It is coke thank you very much and my family is from MI.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North   You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland	Â
North Central	Â
The South	Â
The Northeast	Â
The West	Â
Philadelphia	Â
Boston	Â
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On the knitting front, I learned a valuable lesson, read the pattern then buy yarn. I don't know if I will have enough yarn for the way I originally envisioned my Edie Cardigan. I've decided to knit the body in the poppy and the ssleeves, coller, and button band in the chocolate. I don't have the money in the budget to buy another hank of the poppy right now and Edie is my knitting over the holidays along with some socks for me and a hat or two. I'm convincing myself that I will like this sweater and Lisa told me that I should have enough yarn to make it. She is really nice; everyone should go out and buy her book Yarnplay.
Currently on TV: North and South, Richard Armitage (Yum)

Sloane is done and as I love the pattern and the finished object, the Addi turbos in size 17 rock. The construction for me was difficult, but that is my issue. Photos of me in it to come. The vest is definately being worn for Christmas. I love Yarnplay. This book is so amazing.
Currently on TV: Nothing listening to Lime and Violet

I just finished North and South, and Jen oh my gosh, Captain Who? I know that I have my own Roger Hamely, but Mr. Thorton could just sweep me off my feet.
I decided to finish North and South after spending several days knitting. I finished the SKB (I need to have someone take my photo). I finished the back of Sloane, and I turned the heel of the first of Sean's socks. I now am on the front of Sloan and have World War Z as the next book I read. Sean's socks must be done before Christmas and I am still working on my LnV sock. I have put to many things on my needles.
Currently on TV: Nothing

So a photo of Sean in his fine knit wear, it's not quite a cunning hat but I like it. Besides he still has my cunning hat. The sad thing is this is also the first time I saw him in his hat. The other two in the photo are Gonch in Goal and Beerman.
Currently on TV: Nothing reading North and South

The SKB is done and it is drying on my floor. I am going to probably have to wash this sweater often as there is STILL loose dye in it. This is a sweater that didn't have to be blocked except that it was turning my needles blue. As soon as the neck was stitched up and I was bathed out came the wool wash to bathe the sweater. The water started turning teal as soon as the sweater hit the water. The towl is now two shades of green where water was rung out of it. I'm going to let the photos show the rest. Needless to say there is still dye in the sweater that wants out.

I have both sleeves done and seemed where needed on my SKB (trust me there is rejoycing). I am now picking up stitches along the neckline {a glass of Bailey's may be needed (yes this is a joke)}. I couldn't quite understand one piece of the directions of the picking up stitches part so I refered back to my trusty knitty.com bookmark http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/FEATwin04TT.html
That article is a life savor. The instruction that I didn't get was a gauge measurement which I will have to ignore anyway since my gauge is funky. The sweater fits fine with the funky gauge btw.
Currently on TV: Nothing I'm burnt out

Happy Thanksgiving to my few precious readers.
Knitting update: I finished the right sleeve on the SKB and I am on the lace inset of the left sleeve. This is a special date for me besides Thanksgiving which is always a day of food and family even if they are not related to you. I understand objections that some people feel to this holiday. Today is also my anniversary. Sean and I've been together for 3 years. I unfortunately am still in CA and he's home in FL. In honor of this today, I'm knitting on his socks. I miss him so much. I love you Sweetie. I hope to have a photo of him in his hat.
On the reading front, I have put down almost all books except for North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Wives and Daughters by the same author is one of my favorite books. This title looks at the beginning of Unionization in England from the labor and owners perspectives from the eyes of a young woman from the South (London). Toss in a love story and misunderstanding and there is a wonderful book.
Knitting book review: Yarnplay by Lisa Shobhana Mason, this book is wonderful and beautiful book. The patterns are well written and easy to knit. I am winding up some yarn for Edie as we type.
I also have bought domiKNITrix by Jennifer Stafford. I am going to knit her flower pins out of it for a major project. I'll write a report on it later.
Currently on TV: Hotel Rwanda

I am working my way down my first sleeve on the SKB which I still love. I purchased domiknitrix from Amazon. It has the exact flower pattern I've been looking for for the mothers. It calls for Noro though and I haven't seen the right color of Poppy in Noro but I found some in Malabrigo. I contacted Jennifer Stafford about how wonderful the pattern is and to find out how to sign up for the Elfin Goth pattern that you only can get by buying the book and get it from her site. I love that she is doing a local knit along and when she wrote back she asked if I was in the Bay Area and was a size XS because she needs another knitter. Oh how the fates tempt me. I'm a size XS I desperately want to knit this sweater, but I live in the LA area. Damn it. I explained that I do wearn an XS but where I live. I did say it made my morning though. I was set until 1st break at work.
Currently on TV:Nothing

I've hit a milestone in my knitting. I have finished the body of my first sweater. I've done a little bit of seaming where needed and now am on my first sleeve. All that's left of the SKB is the two sleeves which are technically started (got to love top down, raglin set in sleeves for that) and the collar. Pictures to come
Currently on TV: Monarch of the Glen Series 1 disk 2

I've been thinking about service and how people are treated by people we give our money to. This all comes about from an e-mail responce I received from an indy yarn merchant who dyes her own stuff. I inquired if my order had shipped yet as I had heard nothing from her and wanted to drool over my yarn. The responce to it was vaguely insulting. I was told the shop wasn't McDonald's (for those who know me they understand that is probably one of my layers of hell), and she said the website says shipping in 7-14 days. The site does in fact say this if the yarn is not in stock. I don't care about the length of time it takes to ship; I want the fact that I have given you money acknoledged. I responded saying that I was jealous of her talents that she is able to make a product that is so well known out of her living room. I understand how being a small company that responding to e-mails can be difficult, but I also know I'm not the only one who hasn't ever received responses back from this company. A LYS tried to sell this yarn and after writing an essay about the stores philosophy never heard back. I placed a large order for me on Sunday from this store because I didn't know if another retailer would carry the yarn I wanted to order as Christmas presents. I haven't received confirmation of my order and I know that I won't. I will not stop using the wonderful handdyed sock yarn. (It truely is some of the best that is available.) I will though order it over the phone from the nice lady who wrote a thank you on her businss card.
On the other end of the spectrum is Pureknits a LYS in New Jersey who has an online store. It is where I bought my Brooklyn Handspun and later my wool wash (I'm running low on shampoo it was time to upgrade). She keeps in contact at every step of the ordering process with confirmations, e-mails about shipping, and when the order arrives there are handwritten thank you notes. It is this reason that I continually go to her site looking for new yarn. It is similar reasons that I go and shop on etsy so much. I am connected with handcrafters (sock yarn!!!) who acknowledge me. I also today ordered two books that I couldn't get in my area from a store in NY. As soon as the order was placed more or less I had a note from the store owner thanking me and telling me the merchandise was in stock and how it would be shipped. That is all I really look for a thank you for your hard earned money, I do, I do not have this in stock, here is when you will get it. I have waited a month for yarn because I knew that they were dyed to order when the orders came in. I was just told it will be 3-5 weeks as they needed to get the yarn and dye. If you go above and beyond you'll just receive more business sooner than otherwise would happen.
Currently on TV: Nothing listening to the birds

I thought I would post some photos of my current knitting projects. The hat is mine and the yarn was divine. The beanie is Sean's anniversary gift and he hasn't seen it yet. The bib is for Elisabeth and it is so so cute.




Currently on TV: Monarch of the Glen Series 1 disk 1

This past weekend was wonderful. Jen has blogged about it also at www.jennismith.net. Also Jen can I have the pattern info for Baby Steggy's blanket. I arrived at her apartment at the same time that she did (love coincidences like that) and we went to the Cayucos Wine and Cheese festival after making appropriate stops first. I found a wine that I want to buy to share with guests who come to my apartment (JanKris Picaro or Crossfire), but it isn't sold in the Burbank area and would cost close to $30 for a $17 bottle for me to buy it online. We went to one of the local restaurants that had the best fried zuccini. It was made fresh so it actually had taste. Then it was back to Jen's to watch Monarch of the Glend season 1 disk 1. I made good progress this weekend on the SKB; I got upto the purl ridges and small needles and I'm currently half way done with the lace in the bodice.
Saturday we went up to Cambria. Ball and Skein needs to carry the Yarnplay book because they have so much of the yarn for it. I spent probably way to much there but I'm a good ways done with the back of Sloane which is a pattern that I'm doing strait out of the book. The colors of the yarn used in the book model are just to my taste and style. I also don't have to alter the pattern any. I love how knitting patterns are starting to take into account all sized people.
Saturday night was book club, more knitting, and watching Wives and Daughters. The Razor's Edge was a wonderful character study. Jen and I gushed over Gaskell's work and decided we had to read North and South while I drooled over Roger Hamley (I have a Roger). (It's nice to find the literary character Sean's most like). So Sunday after church (which had a fantastic sermon) we went over to B&N. They had two copies of North and South so we grabbed both of them. I'm in the 100s and I love the characters. Gaskell is one of my favorite writers. She was close with Wives and Daughters and North and South is putting her up with Jane Austen.
Today I received my Socks That Rock in Love in Idleness. The yarn is beautiful. I think I'm making Pomotomus socks out of it for me. I needed the beauty of the yarn because I'm worried that I've f***ed up again at work. I followed the schematic though (I think). I need to find a new job.
Currently on TV: Nothing.

Dude, I am so so so happy. I got mentioned in the Craftlit podcast. I am flying so high right now. On the knitting front, I'm on the lace part of my SKB.
Currently on TV: Nothing listening to Craftlit

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I'm almost done with my Christmas knitting. I just have Sean and Jen's to finish. I made a hat/beenie for me out of Brooklyn Handspun's Oatmeal for myself from a Rowan pattern. I'm now trying to stretch it out a little. I finally casted on the Simple Knitted Bodice in Mystical Creations 4-ply wool in China Teal.
Currently on TV: nothing listening to It's a Purl Man

I promise I'm working on my thesis proposal (I'm working on the last part of the last section, I hope) as I work on Sean's sock. ( I finished the LIT REVIEW (I feel/hope)). I have to say that he's wonderful with my knitting. I gave him the option on what style hat he would want and his final choice was what would make me happy to knit. He claims it's more important to him that I have fun with my knitting than it be ubersimple. I promise that the socks will be simple.
Edit: I have caved and bought some Socks That Rock for myself. I didn't think Sean would pick up on my hints last night. I bought Love in Idleness for me if anyone is looking for gifts for me Puck's Mischief or Midsummer's Night found here http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/. Alright I'm done giving gift hints. I went to Unwind to pick up needles. I got Brittany double points in size 2 and 10 1/2s. I also got a Rowan Pattern Book, and the Blue Sky Alpacha dpns.
Currently on TV: nothing listening to Knitty D and the City

I have a yarn rant. I bought a hat kit from Morehouse Farms for Sean's Christmas gift. It is becoming part of his anniversary gift because Sweetie as much as I love you I have a thesis proposal to finish and I've set a deadline. There is no way I can finish a pair of socks in time to get the package to you by the 23rd. I received the kit today. I chose the hat design from the three variations, and I started to wind up the skein of bulky yarn. There are bits of twig in my yarn. I've had this problem before with yarn from Urugay. This yarn is from NY. I made the executive decision with my wallet to not buy from them again.
This is based off of not only my bad experience with the yarn (shipping was great), but with Subway Knitter's issues as well as Miss Lime's problem with their pattern book.
Onto the reading front: I am loving The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (I think). The only reason the book has been put down is because I need to finish the Razor's Edge by the 11th. If you are interested in Historical novels or more information on Vlad the Impalor this book is highly recommended. It's on special at B&N for 20% off, go buy it.
Currently on TV: Nothing Netflix is back in the post.