Long Weekend

I took Monday off. I needed a day for me. Friday night I caught the train up to Rob's sister's house ans spent the night with her family. Rob and I were awakened at 6AM by Sasha, his 4 y/o niece. Saturday was my cousins' wedding and nothing says awkward like a family reunion with estranged individuals. Much drinking ensued. Late Saturday night we trooped out to the lake house to spend time with Rob's family. His mother proceeded to tell us how she was already planning the next family vacation.

I love Rob's fam, but I must limit my vacations with them to once in a lifetime. His mother is an overbearing, controlling, passive-aggressive child, who's impulse control leaves much to be desired. I come back from these "vacations" stressed, depressed, and damaged, and I find myself wishing I was booking a root canal instead of a flight overseas. I had to put my foot down and removed myself from the conversation. The best part of the "plan" was that this vacation would be during my birthday, thus taking me away from my family so I could sip prosecco and sing Kumbaya with the von-trap family singers. (This statement will be explained)

I took the extra day off to unwind from all the family things. I knit and now I'm like 8 rows shy of casting off. All I need to do is pick up the final stitches and I'll be done. This may be the first project I'll wear!!!

Last night I spun more bamboo, I'm about 2/3rds of the way done with the roving and I think I'm going to navajo ply to take out the extra twist. I spindle spun about 270 yards of thick and thin aran/worsted weight merino and dyed it pink with kool aid. I may make a shrug out of the lot. The next spinning project will be some superbulky for the best friend cardigan from twinkle. I think I'll have to take those hideous bobbles out of the cable pattern, bobbles are just the nipples of knitting, and I don't find them pleasant or flattering.

More ranting on Rob's family to come. I need to vent properly so my head doesn't explode and ruin the office carpeting.

Oh the Ravelry

I'm on Ravelry, I'm "stickyfingers" and I love this site enough to cheat on craftster. A big thanks to http://earnknittoownit.blogspot.com/ who gave me her extra invite so when the time comes for my invite to be sent out I will put it up for grabs to a need knitter.

Here are some WIPs I've been plugging away at to keep my mind at ease

The Drop Stitch Lace Tank


Saturday Market Bag (I've decided to give this to Rob's sister with a gift certificate to whole foods for her birthday.)


Here's the art yarn I spun with the felty fiber I recieved from the magic roving ball swap

RIP Russel

Russel passed away at 4:14PM on Saturday July 14th. He was a good person who was too young and too nice to die in such a horrible way.

In crafting news, I'm 1/3 of the way finished with the drop stitch tank, I cast on last Tuesday. I've been spinning up a storm, including some lovely bamboo from Fiberlady on etsy.com. Pics to come.

Friday Levity

After a gueling week of hospital visits, and fitting spinning in when I can to make the tour de fleece I think I'll forego posting my work for this masterpiece I just created

Make Your Own Glitter Graphics
It just screams CLASSY!!!

A Prayer for Russel

Please click the link and read the story.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/10/nyregion/10partners.html

Russel is a friend of mine from college. He needs your prayers. 23 is too young to die.

Rainy 4th

I begrudgingly went to Ally's BBQ yesterday. I only went because my sister flaked and Ally had bought enough food for an army of hungry hipsters and no one was planning to show. Rob and I ate well and left when the rain started. We are so not troopers, but in honesty the rain was a great excuse to dine and dash and I was exhausted.

Tuesday we went to see Absinthe down at the South Street Seaport. It's an amazing show that combines the acrobatics of Circ Du Soliel and the pervy antics of a burlesque show. Which meant I was left awestruck and dumbstruck at the same time. I also felt an overwhelming urge to go the the gym but instead ate too much Italian and drank too much wine. The diet is NOT going well. back up to 136.8 which means I have to really try hard not to go crazy this weekend in Boston.

When we got home I broke out the drum carder

and proceeded to whip up some batts for the etsy. Here's what I did.

This one needs a few more passes to break up the felty bits


Sari Silk, angora and mohair


This one sold already




This one sold too

All in all I love my drum carder its such a cute machine that doesn't take up too much space in my already cramped and tiny apartment.

It's here

My new drum carder arrived on Friday and was waiting for me when I got home. It's a Louet Roving Carder Jr. and I bought it from Spunkyeclectic at an awesome price. I've done nothing but play with fiber this weekend, carding all sorts of batts and selecting which ones to spin for myself and which to put on etsy. I'll post pics tomorrow I'm so happy with this purchase.

I had a lovely day on Saturday. Rob and I took Dessie-pup to Van Vorst Park, (an adorable park in the middle of Jersey City) for breakfast of bagels and eggs under the oak trees. There were two different Shakespeare groups doing their thing so it was kind of like dueling Shakespeare (similar to dueling banjos just more eloquent.) And then we let Dessie-pup have her way in the dog run while we browsed the fresh produce from the farmers market stands a few feet away. we selected some fat round zucchini's and a few ears of corn and topped our feast with some lean fresh Sirloin steak. BBQ for dinner!!! It was a lovely night capped off with a trip to Rob's parents house so he and his mom could wake early and get tickets to Shakespeare in the Park.

Every summer The Public puts on these great Shakespeare performances in Central Park and tickets are FREE!!! There is always a big name attached to the vehicle and this year it was Lauren Ambrose (of six feet under) and Cameron Manheim (of the practice). I was so excited to see the show but around 2PM I started to feel yucky, by 7PM I had a full blown fever (102!!!) and had to sacrifice my ticket in order to be well enough to work today. Rob promised he would get me tickets for the next show which is A Midsummer nights Dream (which I want to see 10000X more then Romeo and Juliet) so hopefully alls well that ends well.