Happiness Is...

A Knitter With A Trunk Full of Yarn.

Last year you might remember that I was gifted with an invitation to a private yarn sale. I lovingly called the place "The Yarn Farm". Well, Farm House Yarns had its very last private sale ever this weekend and I was lucky enough that Chris was up for a trip to Upstate CT. We drove up early yesterday morning to find that the good people were offering some amazing "fill a bag" sale prices. One of these bags has some Christmas gifts for friends and my future mother in law, but the rest was alllllll for me. I'm still a little light-headed about the haul. I'm set for a long time.

Last year I wasn't sure what the sale would be like and though I brought a big bag of yarn home, I wasn't very smart about yardage. This year, I may have over-bought on yardage. When Chris urged my to buy more yarn, I fell in love with him all over again. One of sales girls proclaimed to me, "wow, you're lucky that you get to marry him!" She's so right. Sorry, girls, my yarn enabling husband to be, is soooo taken.

Chris' only request was that I would knit a huge woobie for our wedding. He loves hand knit blankets. He picked out a beautiful cotton / silk blend in a light lavender. I just need to find a queen size blanket pattern - or work one up myself. As far as yardage went, I picked up 7,000 yards of the yarn for the blanket. That should do it, don't ya think?

Total Yardage for myself: 20,500 - told ya I might have over bought...

Now to pick my first project...

For now, that's all the news that's fit to knit.

U2?

Have you heard about U2 reissuing the ablum, The Joshua Tree? The real question here is, do I buy it because I love U2, or do I do the responsbile thing and just keep listeing to the copy that I bought in 1987?

Hmmmmmm.

It's What's On The Needles

It's Tuesday and the week already feels long, doesn't it? Is it that the weather is still playing towards the 70's in October, or is it just the way this week is shaping up?

70 degrees or not, I've got this little scarf on the needles. I wanted something that would be fun to knit, but also a little mindless. Seeing as I spent four, yes, four, hours trying to get home on Thursday night, having a little mindless knitting in the bag was a good thing. The pattern is free from someone, but I swear to you that I've been trying to find where I got the pattern all afternoon - but to no success. Luckily, I wrote it down. I'm soooo sorry if this is your pattern and I didn't give you credit. Email me and I'll post it! Promise.

I'm using Paton's Soy Wool Stripes in Natural Geranium. The yarn is lovely and soft. I'm really enjoying knitting this scarf. It's kind of perfect, really. It's soft and wonderful around my neck, the stripes are great and the fact that it's reversible is brilliant! I may make this my Christmas gift to the family. Stop it! Don't think like that - they won't all share this one scarf! I'm better than that! I'm saaaayyying that I might consider knitting a heap of these! : )

So, what's been happening over here at Yarnal Knowledge? I've been wedding planning and I found my knitting friends to be great support. If you're on Ravelry you can find anything and anyone who's into the same things you are. Not only am I chatting it up with my Steeler's Kniters, but I've found a HEAP of other knitters who are planning their weddings. Apparently, knitters make excellent wives! If you're planning too - check it out. They're talking about so many things and just recently talked me off a ledge when I had a mini-panic about Bridesmaid dresses.

For now, that's all the news that's fit to knit.

Can You Believe They Belong To Me?

My two pals are just the best. I took this self portrait of the kiddos with me on a recent trip to Columbus to see my cousin get married. It was a great trip and these two were my best pals. I love these little punks. They're just so cool.

One has to wonder how they're related to me. Look at those blondie heads and blue, blue eyes. My very own brother is the spittin' image of these two. You wouldn't pick us out of a line up to be related. We're as different as different can be. He's gorgeous - Blondie hair, dreamy blue eyes and thin as a rail. I've got brown hair, hazel eyes and am the exact opposite of thin as a rail. We're not so close in age, but I can say this about my brother, just as I said it at his wedding ten years ago, he was always stronger than the monster beneath my bed. And that means, he rocks. He's still looking out for his punk-ass little sister. He's ok.

Guess things really do get passed down. R's already looking out for her punk little bro too.

They'll both be in our wedding next year and I can't wait to see them all spiffed up in their finest breaking it down on the dance floor, yo.

And they both just loooovvvee their Aunt Kris.

All the news that's fit to knit...

Moving the Work

My old office...

It's been a hell of a week. We've moved our offices from one location to another this week and it was rough. I'm not sure if you've ever moved your office, but if you have, you're shaking your head in sympathy for me. Packing up your files and information for a move causes chaos. Clients still want their work done and yet all of your information is being put into boxes and shipped off to the new location. You have to finally pack up your computer and you're gasp! without any connection to the Internet or email. has the world fallen apart while you've been packing up your desk accessories? How many post it notes did you really have in the back of your desk drawer? How many ketchup packets had you saved? Hmmmm...


Tomorrow is set up day - I have to check into our new building (first, I have to get myself to the new location...hello 95 North - gulp). I need to find all of the files, assemble my new bookcase, learn how to use the new telephone system and hook up the computer again. I'm not reaaaalllly looking forward to it.


In good news - I've got my sweetheart back with me after ten days of hateful separation. He's here and it just feels so good to have him in our home again.


In bad news - the Steelers are about lose their first game of the season and it's seriously bumming me out.



For now, it's all the news and there's been very little knit.

Steeler Sunday!

It's the best day of the week! It's Steeler Sunday! Where are your loved ones? Are they watching the game?

As a transplant from Pittsburgh to New York City, I have to say that the WORST part of living in New York is that I can't watch my beloved Steelers every Sunday.

This year, I signed up for the NFL Field Pass so that I can listen to all of the games on my computer. I get to listen to the Steel City Boys any time I can't see the game on TV (which happens a lot). If we ever move out of the city, we're so installing Direct TV so that I can always watch.

I've often told people here in NYC that when you are born in Pittsburgh, the doctor delivers you into a Terrible Towel, slaps you on the ass and declares you a Steeler fan. Odds are, your mom spent the last football season screaming her head off at the television and downing Pirmanti Bros sandwiches, so you were headed in this direction anyway.

Why do I love Pennsylvania so much? It's the people, really. I love that you can be anywhere in town and you might be talking about the game and the people around you will just jump in and talk about it too. You instantly have new friends. I love that people are kind and friendly and for the most part just want to be helpful. It's a place where people are usually in good moods when they're out in public and they just want to enjoy their afternoon. Here on the East Coast, it's dog eat dog and look out for number one. Pittsburgh has managed to hold on to its sense of community. I miss feeling like I belong to a town. Even in Central PA, people were kind and I could find Steeler fans around every corner.

I hope we make it back to PA some day. I'm so lonely for that sense of community and belonging. For now, I've turned my living room into a Steeler game - my Terrible Towel by my side.

A Healthy Dose of Crazy

Chris is gone. Not forever - the engagement's still on, but he's left for home in North Carolina for the next ten days. Sigh. It's strange when the person you live with isn't around for several days. At first I had a tremendous amount of stress before he left - often staging small pouting sessions and maybe, just maybe, the words "doooonnnn'ttt gooooo" and "hhooowwww cannnn yyyoouuuu llleeaaaveee mmmeeeee?" were involved. I never said this was pretty. I have to take my hat off to my sweet southern boy, he's now officially signed on for a healthy dose of crazy by asking me to get married. Of course, none of this comes as a surprise as he's been wading through the crazy for the past seven years. I suppose that's why the following telephone conversation didn't make him lose stride at work on Thursday morning when I frantically phoned the following information in:

ME: (in a hushed and somewhat frantic whisper) the building is surrounded.

C: What? (sound of papers being shuffled on the desk in the background).

ME: The police have the building surrounded and there's a helocopter circiling.

C: Huh. What's happening?

ME: I'm not sure, but I peaked out of the window and then ran away 'cause I didn't want the cops to see me. Do you think that's suspicious? I'm not trying to be suspicious, but you know, I'm working from home today and I haven't exactly showered or changed out of my jammies yet.

C: I think it's fine.

ME: Wait - I can hear the lady down stairs if I strain and sit under the window - she says there was burglar. Crap. Spanish.

C: Right, well, lock the door.

ME: Um, do you think it's also suspicious behavior that before I called you I hid in the closet to put pants on?

C: (silence). Why on earth would you do that?

ME: Well, you know, those police helicopters can see through buildings and into windows and stuff and I didn't want them to see me in my jammies or my underwear, so after my conference call, I ran down to the guest room and put on my jeans in the closet. And then, maybe some lip gloss in the dark in the bathroom.

C: (silence) (shuffling of papers - typing on computer keys). Um, yeah, they can't see into the closet, you're ok. And, don't do that again.

ME: Maybe you should come home. There's a lot of police and what if I need something?

C: Why don't you go talk to them? They can tell you what's going on.

ME: Where the bad people are??? Down on the street? I don't think so, pal. If they need me, they can buzz the apartment. Do YOU HEAR the helicopter.

C: I do.

ME: You're not coming home, are you?

C: Nope. Have a great day sweetie and don't forget, you're driving me to the airport.

ME: Back to my post under the window sill to strain for information until it was time for the next conference call.

Yeah - a little dose of crazy, it's good for him. (Come home! I miss you! And I have to let the creepy Time Warner Guy in tomorrow alone!)

That's all the crazy news that's fit to knit.

PS - If you've read this and know my mother, might run into my mother or might think about calling my mother, please don't mention the words, cops, my building, or burgler. She just doesn't need to worry about it. Thanks!

The Negative One

Today is my negative one anniversary! On this day, next year, I'll be getting married. It seems so close and yet, so very far away! I'm looking forward to the millions of fun things that are awaiting Chris and I in the next 365 days.

The wedding planning has hit a bit of a wall and it seems my ability to understand color is hindering all processes of planning. All of my bridesmaids have graciously agreed to be in the wedding and I'm so thankful that they'll be there next to me when I take this step. These girls have been with me for a lot of life's firsts, so I'm glad they'll be there for this one. The thing is, I'm trying to do right by these ladies. I'm totally against the following:

1. Putting them in any dress that has a giant butt bow.

2. Putting them in a color dress that resembles any of the following: puke, poop or pepto bismal.

3. Putting them in a color dress that they themselves put me in for their weddings (there aren't a ton of colors and most of my maids are really matrons - long married ladies...and I'm doing my best not to repeat).

Planning is fun, but this whole color palatte - which affects all of the colors of the wedding is a bit of a mystery to me.

For now - that's all the news that's fit to knit!

Never Forget

I remember when I finally got out of Manhattan six years ago this day and I was able to call Chris; I told him that we had to leave New York City. That I couldn't stand the thought of losing him or having to flee for my life from the city ever again. I had never feared for my life before and I was shaken to the core and so very sad, so very sorry for what had happened.

He said to me - no way. We stay put. And I was ready to plead with him that we find a way to get back to our small town homes and back to the families we love. But before I could plead, he said firmly, we're too old to be firemen, too old to join the military - the best thing we can do to fight this horrible act is to stay here - to say to the world that we're staying and this is our home and we won't be driven out, we won't live in fear, we're here. He was right. Everyday has been a small victory and I'm proud of the New Yorkers who have stayed. There will come a day that we'll leave New York, but it'll be on our own terms. It's our way of fighting and we'll never forget.

I'm so thankful that Chris helped me to find my courage to fight on that day. I'll always be grateful to him for that.

For now, that's all the news that's fit to knit. Now go hug a fireman.

Done Right

UPDATE:

Just got an email from Knit Picks customer service. Not only were they sweet and apologetic, they offered to send replacement cables. Yay Knit Picks! I promise to blow some mad money at your site soon. I appreciate it so much when people do the right thing*.

*Unlike, you, you stupid Department of Corrections officer who tailed me through a construction zone, flashed your lights and whooped your siren at the poor guy trying not to kill the construction worker and screamed at the guy in the cement truck (who I think was trying to avoid actually dripping concrete on the front of my car while I tried not to be rear ended by you!) You caused so much stress on the BQE this morning that I hope you just found out that you have to work a double this weekend.

For now, that's all the news that's fit to Knit! And I'll be knitting it with my Options again soon!

The Sad End of the Needle

The sadness in pictures. See that? That is my broken heart. Ok, not so much my heart, but it has broken my heart tonight as not one, but two of my Knit Picks Options cables have died. Thing is, I've never used the small one and used the larger one only once.

These are my FAVORITE needles. They are sharp and I have the complete kit (given by C. on my last birthday). The last thing knitted on them -as promised - was this baby sweater:

This is the Five Hour Baby Sweater - it takes a little longer than that, but let me tell you, this is an awesome pattern. Knitters are so smart! This is knitted from the top down and is knitted in one piece with only the sleeves to sew up. I have enjoyed knitting this sweater on a few occasions and this sweater is for Jenna - the new baby from Jen & Adam. It's safe to post here as Jen is not a regular reader of the old blog.

Back to the saddest story... out of all of these needles - not a single size ten to save my current sweater project. I've been reduced to holding the stitches on a light up needle - you've seen those, right? I've received two pairs as gag gifts and I can see the good they can do (and the fun they provide the first time you pretend its your light saber), but I have to say, I've never actually knitted with them. I have them in size 8 & 10.5.

Sigh. Sad knitter.

I thought about trying this and then decided against it and sent Knit Picks an email asking what to do. If you've delt with their customer service department, will you kindly leave me a comment or send me an email and tell me how it went? I'd appreciate it.

The back of the sweater - a happier ending. I want to send off my friend Dani's baby's sweater that I knit for her 'cause you've got to see Hailey - a sweet little girl who I can't wait to meet. Dani, send me your address, I've got to send your sweater so we can show both Hailey and the sweater off here!

I'm soothing my sorrows by laughing along with back issues of this blog. This woman is living a life I've often thought I would love to live. I like that she's willing to take us along on her journey as a woman living on a real, modern day working cattle ranch. She's great with a camera, a witty writer and she cooks! It's a lot of fun and I give it a big ole recommendation for regular reading.

For now, sad knitters, that's all the news we wish we could knit!

OH NO!

TWO OF MY KNIT PICKS OPTIONS CABLES HAVE BROKEN! I've lost an entire lacey project. GASP! ACK! HELP!

Back Home, Back To The Grind

We had a true labor day this year with our dear friend Jen going into early labor and delivering her dear, sweet baby, Jenna, to the world on September 1st. Mom, Dad & Baby are all well. We rushed to New Haven to meet our newest friend and spent the day and night helping out the new little family. What a joy! A picture of the sweetest baby sweater ever will be posted tonight for your viewing pleasure. I knit it in a hurry waiting to hear the final news - my hands have just now forgiven me. To be honest, this was a really fun sweater pattern - more on that later tonight.

I'm back at work and we're moving. New office space for us in October means sorting through years and years of crap that has accumulated here in my office. I'm also carrying a full load of work for two companies. How can one person feel so busy? Actually, it's just how I like it.

While I was home in PA - my cousin Brad got married. Sigh. It was a beautiful wedding and the bride and groom were glowing with happiness. There was a little excitement with the flower girl and the running up and down the aisle screaming with glee, but otherwise, really, nothing but happy romantic happiness. It was so good to be with that side of my family too - I'd missed my father's family. It's too easy to grow apart without him holding us all together. I hope that these weddings aren't the only times that we get together.

While I was actually in Pittsburgh, I visited three reception venues and chose Mountain View Inn as the location for the biggest party of our lives. It's a historical Inn of America, built in 1924. I love this location and the people on staff made me feel really important and special. It's amazing what a well timed thank you note will get you these days! Thanks to my new wedding coordinator at MVI, we'll have the time of our lives, I'm sure of it.

Another big item was checked off of the wedding "To-Do List" - I bought my dress! Wooo! Chris will sometimes read this blog, so no notes on it here, but I can tell you the following:

1. I hadn't intended to buy my dress so early. I was just looking with mom to see if we saw anything interesting.

2. It was the third dress I put on.

3. It looks awful on the hanger.

4. It makes me feel pretty and I really love that.

Pictures later, for now - that's all the news that fit to knit!

Country Roads Are Taking Me Home

I'm headed home to PA tomorrow morning, so things will be a little quiet around here. It's time for wedding planning and attending weddings and so on and so.

Knitting on the road? Socks, of course. I've been trying to do some spinning because this past Saturday I met a fantastic spinner (more on her to come) and I got my first roving! Pictures of such fantastic acquisitions are forthcoming.

But for now, dear knitters adieu. I hope your weeks are filled with fiber happiness.

For now, that's all the news that's fit to knit.

K

The Knitted News

Knitting! I did promise some knits for this blog. I'll tell ya, the summer has been unforgettable for me. The engagement is of course at the top of the list, but I've also knitted some really memorable socks, I've been hanging out with some great friends and traveling to some great places here in the US. What else can you ask for from a summer?

The sock to the left is a little summer sock that I knitted up - I used Wendy's toe up pattern, threw in the stripes and finishing touches from my own brain. I love them! I'm about 1/2 through finishing the second sock. I'm also working on:

The 5 hour baby sweater. This is for a friend's baby to come. I just can't seem to find the time to really concentrate on cranking this out. Of course, babies tend to move deadlines along, don't they? I love the vibrant colors of this yarn. It's a nice clean cotton that can easily be tossed into the wash. Mother's every where can rejoice!

For now, I'm off to the air conditioning and that means that this is all the news that's fit to knit, for now!

Plans Unraveled

Oh Lordy,lordy,lordy! My Ravelry invitation arrived!

Sorry, Sorry - I know You're ALL Mad...

Dear Park Slope Knitters:

On Saturday, it was me who purchased the very last copy of this book from the 7th Avenue Barnes & Noble. I held it in my hands debating purchasing the last copy and then I high tailed it out of the knitting section and up to the magazine rack to pick up a copy of the new Interweave Knits Issue and the Vogue Knitting 25th Anniv. Issue... but if you order it in, they usually get them very quickly.

I don't much sound like the kind of girl who's supposed to be saving every penny towards a wedding, does she? I swear, with the exception of the upcoming purchase of enough yarn to make one of the sweaters in this book, I am SAVING! Oh, I am trying to save money.

So I've been diligently working on my wedding planning. I've lined up three places to visit for reception venues. Two hotels and one country club. Let me tell you, everyone around me is so tired of any talk about the wedding. People don't want to hear about it, they don't want to talk to you about it - it's all kinds of general eye rolling in the greater New York area. I want to make it clear that I really don't think I'm going on and on every minute of the day. I'm usually pretty good at finding internal AND external fault and I'm just not doing too badly with this. But none-the-less I am officially planning on internalizing all of my wedding planning. I will write about it a bit here, but talking about it is just about out 'cause this sister can not take the eye rolling, people. Pluh-lease with the eye rolling.

Knitting is going to updated later tonight with more on this book, a picture of the sorbet socks and some more ideas here and there. Tonight - no wedding talk. Zip. Zip. Just come to the wedding to see what has been planned!

For now, that's all the news that's fit to knit!

The rest of the story

This is right after we came back to the house after getting engaged. We were waaaay out in the country when Chris proposed and we'd just rode back on a four-wheeler through mud, wearing helmets, etc... so we're not looking our best and our photographer had posed us with our arms linked - which was hugely uncomfortable. I tell you all of this by way of an explanation of our looking a bit confused - but can you see how happy we both are?

See the toasting glasses? My very thoughtful Sister-in-Law bought those for us and brought them (remember, the whole family was in on the surprise) as well as with several bottles of champagne. It was a big celebration! I had many, many glasses full!

This is the road that led us out to our engagement spot. Pennsylvania is so much more than just my home - its beauty overwhelms me. I can't imagine what my grandfather thought when he first found the acres that would come to be our family's special vacation spot.

40 years ago he bought this piece of land that would in later years become the meeting place of our family for generations. He made a place in the world for us that would see not only my engagement, but the engagement of my Aunt and Uncle, my Mom and Dad and one of my cousins. It is a place where all of the children in our family have been bathed in the kitchen sink - starting with my brother. It is full of friendly ghosts of my childhood. It is a place where we bring only our most cherished friends and it is still a place where we all come together to share and laugh and visit with each other. Can you repay that kind of gift? Does he know what the trees know? Some of those trees have been there since the civil war. These trees and these roads are the very fabric of my family - they know what we know - that sharing these moments together is what means the most to all of us. They provide the comfort and the quiet that we all need when the rest of the world squeezes a little too hard.

Thanks, Pop. Thank you for giving us this rare gift of a steadfast place to keep our family together forever. Even now that you and granny have gone on - we come here and we remember and we carry on the love and the lives that you provided for us. Thank you so very much.

All the news, that's fit to knit.

It went a little something like this:

So the weekend was good. Guess what?










It was all a big set up so that Chris could ask me to marry him!


I said yes!


I'm engaged!


The entire trip to my family cabin - which started out as a birthday trip for Chris and evolved into our "parents meeting" and then evolved into our brother's and their entire families coming along ended with me in a mountain top meadow - being proposed to. And every single member of the family knew about it. My sweet Christopher gave everyone a role to play in getting me to the right place at the right time - and I've come to find out that my family can lie to me with such precision that it's scary!


When we came back from the proposal spot, our families were waiting outside of the cabin cheering for us. There were tears, there was champagne, there was laughter and good food and tons of stories being told. We even had birthday cake. It was everything I would've wanted had I known it was happening. All of our loved ones were there to celebrate with us - it was the most beautiful day of my entire life. Chris gave me priceless memories for our engagement - what a way to start this wedding journey. It was a good day.


So - the knitting is a tiny bit slow for the next few days as we share the news, start the first of the plans, etc... Stick with me - there might be some wedding talk here too.


Oh - and to my fellow Steelers knitters: I just found out that you can rent Heinz field for your wedding reception. Too much?


For now, that's all the news that's fit to knit!

Have We Lost Our Minds - Or Are We Just Crazy? Huh?

The weekend was spent relaxing and enjoying the wonderful feeling of not working and of not actually thinking about work while we weren't working. It felt like a true summer weekend when the whole day stretches in front of you and you're free to do anything you like - instead of time hurling toward you and right past you in the blink of an eye. I love the Country Time Lemonade commercials about lazy summer days and I think back to my own childhood when summer days stretched endlessly and we lay around at the summer house just watching clouds, chasing butterflies or water skiing on Yough Lake.



This weekend Chris and I have invited both our families (Parents and siblings with their families) to my favorite place on earth - the summer cabin that my grandfather built 38 years ago. It's shared by mom and her brother and next weekend I get to introduce a new dynamic in the family because of my relationship with Chris.



I'm really looking forward to hanging out on the giant porch - grilling dinner out and just melding my family and Chris'. We hope it goes well. Nine people - and seven people dropping by at different times is going to make the quiet little trip a bit crazy and I can't wait. Of course there's tons to do in my home state of PA. Fallingwater, Ohiopyle, and the winery (which all of those above the age of 21 are stoked for!)

All in all - I can't wait for the weekend - it's my first real time as a host. I'm planning all of the food and providing everyone with shelter and fun. I can't wait to see my mom who's planning to help me with everything. How could I possibly survive without my mom? She's just the most understanding and lovely person on the planet. A true peace-keeper. My mom should really be in charge of the world - she'd solve a lot of the bull crap.


Ok -I'm off. I'll try to upload knitting content tonight. I've finished quite a bit and made the cutest tennis sock you have ever seen (I'll cast on for sock #2 tonight!) And I've got some E-Z baby sweater plans for a friend who's shower is coming right up!

For Now, That's all the news that's fit to knit!