Birthday Month

I'm still celebrating. This is a arty shot of all the stuff I got at Descanso Gardens from my fabulous friends Ellen,Carla,Natalie,Darcy and Lori. What an embarrassment of riches! My sister sent me a beautiful little Staffordshire ceramic box, Alyson is taking me out to dinner at Providence, her mom, Carolyn, bought my manicure/pedicure today!!

Check out the flower on my big toe -- pretty cool. I have to say I was inspired by Natalie's green toes I saw last night. Hope she doesn't mind.

cats and worm binders

For anyone missing the lovely Bella, here she is.

I'm home today and have planned to tackle organizing the craft room! My new worm binder arrived today from Baja Fish Gear. I heard about this on Ravelry -- a great way to store circular needles! Check it out:



There are 10 pages with 2 pockets each -- 20 in all, not counting the 3 inside the front cover. The pages are on rings, like a binder. It zips up to a little suitcase. I've made little labels to go inside the pouches. It's so much neater than the hanging holder I was using before. Although I mostly use the Denise needles now, it's great to have all the others so organized.

Bella kept me company -- sort of.

Projects

I'm obsessed with knitting. I was a huge fan before, but now I am definitely obsessed. I think it was all that time off.

I've finally finished my Noro Taiyo yarn project. I tried several different patterns for this stuff,but nothing seemed to work. I finally found a pattern in the One-Skein Wonders book. It was the Jamaica Pouch, originally made with 100% cotton. I think it was the cotton in the yarn that made me unhappy with all the other patterns I tried. Anyway, I'm very pleased with this, but don't think I'll try the yarn for anything else. Here it is lying flat. I will need to line it to give it some shape.




I've also started the sweater with the yarn I got at Artfibers. I LOVE this yarn! It is so soft and has great colors.

Yarn News

Saturday was all about yarn, great food and great music. I went nuts at Art Fibers, of course. I bought yarn for two sweaters, plus the patterns.

This is for a lacy 3/4 sleeve top

and this is for a long sleeved V neck sweater with raglan sleeves.



I was measured for each and the patterns were changed for knitting in the round! They are the best.

I came home to the yarn buying spree I did on line last week. I went Noro crazy!

I've got enough to open my own store, I think.

I had plenty of time (2 plane flights and 4 bus rides) to finish the brooklyn tweed scarf and I like it! I think it's one I'm going to keep.

We had dinner at Absinthe Brasserie & Bar -- it was delicious! Of course, I had to have an absinthe. It tasted like alcoholic Good and Plenty candy -- yum! Then off to the concert, which was blissful. What a conductor! Can't wait until next year, although I will miss Esa-Pekka. We are so lucky to have such amazing musical directors -- and both sooooo cute!

My Easter Weekend

Happy Easter to all!

The trip up to my sisters' could not have been better. I finally met most of her office mates (still haven't met the boss). We went to brunch at the Links at Bodega Harbor where she works and met the Easter bunny! The brunch was phenomenal.

starting with champagne,

then fish,

then eggs florentine, bacon and French toast.


And, of course, salads and dessert! Yum.
We took a long walk in the park afterwards. The complex is right on the beach and is too beautiful. I told her how many friends of mine envy her.

Art Fibers, here I come!

Rosalie has KINDLY and GRACIOUSLY offered to take me to Art Fibers before the concert today. She is the best sister and person in the whole world. I love her.

Tuesday

I had a hard time getting started today, but I got rather a lot accomplished. I finally got to the bank to deposit some checks (the Criminal Court of LA County paid me $19.76 for jury duty!!), got gasoline and got a massage. On the way home, I must have hit something on the freeway because, when I got out of the car, I heard the scary hissing sound that comes from a punctured tire!! I called AAA (or, as my friend's mom calls them "the three A's) and my donut spare is on. I have to get up early(!) to get to the tire store when it opens, because I'm getting my hair cut at 11.

Things are stacking up to get done,because I leave Thursday for a lovely weekend in Northern CA to visit my sister. She actually got tickets for Gustavo Dudamel conducting. He will be the new conductor at the LA Phil in 2010 and he is adorable! Young and from Venezuela! You can't get tickets for any concert of his here in LA for love or money, so I'm pretty excited.


How cute is he?

I've also cajoled her into taking me to Art Fibers on Saturday, but as I just checked on their website, they will be closed every weekend through April 6!!! It's a
plot, I tell you, a plot!! Maybe I can figure out a way to go on Friday while she's at work? She lives in Sonoma County, so I'd have to take a bus or something. Hmmmm.

Ellen was kind enough to take the stack of baby hats I made to Stitches from the Heart. She even took photos of them, so here they are:






Some are really tiny, but she assures me they will fit the preemies.

More about Monday

I went to the Coffee Bean in Montrose to meet with the East Side Knitters. Coffee, danish and knitting with good friends. That's the life. Madge, Patty, Annette and Melise were there. They encouraged me to continue with my scarf I'm making from the skein of Noro Taiyo yarn I got when last I met up with them, and comforted me on my wild web yarn buying frenzy.

I met Alyson for lunch. She was downtown LA for jury duty and I took the train from Pasadena. It took longer than I thought it would, so she didn't have much time left when I finally arrived. So we went to the Starbucks outside the courthouse and sat by the fountain. It was terrific. (She ended up not being chosen, so she joins me in being jury duty free for a year.)

So, Starbucks and the Coffee Bean in one day!! I'm glad tonight is Pilates.

Monday

The wind about blew my house away last night. I found the trash cans in the driveway and stuff strewn all over the back yard this morning.

This past weekend I finally got all the photos back into my Ravelry stash and even added some more. I have a long way to go to organize them all, but I've been doing a little at a time. Having TCM on the TV with all those old movies helps. Yesterday I took pictures while watching "All About Eve". What a flick....

Bella actually cuddled a bit with me the past couple of morning. She stayed in the cat tree while I was bustling about with the photos and seemed pretty calm. There is hope!



Presently my Flickr account is mostly yarn, but I'm not deleting any of them!!!

Don't hate me because I'm organized

The Salvation Army took away my old bookshelves and filing cabinet and left me with a lot more space in the craft room! I took the opportunity to organize -- and I had a LOT to organize. The bookshelves were in the way to put things away properly (at least that's what I told myself) and, with them out, I could get to everything! I put away most of the yarn and straightened the books. The biggest job was dividing all the patterns I've torn out of magazines and printed from the web and putting them in binders. Wow.


I ended up with 11(!) binders -- not all full, I'll say in my defense.

I put away most of the run away skeins of yarn and, although some drawers are quite full, some are fairly empty. Whoo Hoo!




I know they all look full.

I even got the knitting books in some order (and off the floor!).


I even cleaned up the desk top. You can actually see the computer now.

I'm on a roll.

Photos!

To start off, the snoozy Bella in her cat tree.



Next, my swirly Odessa Hat.



My "Fake Fair Isle" Hat.



My first attempt at 2 at a time socks.



A sun hat for Keitha. This is my jury duty creation.
I finally got a willing hat model.

See what happens when I don't work?

The Jury Duty Tale

I got the summons in the mail on Monday, Feb 25, to start calling in for the following Monday, March 3. I finally got called in for Wednesday, the 5th. I brought my crochet hook and a hat project for something to do while sitting there. The guy sitting next to me looked at my project and said,
"I thought you weren't supposed to bring knitting needles in here."
I said,
"Do you feel threatened?"
I explained the difference between crochet hooks and knitting needles and , of course, he said,
"My mother used to do that."

I finished the hat and started on a scarf when I was called for a panel. I was an hour close to a clean get away, but there you are. The judge talked v e r y s l o w l y and after an hour interviewing 6 people, he told us all to come back tomorrow.

Thursday morning I took the train to downtown -- what a pleasure!-- and sat in Juror #4 seat in the jury box. I had said barely two words during the whole process; the judge and the attorneys never asked me a single question. Then, just before lunch, the defense attorney decided she didn't like the way I looked and dismissed me! Whoohoo!!

The train I took home passed right by Abuelita's Knitting Store in South Pasadena and I just happened to have the scarf I made for Knit for the Cure, so I stopped by. They were nicely complimentary about the scarf and gave me 20% off anything in the store! I showed admirable restraint and bought 1 skein of very expensive yarn -- Schaeffer's Helena in a gorgeous shade of orange -- and a skein of Brown Sheep Worsted in a lovely array of reds and pinks.

I am now trying to get over this horrible cold that, I guess, everyone has had. I have laryngitis today, but I hope that will pass quickly!

Pictures to follow...

Yarn bigger than my head

I've taken a break from hats for a while. Last Sunday, Ellen inspired me to do something with the skein as big as my head we both bought at the infamous Black Sheep everthing's gotta go sale. I forget the name of the yarn, or the yardage, but it's a lot. I'm starting a blanket done in strips and, with the color changes, it should be something pretty.

Monday, Monday, Monday!!!

I just got this email from the producer of Good Morning America:

"GMA/NY is planning to air our profile of Maryjo this Monday, Jan.28,
between 8:00am and 9:00am (probably between 8:30am and 9:00am).

And a longer version of the same profile is set to air
on Monday on the internet program called GMANOW (it airs
between 9:00am and 10:00am Eastern time - presumably
6:00 AM LA time)."

I'm going to be famous!! A lot of people have been asking me when it will be on, so please spread the word. I've got a lot of phone calls to make!

my life

Last week I attended a Nikon class for digital cameras. It's put on by Nikon and was held at the Marriott by the airport. I took their film class years ago when I bought my first SLR camera and it was fantastic. This one was good, too -- I got the information I wanted. I've had trouble using my digital SLR (a Nikon D80). The pictures were OK, but there was something missing that I used to achieve in film. I learned some tricks that I hope will solve this problem. And it was fun. The most popular thing was the table in the lobby with all the new models, including the new D300.
Tweaking the while balance was one of the tricks I learned. The auto setting tends to make everything gray and so you can adjust this on the menu setting. There are several choices. For example, here are two shots -- one with an incandescent setting and one with the fluorescent setting:


Weird and wild, huh?

I've been knitting hats like a crazed knitting fiend. I've made 5 since Christmas and am now on my 6th. They are all different and quick--two of the best reasons I know. I will post them all on Ravelry as soon as the photos are taken. Here's one:

Not the best photo, but my camera battery just died, so it will have to do for now.
I've tried to catch the ever elusive Bella, but she's hiding somewhere now, so her fans will have to wait.

time

My mom died on Saturday. She had dementia for a long time and was in a hospice. She didn't recognize anyone most of the time, was bedridden and couldn't eat solid food. She was 91. But she was happy. The dementia didn't make her angry or bitter -- she was truly happy. Because of various reasons, I have not been close to my family, except my sister, Rosalie, for many years. Her death is the end of all family ties for me. I feel sad, depressed, glad, tired, angry, relieved.

Happy 2008!

Wishing all my knitting buddies, my friends and my sister a very happy new year!! And Ms. Bella sends the same.


By the way, I'm glad the county trimmed the palm trees in front of my house before all that wind blew through last week! Imagine my surprise when I came home to this!!




I could barely get in the driveway...But I'm glad it's done!

My latest project? A Bookmark scarf. Ellen turned me on to this great pattern on ravelry. It was originally a crochet bookmark, but with a larger hook and fatter yarn you get....a Scarf!! I'm very pleased with the final turn out -- in fact, I made two!


I will be barricaded in my house tomorrow -- I'm at the mercy of the Rose Parade, blocked in all directions. Maybe the Stealth Bomber will fly over my house again.

Happy 2008 to all.

My weekend

Yesterday was the Motion Picture Mothers Christmas Luncheon, which Alyson's mom, Carolyn, is the Treasurer. It's a wonderful organization, raising money for the Motion Picture & Television Fund. It is composed of mothers of people in the movie and television industry. The President is Martha Selleck, the mother of Tom Selleck and other members include Jerry Mather's mom and the mothers of Adam Sandler and Margeret O'Brien . Anthony Hopkins 's mother was a member and he is a big supporter. Every year they have a luncheon to raise more money and I've been volunteering at it for the last 3 years or so. This time my job was to sell raffle tickets. I was assisted by Elizabeth, the beautiful 11 year old daughter of my friend, Patsy. Her mom was a member, too, and one of Carolyn's good friends. It's a big event; awards were presented to Pat Boone, Robert Wagner and three guys I've known for a long time: Tom, Dan and Kevin O'Connell. It was wonderful -- lots of fun and quite the venue for star sightings.

I've been working on some projects for Christmas, so I can't show them until after I give them, so stay tuned!

What a doofus!

I don't know what I was thinking, but after I took photos of tons of yarn for my Ravelry stash and put them on the website, I deleted them from flickr!!! Of course, they all disappeared on the website, too. What a doofus. I also, in a cleaning frenzy, cleaned all those photos off my computer. So now I have to take all those photos again. Poor pitiful me.

Yesterday was The Day that Good Morning America came to film me for the profile they are doing for the Academy. It will air in February. I don't know the date yet, but I will post it when I know. It was terrific! Bill Cunningham, the producer, couldn't have been nicer and his crew, Jeff and Mark, were also great. They all made me feel very comfortable and soon I was talking away, hardly realizing I was being filmed. All in all, it was a great day and a HUGE thank you to the rest of the team, Alyson and John. And to Kevin, the head of engineering, for making it easy to do. And to Stacey, who organized it all for the studio. It takes a village, I tell you. Here we are after it was all over:


From the left, it is Mark, Bill, Jeff, me, Alyson and John. It was FUN!!! (The photo was taken with Alyson's camera by Stacey. My camera's battery pooped out right when I was getting ready to shoot. I'm so grateful Al had hers.)

I'm still knitting away on the top down sweater. I've at last gotten to the point of knitting in the round, so it's going a bit faster. The yarn is not kind to mistakes, so I hope it will all smooth out when it's blocked. I haven't tried it on yet -- I have to transfer the whole damn thing to a longer circular needle for that. I will soon. I'm anxious to see how it's fitting.


I'm off to Rosalie's for Thanksgiving this week. I'm only going for the weekend, and neighbor, Charles, has agreed to check on Bella. He says he's not sure I even have a cat, but the food keeps disappearing, so something is going on. It will be wonderful to get out of town and see my sister. And have some great food to boot.

Last of all, here's baby Bella. She's discovered the cat tree!!

(Well, I was going to include a photo, but the memory card got corrupted somehow. The photos will have to wait.)

Projects

I've started a new sweater from Top Down Sweaters, a book I bought thanks to Ellen. I've never tried this before -- in fact the only clothes I've tried have been sleeveless tops or raglan tops, because the idea of fitting in sleeves scares me. Back in my high school days, I made many frightening attempts at setting in sleeves in sewing class and it scarred me, I think. But this pattern, the Scalloped-Lace Trimmed Sweater, has dropped sleeves and I think I can do that. I normally would not use the same color as the photo, but I already had tons of pumpkin colored yarn in my stash(!), so that's what I'm using. It's elann.com Peruvian Quechua in a color I don't think they have anymore. I bought it ages ago for some project that I can't remember, but it's working really well for this pattern. Here's what I've got so far:


I finished all my felting projects for the Day of the Dead party at SnB a couple of weeks ago. I made a beret and a purse from Felted Knits by Beverly Galeskas along with the Mohair Ballet Slippers. I also felted some swatches and made earrings and bracelets and topped it all off with a felted carnation from a pattern Ellen gave out for her birthday one year. I wore it all with a coat I picked up from a thrift store and thought it all turned out really well. Please check out Ellen 's blog for photos. I made all the felted things from Noro Kureyon #166. The colors of Noro Kureyon are so amazing and beautiful. And felts so well.

There are some frightening photos of fashion knits on
Rose-Kim Knits. I do like the brain purse, but the rest of it is just SCARY!!

Last but not least, Bella is doing pretty well, but I wish she would let me pick her up. She still takes off like a rocket when I try, although she will come up and lie next to me on the bed. One of these days....