Life is good

Well, I never got to working on my taxes today. Not sure about tomorrow either. I was just entirely too busy shopping today, doing my part to help the down-turned economy make a comeback.
I hit the gym at 8 AM but only worked out for an hour. This cranky old man is there on Saturdays and he is vehemently opposed to having the oscillating fans on. Now for a woman my age that is a no brainer. So he adds bad karma to the gym, resulting in a quick workout far, far away from wherever he is on the floor.
After showering I headed over to Ewenique Knits to spend a birthday gift card, burning a hole in my pocket, and found some great Blue Sky Alpaca Hand Dyed Cotton to use on my Imagine sweater, although it's a bit more dusty blue than this pic shows:

Next I was off to check out a new gym, Anytime Fitness, then over to Total Runner, to buy those new running shoes I spoke of yesterday.

What a nice experience at Total Runner. My sales gal was so professional and knowledgeable -- I trusted her recommendation 100%. I wound up with a pair of Mizuno Wave Riders that fit like a dream. Appears I have a high arch and I supronate (walk on the outside edge of my shoes), something that is relatively rare since most people pronate (walk on the inside edge of their shoes) instead. It's a great shoe for resolving both of my issues. I also picked up some new running socks -- MADE IN THE USA -- wooohooo. Here is a pic of the shoes and socks:

The second pair of socks, my Peace socks, are made from corn fiber. I'm eager to try them out to see how they wick, and if there's any difference from my cotton socks.

I picked up a heart monitor watch that I've been considering for a while now. Based on my family's poor history of heart health, I decided it was worthwhile to get my heart in shape and this will make it easy to keep track of. It has several bells and whistles on it so I'll have to add it to my list of new techie things to figure out.


Finally here's a pic of my new MP3 player showing the world that yes, I can actually learn new tricks. Here's my favorite local radio station, Doug FM (WDRQ) which plays songs like an IPod shuffle does -- unlike normal stations that play the same songs over and over again.


Now I did pick up a webcam from Staples but it's going back tomorrow. The same webcam is $40 less on Amazon. Sorry Staples but I can wait on Amazon to deliver for that much of a savings. By then I will have figured out my other new 'toys'.

Now back to those taxes.....................maybe tomorrow.

I've finally joined the 21st Century...

by purchasing an MP3 player. On another journey to Costco tonight I finally broke down and bought myself a Sansa Fuze MP3 player. I have no idea how to use it yet, it's still charging up, but I'm counting on Kevin to show me how to get it going tomorrow. Oh I know, I'll probably pick the most inopportune time and he'll run out of patience with me, but I'll give it a shot. I'm really hoping I can get it charged up in time to take to the gym. Already though, I'm not too keen on the earbuds. I'm usually more comfortable with a headset but I'll see. One of my biggest problems at the gym is I sweat like there's no tomorrow. The earbuds could be a definite problem if they're constantly popping out of my ear.

I won't be traveling to Brighton tomorrow for our monthly rug hooking group since my car-pooling friends have other things to do. Instead my day will be full of errands once I get back from the gym. I'll be looking for:

1. a new pair of running shoes (don't you always get that Tigger sort of bounce out of new shoes??)
2. a webcam (suggestions anyone?)
   
3. a new camera for blog/website use (more suggestions please??)
4. a new gym since my membership is up in April
   
5. my mind so I can start working on my taxes -- if there's a morsel of energy left
   

Now working on my taxes is a grueling activity, complicated by that blasted Schedule C. This annual job requires complete and utter silence. Did you hear that Kevin? and Maggie? What should take about an hour inevitably eats up at least six hours. I think the only thing that knocks the wind out of my sails faster than taxes is machine quilting. Now there's a way to clear out the house fast. Navy sailors have nothing on me!

But that brings to mind another task for the weekend and that's pressing Carla's quilt top and seaming the backing so I can take both up to Torch Lake next weekend to be machine quilted by my friend Jackie. I can't wait to see it when it's done. I'll also be pre-packing for the Torch Lake trip. I shopped for wine tonight at Costco and I also picked up a bottle of super tasty Pallini Limoncello (which will not be making the trek up north). My thanks to the Italians for concocting such a delicious 'adult beverage' and my favorite sister for introducing it to me.

Since I didn't get to bed until after midnight last night I better sign off or I'll never make it to the gym by 8 AM tomorrow.

A Quilting Gem

Tonight was the monthly meeting of the Great Lakes Heritage Quilters. Our scheduled speaker had to cancel for health reasons so our president asked a special member of the guild to present a trunk show in her place. We were so fortunate to have Aileen speak because she's a rather shy woman, plus it was remarkable that she gave up watching the Detroit Red Wings game. She's a die-hard fan and doesn't ordinarily miss a game this late in the season.

Aileen has been quilting since 1978 and she brought many of her quilts to share with us. She's a hand-piecer, hand-quilter for most of her quilts, using a floor frame to do her magnificent quilting. She has won many awards including the AQS Gingher Award for Hand Workmanship. Unfortunately for us, she gave that beautiful Baltimore Album quilt to the AQS Museum and kept the prize money! Someday I'll get down to Paducah to see it hanging there.

I snapped a lot of pictures tonight and here are a few of the quilts she brought to share with us:

Close up of the blocks:




Another close up of the blocks:


Some wallhangings:


Here is Aileen's Millenium Quilt (yes, there are 2000 half square triangles!!)



Here's Aileen's latest quilt and a close up of the blocks. Precision piecing and quilting!

Aileen was a real treat tonight after a long day at the office and then the gym. She inspires me to improve with each quilt, no matter how large or small, and to make all the details count.

I better get crackin' on that Terry Clothier Thompson 4 block quilt. But not tonight -- it's past my bedtime!

P.S. I promise to hone my photography skills. Thinking about a new camera....

Spring Knitty is Here!

Knitty, the online knitting magazine has published their Spring 2009 edition. Once again, they have not let us down. Several great designs in this issue but I think my must make item is the Imagine pullover, which is made from Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton. Now I've never bought this yarn before, but I can tell you I fondle it in every shop I find it. But back to the sweater, it's a simple construction but the front has a peace sign that appears by working the design in the chart. Don't we all need to spread a little peace? The pattern was written by Karen Alfke -- thanks for a winner.

To block or not to block?

Tonight's Black Sheep Knitting Guild meeting was another super educational evening. We had a great turnout with many guests and several who joined the guild. I think we must have nearly 80 members now.

Our program for the evening, if you haven't guessed, was on blocking your knitted projects. Our guest speaker was the co-owner of Ewe-nique Knits, Marilyn Grazioli, located right here in Royal Oak. She gave her opinions of when to block (nearly always), how to block (steam, damp cloth, immersion), and how to use the yarn bands to determine the best way to block. She began her program by showing examples of different types of fiber and how best to block each:

She explained the value of using blocking wires, both straight and pliable, rust proof T-Pins, and a blocking board. She also said they were having a sale on the blocking wire kits. How many did she have at the shop, I asked. 6 was her answer. Based on the guild turnout and interest, those puppies will be long gone before I get my bonus check on Thursday.......

Next she demonstrated how to insert the blocking wires (that I, sadly, will probably not be getting this week).

Marilyn carefully wove the blocking wire through the edge of her finished sample. She then asked one of our members, Joellen, to try her hand at blocking a block she had made for a blanket. Joellen was pretty unhappy with the way the block was laying so she was more than willing to take Marilyn up on her offer. Here's Joellen's block as she began to weave the blocking wires into the edges.


All four sides are 'wired'.

Now that the wires are in it's time to use the T-Pins prior to applying 'hovering' steam, as Marilyn puts it.


And lastly, apply the steam to finish the blocking.


Now, darn if I didn't forget to take a picture of the finished block, but I can tell you it looked beautiful and Joellen was very pleased with the outcome. I believe she is one of the guild members heading over for her blocking kit tomorrow!

So now I know I 'need' a blocking kit, blocking board, and quite possibly a steam machine. Like I didn't already have enough knitting equipment around the house. But then again, it would be my patriotic duty to help the economy!

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Ha....

Yes, indeedy, today is my birthday.  Precisely the 30th anniversary of my 18th birthday.  I honestly think I like being 48 rather than 18.  In many ways things are much better.  I have way more friends at this point in my life.  I have a decent job, at least for the time being, great hobbies that bring me a lot of pleasure, and kids who have turned out pretty darn well, if I do say so myself.

My daughter gave me two skeins of baby alpaca from a farm near where she teaches.  The owner is the social worker at her middle school.  I absolutely love the yarn -- warm natural brown -- positively scrumptious.

This yarn was shorn from Theo from Emerald Alpacas, in Gaines, MI, near Fenton.  Thank you Holly and thank you Theo!  

Apparently my son, Kevin, had a surprise waiting for me at my favorite LYS yesterday.  Unfortunately, I was over at my quilting friend's house helping mark and baste a quilt so I never made it over to Right Off The Sheep, as is the norm for Sunday afternoons.  They must have wondered where I was, especially since Kevin had purchased something there.  I should be able to sit and knit with my friends there on Sunday.

Tomorrow is the monthly Black Sheep Knitting Guild meeting.  Thursday is my quilt guild, Great Lakes Heritage Quilters, meeting, and Saturday is my rug hooking group, Thrums and Chums, monthly meeting.  Big week for meetings!

Tonight I had dinner with my parents and my children.  But that will have to be another post.  Oh, the drama.

Raining Cats and Dogs

Woke up this morning to thunder and a pouring rain. Put the kibosh on working out. Not that I needed an excuse. Trying to catch up from the time change last night was enough, plus I had a bit of a headache that I'm attributing to the weather. Good thing it wasn't snow. I'm so tired of shoveling. Here's a fun game that I got in an email from Worldstart.com -- Snowplow. The game is based on a Boston Nor'easter. It's hysterical -- I'm so bad at it I was crashing into buildings and got smashed by the transit train. This may hit a little too close to home for the good people of Boston, who received a ton of the fluffy stuff this past week.

I spent the afternoon marking the quilting lines and then basting a quilt with several friends from my quilting stitch group, fondly known as the Chicken group. It's a super quilt and I'm eager to see it quilted.

I also shopped at two different Borders Books trying to spend a gift card from my parents for my birthday, which is tomorrow. Nothing I needed at the first store but the second one had a much better supply of knitting books. I picked up three new super books. Now if you can wait, I've included the links to Amazon for each book.

The first one is Jane Davis's latest: "Felting:The Complete Guide". It's so new it's not even in Ravelry's library yet. It's full of all types of felting projects and has super photos to help you along.

The second book, "Knit with Beads, Stunning Shawls & Wraps" by Scarlet Taylor, had to come home with me because of one specific pattern. I loved the cover shawl, Shimmering Shawlette, with is made from Rowan Kidsilk Haze, and uses 4mm and 6mm sequins. I think it could be 'the' accesory for my dress for Holly's wedding. No, I'm not worried about mohair being warm in June. Why do you say that???

My last selection today is the 'Chicks with Sticks Guide to Knitting", by Nancy Queen & Mary Ellen O'Connell. Congratulations ladies on a most excellent book. It's filled with super tips, like deciphering the care instructions on the ball bands. Honest to gosh, I could see myself making everything in the book. Can't say that about too many other books.

Well, it's time to fold some clothes, finish my glass of Pacific Rim Sweet Riesling and get to bed. I'm not getting any younger, you know. I need my beauty sleep.