February 2007 Archives

In addition to buying knitting books 2 weeks ago, I went crazy buying music CDs... Four Etta James (my new favorite female singer!), a couple Trace Adkins (oh my! a lovely deep voice!), two Chess Blues Classics, and one each of Travis Tritt, Reba McEntire, Donnell Jones, and Prince. There's a copy fest going on now! (I keep copies in my car instead of the originals because the CDs get damaged by the sun and highway bumps).

After another couple of false starts yesterday, I finally settled on a pattern for the scarf I wanted to make for myself using Bernat Soft Boucle! It was started and finished today! (No photos yet...)

I've been uninspired lately. The livingroom becomes a mess when I cannot settle on a project (see photo)!

A few things are distracting me... Two of those are the HDTV service and a DVR!

I've had the Wallace and Gromit movie from Blockbuster.com waiting for over a week now for me to watch it (Bill doesn't want to see it). We didn't get around to watching the Flags of Our Fathers movie rented from a local Blockbuster store, and I missed the late-date due date so we got a call that we've purchased the movie but it can be returned for a $1.25 re-stocking fee - I took care of the return yesterday after work.

Bill's cousin Jimmy and his wife Sarah are having a second baby (a girl this time!) in early July. I bought a large skein of Lion Brand Pound of Love in Pastel Pink last Monday, but haven't had any success in finding a pattern I want to work on. I've started and pulled out 3 attempts so far at ripple patterns.

Thinking the pink yarn was putting me off, I switched to trying to make myself an earth-tone warm, soft scarf with the remnants of the on-hold-since-April-2005 Jazzy Beach Wrap cardigan I pulled out last Sunday while watching NASCAR's Daytona 500 race. I really like the texture of Bernat Soft Boucle yarn but it's difficult to find a pattern that "works" with it! The bumps in the yarn make stitches difficult to see so detailed patterns aren't good to use. Lacy patterns are OK, but I don't want the scarf to have large holes since the scarf is supposed to keep my neck warm! Last night, I tried 4 or 5 patterns from 280 Crochet Shell Patterns but none of them have worked for me. Bah!

Yesterday, I gave Jimmy and Sarah the layette set (melon, purple, green, yellow, white) I made in November 2005. It is more "girl" than "boy" so I didn't give it to them for the first baby (Samuel... Sammy!). The jacket in the layette set is a bit small, but it is perfect for a baby girl's baby doll! I would like to make a pink baby blanket too, but if I can't get past the pink, they'll have just one blanket instead of two.

The knitting books I recently bought are great! However, since knitting is not second nature to me (like crocheting is), it takes more attention and I just haven't been able to split my attention between watching our favorite TV shows and knitting... so I haven't been knitting... or teaching myself Continental Knitting...

I got out of bed at 8:00am this morning, made breakfast and coffee, and sat down at the computer... and I'm still sitting here over 4 hours later... with a headache and now hungry for lunch. But, I've caught up on responding to blog comments and have read my regular blog reads. Time to eat lunch, shower, and probably watch Wallace and Gromit.

Just in time for last Sunday's Daytona 500, we had HDTV service and a DVR (digital video recorder) installed last Saturday!

Bill has decided that I am the person who deals with the electronic gadgets (computers, VCRs, stereos, and now HDTV and DVR) so I've been reading the user guide and playing with setting our favorite shows to be recorded. He will eventually have to figure out the basics, however!

Besides having a better picture and sound quality than VCR-taped shows, the best part about watching DVR-recorded shows is the 30-second fast-forward button! Most of the time, I hit it 6 times to get through commercials, so 1-minute fast-forward button would be even better!

And the quality of the HDTV picture is amazing. Facial stubble is very clear (very manly on some men, not so much on others). As is sweat, make-up, scars...

These arrived from Amazon today! I've now begun a knitting book collection...hopefully it won't grow to be as big as my crochet book collection!

• The Knitting Answer Book
• Knitting Vintage Socks: New Twists on Classic Patterns
• Sensational Knitted Socks
• Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles: A Manual of Elegant Knitting Techniques and Patterns
• Teach Yourself VISUALLY Knitting

View from the condo's lanai.

Bill has mentioned taking a longer vacation (10-14 days) in September near our anniversary to Kona-Kailua, Hawaii (our preferred Hawaii vacation destination). He's also mentioned taking a few days this summer to drive up the coast toward Portland, Oregon so we can spend a few days visiting with Greg and Lauren. Right now, I'd prefer to visit my boy over being trapped another 12+ hours at airports and in airplanes, even if it is a long drive in a car!

Whip up posted a Continental knitting demo video by CraftSanity.

I recently learned how to knit, but was unaware there are 2 techniques of knitting! Continental is similar to crochet and is faster and is what I'm going to switch to! The other technique is referred to as "Throwing" in the CraftSanity video.

Information and videos about these two knitting techniques is available at knittinghelp.com.

In honor of Valentine's Day and Sexual Responsibility Week, the college where I work held several health education-related events.

Where else can I list "Sex in the Quad" on the home page of my employer's website?

No eating 3 hours before bedtime just doesn't work for me much of the time...

I go to bed at 10:00pm. 3 hours before that is 7:00pm. I don't finish exercising and all that entails until 6:30pm. Then, we cook and eat dinner. So, we're not done until after 7:00pm.

Take tonight for instance... I'm eating a yummy salad right now - and it's almost 8:00pm.

Blah.

I don't wanna exercise.
I don't wanna sweat.
I don't wanna breathe hard.
I just don't wanna.

I wanna lay down...
    watch mindless television...
    take a nap.
I wanna eat dinner.
I wanna rest this Monday evening.

Exercise is not on my "wanna do" list tonight.

But I did it. 30 minutes of walking, no excuses.

I don't feel better for it, but I did it.

Now I can
    take a hot shower...
    put on pajamas...
    eat dinner...
    settle down on the couch...
    watch my boyfriends...

Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller, Prison Break at 8:00pm)...

Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland, 24 at 9:00pm)...

[Update] Darn! Michael took the night off! But I'll see Jack for 2 hours tonight instead!

• Size: 39 inches x 50 inches


• Colors: Scarlet, Rose, Soft Sage, Off White (Caron One Pounder, Caron Perfect Match)


• Pattern: Calico (with modifications)


• Book: 40 Fabulous Afghans - ISBN 0-696-02357-01 - Designs by Patricia Bevans - Copyright 1993 - Meredith Press


• Hook: J


• Date: start February 4; finish February 9

Instead of photographing these last 3 finished blankets on the couch using what little light comes from the window, light from the light bulb, and flash on my digital camera, I tried natural light with no flash. The colors needed a lot of adjustment - and still aren't really right - and the angle of photographing them flat on a table top just doesn't work. I'm gonna switch back to the couch next time!

The "sc, ch 1, sk 1" is one of my favorite patterns because it's easy and repetitive (soothing) and versatile. It can be used for solid colors or a variety of stripes (like this blanket). It can also be used for ripples - in fact, it's a great pattern for scrap blankets with a lot of color changed (just carry the yarn from the end of one row to the beginning of another row a few rows later and cover those carried-over strands on the blanket edges with a border).

• Size: 35 inches x 45 inches


• Colors: Cape Cod Blue, Lace, Off White, Country Basket Ombre (Caron One Pound and Perfect Match)


• Pattern: 9-patch Granny Square Afghan - Design by Cheryl Lambert


• Hook: H


• Date: start January 4; finish January 21

Sometimes I forget how much I don't like the color blue...until I work on something that has a lot of blue. I was very relieved when this was done.

• Size: 31 inches x 42 inches


• Colors: Pink Lightning (dark pink), Orchid (light pink) (Red Heart Classic)


• Pattern: Granny Square Afghan - Design by Cheryl Lambert


• Hook: H


• Date: start January 13; finish January 17

My first finished lap blanket for this year! In only 5 days! I made up the pattern for each square as I went along.

I tried something new last weekend - fish tacos! They were great! Bill doesn't care for lettuce or tomatoes and thought fish with cheese on tortillas would be too bland, so he went with steak, grilled fish, and a baked potato.

The peach slices were a last-minute addition. Years ago, we had fish tacos from a roadside stand in Maui - they were good, but also covered with Thousand Island dressing. The peaches added a bit of sweetness with much less fat.

Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos

2 mahi mahi filets
Lime juice
Sea salt (optional)
Whole wheat tortillas
Mozzarella cheese, grated
Cheddar cheese, grated
Mixed greens lettuce
Tomatoes, sliced
2 halves unsweetened canned peaches, sliced

Marinade mahi mahi filets in lime juice and top with a few granules of sea salt for about 20 minutes. Cook fish about 5 minutes on each side or until fish is done.

Break fish into bite size pieces. Serve inside warmed whole wheat tortillas with grated mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, mixed greens, sliced tomatoes, and sliced peaches.

This exercising thing has eliminated about 1.5 hours from my playtime each day!

Yes, 30 minutes of walking each day takes about 1.5 hours. Why?

1. 5 minutes: change into I-can-sweat-in-this clothes, use the bathroom
2. 30 minutes: walk on the treadmill while listening to Lionel Richie's Coming Home CD (which has quite a few good walking tracks!) - 2.25+ miles, 330+ calories, 100+ fat calories, speed 3.5-5.5, incline 5.0
3. 30 minutes: shower, sweat, blow-dry hair, sweat, get dressed, sweat...
4. for the next 20-30 minutes or so: sweat, sweat, sweat some more, re-dry hair, change into another dry shirt as dinner is decided on, made, and eaten

By 7:15-7:30pm, I can now begin what I had previously started by about 6:00pm each evening... My crochet time has decreased. My play-on-the-computer time has decreased. My relax-on-the-couch time has decreased.

I must remember, however, that I'm gonna feel better - and be healthier - and be less at risk!

Now, if I can just get rid of the stuffy nose and sore throat that started - again! - this morning. My second cold in less than 30 days. Bah!