let me know.

I've been spinning

On the left, the basic wool that came with my wheel, and on the right some 2-ply BFL that came with my original spindle kit. Very thick and thin as I had trouble with the first single, and I must have spun much finer with the second bobbin as I have tons left over even though both were made with the same amount of fiber. I'm thinking of trying Navajo plying with the leftovers just for kicks.

I've also been knitting away on the second sleeve for Ariann which is a very enjoyable knit. And drinking this

as C needs the bottles for homebrew. Mmmm beer.

Posted by Jenny at 11:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, a couple of weeks ago I broke my nose. I got hit with a door, big nosebleed, the whole nine yards. I didn't really believe that I had broken it, so I waited a few days to go to my family doctor. He suspected it was broken, sent me for an x-ray and referred me to a specialist. My nose was swollen and crooked looking, and I was having trouble breathing out of the right side. The X-Ray showed no fracture, or cartilage damage, although my septum was deviated and the Dr. thought that was the reason for the trouble breathing (although if my septum had ALWAYS been deviated, I don't know why it would only give me trouble after I banged my nose!). Anyway, I pressed, and he decided I should have a CAT Scan in case the swelling was hiding a fracture. I had that last Thursday, and a follow up appointment with the ENT specialist on Tuesday. Yep, there was a fracture, and it was indenting my bone into my nasal canal restricting my breathing, so yesterday I had surgery to straighten it out.

Now I look like this:

Please excuse the no makeup, bad hair. I haven't showered since yesterday because I need to take baths until the splint comes off next week, and I need Carlos' help to wash my hair. (This is when a boyfriend who actually has hair might have come in handy, although he was a sweetie who took the day to spend with me in the hospital yesterday although it was a minor, out-patient procedure).

The pain wasn't so bad last night or this morning, although just now when my Percocet wore off it hurts a lot, and I'm not looking forward to going to work tomorrow, in pain with the funny splint on my nose. Why I have no problem posting the photo on the internet, I do not know.

I spent a fair time knitting, spinning, and reading today which was nice. I finished the bobbin of 2-ply I was working on, started the waist increases on Ariann, and have been knitting on the Cable Rib socks, because I really need some grey socks. Oscar definitely enjoyed me being home.

Really, really don't want to go to work tomorrow. Think the big plaster cast will help in my quarterly review from the boss with completely unrealistic expectations (how a sales person who has never missed their quota, and has a great relationship with my customers and coworkers and consistently get negative reviews, I will never know! -- I need to find a job without all the politics).

Posted by Jenny at 05:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Again, a week without posting. It's been 8 days since my last post, so I'm aiming for less than 7 this week, kids.

Last week was hectic with work, and I didn't accomplish much outside of it. I may have started a little something with the Ultra Alpaca from last week, and no I did not finish Thermal. It started as this:

And has since turned into the first 6 inches of Ariann. I'm loving this pattern, and I'm neglecting my other knitting projects and my spinning! I have to go dry my hair, walk Oscar, before heading out to a drs appointment, but more about my great weekend in NYC later.

Posted by Jenny at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I didn't mean to go a week without posting. Although, I never do.

This week was a little hectic. Drs appointments, holidays, blah. I got out of work early on Friday for the holiday. It was unexpected, so I took it as free time and headed up to Nazareth, PA.

And, as Carlos joked, I did see Jesus in Nazareth. Walking up the street, carrying his cross with disciples behind him. (is that right? I'm Jewish, don't know much about the New Testament). Anyhoo, I saw Jesus as I was parking my car at Kraemer's Yarn Shop.

I hadn't been there in about a year, when my mom was visiting, and I wasn't disappointed again. I managed to leave there with only 2 4-oz . bundles of roving. (Woot, local roving!) and 6 skeins of Berocco Ultra Alpaca to make Ariann. I tried to get some yarn for Wicked, but they only had Ultramerino, and Luxury Stripes by Artyarns (which I thought was Supermerino until they told me it was $26 a skein).

I've been knitting away on Thermal, as this cold weather gives me hope that MAYBE I will get to wear it this year. I'm done with the body, and it fits well, and I'm about half way done with the first sleeve. The cold weather is REALLY making me want to cast on for Ariann though.

I've been spinning too, but not much to show now.

As for the working out, I've lost a pound in the last week, which is something, and I've run 4.6 miles towards the Runagogo Challenge. I'm a little behind, so I'm going to run again tomorrow instead of weights at the gym. It was cold this morning, but somewhat nice to watch the sun rise.

Posted by Jenny at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)