I’m traveling to visit my family in Phoenix this week. Here’s a picture I took while driving around today:

I have lots of knitting with me, some spinning too. I’m trying to get this sleeve done:

But I have sleeve #2 to do as well. The body of this sweater was pretty fun to knit; but I feel like the sleeves are torture. I started a new sweater for my daughter on the plane ride out; that I’m ignoring today in order to finish this darned sleeve! We’ll see how long it lasts.

Well; I upgraded the blog to the new version. So far all seems as it should. I need to re-enable a few of the plugins I had (I don’t remember what they did for the most part; but I put ‘em there for a reason). Feel free to let me know if you see something out of whack to nancy AT persistentknitter DOT com.

Update: (So far it seems like Categories are whacked. ugh. we’ll see what we can do with that)

Further update: It seems I had to manually reenter my Categories into the database.  Looks like we’re better now.

Ooh! I was tagged!

The rules are:

*Link to the person that tagged you. (Janell )
*Post the rules on your blog.
*Share six weird things/habits/quirks about yourself.
*Tag six others. And let them know they’ve been tagged!

1) I have written a book that’s been translated/published into German, Chinese & French.

2) I’m terrible about keeping plants alive, but I love Orchids. Luckily these work well with the “forget to water” methodology that I have.

3) I love Pringles chips dipped in Applesauce & Fries dipped in choc shake. My son loves chicken nuggets dipped in caramel - takes after his mama, yes he does :)

4) I was never a cheerleader like Janell was; but I tried out once, and was a bit sad when I didn’t get picked. Turns out it’s probably for the best.

5) I was a member of the “Hardware And Computer Knowledge Society” (aka H.A.C.K.S.) in college

6) I love getting packages in the mail (but who doesn’t; so that isn’t really weird; but I was out of ideas).

Tagging: martaschmarta and anyone else who wants to have some fun :)

So today I said goodbye to my new spinning wheel.  My wheel no longer, it now belongs to Marie.  Rose was beautiful, but I just wasn’t getting along with her as well as I wanted to.  I’m a bit sad, because in addition to being beautiful she had some really neat features, and maybe I should have made a larger effort to get along; but Marie really wanted a Rose, and I was happy to have tuned up her wheel for her; esp as she paid me full price for it (and bought the woolee winder and bobbins as well).

I think we (spinners in general) are lucky to have the ability to choose between so many fabulous wheels; and I’m lucky I have the money to purchase what I like.  A friend of mine is on  more of a budget than I am, but she was still able to find herself a great wheel.   I already have an amazing wheel (even if it clanks occasionally and makes me grumpy), and was trying the Rose out as a somewhat more portable option with lots of capabilities.

So it didn’t quite work out. I think I feel about wheels like I do about cars.  There are different types of cars/wheels and they are each good for a specific kind of job.  I also feel that I like to spend at least a month of solid time with a car/wheel before deciding if I really like it.   A 5 minute test drive in either case isn’t really going to cut it for me.

My next wheel is going to be an Ashford Joy.  Very portable, and I actually got to do the 5 minute test drive already.  I also happen to know there’s a member of my spinning guild who would be happy to take it off my hands if I change my mind after my month long test drive; so it’s a low risk investment for me at this point.  Plus it’s just fun to get stuff in the mail (it’d be nice if I could get one locally - but again, “oh well”).

No pictures yet, because I’m exhausted, and just caught up with orders after being gone all weekend. Lots of KV 2.0 orders; if you want to help me keep my sanity - order the download PLEASE! :)

I have pictures of madrona fun. But won’t post them til later. Here’s the extremely brief run down of my weekend. I took a class with Mother Judith; and my spinning will hopefully improve for it. I spun some Bison. I started a glove. I met the Yarn Harlot, and got a big hug. I also got a picture in which I prove that I’m not photogenic at all; I’ll torture you with that later. I took a class with the Harlot, and learned tons, including being entertained the whole time. I ate salmon, and learned about Bison, and then did more spinning with Mother Judith. I bought lots of stuff; 4-5 rovings, 2 skeins of yarn and a large lot of Kauni in a fit of insanity.

to madrona winter festival that is.  Not even work could get me up this early (usually), but the promise of a marketplace full of fiber and yarn and associated stuff to buy, some great classes; and I’m ready to go.  Now, if I can just find my shoes…

It’s Wednesday. And I’m feeling random!

• I went to my knitting group tonite. I almost didn’t go, but decided to kind of at the last minute. It was totally worth it. Although most of the discussion was about spinning. Funny that since almost everyone who is in the spinning group is in the knitting group too. There are some people who only come to spinning. And there are some people who only go to knitting. We’ll convert them eventually.
  
• All my knitting projects are causing me difficulties lately. First I didn’t have page two of the pattern for one project. Then I didn’t have the needle I needed for another. Then I went to cast on something new, and found out I didn’t have enough yarn. I was so excited about the colors I had picked (note - these are for three different projects):

and and

• I pulled out the pattern to cast on with the first yarn today. The pattern says you need two of EACH not two total. Aigh!!! If anyone knows what the color number is for the first one, which is Koigu KPPPM in an unknown colorway, please let me know. I’m looking for 2nd skeins in all of the koigu. You can see the dye lot numbers by clicking on the thumbnails and looking at the description in flickr. *sigh*

• I’m calling Knit Visualizer 2.0 “done”. Don’t get too excited. That just means I’m not going to be tweaking (much) in the code. There are still a gazillion things to do. Change the website over to use a different shopping cart so I can implement my nefarious discount code plan for current users of KV1.2. Update the manual with all the new features. This will take a while. I have to take a lot of screenshots. I have to fix up the demo code so there can be a demo that works (except when I don’t want it to). Look through all my lists (there are a lot of them) to make sure I got in everything I want in it. Decide on a price (this one is mostly done, but it’s still a secret). Build a Vista icon so that the icons don’t look stupid. Fix any bugs my diligent beta testers find. I’ve kinda taken off the past week from doing KV stuff. Thanksgiving and all that you know. Time to get back on it. I’d like to do the release before 2008 gets here.
• Spinning is more fun than knitting these days. Something about not wanting to knit on the troublesome projects for christmas or that have not enough yarn. I’ve also discovered the joys of three ply yarn and how absolutely amazing it can a yarn look. A bit of navajo plying has been fun. More time at the wheel will let me create a traditional three ply, made out of three different singles.
• I have to go to the post office tomorrow. Not just to drop off packages into the happy package slot of pre-paid goodness. But I have to actually Stand. In. Line. I can’t tell you how much I’m dreading this. Normally it’s not bad. Walk up, pay the international postage rate, walk out. Done! This time of year it’s a bit of a gamble to see how many people will be in line and how many postal employees there will be dealing with the people in line. Not to mention the last time I went to stand in line and the woman behind me was most certainly not respecting the unwritten amount of space required between each person standing in line. I couldn’t help but hit her with my purse every time I shifted from one impatient foot to the other. I pulled out my sock knitting and tried to make the lights reflect off my DPNs into her eyes and blind her, but it didn’t work very well since the finish on my DPNs isn’t very shiny. I tried to make a point of the proper amount of line-standing-spacing by keeping a good distance from the person in front of me; but she was not to be influenced by such subtle tactics. In the end I had to satisfy myself with a good long glare at her, which she ignored, or didn’t even notice. So take note, my wonderful international customers. I do like your orders, but when you get your package from me, know that I have gone the extra mile (or twelve) for you by braving the post office in order to get reasonable postage rates so that I don’t have to charge you $16.00 to ship you a 5 ounce package.
• That last paragraph was really long. I hope you didn’t wander off during it.

Time to get to bed and dream of knitting presents with enough yarn and the right needles for the short knitting list I have.

I had this book hanging around on the coffee table and the kids have taken to ‘reading’ through it from time to time. Katie has been busy tracing and copying anything interesting in the house. So I found this drawing in the pile of things she was working on one day. Pretty cool, huh?

Cool picture of big holes in the ground: Click here.

The diamond mine pictured is I think one of the ones that the Ice Road Truckers go to.   I love that show.

Also, for those of us with kids. Haven’t you always wanted to do this?

http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l3/kingeryck/?action=view&current=angrymom.jpg

A few things strike me about this picture.

1. The baby looks pretty happy to me. Was it happy during the taping process?
2. There is no explanation with the picture.   I’m just so curious as to what caused this event to happen
3. The duck that is up on the wall next to the baby - and you can see the baby has it’s hand grabbing at the duck.  “If ducky is here with me, everyting is A-ok!”

Some knitting is happening - although slowly.  Rainbow Cardigan is on the sleeves now; but it’s a big lump of rainbow so a picture wouldn’t show you much.  Monkey socks only get knit on occasionally; although they are always with me in my purse. I’m really hoping to finish them in a fairly timely manner (read that as “before this winter completely ends”), and since winter hasn’t even started, I should be good to go on it.

1. Look down at your lace knitting and say, “Hmm… that YO looks twice as big as it should”.
2. Look a bit further, and decide, “I’ll just drop down that set of 10 stitches a few rows and fix it”.
3. Let your husband distract you every 5 minutes as he says, “Ooooh - look at this new car configuration” as he’s playing Need for Speed: Carbon* on the couch next to you.
4. Spend the next 1.5 hours gently tinking, coaxing, and generally pleading with your knitting to “Get back ON the needles properly”
5. Spend another 20 minutes ripping back until you think it’s safe, and then gently putting the knitting back on the needle. Tinking one more row to make sure you have all your yarn overs in place, etc.

Things you should do:

1. Don’t look at the knitting. The YO’s are fine.
2. Really. Stop looking at the knitting. It’s fine. Nobody but you would notice anyway. Even you won’t notice once you get another inch knit.
3. Tell your husband “No more talking! I mean it!”. You have my permission to forcibly take the controller away and shut the xbox off if needed.
4. Go to bed early. Really - you need all your rest for the birthday party of inflated air happening tomorrow
5. Read in bed if you insist that it’s too early to go to bed.

* Don’t bother getting Need for Speed: Carbon. Need for Speed: Most Wanted was 1000 times better, so just play that one again instead of playing a lesser game with more flippy graphics than content.