Honeymoon!

Ok dudes, I'm feeling much better after getting everything out last night. Thank goodness for blog confessions - it helps you keep it real. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to be stress free - I'm not sure anyone ever is. But I'm doing some reading on simplifying my life - but more on that another day.

Today, we're talking about honeymooning. C. will tell you that the week after our wedding is not an "official" honeymoon. We'll be traveling to Europe next year once he a. procures his updated passport b. we have time off again c. we have money again (this wedding is a huge money-suck).

Until then, we're hitting the Finger Lakes! We're off to Lake Seneca, the Toganenwood Estate B&B and something called "The Wine Trail" (that sounds so lovely right now!)

The pictures posted here are from our B&B's website. We'll post a review upon our return...

So far, so good though - the proprietor seems so lovely and she told me about this little beauty:

It's a "Champagne Bath Tub" and it's right in my room! Apparently it isn't the typical jacuzzi tub, but rather it creates a gazillion champagne bubbles to surround you and relax you. I plunked my credit card down on this room with this tub faster than you can say "stressed much?"


So we've been reading Great Destinations - a complete guide to The Finger Lakes Book (3rd edition, Dyson). We're really happy with the book, it seems to give the History, Lodging, culture, dining, recreation, etc... Can't wait!


Now to find out where they keep their knitting shops!

Till tomorrow, it's all the news that's fit to knit!

Olympics and Trials

I've joined the Ravelry Olympic team. I'll be knitting Eloping from this summer's Knitty. It's not a big project, but with the wedding so close, it's all I can handle. I'm hoping to earn my first gold knitting medal.

I've been working on handling stress quite a bit lately. I've been interviewing friends and family when it's appropriate about how they deal with stress. Do they deep breathe? Do the eat ice cream? Do they drink? Do they go for a run? Do they punch the stressor in the nose? Do they scream into a pillow, do they get tough, or do they fold like a house of cards?

I'm so interested in stress right now because I'm under an ass-load of it. You'd think the details of the wedding would be stressing me out - but they really aren't. I can handle those details in my sleep - I literally do it for a living. But the stress of disappointing anyone with any request they make of me in relation to this wedding is killing me. I find myself trapped between the viewpoints of some of the people who I love the most.

It's funny, because as I waffle and try and avoid conflict I can feel my loved one's disappointment in what they perceive as my weakness, but the truth of the matter is that I've been so strong - going against the popular wishes of many of my friend's and family and society in so many decisions that I've made in the last ten years. I've literally made something of myself - by myself. I've taken the risks, I've done the work, I've put myself on the line to build a life. And now I'm plain worn out. I'm tired of fighting and now I just want everyone to be happy. I want to be a pacifist. I want - oh god, am I really going to say this - I want everyone to get along! Can't we all just get along? Seriously? I just want to do the right thing. I want, I want, I want...I want to disappear! I want to be invisible!

Here's the thing - I think I've fallen into a habit of being too self aware. I'm so quick to find blame in any situation and assign it squarely to myself. I'm willing to take the blame for anything - any gripe, any slight, any mis-understood comment. I'm your gal. I'm the bad guy, I'm the bitch and nothing you can do or say to me will be worse than what I'll do or say to myself at 3 AM. Don't worry, I'll remember for years and years. Even if you weren't hurt by it, or you were a normal person and were able to let it go - I'll feel badly about it for years. Carefree, doesn't apply here.

So, in the spirit of trying to make something of myself, I've got to pony up and forgive myself for things I think I've done. Tonight, I pledge to sleep well, to not rake myself over the coals for making decisions that I believe are right. I am not a jerk. I am not a recovering jerk (thanks, Randy) and I am a good person with a kind heart. And I seriously say "I'm sorry" too much. Shut it off so tomorrow doesn't ruin today (thanks again, Randy).

"God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Ok, a happy post will replace this one tomorrow, promise. But sometimes, you just have to get it all out there.

You've got to shred it, shred it

We get a lot of junk mail here at chez Yarnal Knowledge and when we were shopping for registry items we registered for a paper shredder on a whim. Our friend Melinda picked this one up for us for my shower. I can't wait to tell her how much we love it.

The shredding deposits you see above are from 1996. I'm not kidding.

For the last twelve years I have been moving boxes of old checks, old bank statements, old cancelled checks, old bills, ect... from college to home to Harrisburg, to Pittsburgh, back to Harrisburg and then to one part of NYC and now here. I've tried those paper shredders that you clip over your trash can in the past and I've come to the realization that those shredders are not for me. I need the terminator of paper shredders. I need the six page, occasional staple ok, cross cut, identity thieving proof paper shredder and I have to have one that is self-contained. And now I have one. And now I'm down to this:

Those are just the credit card offers from 2008. Listen Amex, Visa, Master Card, Discover Card, WWF, Children's Fund, American Heart Association, place where I bought my 1st car, 2nd car and 3 rd car, my college, my mother's college, etc... save a tree - you already have my email address, just send em there where I can delete them to my spam folder. I'll come to you. For goodness sake, most of these offers are coming from companies where I already have a card (all two of them). Leave me alone!

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

Dark Knight

Dudes, go see it! We just did!

Time for a new look!

I felt like a change and this green is just the ticket! I don't change things up much on Yarnal Knowledge, so I hope you'll like it too!

Please visit with my new blogger friend Kelly, you can find her in my Following section on the right. Welcome to the addictive world of blogging, Kel!

Today, I leave you with the view from my bro's office. That punk has one of the best views in the city!

For now, that's all the news that's fit to knit (and right now, it's just too damn hot to knit!) Later gators!

Weekends on the Road

Look where we went! Oh yeah! Marriage License applied for, check!

The shower was amazing!

More on this later - I can't keep the lap top on me - it's just too freaking hot.

Until later, that's all the news that's fit to knit!

Shower the people you love with love!

We're outta here - time to head home for the final shower. I'm looking forward to seeing my pals Kelly and Dani and all of my other friends. It's been so long since I've seen so many people.

It's hot as snot here in NYC and I can't wait to be rid of the sticky, stinky city and headed for cooler and air conditioned PA.

I'm hoping to take a crap load of pictures, so I'll catch ya next week.

Before I sign off tonight, just want to give a big shout out of congratulations to Darren and Liesel on the birth of their daughter! I've seen pictures folks and I can tell you she's a heartbreaker - really beautiful. I can't wait to meet her. Darren and I have been friends for a gazillion years and I couldn't be happier for him!

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

A Letter to Me:

Dear Me:

Things are turning out ok. You’ll be fine, but you should know a few things...

I know you’re eighteen and you feel like you’re at the top, stick it out, let yourself walk the path and for the love of all things good, please learn to forgive and get over yourself. If you’d only give up being a drama queen earlier than 1998, that would be great.

Learn to call people back, don’t be jealous and just live your own life. You’re not the coolest kid, you’ll always be chubby (but if you want to work on that, I’d sure appreciate it), but you will be surprised from time to time by how many interesting people you’ll come across.

Use less hairspray and don’t buy blue eye shadow.

Buy stock in MacIntosh and Target and when that kid from school launches YouTube.com, see if you can get in on that action.

You'll choose the wrong college the first year. Trust mom, she knows what school you should go to.

Go home for more weekends, dad dies before you graduate and it’ll wreck the next ten years of your life. Remember that it’s ok to run away from home, if you don’t, you won’t meet Chris.

Don’t spend too much time trying to figure out how you got so lucky when Chris proposes to you, you’ll never figure it out. Don’t debate telling him everything that’s wrong with you, he knows, but he’s going to love you anyway. And I won’t tell how he proposes for all the money in the world – you need to be surprised when it happens - it turns out so cool.

That car Dad gave you over Easter break, you’ll drive it until 2008, she’s the best car you’ll ever have, treat her well. It’ll break your heart when you have to give her up. Take tissues to the dealership.

Remember to thank the Dean of the English department, he’s going to go out on a ledge for you and you don’t deserve it - remember to write him after you graduate.

Always take that trip to Canada on your 21st birthday, it totally cements your friendships with Kelly and Dani and you’ll be friends with them for the rest of your life. Don’t skip that trip to study. Go have fun, but reconsider what you pack – you may dance on a bar that night.

For the love of all things good, when you get into deep trouble in 1999, ask for help this time. You’re still paying for that problem.

And nothing happens during Y2K - it's just a fun night with Kelly.

Eric’s gonna be a dad and you’ll be voted aunt of the year by two munchkins you love more than anything. Your nephew is going to steal your heart away, but you’ll love every moment of it.

You’ll never get to go home again and it kills you, but hang in there, you won’t be that lonely forever, kid. You’ll make it. I only wish the 50 year old me would drop the 30 year old me a line like this…

One last thing, don’t buy the strapless wedding dress. You look like a linebacker in all of the photos.


Love,
Me.

Flower-Girly!

Our flower girl gets her dress!

Friday Night - I need my girls living closer

It's Friday night, I've retreated to the cool Air Conditioned bedroom with my laptop, the dvd collection and a margarita...I wish my girlfiends lived closer. Can't wait to see Kelly and Dani next weekend!

A long weekend

The days and weeks have been slipping by this summer. I often find myself staring dumbfounded at my open day planner wondering where the time has gone. What happened to the lazy summer days of my childhood? What happened to weekends in the woods and sticky watermelon soaked fingers and chins? With questions like these at the forefront of my mind I can’t help but recognize that my childhood is truly over. I can only do my best to try and recapture that particular kind of magic as an adult.

We’ve been thinking a lot about our childhoods and our families from our tiny perch in Brooklyn. When you live in a large city, you can often feel so small. Cramming your life into 600 square feet of thin plaster walls and scarred wooden floors that have been lived on by countless hundreds of others before you can make you feel terribly insignificant and terribly small. And though in these days I feel so terribly small and so terribly alone in a city that eats the sweet and kind for breakfast; a simple phone call can focus your entire world so quickly.

“Dad’s had a heart attack”. It’s the kind of statement that you hear from other people or on television; not from your soon to be husband as you stand in front of the Mr. Coffee maker on Saturday morning, willing the machine to deliver you its delicious brown liquid of wakefulness. But Chris had said it and looked at me with those eyes – those eyes that seemed to say, holy shit – we were just there, we just visited. He was fine. What do I do? I have to be the grown up, I’m the oldest son and we’re trapped here in this city so far away and we can’t do anything, what do we do?

All of those things, all of those fears, all of those pleas in one shift of the eye and then they were gone, replaced by the take charge guy who could hold it together. And then I failed Christopher terribly, betrayed by my selfish tears that boiled over with the screaming thoughts that this can’t be happening again. You can’t be losing another father – not again. You were so close to having a father figure in your life again. Can fate be so cruel as to snatch him out of your grasp? In the last eight years you’d given your heart over to Chris’ father. You’d walked along the quiet, tree lined sidewalk in that tiny Carolina town and slipped your hand into his as he told you who lived in which house and talked with pride about his sons. You wanted years filled with him and his guidance and knowledge – you’d let yourself give into it. There’s something so solid about fathers – they always seem to know what to do. They always seem so willing to catch you and advise you before you fall. I love that feeling and I’ve missed that feeling so completely and in the center of my kitchen on a Saturday morning, I felt robbed. And I missed my own Dad so much that my heart felt absolutely empty.

The phone rang again and again throughout the day. The helicopter ride to Charlotte, the surgery, the waiting, but finally there was the phone call that said he was stable, serious but stable and you praised God that he’d granted the reprieve and you questioned why he hadn’t granted it before, but you were so willing to forgive the Him for giving in this time.

So we closed ourselves away in the tiny bedroom in the huge city of Brooklyn and we folded the wedding invitations in silent defiance of any other outcome than that of girl dancing at her wedding with a second chance father – turns out, it's going to be a second chance for both of us.

No Cents!

The invitations have arrived and they’re beautiful! Thank goodness! Big sigh of relief.

Much to my chagrin they will cost $0.59 to mail. Now riddle me this – most wedding invitations are the size that I ordered, so why on earth would the postage stamp with the wedding heart on it be $0.58 forcing me to add a crappy $0.01 stamp? It forces us to handle all of the invitations even more. Sigh. Has anyone ever used those stamps services where you make your own stamps, with their own value? Maybe I should do that.

That's Lunch!

The bridal luncheon was last weekend and I had such a lovely time. Eight dear friends came to have lunch and share their favorite recipes with me for my wedding. It was one of those moments when I felt like I was finally allowed to sit at the grown ups table. From my sister in law to my kindergarten teacher, I love those ladies so much! And Helen created such a lovely table and made such a delicious lunch. Sigh – I wish I could visit with them every single weekend. And I walked away with Helen’s recipe for fudge sauce (trust me, you’re jealous), Anita’s baked pineapple recipe, Rachel’s margarita’s, Diane’s drunken weenie’s, Pearl’s Amaretto Bread Pudding (loved the Busy Day Gourmet), Rozella’s Texas Sheet Cake Recipe (my brother wants all of the women in his life to be able to make this cake so he can have it any time he hangs his hat at one of our houses) and my mom’s overnight salad – deeeelish!

We’re at 89 days till the “I do’s” and I’m shocked that this date is coming at me so quickly. Chris and I are headed down to NC at the end of June for a shower and then back out to PA in July for another.

During all of this time I’ve finally ordered my invitations. The internet has made invitation ordering both quick and terrifying. On one hand, I didn’t have to order my invitations and wait three months for printing (thusly forcing me to set the time of the wedding and reception long before I really knew how I wanted the wedding to happen), but on the other hand if something is wrong with the invitations – it’s squarely on my shoulders. I had to type in all of the information, I had to write all of the text by myself … if there’s a problem there is no printer person to unfairly blame – it’s just going to be my goof. Gulp.

According to the website where I ordered my invitations they should be shipping out today. If all goes well, I should have those suckers in my hot little hand by next week at the latest. I’m hoping to beg my future SIL in NC to help me address them while we’re down there. It’s going to be a big task to tackle on my own.

In the mean time, when it’s not too hot, I’m working on this little scarf and thinking that I might head back and knit a favorite scarf of mine called branching out from a past knitty.com recipe.

Next up: Trying to get through another week of work. It’s the last thing I want to think about!

Till next time, that’s all the news that’s fit to knit!

Veils

My hair is going to be simple for the wedding. I'm wearing my mom's veil (I looove it) and I've decided that instead of doing some crazy big french twisty thing, that I really wanted to look like myself in the wedding photos. So, here's the one look and check out the back of my mom's veil:

For now, the knitting is slow 'cause the wedding is right around the corner. I even ordered the invitation Thursday night!

Friday marked three months out. Gulp. The dress is being altered, the hair has a plan, the invitations should be here in a week or so, the menus tasted and chosen, the cake has a plan, the flowers are ordered, C. is picking the music, the ceremony is set!

We might actually end up married!

Till next time, this is all the news that's fit to knit (and marry!)

Summer of Scarves?

I think I've started a summer of scarves! I'm just really into these lovely little projects all of a sudden. I've been through hats and socks and sweaters (though not very successfully) and I just feel this pull to be knitting scarves. So here I am...

Three beautiful scarves in the hold - and the above on the needles. I'm just going and going...and during the wedding planning, I think I need to have projects where I can memorize the pattern and knit without thinking too much (just enough to keep my minds off of the planning) and I need to be able finishing things - that's important too.

We hit the details - here's what my wedding bouquet should look like...I think. It's a little fuzzy - our flower lady was moving pretty fast...

Till later, that's all the news that's fit to knit!

We're Home!

If only my clients would learn to read, we wouldn’t have to call most of these people back!

Content later today - tomorrow at the latest. For now, I'm trying to clean out my sad, sad inbox.

The Word is Out!

Well, we’ve found our way to Thursday, haven’t we? The weeks are blowing past me at a pace I’m having trouble keeping up with. Tuesday marked exactly four months out until the wedding day. I’m both thrilled and ready for it to be over.

Chris and I have been together for 7+ years now – dating for a longer period of time than some of my married girlfriends have even known their husbands. And while I’m looking forward to the wedding, I simultaneously uncomfortable with the attention.

In the last ten years I’ve grown from a very confident and outgoing person, to a person who is love with routine. I think when your life gets turned up-side down you learn to error towards caution. I’ve become the kind of gal who likes to know what’s coming and to prepare for it. I think that’s a big part of the reason why I hate living in New York City so much, this city is unforgiving and tends to change on you in a snap. For a gal who likes to plan, it’s not the best combination. As an aside, I recently told C. that NYC and I have a true brother and sister relationship; its fine for me to bag on the city, but not for other to bag on the city. Funny how NYC can become a part of you…

The wedding begins to hit its stride next weekend when C. and I head into PGH for a massive three day planning binge. Over the course of Friday and Saturday we will be:

* Tasting and choosing a cake
* Meeting with the Preacher
* Tasting and choosing the menu for the reception
* Trying on and picking the tuxes
* Meeting with the Florist
* Designing the church decorations
* Picking the invitation and ordering it
* Picking the seating cards, programs, etc…
* Deciding on the wording of everything going into print including the dreaded and all important driving directions.
* Seeing Indiana Jones – ‘cause my mom is dying to go!

We’ll also be hitting some favorite sites (read: places to eat) that we never get to hit while living in NYC: the best ever: Eat n Park and we’ve all be jonesing for a trip to the Red Lobster. So – our bellies will be full and for the love of all things good PLEASE let my wedding dress fit and not make me look like a cheap hooker or a hooker of any kind, really.

We got the rings – wanna see???

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

Sucked In - the Wii has taken over the house!

I've been totally sucked in by the Wii that whole time. Ok, the Wii and the wedding have been the major time suck over the last few weeks.

I've never been a big video game fan. In fact, my FH is a gamer and there have been times that I've wanted to kick his Wow loving butt off the computer, but the Wii is different. I think it's because I feel like I'm actually in the game. When my brother got an Atari when we were kids, I was entertained by games like Frogger and Pac Man for about a day - I just hated sitting there - pushing buttons. So I grew up and got myself a job sitting in front of a computer, pushing buttons and I still don't like online games or x-box games, etc...in fact, Chris got me to play the Sims once and within ten minutes I accidentally caught my Sims house on fire and they all burned to death. It was a total accident. A combination of no cooking lessons, no phone and my inability to make them leave the house put me off of that game for life.

With the Wii - I'm swinging at the tennis ball like I'm playing tennis, I'm bowling like I'm in the sixth grade at the Monroe-bowl before it was turned into a Syms (no pun intended - it really is a Syms now). We bought the Olympic games game and I love it - I feel like I'm really playing a long and my Mii even looks like me! It's awesome. If you haven't found one - keep checking the Wii Tracker. They should be available soon and I think it's totally worth it.

The wedding has been center stage - today is the four month mark. This month kicks off trips home for planning and a summer full of wedding showers. We're so freaking lucky to know so many awesome people.

We bought wedding rings - pictures tomorrow, the camera is in the bedroom and I'm seriously about to go bowl a coupla frames.

Knitting?? Oh, yeah, well - a new scarf on the needles and new sock yarn in the house, so we've got some knitting to do. Like I said, pictures tomorrow, so see you then!

Till then, that's all the news that's fit to knit.

Wii Want to Play!

Oh dear God! Chris found a Wii. I'll see ya in bit...

Mini Me

It's me, circa 1977!

I've been scanning photos from the past, to make sure that we have them forever and I thought you'd like to see me, pre-knitter.

The House of Mouse

Last night, around 2 AM (why do most awful things happen in the quiet hours between 2 Am and 5 AM? I'll just never understand that). I was awakened by the sound of a something. A something that wasn't right in our bedroom. I did the only natural thing to do, I jumped on top of Chris and whispered "wakeupwakeupwakeup" he grunted and I whispered "something happened near the mouse trap" - and this is one of the moments in my life that I am thrilled to be a girl. I mean, my heart went out to Chris as he had to turn on the light, adjust his eyes and put his feet on the floor (where I was certain a giant New York City rat would stick out its rat arm and try to pull one of us under the bed to eat us) and put on his pants and walk around the bed with his feet on the floor - I of course pulled the girl card and scooted over onto his side of the bed (as far away from the sound of the something without having to put my feet on the floor where the giant rat was waiting to drag me under the bed.

Chris announced then that we'd caught the mouse that had evicted me from the bedroom for the last 48 hours. I always go through a few stages of emotion when we catch a mouse in the apartment. First, I'm grossed out (which is strange, because I've never seen the aftermath of a sprung mouse trap, but I can certainly imagine it), and then I feel victorious that we've taken back the house from this uninvited rodent and then I feel really, really regretful and sad that we killed something. And then I think that we should've caught the thing somehow and released it back into the wild. But then I realize that we live in Brooklyn, so to release this mouse into the wild, we'd have to trap it, call the parking garage and get the car, drive to Pennsylvania, release the mouse and get back through the Holland tunnel before rush hour, or we'd be screwed. It's too much. The mouse had to go the old fashioned way; spring trap. Then I try to go back to sleep - where all I think about is the stupid mouse.

So - now that we're past that...this is what I wanted to show you when the mouse first drove me out of the bedroom where the camera and the laptop were:




I learned to spin my own yarn on Saturday! I went to a class at The Point! It was wonderful. I'm bummed because I met the Brooklyn meetup organizer there and I planned to go to their meeting tonight, but I promised Chris I'd go see a friend's show tonight in the city - so I've got to miss, but next Thursday, I'm there!

The class was great, the people were so sweet and I've been spinning bit by bit all week.





I bought the Springtime Lacy Scarf kit from the Point while I was there. I'm working away on it now, feeding my renewed obsession with making scarfs.







This week I also bought myself a little something from the Loopy Ewe. I loved this little tote bag - perfect for a sock! And it has a cute little tag that reads: "sock yarns don't count as stash" I love it!





I also got this skein of sock yarn called "Laurie's Carolina Morning" It's superwash Loopy Legends sock yarn. I can't wait to make a pair of socks from it. It'll be a great travel project for me as I run around this summer with wedding events.

So, that's what's been happening here. It's been busy! It's been mousey - all of that. And for now, that's all the news that's fit to knit.

I would...but no way!

I loaded the pictures for you. I put them on the lap top once the battery for the camera was charged.

The camera and the lap top are now locked in the bedroom. With the mouse.

Maybe I'll see you after C. gets home.

Stand By

Hello? Blogger?

What's up!? First you won't let me log in with my normal account name and you insist that I use a gmail account and when I finally get in and try to play nice and edit my account to use my gmail account, you tell me I can't list a gmail account as the primary email address. Then, I write a great little "Stand By" post for the readers about how I'm over my little woe-is-me phase from the post below and I've got great stuff to tell them but the camera battery is charging. I even make this great pun about how I'll be back in a "flash" and then you eat the post.

What gives!?!?!

Homesick

It's only Wednesday, but with the wedding planning really speeding up now I'm homesick in a way that hurts me all the way to my toes. Can even your toes feel sad? Do you know what I mean? A sad that empties you out and you're just feeling a little empty. Maybe it's the hugeness of this event - this life changing activity that I'm planning for. Or maybe it's the vivid dreams that I've been having of my dad. Maybe its that I don't have any friends who I can just drop in and see, or even talk to easily. Or maybe I'm just PMSing. Any way you shake it, I'm just feeling sad and lonely and really far away from my home. And I want my mother and I'm not afraid to say it.

Scarves and Weekends

I think as knitters we go through phases. Sometimes phases result in obsessions - things that we just need to get knit out of our systems. After years of knitting and being unafraid to try any type of knitting (except steeks - they freak my freak), I'm finding my heart in scarves. I just finished this one (The cross stitch scarf from One Skein Wonders) and I loved knitting every stitch. I just cast on for the Diagonal Lace Scarf (a find through Ravelry). I'm enjoying it in a way that is indescribable. I think I went through my scarf phase when I first learned to knit and after that, I looked at them as a beginner's project - I need bigger challenges like mittens, socks, sweaters and even knitted toys. I totally expect that something will come along to steal my attention away from the scarf, but for the here and now, I'm going to enjoy my scarves.

I've taken a few side trips too - I made C. this cable hat:

It's totally past season, but we'll put it in the hand knits winter bin in the hall closet and it'll be at the ready for him next year. Looooved knitting this too - it was simple and repetitive and I got lost in my thoughts while knitting it.

I've even cast on for a tank for the summer, but the spell has been cast by scarves. I'm just going with the flow - letting myself stock pile Christmas gifts for later in the year (could I possibly be ready for the holidays this year???) Won't I look smart and impressive if in the year of my wedding, I'm able to outfit the whole family in warm woolen scarves for the holidays? I like the idea of that. Good little haus frau keeps the house clean (yeah right), makes impressive and lovely dinners every night (as if) and knits scarves for the whole family (could actually happen).

I love the yarn for this tank - it's lovely. (Grat-uitous ring shot, turn your head if you hate those).

Next Saturday, I'm taking a spinning class at The Point in NYC. I've just come to understand that when I tell non-knitters about my spinning class - they believe I'm headed to the gym. I find that hilarious. So I'm taking this class and I'm really looking forward to it. Of course, I've got to go to the city on the same weekend the Pope is in town. Wish me luck. I'm planning to leave hella early from the Slope.

This weekend has been great for me. Yesterday, C. and I had a sleep in, walked to the farmer's market where we only bought Challah Bread (Holla!) for the most dee-lish french toast with blueberries this morning (already consumed - already deeper in love with C.) and then we meandered along the Avenue, popping in and out of shops until we were tired. We headed back here, I made a blueberry pie (we're into the anti-oxidant powers of the blueberry this weekend), C. made Chicken Mole, refried beans and rice and we shared a beer. We've got a Thin Man movie from Net Flix for tonight and I've got the Deadliest Catch marathon on Discovery right now.

It's been a nice weekend - I'm on the couch, the Diagonal Scarf that I'm bewitched by on the needles (in a butter colored Micro Spun that I found when a knitting basket flipped over on Thursday during a spring cleaning).

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

Working From Home - Realizations

Now that I've been working from home for a month, I've realized a few things about myself:

• I really can stay in my PJ's half the day and not be bothered by it.
• I can't skip the daily shower even if that means showering at 5 PM.
• I can sleep later and I'm taking advantage of that
• I find Kelly Ripa hilarious
• I have not been sucked in by soaps...yet.

Knitting - 'cause the camera has pictures...till then, this is all the news that's fit to knit.

Time to Save Time

We're still trying to recover from this nasty flu business. That's right, I've shared my flu with C. poor thing is still willing to marry me - thank goodness. But we're hacking and sniffling away here in Brooklyn...

So, in between working (and apologizing to people over the phone for sounding like I just guzzled whiskey before I called them)...

I've been working on Save the Date cards and trying to pick a wedding invitation.

The fall theme has developed and everything for our wedding is now bedecked in maple leafs. I love this, C. tolerates this and that's just fine. I've always loved fall and I love the maple leaf, so we're in business. I've made these save the date cards - can't decide if I like the big leaf or the small leaf - so I've got a mix of them going out. I've photoshopped out our last names and the date (in the words of NL Cast, no stalkers!) - but this is the inside of the card. I made the little cake / leaf deal. I'm really quite proud of them.

I even sealed them with our newly shared last initial. I tried to do this with wax to start with, but that process was really time consuming and there was a bit of skill to it as well. I ruled that out for 150 invitations and went with a stamp instead.

So, we've been curled in bed surrounded by arts and crafts. It's looked pretty much like this:

DVD's - save the dates - registering

(we'll talk about that tomorrow)

and invitations

We're thinking about this for the invitations...

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

Flu

I have been fighting the flu since Thursday. It was one of those flus where even your hair hurts. C. came home from work early on Friday out of concern for my health. He's a good man, that one. And hopefully, I'll be better by tomorrow.

I'm considering this for my bridal bouquet... hmmmm.

Another Year Older

This Yarnal chick hit the big 3-2 yesterday. Wow, 32 years old. It's a big number.

I've been thinking about my age in the days leading up to my birthday and I've come to realize that my 30's have been pretty good to me. I've shed a lot of the insecurities that I faced in my 20's. The nights of anxiety regarding work, home, relationships and friendships have melted away to leave me with a sense that everything can usually be worked out.

Blogger won't let me upload pictures today - not sure why, so I promise another post with interesting pictures of knitting! :)

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

It's What's Happening:

1. I'm feeling badly about the fact that I haven't posted to this blog in a few weeks.

2. We've just said goodbye to our favorite Englishman who's now safely back in Ireland. (The house is empty without you Johnny).

3. I am dancing a jig of happiness that Monday is the beginning of my last week of commuting. I officially become a "work from home" gal as of March. Loss of time in commuting, showering and dressing for work will come to an end. Bunny slippers and cold cream conference calls are in my future.

4. I've ordered a desk for myself from Target. This goes against the rule I made two years ago that condemned buying furniture that required that we assemble it with an allen wrench. Sigh.

5. It was a snow day here, but because I work from home on Fridays already, I was screwed.

6. I am re-watching every episode of Gilmore Girls on DVD and really wondering what AS-P had in mind for those last four words. This show was so freaking good. Except for the last season. We won't talk about that.

7. I spent $55 at Rite Aid today. That happens to me once a year - I spend an un-heard of amount of money at a drug store. I am still uncertain of how that bill got to be so high, but I think it was the new makeup line that sucked me in.

8. If I don't find a Wii for sale soon, I may kick something.

9. The wedding planning is totally and completely stalled and both of our mothers are to blame.

10. Barnes and Noble in NYC and Park Slope, Brooklyn have awesome displays of Pat Lewis' book, When the Claws Come Out. I bought a copy and am going back for pictures and another copy tomorrow. If you haven't bought it, get wit it.

11. After a tip off from my friends at Ravelry, I've come to find out that my first name and my new last name to be are already taken as email addresses. I settled for a hotmail account and smartly reserved the damn thing seven months before the wedding. Everything has to be done months before the wedding. Thanks, Ravelry. Now I don't have to be kristinhislastname1111122222233334444ATsomethingDOTcom.

You know the line, for now, this is all the news that's fit to knit.

Save the Date

Life must go on while I'm knitting / crocheting this Queen sized blanket for C. The wedding is slowly starting to take my attention now that we're past the holidays and starting in on February. I've got a to-do list that's starting to demand some respect.

Speaking of the holidays, back around Christmastime when I was separated from my sweetheart by miles and miles and miles of states and highways, I went out to dinner with my family for a little bonding and plan making. I love my family, in the time since I've been engaged, we found our way back to each other. I feel like we're closer than ever - in a good way. So, long story short, my mother and sister-in-law (read: mother of the bride and matron of honor) get me soaking drunk on margarita's and ushered me over to the local craft store to talk me into making things for the wedding.

Now, for the record, when I was stone cold sober, I was staunchly against hand - making anything for the wedding . Apparently, three fish-bowl margaritas, or whatever the hell they called them, had swung my vote.

So now, I've just spent the last half hour on a conference call where my brand of expertise wasn't really needed, with my phone on mute while I hand fed 100+ save the date cards through the printer. Sigh. Next step: punch out Maple Leaves from card stock, stick foam riser square on them and apply maple leaf to front of card. Yeah - I'm screwed.

I figure the best way to avoid being angry over my need to create so many of these, using so many steps, is to do the steps slowly - making it seem like it's less. Either that, or it's back to the fish bowl margarita.

Surprisingly, the biggest effort of all has been getting the mothers to cough up their mailing lists. I'm starting to wonder if booking the room that cannot take more than 150 people - no matter what, was a very good idea...

Knit the world a woobie

A few months back, C. and I hit the Yarn Farm for last ever big private sale.

C. asked that I would make him a giant woobie - basically, a queen sized woobie. He picked out this cotton, wool, silk blend and I bought 35 skeins (200yds. per skein). It's this lovely gray / lavender color.

Knowing better than to try to knit a queen sized blanket and not really wanting to sew together a million squares and really wanting a reversable blanket, I decided to crochet the bad boy.




So, this is what's been on the needle - or shall I say, crochet hook.

I'm not sure how wide we are - at least queen sized and the length, if I use every skein will be 105 inches. We're getting married this year and I've got a number of months to work on this. I'm hoping to give it to him as a wedding present.


Currently, it looks like a big heap - but in no time, it'll look like a larger heap. I know I'll be loving this thing in February and March and loating it in August! I've got to get it done before the summer heat really sets in.

To everyone who sent lovely messages about our hard trip to NC for C's grandfather's funeral, thank you so very much.

For now, that's all the news that's fit to Kn...Crochet!

Oh, Keyspan gas company, it's waaay after 5:00 PM, why are you still digging up the road in front of my house???

Hard Weeks

We've had a hard week here at chez Yarnal Knowledge. C's beloved grandfather passed away and we rushed to NC to say goodbye. It was a hard time. Goodbyes are always hard. I feel blessed to have had a grandfather again for a few years, it was too short a time with a very special man. So, dear readers, share a kind thought with my beloved. It's been a very hard week.

Knitting returns later this week.

For now, it's all the news, we're just not fit to knit.

Fo' Shizzle my knitizzers!

You thought since I was off in da 'Burgh visiting the City County building...

That I'd stopped knitting... Suckas! Check out some serious knit eye candy:

Ok, ends need to be woven in...

But I love this pink hat!!! It has ear flaps!

A Monkey Sock...someone has a birthday coming up...

A Clapotis - which, holy cow, when it was 14 degrees the other day, was the only thing that kept me truly warm. Love you, wool!

A pretty baby sweater... ends need, uh...

Seacell yarn from my future mother in law! Can't wait. Love ya!

And Jen and Adam showed me some serious love with some serious roving:

Can you stand it??? Future Mother in Law, I need a spinning lesson, stat!!! :)

Also from FMIL - who gave me a $25 Barnes and Noble Gift Certificate:

I wanna make everything in here!

So, you see??? I'm making stuff! This is still a knitting blog! And for now, that's all the news that's fit to knit in pictures!

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2008!

I'm pretty stoked about this year. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. The wedding is the most exciting event of '08 that we have planned, but the way things have been going lately, I think we'll be encountering all kinds of neat things throughout the year.

The holidays were fantastic. I'll share pictures tonight or Friday - I've got to upload from the camera. The bridesmaid dresses are starting to arrive - Mountain View (our reception site) caught on fire, I was swindled into making my own save the date cards under the influence of some UN-naturally large margaritas. Like I said, good times.

I'm thrilled to be starting 2008. Everything in my life feels right and good. I feel like I'm moving in the right direction and that I'm doing it with the full support of so many people who I love.

Hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am.

RESOLUTION:

To everyone who text messages me, I promise to learn how to text so that I can reply to you and make sense!

Oh - And the knitting, it's coming too! for now, that's all the news that's fit to knit!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Knitters & Friends. I finally head out to home tomorrow. I can't wait to be with my family.

C. is tucked away with his folks in NC and I miss him like a part of myself is gone away. We talk constantly, but I'm used to his face being around the homestead. I have, however, enjoyed sleeping in the middle of the bed. I'm over it now.

So the next few days for me include:

- Hugs out the wazzoo.
- Laughter and tales of Christmases past
- Updates on all activities from the niece & nephew
- Holiday cocktails
- Holiday music and dancing with my family
- Christmas eve service at church, where I can rejoice in this holiday and faith
- Christmas morning with my family and Christmas dinner with more family
- Meeting dear friends for lunches and evening cocktails
- Finding all of the good after Christmas sales with my mom
- Possibly picking up my wedding dress

It's a good list of things to look forward to. In the end, my life is about these people and I cherish these times. I don't hate my job, and I'm thankful for that, but my life is about the moments that I have with the people I love. I'm rich in that way alone. I have been lucky enough to have been surrounded, in the summer of my lifetime, by the most precious souls on earth. I'm thankful for it.

Now, I'm going to go pack an extra knitting project, I have to be at the airport in the morning!

So, till next week, that's all the news that's fit to knit!

Admissions

I know that a lot of people get choked up over songs, but I am here to admit today that nothing makes me cry my eyes out like hearing the Beach Boys sing Little Duece Coup. Why is that?

Little deuce Coupe You don't know what I got Little deuce Coupe You don't know what I got

Well I'm not braggin' babe so don't put me down

But I've got the fastest set of wheels in town When something comes up to me he don't even try Cause if I had a set of wings man I know she could fly

She's my little deuce coupe

You don't know what I got (My little deuce coupe) (You don't know what I got)

Just a little deuce coupe with a flat head mill But she'll walk a Thunderbird like (she's) it's standin' still She's ported and relieved and she's stroked and bored. She'll do a hundred and forty with the top end floored

She's my little deuce coupe

You don't know what I got (My little deuce coupe) (You don't know what I got)

She's got a competition clutch with the four on the floor And she purrs like a kitten till the lake pipes roar And if that aint enough to make you flip your lid There's one more thing, I got the pink slip daddy

And comin' off the line when the light turns green Well she blows 'em outta the water like you never seen I get pushed out of shape and it's hard to steer When I get rubber in all four gears

She's my little deuce coupe You don't know what I got (My little deuce coupe) (You don't know what I got)

Holy Crap, Knitting pictures!

It's Christmas in Brooklyn today for C. and I. He gifted me with a new iPod video Nano. I love this thing! A few years ago, C. got me a mini - which went out of circulation about a week after it was released, but I loved her. I've been using her happily, but C. decided that I needed to new video action - I love it. Thanks honey!

What do you get the guy bought you a diamond ring and a new iPod in the same year? The new Bose in ear head phones for the video iPod you got him last year. Yeah, he'll probably get a post holiday gift - I was thrown by this exciting giftie for me under the tree this year.

This is my Boogie sweater vest - fresh out of the bath and off the needles. I love it and will try to find a day when the sun shines to get a picture of it on my actual body. I love the vest and the double cable up the front is really nice.

We're enjoying our shared Christmas here in Brooklyn today. We're playing with the new iPod and new iPod toys. We're slightly home bound because of the nasty weather the nor-easter has dropped on us (mostly ice and slush, stuff that freezes your toes). I'm listening to the Steelers lose their game to Jacksonville, egg nogg is in my future (yay! C. makes the best nogg in the world) and I'm working on a pair of socks as a last minute gift "just in case".

This is the last week before the holidays for C. and I and this is the last year where we'll be split up for the holidays. For the last seven years, we've always had our Christmas together a week before we've left for our prospective family celebrations. We snatch moments via telephone to connect and both feel a little blue to be alone during the celebrations when all of our families are paired with the loves of their lives. Of course, trying to figure out how we'll leave our families to visit only one next year, seems almost impossible. I can't imagine celebrating Christmas without my family. It might prove to be too much for my heart to take. Won't worry about that until next year.

So for now, it's all the news that's fit to knit!

OTBKB's Top 100!

I'd been meaning to post the OTBKB's Top 100 here . Of all of the places to have to live in New York City, I'd say Park Slope is probably the best. It has a neighborhood feel that foks are really trying to hold on to - a slippery grip on "normal" in a city that is anything but normal. Folks are pretty nice here and there's a good ratio of dogs to kids and there might be more dogs than kids, which makes it a quieter neighborhood, really.

A lot of things on the top 100 are favs of mine too - left off, Dog Beach at Prospect Park, because it's my happy place when NYC really sucks. Oh, and that little hole in the wall that makes the doghnuts on seventh avenue - fresh doghnuts everyday. There's a nice man there who always gives me an extra doughnut, even though we both know I really don't need it. And the new kitchen store that just opened up on the back side of Applewood - I haven't bought anything there, but I want to buy everything there (a rather dangerous comination). And Russo's where the bread and pasta are fresh and the homemade mozzerlla is the best!

Things on the list I agree with:

"PATTY AND BOB LENARTZ because as owners of Slope Cellars you are always ready to give back and are generous and kind. Experts at the "cheap and tasty" category, you are never pretentious and always dog friendly" - We love this wine store. It helps Slopers remember that Park Slope doesn't really end at 15th street.

"PIZZA PLUS and ROZ because after a fire destroyed your South Slope pizza restaurant, you rose from the ashes and created something even more wonderful. Roz, you are a fabulous community minded person and hard working merchant of the mom and pop variety." - And you make a mean pasta and the best chicken marsala sandwich in the world!


Anyway, you get the idea, read the Top 100 and shop in Park Slope, even though I couldn't this year (trust me, Slope, you've gotten a lot of Yarnal Knowledge mooola over the years!)

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

Daily Ramble

Someone has been running a chainsaw in Brooklyn for the last two days. A chainsaw. In Brooklyn. It just seems...wrong.

In other news over the last two days, every time I've washed a knife or the food processor blade, I've taken a chunk out of one of my fingers. What is my damage? That shit hurts!

Blue Memory

It's Sunday night and I always feel a little bit blue on Sunday nights, especially when the following things are happening:

1. My family is getting together for a party and I'm stuck in New York.
2. The Steelers are losing.
3. It's winter and it has gotten dark at 4:00 PM
4. I'm growing out a bad hair cut and am in the "unfortunate" stage.
5. I've come to the realization that though I live in New York City, I've been forced to do all of my holiday shopping online because I'm not able to get to any store that won't charge me an arm and a leg because they've got to pay their New York City rent.
6. I still need to buy a gift for my new boss AND my old boss and I have no idea what to get them. Harry and David, here I come.

The weekend has gone fast and I've accomplished little. I did finish working on a sweater vest for myself (pictures when the sun is up again). I love the sweater, it's Boogie from an old Knitty pattern. The new Knitty is up, so check that out.

And! Whoever bought out all of those copies of Pat's book on Amazon - thank you! My Barnes and Noble had 5 on order and I ordered an additional three, so Brooklyn folks, check back this week, your copies will be available.

Apart from feeling a bit blue tonight, I am happy to be sitting in the shadow of our sparkling Christmas tree. The holiday season is one of the most important for folks in my religion. It's also a time for wonderful memories. I like to think back to where I used to sit every year on the floor near the couch at my grandparents house to open presents. I love to picture my grandfather pulling the turkey out of the roaster and carving it on the kitchen table. I like to think about my Aunt Tay reading me the funnies from the paper. I love recalling the feeling of how stinking hot it was at my grandparents house on 3 Stockton Avenue and my mother quietly and forcefully reminding my brother and I that we were, under no circumstances, to remove our shoes in their house as the carpets were full of coal dust from the heater. I love to think back to showing my cousins the new toy I'd gotten that morning from Santa and ohhhing at the toys that Santa had dropped off at their house for them. I love to think of my mom playing Christmas carols on the old piano that now sits in my brother's house, the one she learned to play on in the 50's. I love to remember sitting on my father's lap and feeling his body shake when he laughed and how strong his arm was that held me in place there. I love to remember our drive home Christmas night, feeling full of turkey and our traditional treats, looking forward to playing with the toys that we'd left at home that morning and slipping to sleep, full of all of that love in the backseat of my parents car. I wonder sometimes if I'll ever feel those feelings again and I am hopeful. After all, isn't this the season of hope?

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

The Claws Come Out - By Pat Lewis

One of my dearest friends, Pat Lewis, has a new book out that's in stores now. If you know what's good for you, like to read really funny stories, and enjoy comics you'll run, not walk, to your local bookstore and buy as many copies of this book as possible.

I'm hitting Barnes & Noble in Park Slope tonight!

Or, for the shop at home lot of you - Shop on Amazon!

It's the perfect present for so many people in your life, trust me! And heck, Pat's a great guy and amazing artist. So, knitters, get behind me on this one and check out these "Austounding Tales of Broads and Monsters" this holiday season. Pat rocks. If you buy more than 50 copies, I'll get Pat to call you on the telephone. Promise. Just send me your receipt!

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