Tales of a Mad Tatter

A day made of win!

2010-06-09T17:28:00.004-05:00

Break out the bubbly and grab your pencils! I am crossing number 4 off my big to-do list. I was offered a job this morning after completing a successful second interview. Actually, I was kind of offered 2 jobs, but let me back up.

I had originally applied for an entry-level position (Job A) and was in the middle of interviewing for it when the interviewer noted that, with my skill set, I was probably a better fit for another job (Job B). So, she set up an interview with the supervisor of Job B and it went swimmingly. At the end of the interview I asked about the timetable for filling the position and Mr. Supervisor said he was going on vacation and would not be back till the end of the month, so the earliest anyone could start Job B would be July 1st. Okay, fine.

This morning, I got a call from Mr. Supervisor offering me the position! Yay! Much dancing ensued. He went on to mention that due to the recent hospitalization of a co-worker, they were in desperate need of help in the claims department and would I be interested in starting in claims (Job C) and giving them a hand while Mr. Supervisor is on vacation? It would give me an opportunity to learn the company, while helping out the claims department. Being the helpful person I am, I agreed. Mr. Supervisor also mentioned that if, in the few weeks I was helping out claims, I decided I loved it there, I was more than welcome to take that position instead. So, I start Job C on Monday with the option of staying in claims or choosing to switch to Job B after the return of Mr. Supervisor. Huzzah!!!

Antici...............pation

2010-06-03T18:14:00.004-05:00

I was drafting my follow-up email when it happened. I got the email I've been waiting for! I have a second interview on Tuesday afternoon. I was given the choice of Monday morning or Tuesday afternoon and while the impulsive part of me wanted to jump at taking the first opportunity available, the smart part of me stopped myself to think for a minute. The smart part pointed out that I have no idea what traffic is like on Monday mornings and since I live in an area where a lot of people commute to New York City, the last thing I wanted to do was have to ~~camp out in their parking lot~~ leave the house at 5 a.m. for a 9 o'clock appointment. So, I opted for Tuesday afternoon, but I'll be leaving around noon for my 2 o'clock meeting, just in case.

Waiting with bated breath

2010-05-29T10:19:00.006-05:00

There is a chance I may soon be gainfully employed.

Monday, I saw an advertisement searching for a "technical assistant." Looking at the job duties and requirements, I felt that I was well-qualified for the position, so I submitted my resume for consideration. The next morning (Tuesday), about half an hour after the office opened, I received an email in reply stating that the job was 45 minutes away but if I was still interested, they would like to schedule an interview. A 45 minute drive is a cake walk for me, so I emailed back and asked if the following day (Wednesday) was too soon. An email in response informed me that the following afternoon was convenient for the interviewer if it was convenient for me, so we set the meeting time at 2 p.m.

I rushed around like a crazy person looking for my suit and other interview paraphernalia and mapped my route through Google maps. It would take 45 minutes in good traffic and I knew there was construction, so I planned to leave at 12:30, an hour and a half before my appointment. It turned out to be a very fortunate foresight.

Within a half mile of my merge onto the first of 3 main highways, I was in at a dead stop behind a long line of traffic. I attribute the slowdown to two things: first, heading in the opposite direction, there was an oversized load that was stopped underneath an overpass and as it was straddling both lanes, no traffic could pass. I believe this distraction caused drivers on my side of the highway to slow down and rubber-neck. Further impeding my progress was the sudden decision on the part of the state's department of transportation to close one lane in my direction of travel, thus squeezing the already sluggish traffic into a construction-induced bottle-neck. It took me thirty minutes to move the three miles to my exit. At this point, I was understandably panicked. For while I had allowed myself twice as much time as I thought necessary, my expected delay still lay ahead.

However, once I exited the first main highway, the sailing was smooth and even in the corridor where I had anticipated a hindrance, there was no hint of any trouble. I arrived a full 20 minutes early and at the behest of the receptionist, I sat down to fill out the required application.

Once that was concluded, I was received by the interviewer. To make a long story short, (too late) I feel the interview went very well. About halfway through I was surprised and delighted when my interviewer mentioned that the more she spoke with me, the more she was convinced that I would actually be a good candidate for another job that was so new that it hadn't even been posted yet. She deduced that, with my degree in English, I was very detail-oriented and probably very concise. I confirmed that I am. She stated that there was a manager who was looking for an assistant who could work independently, as he was frequently out of the office, and who was very accurate, as some of the things this assistant would be preparing would not be viewed by him until he was in front of a client. I told her I was very interested and she printed out a copy of the job description for me. Upon reading the description, I became very certain that I want this job.

She concluded the interview by saying that she would be in touch in the next week, probably not until Tuesday, at the earliest, due to the holiday weekend, but that she wanted to set up an appointment for me to meet the manager who needs an accurate, self-starting assistant. She would keep me in mind for the other position, but that with my skill set, she felt I would be a great fit for the manager's assistant.

So now I wait, with fingers crossed, for an email or a call and another interview with a man who will hopefully become my next supervisor.

Such fun

2010-05-08T09:38:00.004-05:00

To add to the confusion inherent in living out of hastily-labeled boxes, I found this on the door yesterday:

Well, we're all moved in and I know exactly where everything is

2010-05-06T08:30:00.004-05:00

--in a box in the basement. This house is quite a bit...cozier than the last house, so space is at a premium. I'm currently trying to only keep the essentials in the main part of the house and repackage the non-essentials for long term storage in the basement. I'm taking great care to label the repackaged items so as not to end up spending hours looking for something a few months down the road.

Hopefully this will be the last move for a while.

Today's grin brought to you by...

2010-04-28T16:13:00.002-05:00

A friend shared this on Facebook. It is absolutely hilarious and gave me a much needed break from packing:

The Alot is Better Than You at Everything

Thank you, Kat, for sharing!

101 in 1001...actually more like 97 in 1001

2010-04-13T08:46:00.028-05:00

So looking over my 101 in 1001, I realized that I'd somehow managed to list "Learn to spin my own yarn" twice, within a few lines of each other. (so I changed one of them to TBA) I also realized that goal #9 ("Update this blog once a week for the duration of the project") just isn't happening. I'm not sure if that's because of a lack of documentable progress or just a bit of laziness on my part.

In any case, I am changing the font on my original list to italics if the goal is in progress, ~~strike-through~~ if the goal is complete and updating the number in brackets [2/10] if the goal is quantifiable.

A little update on my goals:

3. Reduce the unnecessary use of "like" and "you know"
I am actually having quite a bit of success with this one. I've been paying attention more to how I speak and I find that most times the easiest way to reduce the unnecessary use of the word "like" is to just say "said." [i.e., instead of saying "He was all like 'I'm not doing that.'" I choose to say "He said 'I'm not doing that.'" Easy-peasy!]

4. Get a job
This is proving to be a more difficult task. Most of the jobs that I've been finding are about a one hour+ commute and that's before factoring in traffic and the recent arrival of the construction season. Don't even get me started about the drive in winter.

12. Go through all my clothes—get rid of stuff that no longer fits/is no longer my style
I've been making slow, but steady, progress in sorting through my clothing. There were a few things that I tried to convince myself that I would wear, even though I have neither worn nor even missed wearing them in the past year or so. When the logical part of me asked the hoarding part of me why I should keep the clothing, why, if I liked it so much, wasn't I wearing it the hoarding part stood silent and pouted. Into the Goodwill box it went.

30. Catalog all my yarn
With the help of Ravelry, which is kinda like Facebook for knitters and crocheters, I've been slowly creating a log of all my stash yarns. In the interest of reducing the number of boxes to move, I once again sorted through my yarn. I have purged yarn prior to each of the last few moves and this time was no exception. The next step will be to being photographing and logging it all . . . but that won't start till after we move.

34. Run a 5k
I've been training for this for a while now and as of three weeks ago, I could jog three miles together. However, I've been slacking off recently. [excuses] I've been running on the college's track, but recently the spring sports have begun to practice and phys ed classes have moved out of doors and since they get priority use of the track, I've been stymied in my efforts. I've tried running around town, but the hills and the concrete have been doing a number on my knees. I've also been bored with running. Actually maybe it's more accurate to say I'm discouraged. I had been running 3 miles every other day for about a month and not getting any faster at it. I would have thought I would make some sort of progress speed-wise in that amount of time. [/excuses] Of course, now that I haven't been working at it for the past few weeks, I'm not even sure I can jog the three miles together anymore.

40. Establish and maintain a useful daily routine
This is coming along and due to my diligence in removing my make-up each night, I am happy to report that for the first time in almost 10 years, my face is free of major blemishes! (at least for the moment)

42. Take a vitamin/vitamin pack once a day
This one has been pretty easy and with the exception of a few missed days here and there, I've been successful.

43. Exercise at least 3 times per week
This was going so well until about three weeks ago. See above for excuses.

45. Learn to kayak
About a week ago, My Beloved took me out in to a near-by lake for some paddling. I had some issues getting into the boat, but once I was in, the rest was fairly easy. Next step: combine kayaking with fishing.

~~73. Learn to spin my own yarn~~
A few weeks ago, My Beloved and I went to visit a couple of friends. One of said friends had located a place for us to learn to spin that weekend and booked us a lesson. Here are the results:

74. Bake at least once a month
This one has been way easy since I bake scones every couple of weeks for breakfast. (The scones are so easy though that it almost feels like cheating to count them as my baking for the month!) I have also been making butter ring (aka, coffee cake) and cookies.

Freshly-glazed butter ring

Cranberry orange scones

~~80. Learn to make bobbin lace~~
Since Lace Day, I've been invited to attend a local lace group that has been meeting on Mondays. (actually, "local" is kind of a misnomer; the group meets an hour away in New Jersey). Pat, our fearless leader, has supplied me with several new patterns over the past couple of months, always managing to start me on a new pattern just when I had gotten the hang of the old one. :) Here are some of the projects I've been working on:

Lace edgings:

A handkerchief edging:

And here are some projects I hope to tackle soon:
(I'm told I possess the skills to complete them without much trouble, but I am a tad skeptical.)

84. Crochet my sisters surprise floor coverings
I'm not going to say too much about this, as my sister(s) may be reading this, but here is one of the projects in progress:

91. Learn how to tie 10 new knots [1/10]
In learning to make bobbin lace, I learned to tie a new knot: the weaver's knot. It is indispensable when/if a thread breaks.

Looking at things from this perspective, I feel I'm making some real progress towards my goals.
Huzzah!

On the Move Part 5*

2010-02-26T15:58:00.007-05:00

Yes, we're moving again! But a little back story:

When we originally moved in, our landlord informed us that his intention for the property was to eventually tear down the house and build a commercial building, but as he had no takers on the prospect, he would rent us the house. So, we settled in, thinking we'd have maybe a year or so before we'd have to think about moving again.

However, in February, workers began showing up with earth-moving equipment, digging up the yard to assess soil conditions. A week or so later, surveyors came and we knew our happy little home would not be long ours. An email from our landlord confirmed that we had till the end of April to move out.

So began the search for new digs, but most places in the area were either too expensive, too small or didn't allow pets (which posed a problem for our cat). We were beginning to panic when a knitting friend of mine reminded me about a house she had told me about the month before. She had recently spoken to the owners and found that the place was still available. My Beloved called and made arrangements to go see the place.

It's a cute 3 bedroom ranch in Delaware Water Gap, PA, with a living room, a kitchen with adjacent dining area, a cellar built into the bedrock and about an acre of property.

Let the packing commence...sigh

*[Shamelessly backdated]

Lace Day 2010

2010-02-13T11:34:00.036-05:00

A knitting friend of mine, who is also a bobbin lacemaker, told me about The Lost Art Lacers Annual Lace Day, which is actually a 2 day event: Saturday is mainly a shopping day, with a few vendors, a raffle and some demonstrations. Sunday is the class day and this year they were offering 4 classes: bobbin lace making, tatting, knitting and Tønder (which is a variety of bobbin lace making). I signed up for the bobbin lace making class, as it is something I have wanted to learn for a while now.

I was overwhelmed by the variety of bobbins and threads available. I'm familiar with tatting thread and I generally use the type (cotton) and size (80) that I can get in the local craft store. The vendors provided a peek into a world I didn't know existed: threads of linen, silk, wire and cotton in a variety of gauges; books in French, German, Italian and a few languages I did not recognize; lace making pillows in delicious fabrics; tools ranging from the practical to the sublime (some of which reminded me of some fly tying tools I own) and even some lace making jewelry (miniature bobbin earrings and small pendants that resemble small picture frames in which one may insert a tiny motif).

The displays were absolutely stunning:

Here's an unfortunately blurry close-up of the corner:

Here's the basic set up for bobbin lace making, albeit with a complicated lace pattern:

In comparison, here's the set-up I was working on the following day:

And here's the finished product:

After we had been working on that pattern for a while, we broke for lunch and started a small sampler:

After the sampler, our teacher asked us to return to our initial project...which I stared at blankly for a few minutes until she came over and got me restarted. Happily, the following day, I was able to more or less pick up where I left off...with the help of one of the many handouts she provided.

I'm not entirely sure how I will use my newly acquired skill, but I did see a book that inspired me to consider using bobbin lace in jewelry:

...and possibly learning to do bobbin lace in wire...but those are challenges for another day.

P.S. I nearly forgot! I briefly mentioned a raffle on Saturday. The raffle had a variety of finished lace products, lace making supplies and books. My knitting/lace-making friend pointed out a good reference book on bobbin lace making and said if I wanted to risk a dollar, that was a good book to chance it on. I dug through my change purse and pulled out two quarters and five dimes and purchased one ticket. I filled out the back with my contact information, mentally kissed it for luck and dropped it in the drawing bag.

On the way back to New Jersey Sunday for our lace classes, we asked one another if anyone had won a prize. The three of us denied having been contacted about any raffle prizes, so we all presumed losses.

Shortly after our arrival, but before classes began, I wandered over to the raffle table, where several unclaimed prizes lay. The book I had taken a chance on was there and a bit of the ticket was peeking out of the cover. I looked a little closer and saw that it looked a bit like my handwriting...so I peeked. I had won! Not wanting to snatch the book from the table, I moseyed over to my knitting/lace-making friend and said "I think I won that book from yesterday's raffle." She accompanied me back to the table and looked at the ticket. It was mine! Triumph!

We got the beet...er, um, beat

2010-01-28T08:45:00.011-05:00

Not too long ago, I ran across this juicer.* I have occasionally contemplated buying one to enjoy some freshly expressed juice. This one, although reasonably priced, did not inspire my confidence. However, those with two left feet may wish to take a closer look at this model.

Let's see:

It makes Pineapple Juice, very refreshing

Orange Juice, a very good source of vitamin C

Carrot Juice, excellent for vitamin A

and Beat Juice, for those lacking rhythm.

*Name has been blurred to protect the idiots

In preparation

2010-01-18T18:13:00.010-05:00

In preparation for #45 on my list [Learn to kayak], I present a fairly new acquisition, of sorts:

She's a Hurricane Phoenix 130 and she's on extended loan from a friend. It was remarkably warm here today, so we hauled the 'yaks out for a rinse and rub-down. [My Beloved currently owns a Hobie Quest and is anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new Kaskazi Dorado II] Now all I need is a paddle, a seat, a PFD and consistently warmer weather.

Also due to the beautiful weather today, I went for a run, thus fulfilling my obligations to #43 on the list [Exercise at least 3 times per week]. I was ecstatic to find that I could pick up my Couch-to-5k right where I left off in September. Since tomorrow doesn't look as pretty, weather-wise, I may have to substitute an outside workout with some indoor aerobics courtesy of My Fitness Coach on the Wii.

101 in 1001

2010-01-17T07:52:00.006-05:00

Okay, so I technically don't have 101 things, but I figure it's better to post what I have than to wait for my list to be complete. Besides, I've been sitting on this since October. These are things I would like to do over the next 1,001 days. My start date is today January 17, 2010, so my finish date will be October 14, 2012.

1. Plant a garden
2. Get a new tattoo
3. Reduce the unnecessary use of "like" and "you know"
4. ~~Get a job~~
5. Donate blood
6. See 10 French films
7. See every movie that won the Academy Award for Best Picture
8. Collect license plates every summer [Memorial Day through Labor Day]
9. Update this blog once a week for the duration of the project
10. Keep checkbook balanced
11. Stick to a budget
12. Go through all my clothes—get rid of stuff that no longer fits/is no longer my style
13. Organize all my paperwork
~~14. Officially become a resident of PA~~
15. Get my passport
16. Find 10 letterboxes (0/10)
17. Send 10 postcards via Postcrossing (0/10)
18. Find 10 caches (0/10)
19. Send a card to PostSecret
20. Send out Christmas cards each year
21. Send all close friends and relatives cards on their birthdays
22. Join a local church
23. Sew at least ten pieces of clothing. (0/10)
24. Compile a “cook book” of my mom and grandmas’ recipes
25. Make jam
26. Make pickles
27. Make handmade gifts for my family for their birthdays one year
28. Crochet a blanket for our living room
29. Make wine [for real this time]
30. Catalog all my yarn
31. Make a blanket for Project Linus
32. Sew a tote bag
33. Increase my flexibility enough to touch my toes
34. Run a 5k
35. Take horseback riding lessons
36. Hike part of the Appalachian Trail
37. Get properly fitted for running shoes
38. Learn to swim in open water
39. Complete a sprint triathlon
40. Establish and maintain a useful daily routine
41. Participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
42. Take a vitamin/vitamin pack once a day
43. Exercise at least 3 times per week
44. Participate in The Great Island Adventure Triathlon
45. Learn to kayak
46. Read a book every month ( /34)
47. Proactively seek out 10 museum exhibits I'm interested in, and see them.
48. Learn to play the cello
49. Learn to play the piano
50. Relearn to play the flute
51. Get my masters degree in Education
52. Complete the French textbook I have
53. Read 5 French novels
54. Learn to type correctly
55. Learn to read music
56. Become proficient in world geography [countries/states and capitals]
57. Become proficient in U.S. History [create a useful timeline/scrapbook/jackdaw]
58. Complete the French history book I have
59. Get certified as a lifeguard
60. Learn more about WWII history [create a useful timeline/scrapbook/jackdaw]
61. Read all of Shakespeare’s works
62. Get and maintain my certification in First Aid and CPR.
63. Compile my family tree [with pictures and documents whenever possible]
64. Collect family stories [share them with the rest of the family]
65. Get married
66. Volunteer at least once a month
67. Visit Toronto
68. Visit Quebec
69. Visit Philadelphia
70. Visit New York City
71. Participate in Project 365
72. Make a dress for each Christmas
~~73. Learn to spin my own yarn~~
74. Bake at least once a month
75. Finish Lone Star Quilt
76. Make Ohio Star lap quilt
77. Make Bear Paw quilted wall hanging
78. Knit a sweater
79. TBA
~~80. Learn to make bobbin lace~~
81. Learn to sew in zippers [regular and invisible]
82. Learn how to make buttonholes
83. Make myself a coat
84. Crochet my sisters surprise floor coverings
85. Make a corset
86. Make pumpkin butter
87. Learn to make croissants
88. Make my own spaghetti sauce
89. Make my sisters messenger bags [0/2]
90. Crochet and give away 3 prayer shawls [0/3]
91. Learn how to tie 10 new knots [1/10]
92. Go to a drive-in movie
93. Research women’s studies [create a useful timeline/scrapbook/jackdaw]
94. Establish and maintain a useful house cleaning routine
95. Swim a mile without stopping
96. Improve my posture
97. Give myself an at-home spa day at least once a month
98. Get a full body massage
99. TBA
100. TBA
101. TBA

Long overdue or On the Move: Part 4

2009-11-25T13:06:00.006-05:00

So, here is a map that not only documents my moves over the past year, but also demonstrates that I have entirely too much free time on my hands. [ETA: click on the photo above to get the full effect.]

To sum up, we start in Lakewood, Ohio, then proceed to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, moving from there to North East, Pennsylvania and finally ending up in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania for a grand total of 887 miles of relocation in 12 months. Hopefully, we won't have to do this again anytime soon.

West by Northwest or on the move part 3

2009-03-05T15:38:00.010-05:00

Not to be confused with the Hitchcock classic North by Northwest, the title of my post indicates the general direction I will be moving...I know I just moved, but I also knew a relocation was in the works when I moved out here in November, so fortunately 95% of my stuff is still packed. You see, My Beloved got a job up in Erie, thus necessitating the move.

To give you a rough idea of the relocation plans, I need a map of Pennsylvania...fortunately, I have mad skills with the Paint program and after several grueling minutes I present to you an incredibly detailed map of Pennsylvania:

Lock Haven is where we are at this moment and Erie is where we are headed. Erie is where My Beloved is from, so we are in a sense, headed back home. I am originally from Cleveland, OH, so moving to Erie puts me closer to home, at least.

On the move...part 2

2008-11-04T19:15:00.006-05:00

I had to rent a truck in order to transport my belongings to PA. My dad offered a suggestion that proved most amusing in the follow-through.

My dad is a fan of "Ice Road Truckers" and he learned a trick to check the tires on any large truck, in this case a moving van. It involves taking a baseball bat and taking a swing at the tires--if the bat bounces back satisfactorily, the tire is sufficiently inflated. If the bounce leaves something to be desired, the tire is probably flat.

The day of the move, I set out to pick up the 16 foot truck and trendy, matching tow dolly for my car. As the rental place was just down the street from my house, I walked. Before I left, I asked my dad for the offered bat, thinking he intended to provide me with a small souvenir bat--the kind you can get at baseball games and that looks like it would make an effective and easily-concealed weapon. But, no, the only bat he could find on such short notice was a tee-ball bat from my youth. So, I slung the bat over my shoulder and proceeded down the street.

Until very recently, I lived on one of the main thoroughfares in my hometown, so walking down the street, with the thoughtful, but somehow intimidating look on my face that I normally sport, I drew some strange glances and a few people gave me wide berth on the sidewalk. I walked into the rental place and without missing a beat, the owner said "If you're gonna rob me, you're gonna need more than a bat." No, I explained, the bat was for checking the tires on the van. He countered that he had already checked the tires and the oil. I said that I would like to check them all the same and proceeded out to the van, bat at the ready and I swung at all 8 tires [6 on the van, 2 on the tow dolly] and they all rebounded the bat to my satisfaction. I returned inside to a chuckling owner, who said he had never seen anyone do that before. When I told him it was an old trucker trick, he came back "I know! I used to drive trucks! In the 17 years I've been doing this, I've just never seen anyone do that before. I may have to tell some people about this."

Civic duty

2008-10-30T19:50:00.004-05:00

I ventured downtown today in order to be a responsible citizen and cast my vote. As I expected, the main parking lot for the Board of Elections was full, but they were thoughtful enough to point the way to other parking venues. Unfortunately, one of the venues they indicated had several unmistakable signs indicating that parking in said lot in order to vote would result in one's car getting towed. Fortunately, there were several overflow lots that were not only free, but had actual parking spots available.

The line itself was not bad. The local paper had likened it to a line at an amusement park--long, but in constant forward motion. The set-up was very well-organized and from the time I walked in to the time I left, it was only an hour. The news later reported people waiting in lines that extended out of the building and down the street, which I can only imagine probably quadrupled the wait, but it's good to see that people are actually voting.

On the move

2008-10-27T09:53:00.007-05:00

I am moving to PA! Finally my Beloved and I will actually live in the same house! [We've spent the past 8 1/2 years not even living in the same state.] It's been a crazy month trying to pack everything up for the move and there is still a whole lot of work to be done.

For the past 2 years, my stuff has been taking up space in my dad's garage, haphazardly packed in cardboard boxes. So, I have been repacking everything...sorting out duplicate items for my little sister...throwing out things I should have discarded long ago...finding things I forgot I had...taking impromptu trips down memory lane and finding boxes of paperwork that need to be sorted through. Oy, the paperwork! I fear I will kill another of my dad's shredders trying to destroy all the stuff that is not safe to simply throw away.

Mice have destroyed quite a few things [my favorite red chair among them--it was my first piece of furniture and it was ugly, but it was super-comfy] and in a way I am somewhat grateful for their destructive intervention. They have helped me whittle down my belongings to a more manageable size. There were things I was keeping that, for some reason or another, I felt I could not throw away, but once the mice had gnawed, nested or pooped on something, I found it much easier to discard the item. My only regret is I wish I had been more careful packing up my yarn...the mice chose some of the handspun wool over the cheap acrylic yarn, but I can't wonder at their choice of natural fibers over the synthetic. [sigh]

Watch me

2008-07-16T20:54:00.003-05:00

Be sure to scroll down and read The Master Plan

Why my dad rocks

2008-07-13T12:15:00.000-05:00

Instead of using this:

I get to use this: [cue angelic choirs]

My dad bought a replacement pedal for the Janome and so this past weekend, I was finally able to assemble the skirt I made from my very own pattern [via this book] with this material:

I will be wearing said skirt later this week and I will post pictures later...In the meantime, I will do the Dance of Joy!

Infernal Machine

2008-07-01T12:10:00.000-05:00

I am itching to sew, but my machine will not cooperate. There's an issue with the tension that I can't seem to remedy. [grump] Plus, my mom's machine is out of commission since the power cord/foot pedal has run off and join the circus. [That's my best guess, anyway, since it's nowhere to be found.]

Got it right on the first try

2008-06-05T11:51:00.001-05:00

The Recipe For Lisa

3 parts Sass

2 parts Genius

1 part Playfulness

Splash of Originality

Finish off with whipped cream

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Shamelessly backdated

2007-10-14T16:43:00.000-05:00

Happy cookie day! This weekend was one of my sporadic "make and bake" weekends...except, I only did the baking part. I made several batches of cookies: (clockwise from left) Gingersnaps, Snickerdoodles and Shortbread. They are for a Halloween party at Corrupt & Cutie's house this coming weekend. I'm so excited with how perfectly they came out! (Unlike the photo, which is unbelievably blurry, even after touching-up.) It makes me want to bake dozens more cookies! Although, I feel my cookie-mania is a bit ill-timed. I fear if I get carried away crazily creating cookies, I'll be burned out baking-wise when the holidays (with their requisite sweet edibles) roll around. I've already experienced a bit of foreshadowing when this past summer I went a bit overboard with banana bread. It'll be a while before I make anything even remotely resembling a quick bread. [shudder]

Inspired

2007-10-05T19:23:00.000-05:00

Well, here I go again! I've been lurking around a few sites recently that have inspired me to get in touch with my sewing side...and reunite with my blog, which has lain so patiently all these months.

I was flip-flopping on starting the Wardrobe Refashion challenge. While I am confident I can avoid buying anything new off-the-rack, I doubt my abilities as a seamstress to be able to assemble clothing that I could actually wear out in public that wasn't a costume. But...it is a challenge, right? What the hell!

I, The Mad Tatter, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 4 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that my thriftyness brings! Signed, The Mad Tatter.

Let the insanity...er, I mean, the craftiness begin!

Finally!

2007-02-27T20:19:00.000-05:00

Remember those gloves that the dapper gentleman in the picture below is modeling? (Go ahead and take a peek...I'll wait.) Well, I finally finished them. The right glove went so well that I should have known that the left one would give me problems. Yeah, I only had to restart the &@#ing thing 10 times. Yes, 10. Of course, now that I've had so much practice, I could probably whip out a pair in my sleep in about 2 days, which is good, because I owe a pair to my sister and a pair to my father. [Sigh] I need to hone my sizing skills a little. The right glove is noticeably larger than the left one and the left pinky is a little too short. I blame that last part on my anxiety to finish the glove. In any case, I will post pictures as soon as I unload all my pictures from summer vacation from my digital camera.

We remember

2006-09-11T09:03:00.000-05:00

For all those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks five years ago today...

Fast forward

2006-09-04T13:29:00.000-05:00

Well, I am back again. We'll see for how long.

Update: I have graduated from Kent State University with my Bachelor of Arts in English. The whole teaching thing didn't work out. It seems to be for the best, though. I ended up moving back home, so all my stuff is taking up half the garage, which my father is hoping to have back before the snow flies. I have recently landed an editing job at Thomson West. I'm really excited about the company and I'm looking forward to retiring from there. Now, I just need to find an apartment...

I have more time for knitting now, so I have started a pair of cabled gloves. I actually found a pattern that included an intarsia snowflake pattern, but since I have never made gloves before, I thought I'd try something a little less complicated. Of course, I've never done cables before, but it seemed a little less threatening than working with more than one color.

I was a baking fool this weekend. I made 2 apple pies, 4 dozen apple cinnamon muffins from scratch, and 2 dozen frosted cupcakes. I wanted to make a coffee cake and some English muffins, but I just don't think the house is large enough to contain that many baked goods. Next weekend.

It's so weird having so much free time. I keep thinking that I need to be doing something, like studying or writing a paper. It is very bizarre that I lament that there is nothing on T. V. when a few months ago, I wasn't even watching it.

Crawling out from under my rock...and a new idea

2006-03-02T05:27:00.000-05:00

Well, I've decided to rejoin the blogging world. How I've missed it!

I came up with an interesting idea yesterday. After reading the new challenge for Self Portrai Tuesday, I wanted to start something new and totally random--something to do with a journal. So, I thought and I looked at fabric and [REFRAINED from buying any!!!] I got a pizza and I picked up a sketch journal and I came home and I thought of verbs.

Yes, verbs, those funny little words that make you DO things. I thought it might be fun if I could be given three verbs a day and I had to go do them. While all verbs are open to interpretation, some are easier to adapt than others. For example: "surf" Lacking much of a wave center here in Kent, OH, I could surf the internet. Not overly flexible. But "play" or "think"--the possibilities are endless! With "think" I am going to encourage myself to think of something new or challenging.

So, last night I combed through a few issues of a certain temporal magazine I had lying around and started cutting our verbs. Useful verbs, mind you. Nothing harmful or destructive.

Now, drumroll please..........the words for today are:

THINK

TAKE

DRIVE

Speaking of take, I was wishing that I would take my digital camera everywhere I went yesterday. I saw an SUV that had some truly awesome Star Wars stickers on it [Sith Happens and WARNING: fully-charged light saber on board!] and I met a cat with two names at an art supply store.

Well, off I go! Got some verbs that need to get done.

That's me all over

2006-02-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

You Are a Seeker Soul

You are on a quest for knowledge and life challenges.
You love to be curious and ask a ton of questions.
Since you know so much, you make for an interesting conversationalist.
Mentally alert, you can outwit almost anyone (and have fun doing it!).

Very introspective, you can be silently critical of others.
And your quiet nature makes it difficult for people to get to know you.
You see yourself as a philosopher, and you take everything philosophically.
Your main talent is expressing and communicating ideas.

Souls you are most compatible with: Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Mourning

2006-01-03T19:20:00.000-05:00

My mother passed away in the early hours of January 1, 2006.

Happy Holidays!

2005-12-27T12:06:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays to all! And to all a good weekend.

Bamboo knitting needles make great gifts!

2005-12-16T10:23:00.000-05:00

You are bamboo.Warm, cozy, and thoughtful, you take your time and
enjoy how things feel, smell, and taste. You
love the craft and beauty of traditional
things, and you value the comfort and
experience of knitting as much as the results.
But while you are reveling in your warm cozies,
don't get stuck. Warm is wonderful, but so is
the whole wide world!

What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by

My inner baaa

2005-12-08T08:10:00.000-05:00

Which flock do you follow?
this quiz was made by Alanna

Goodnight, Gracie

2005-11-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

It was a year a go on Thanksgiving that we had to put my Gracie girl to sleep.

I had just come up to my parents' house after working the late shift at Burger King when my parents told me that something was wrong with Gracie. She couldn't move her back legs; she just dragged them behind her. I checked for nerve response by pinching the skin between her toes and she didn't even look. She was happy to see me, though. She was always happy to see me. My parents said that they would make her a veterinary appointment as soon as possible the day after Thanksgiving.

I had only been asleep a few hours, when my father woke me up. "We can't wait. She needs a vet. We thought you might want to go."

I got up and anxiously helped my dad carry Gracie out to the car, wrapped in a blanket. We went to an emergency vet clinic, where they sent out a stretcher to cart my Rottie into the building.

We were ushered into an exam room. I watched as a woman about my age came in with her parents, all dressed up for the holiday. The woman carried a blanket that held her precious pet. They were sent to the exam room a little down the hall from ours. A few moments later, they reemerged, this time the woman weeping over the blanket as her parents tried to console her.

They brought Gracie into our exam room on a stretcher. The vet came in and told us we had a few options. She said they could do surgery, they could do a CAT scan, or they could put her to sleep. She mentioned that givne the age of Gracie (she was 10) and the severity of her condition, that we might only be determining the exact cause for putting her to sleep. I didn't want her to suffer any more, so I asked for them to put her to sleep. They asked if I wanted to be with her in her final moments. I said absolutely.

They wheeled her out and brought her back in with an IV in her front paw. The doctor gave us a few moments to say goodbye. I hugged her and told her what a good girl she was and how much I was going to miss her. The docotr administered the syringe full of medication to stop her heart and in a few moments, my Gracie girl was gone. I bawled, but I also remembered what a great dog she was and we reminisced about Gracie during Thanksgiving dinner.

God, I still miss her!

Sockos

2005-11-19T10:45:00.000-05:00

Here's the very first pair of knitted socks. I finally have pictures! I knew they didn't match, but I didn't care; I wore them anyway.
Then I made the chocolate-colored one a twin, so the wheat-colored one is the third wheel. More accurately, he's the not-quite-large-enough-wheat-colored third wheel. I can't believe how warm they are and how cheap! Wool-ease is available at my friendly neighborhood Pat Catan's for about $2 a skein and I can make a pair of ankle socks to fit my size 11 1/2 feet with one skein. [doing a little happy dance] I can't buy socks that fit in the stores that cheap! So, once Christmas gifts are done, I'll be knitting myself a herd of hand-knit socks!

On a different note, I found a new KAL and I just about died when I saw how gorgeous one of the proposed patterns is. Upon completion (which is tentatively set for next Halloween) I will be able to become The Mad Tatter. I plan on utilizing every string-craft in my repertoire to create this costume and I hope by announcing it here that I will actually follow through. I am so excited!!!!

Snow is a four-letter "S" word

2005-11-17T07:26:00.000-05:00

So I just went outside to chase after Jaws who had forgotten the bounds of the "yard," when I noticed white stuff on the fallen leaves outside. Could it be? Yes folks, we have our first official snow of the season here in Kent, Ohio. You know what that means, don't you? Neither do I, but it was rather surprising this morning since all week the temperature has been hovering near 60 or better.

Now for the bad news: my mood has been less than healthy lately and I'm not sure what to do about it. I ran on my treadmill last night, hoping the endorphin boost might help, but all it did was get me sweaty and inspire me to start on a quilting project which was abandoned 15 minutes later, leaving me with a flurry of fabric scraps on the floor.

When things get bad, I do not contemplate suicide, I contemplate relocation. I calculate how far I could get on the contents of my bank account and what I would take with me. How I would move somewhere and start a new life where no one knew me, preferably somewhere small and New England-y or somewhere out West, like Montana. When things get really bad, I find a nice rock to hide under and wait for someone to notice. However, since most of my interaction with humans takes place on the phone, no one really notices. Fortunately, I am going home this weekend. Unfortunately, that means I will get no schoolwork or housework done, furthering my overwhelmed-ness. But at least I get to knit and eat home-cooked meals.

Knitting "muffins"

2005-11-11T07:12:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, I was employed by a grad student to watch her 2 children while she went to class. She had a daughter (5) and a son (9). I started working with them in October, so the weather was fast approaching cold. I picked up the girl from daycare one day and she was all bundled up in her winter coat, her hat and mittens. I put her in the back seat of my car and on the way home she asked "Lisa, can I take off my muffins?"
Trying not to giggle too loudly, I asked "What, sweetie?"
"Can I take off my muffins...mittens? I know they're called 'mittens,' I just like calling them 'muffins.'"
"I like that too! Of course you can take off your muffins."

Aubrey, this pair is for you!

I cast on a pair of the Inner Child muffins from the Hip to Knit book. Since I am a very, very poor college student, I opted for the 2 straight needle pair (since I can't afford more DPNs at this time, although they are on my Christmas list) and I am knitting in Caron Simply Soft yarn (in Grey Heather), which is available at my local Wal*Mart for $2 a skein. In spite of the fact that it is pure acrylic, it is very soft and easy to work with.

I will post pictures of my WsIP next weekend when I go to visit my parents; they have a digital camera. :)

Not sure I require an opulent lifestyle...

2005-11-05T06:23:00.000-05:00

Your Birthdate: July 8

Watch out Donald Trump! You've got a head for business and money.You'll make it rich some day, even if you haven't figured out how yet.A supreme individualist, you shouldn't get stuck in a corporate job.Instead, make your own way - so that you can be the boss.
Your strength: Your undying determination
Your weakness: You require an opulent lifestyle
Your power color: Plum
Your power symbol: Dollar sign
Your power month: August

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Goodwill Hunting

2005-11-02T19:19:00.000-05:00

God, I love Goodwill! It's the only place I know where I can spend $30 and walk away with a whole new wardrobe of designer clothes! My most recent reason to go to Goodwill is to find knit sweaters to recycle. Which brings me to my story:

I went to my LYS today to pick up the Fiber Trends Felt Clog pattern because I could not justify doubling the price of the pattern with shipping and waiting days for it to arrive, when I could drive a few minutes (or 1/2 an hour) out of my way and pick it up myself. Then I looked at how much yarn I would need. about 800 yards. Okay...average skein of yummy Reynolds Lopi = 100 yards. I would need at least 8 of those, at $6 a skein= way too much to pay for a pair of clogs. Soooooo...I am going to go through the sweaters I have snagged from Goodwill. At $3.50 a piece, and sometimes 1/2 price, I figure this is a much more economical way to experiment, as I am a felting virgin. [blush] I will let you know how this little experiment of mine goes. I plan on starting the clogs as soon as I can frog the victims...I mean, uh, sweaters.

I am also DESPERATE for a digital camera. I won what essentially amounts to a $100 gift card to Best Buy in the McDonald's Monopoly game and I'm thinking I may give that to my parents so they can get me a decent digital camera for Christmas. 'Cause they don't sell yarn at Best Buy and I already own as much of Neverwinter Nights as I care to right now. Than I can actually have pictures! Not only in my blog, but in my life! [I have a terrible habit of taking pictures and never having them developed. I know I at least have 3 rolls from a vacation to New York City that are almost 10 years old. Hell, I probably still have undeveloped film from high school, and I graduated...sheesh! 12 years ago! Maybe I should ask for that for Christmas...

Halloween Part II

2005-10-31T19:55:00.000-05:00

Greetings, gentle Reader! It is that time of year again. Time for costumes and trick-or-treating! Time for ghost stories and haunted houses! Unless, of course, you're the type of person that views Halloween as evil and then you are just sitting at home with your lights off while kids file past your house saying "No, don't go to that house. They don't give out candy." I just have four words for you partypoopers: More candy for us!

My Belovéd and I traveled to the other side of Pennsylvania this weekend to visit Jon & Kat, some friends of ours, for the weekend. I found out that this past week they got engaged! I'm so very happy for them!

We basically just lounged around for the weekend, eating and shopping at flea markets and thrift stores. Why is it that the good thrift stores are over 5 hours away? I don't even think we have a good flea market around here. We have an "Antique Mall" where there are some antiques, but mostly just overpriced old stuff.

I found some sweaters that I can wear (including a yummy cream Liz Claiborne angora/lambswool sweater for $4!!!) and some sweaters I can pull apart for the yarn and some lovely scarves. Kat and I decided that we have the perfect symbiotic shopping relationship. I have good luck, generally, when I go to a thrift store. I can find stuff that I want that actually fits most of the time. I also have the ability to share that luck with the people who accompany me. (Hope I didn't just jinx myself!) Anyway, I helped Kat find some really sweet deals and she kept me from buying half the store. We had a great time!

Morgan (Kat's puppy) and Jaws (my puppy) got along well, although Jaws wouldn't chase Morgan as much as she wanted. She darted from room to room, play-bowing to Jaws to chase her, but he just wagged his tail and watched, mostly.

We had a fabulous turkey dinner followed by a showing of "The Life Aquatic," for which My Belovéd dressed up once again as Steve Zissou. I promptly fell asleep after Esteban was eaten and did not awaken until after the end credits. I think I'm all Zissou-ed out.

"A disaster! It's a disaster!"

2005-10-28T05:27:00.000-05:00

I have relatives living in New Orleans and their lives were devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

My Uncle John escorted my Great Aunt Ann back down to her apartment near the French Quarter. One of her windows was broken, her awning had collapsed and her fridge needed to be cleaned out, as all the food had rotted. It took 2 days to clean the fridge and she still wasn't satisfied. She stomped through her house muttering "A disaster! It's a disaster."

Meanwhile, my cousin Neil, his wife Allison, and their 2 children, Neil Jr, and Jennifer were much less fortunate. The items they were able to salvage from their house were all from the attic and were not enough to even fill the bed of a pickup truck. Their house is ruined. Their second floor collapsed into their first floor. Their walls are covered with black mold. All of their belongings are waterlogged and unsalvage-able.

Neil Sr. sent pictures back with my Uncle John of the devastation. There were cars on top of fences, through roofs, and in swimming pools. There were houses in the middle of the streets they once lined. On the houses were the spray-painted marks of the search and rescue teams, noting the date, their initials and the number of living and dead they found. There were warnings spray-painted on some houses. There were invitations to loot on others. Some houses became billboards, advertising where to reach the former occupants; leaving word that pets had been found; thumbing their noses at the storm that had robbed them of their residence and their wordly possessions, but not their lives or their dignity.

Halloween Part I

2005-10-26T08:39:00.000-05:00

This weekend was FABULOUS!!! I really didn't want to start out this week, but here I am stuck in the middle of it already.

Heather & Charles' party was a whole lotta fun! Their costumes were smashing, as usual. Charles has honed his sewing skills over the past few years. He said he made "everything but the boots, the socks and the underwear." Heather outdid herself once again in a stunning cream number made with material she found for a steal at WalMart. The great deal allowed her to splurge on the underfabric of her dress, which on sale cost $20/yd.

I felt Karen's baby move in her belly, which was one of the coolest things ever! Plus, the baby was wearing a costume too. Underneath her geisha robe, she wore a plain white tee shirt with a thought bubble drawn on it. In the thought bubble were the words "This is my constume!"

I went as a Sith-in-training. Not nearly enough face makeup, but it was cool. I found a bracelet at The Mission, an alternative clothing store where my little sis, Adrienne, works. I used the bracelet as the basis for my face makeup by repeating the pattern of the design in the "tattoo" on my face, centering the design around my eye. Carl (my Belovéd) was kind enough to paint the design on my face with the stage makeup from my Makeup for Stage & Screen class. I returned the favor by frosting his beard so that he more resembled Steve Zissou, Bill Murray's character from The Life Aquatic. I also knit the obnoxious red cap that literally topped of his costume. Not everyone at the party knew who he was supposed to be, though. One of the first comments as he walked through the door was "Hey Papa Smurf!" Following that, there were several requests for him to do the voice of Travelosity's Roaming Gnome.

As the evening wore on, we crowned the new Queen of Halloween (I was the Queen last year, so I got to do the honors). Actually, the new queen was supposed to play Dracula in an impromtu wedding ceremony revolving around the theme of the party: The Vampire's Wedding. A Bride of Dracula, a Best Man, A Maid of Honor and a Minion were assigned by the draw of "toe tags." A hasty and amusing ceremony was performed with all lamenting that it was not caught on video. After the ceremony, Her Majesty called for the start of the Halloween games. The Ring Toss was a disaster for everyone but those who used The Force (ahem, ahem). Out of 45 tries (15 people each armed with 3 rings) I was the only one who got a ring on the pole. And I'll be damned if it wasn't a fluke. It was my first toss and I wasn't even aiming. The subsequent tosses were more calculated, but less successful. I won a plastic chalice filled with candy that came in rather handy when Her Majesty opened the Candy Casino. Black Jack was the featured game of the night, although a feeble attempt was made to play roulette. My other sister, Erin, cleaned up and walked off with all the Mini Twixes (which had a value that translated to $10 each in American currency). [Hershey kisses were worth $1; Mini KitKats were valued at $2; and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups were worth a generous $5.)

I will post pictures when my father emails them to me.

Latest knittings

2005-10-20T22:44:00.000-05:00

As you may already know, my most recent obsession is knitting socks. I knitted my first pair this past week...sort of. The first sock that I knitted is an oatmeal color and is actually a little too short for my foot. I wear it anyway. My second sock is a chestnut-chocolate color and is the right size. A mate for the second sock is in the works, but I fear I may not have enough yarn for a second of the same color throughout. I may have to use the leftover oatmeal color to finish the toe. I'll post pics when I can get my hands on a digital camera...which will hopefully be this weekend.

This weekend will also be filled with Halloween fun as very dear friends of mine are gathering for the annual Hallow's Eve party at Heather and Charles' house. I was Queen of Halloween last year and this years duties will include crowning the new King or Queen. We will also be debuting our latest short film "The Newlydead Game." It turned out extraordinarily well since the whole thing, from conception to completion, only took about 6 hours. I also look forward to Heather & Charles' costumes. Each year they make their own period pieces. After debuting them at their annual party, they take them down to New Orleans for the Halloween bash that is nearly as large as Mardi Gras. I'm not sure if their plans have changed this year, due to Hurricane Katrina.

My Halloween costume is still in the works. I currently lack the drive to do much of my own sewing. [I think that may become a New Year's resolution, and a rather good one. ] I usually just slap together a few staples from my costume chest [okay, it's not really a chest, it's more like a cardboard box in my attic.] This year the only idea that has stuck is a Sith. My Belovéd has created a Light Saber for me and it really would be a shame not to show it off. As for female Siths, it really was a shame that George Lucas didn't explore that possibility further.

The hour of "CSI" draws nigh.

à bientot