HaNdKrAfT

28 things about Me

1. I am in a long term committed relationship with Jack, my Papillion, and things are going great.
2. Two weeks ago, I was able to listen to “My Old School” by Steely Dan for the first time in about three years.
3. I have a fabulous, smart, 6 year old niece.
4. I hate wearing socks. Period.  Fashion faux pas numero uno is wearing socks with sandals.
5. My mom is my best friend.
6. My favorite colors are aqua and seafoam green.
7. I am a dyed in the wool Democrat
8. I shop at Target, not Wal-Mart.
9. I walk 3 miles round trip to work every day; both ways uphill. (I go over a bridge!)
10. I am not a morning person.
11. I have a beta fish named Walter at work.
12. My new favorite thing is the silk pajama set I bought at Target.
13. I am not sold on the kids thing; I have dated only one man that made me want to have them.
14. Linen is my fabric of choice for summer in Florida; cotton is too heavy.
15. I have more male friends than female friends.
16. I get groceries at Publix, not Winn-Dixie or Food Lion
17. On my ipod: Stevie Ray Vaughn, Earl Scruggs; Yo-Yo Ma, and Earth, Wind and Fire.
18. I don’t like the Beatles; give me Elvis or Motown any day.
19. As far as art, mermaids are my thing; Robert Kleine in particular.
20. Tivo is my new best friend.
21. I am sick and tired of people telling me what I need to do to loose weight; I am doing what works for me, albeit slowly.
22. Silver and Platinum (and maybe white gold) but never gold.
23. Balsamic vinegar and Old Bay are the seasonings I can’t live without.
24. I love indicolite tourmaline.
25. There are two men that I love; one I have loved for over 10 years, but have never been in love with,  and the other I was with for 10 months, and in that time, fell in love.
26. I believe that there are more important things in life than housework; the world will not come to an end if there is dog hair on my floor.
27. Harleys and choppers are hot.
28. My comfort foods are steak, potatoes and broccoli.

Bring on the Bling

A RIGHT HAND RING. I had a 1/2 carat indicolite tourmaline and  1/2 carat total weight diamond ring made for myself after I broke up with my boyfriend.  EX was a great guy- did not mistreat me in any way, was kind and caring.  In short, all of the qualities that women say we want.  But there was something missing for me.  As Carrie called it: the Za Za Zu.  I need a man who is not a bad boy, but will let his inner bad boy come out and play.  Sort of like the guy I dated before EX, who I will call BJ.  I still miss him, and it has been several years.  I don't know if I ever told BJ how I felt about him.   

But back to the bling: this ring cost me a pretty penny, but it is prettier on my hand.  And every time I look at it, I know who I am, and where I have been.  And I know I don't have to wait to be coupled to do things, like buy a house or some bling.  But it is also a symbol of what I am still looking for. (Or have already found and lost, and hoping to get back again.)

Dip it low...

So I finished the front parts of my Reynolds Indicita Alpaca lace cardi... and I finally realized just how low I made the neckline.  Lets just say that I won't ever wear it without something underneath. I mean, the bottom of the neckline hits mid-boob.  Talk about having your boobs up to your neck! HeHe! I am SOO relieved to be done with the front: I had to frog the froggy thing at least four times until I got it right.  I only have the sleeves left... But I have started two other projects in the mean time.  I am ready for a break from this sweater. Jack, my papillon is ready for me to take a break too.  Here he is checking out the two front pieces.  He ADORES alpaca yarn.  It is all I can do to keep him from grabbing one of the balls of yarn and hiding it in his kennel.  He is a yarn hound if ever I saw one.  He also believes that he is the center of my universe, and that every moment I have is devoted to him.  So of course when I knit, he must punish the yarn by running around the house with it, and pulling apart the skein so that there is yarn everywhere.  Of course, his plot has been foiled by my recent purchase of several Yarntainers.

Yarntainers: $ 10.00.  Not having to rewind Papillon ravaged balls of yarn: Priceless.

Hazy Shady Day

I am looking out my eighth floor office building at a small city blanketed by a haze.  This is SO typical right before it rains here.  -And heaven knows that we need it, wildfires are a real risk right now.

I spent almost all night frogging the left and right fronts of my sweater.  The right side had too many stitches, and I dropped a stitch on the left.  Must not do all-over lace pattern. Must not do all-over lace pattern again. MUST NOT do all over lace pattern again.  MUST. NOT. DO. ALL. OVER. LACE. PATTERN. AGAIN!   But I am going to finish this sweater, and somehow I know that I will do another lace sweater.

I am sure that the mistakes came when I learned that one of my best friends, S, was being deployed overseas again.  He was told that he MIGHT go on a deployment for two months, then told it would "probably not happen" for another two, and then on Thursday, one of his National Guard buddies showed up at his house with orders.  FOR S to leave in 3 days.  S is now at a pre-mobilization site, and will probably be overseas in less than a month.  Needless to say, I was upset.  So of course I cast on another project.  Knitted hand grenades from the book Knitorama. 

And, of course I stepped my foot in it again this morning.  I made a comment to one of the support staff in my office about another support staffer, - only made with the best of intention.  Well of course it caused and uproar, so from now on, hello and polite terms are what will be said to support staff-I don't need the heartache for trying to be helpful.

Lace knitting: a love hate relationship part 3

I am done with the back of this Arrowhead Lace Cardigan, but the front is giving me FITS!  I have had to frog the left front three times over this past weekend.  AARGH.  I am so ready to be done with this sweater.  Of course I had to do it in 100% Alpaca.  So soft, so pretty.  And the color is georgious.  Jack loves alpaca so much that he tries to steal the yarn whenever possible.  I still have the sleeves to start on....  More later.

Once Again into the Breach

Once again, I have started a blog: hopefully this time I will be able to keep up with it.  I think that the way for this to work is to set down days to post.  When those will be I have no idea.  But for now, an introduction of me.  I am a single, closer-to-thirty-than-twenty lawyer living and working in Florida.  I have a HUGE focus problem.  Meaning, it is a wonder that I get things done during the day.  But I am a crafter, hence the name of the blog.  I make jewelry, knit, and spin yarn.  I teach knitting classes.  I go home and play with my Papillon Prince, Jack.  Hopefully I will get to the point that y'all are interested enough to check out my blog.  Eventually, I am going to post some patterns and pics here, but for now, that is it!