Knit Butterflies

Oh my gosh, I knit something!!!

2006-10-23T12:12:00.000-05:00

Hey!! I'm still here, just not knitting much in my last year of grad school. I did just start back up again though - something about fall brings the knitting itch out in me :) I tried out a new baby hat pattern, and am working on the second one! I really wanted to do Miss Dashwood (It's ssooo cute!!), but being as it's "piquant" I'm thinking I'll need to work up to that... So I modified Lilly's Hat to have ear flaps like Dashwood and I'm pretty happy with the result :) Pictures soon to come!

Back in the game? Almost!

2006-04-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

Hey all! (If any of you are still out there) I hope I didn't lose you! ;) The semester is almost over (just 2 papers to do!) and I'm getting the knitting itch back. It's been rather depressing not being able to work on anything. But I have this problem of starting something and working around the clock til it's done, otherwise I lose interest - so I smartly decided not to begin any projects for the past few months... BUT- I just bought this gorgeous recycled sari silk yarn from eBay!

Any recommendations for patterns? I think I might make a bag out of it (is 600 yards enough for that though?) b/c I'm going to be studying "abroad" in Cuernavaca, Mexico (!!) in June and it looks festive and fun for the occasion! :) I'll be going through this program, living with a host family for 2 1/2 weeks and attending this University. I'm SO geeked! Hope all is well with you all, and you should be hearing more from me now!

P.S. Are any of you signed up for The Global Night Commute??? I'm guessing you may not have heard about the Invisible Children project, but if you see Oprah today you'll be clued in! Check it out!! You know you wanna sleep downtown with hundreds of your closest strangers ;)

Wow, I suck...

2006-02-20T02:11:00.000-05:00

Wow, I suck... The last knitting project I worked on was in January, up in the Sault, while Isi was in the ICU (btw, thanks for the prayers - he's doing well in the rehab hospital - hopefully coming home soon!! :) I made a red scarf for my buddy Daniel (he's 3, so it was a nice short project) - But he was MIA when I finished it, so I had to use his mom's old doll for a model...

As for why I haven't been able to knit, my graduate program has taken over my life... between my internship, work, classes, & carting myself back & forth across Southeast Michigan all week long, reading/studying/paper writing takes up whatever time I have left... it's rather sad. I have been randomly adding things to my MySpace page, though - it's a guilty pleasure! Check it out if you like, but I'm warning you, those quizzes can be addicting!

Here's a photo of me feigning excitement about the 57 more days of this semester I have left to endure....

(P.S. - that's a tanktop, not my bra!! ;) I hope you're all having a much better February than me! until next time....

Prayer Request

2006-01-13T13:01:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody...
I'm up in Canada with Mark's family, and I am writing to ask for your prayers. Mark's dad (Pertti Heimonen) suffered a heart attack Monday night and is still in ICU. We're praying for a complete recovery, even if it doesn't happen as quick as we'd like it to. Isi (that means "dad" in Finnish) is an amazing man who is loved by many, and we want to keep him around for a long time! We appreciate your prayers & hope you're having a safe & happy New Year.
Love, Mark & Andrea

Isi at Christmas this year

Isi & Aiti - 35th wedding anniversary

Isi at Lake Mijin, Ontario, Aug '05 - camping w/ Mark & me

Christmas Knitting!

2005-12-27T14:02:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! I hope all of you enjoyed a happy holiday filled with good food and fun memories w/ friends & family! Mark and I had a nice time visiting his family up in Canada this year, and we took a bunch of photos - something we've forgotten to do in the past year or 2... (with the exception of cat photos - we're never short on those ;) We really enjoyed playing with his nieces Mikayla & Miia, & nephew Daniel, who cracked us all up w/ his excitement about Santa's visit on Christmas. It was especially cool to be there while Miia got to enjoy her first Christmas ever! She's just 4 months old, and very adorable :)

Here's the most recent photo of me & my DH :)

This Christmas I knit some gifts for my sisters-in-law, Marie & Sara :)

(Close-ups)

During our visit I also made a fun TuTu scarf for Mikayla (in her favorite colors ;) & a baby scarf for Miia to match her mommy's! :)

Aiti got me some great yarn for Christmas (along with some really fun scrapbooking supplies :) Photos will appear here very soon!

Sara & Vesa got us this really fun game called Quip It...

...and I got adorable PJ's from Marie, Gary, Daniel & Mikayla, who picked out the shirt herself :) Photo to come soon...

Sadly, we had to leave the kitties at home, but my friend Mary Ellen was kind enough to check in on them and give them some cuddles!

PetaTv

2005-12-21T09:49:00.000-05:00

An open letter to my fellow knitters, friends, family, and everyone:

AKA - Andrea gets up on her soapbox...
I know it isn't pretty, but I challenge you to read on! And I promise my next post will be about knitting :)

Please don't use Merino Wool from Australia!

Warning - this video is graphic!
I just watched this horrifying video about the Merino Wool industry in Australia, who produces 50% of the world's supply. I've almost always used purely synthetic yarns not by choice, but because I can't afford the expense of "higher quality" wool. Of course, there have been some times I've gotten wool as a gift, and a little under a handful of skeins I purchased myself. But after seeing this I'm happy to stick to synthetics, and I encourage you all to please do the same!!! :)

Please don't buy Iams pet food for your furry friends!

Expose on Iams Testing Labs

Buy organic & free-range turkeys for the holidays!
(or enjoy a vegetarian Christmas like me! :)

Turkey Farm Cruelty

... and organic meats & poultry the rest of the year!

Meet your Meat

Finally, please don't buy ANYthing made w/ real fur!
You may be wearing someone's pet!

Cat and Dog fur trade in China(!!)

Thank you for being conscious of the effects of our mass consumption in the United States... It's easy to say "Oh, that's terrible, but that doesn't affect me," but I challenge you to recognize that your consumption DOES contribute to the mistreatment of these animals. If there wasn't such a large demand, it wouldn't be this way...

PetaTV has numerous other videos exposing the cruel treatment of animals all over the world - even right here in the US - i.e. University of North Carolina, among others. Please spread the word, so more people can become educated about these issues!

Ok, I'm getting off the soapbox now ;) Hope you have a very Merry Christmas/Holiday season!! :)

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-12T21:33:00.000-05:00

This year was full of many blessings! Andrea started on her Masters in Social Work at Wayne State University, Mark reunited with his former Adia co-workers at NetSmart Technologies & we celebrated our first wedding anniversary, just to name a few! Teeger had his first birthday, and Neo turned 2! We feel so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family around us, and hope the coming year will bring many more happy memories to all!

God Bless & Lots of Love!
Andrea & Mark Heimonen

Wavy!

2005-12-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

Guess what??? I finished Wavy!!! (Thanks to designer Sarah for her advice! :) I'm very pleased to present the photos of this masterpiece, and Mary Ellen is geeked to be able to finally wear it!

Check out the wonderful world of prescription drugs in the background! And the gorgeous lab coats we get to wear - soo hot. Such is the life of a pharmacy tech...

Here she comes, Miss CVS Pharmacy...

And a close up...

Don't you just love the way the waves knit up? I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I used size 11 needles and JoAnn's nice thick fluffy Angel Hair in Med. Purple so mine's a bit different from the pattern. I don't know if I would've been able to handle this on size 7's, as it was a bit tedious w/ the row counting... But it was definitely worth the many hours spent - it was pretty fun & satisfying watching the waves appear :)

Not much happening on the knitting front lately, but I have some ideas in the works, and some new yarn too! I caught a good sale at Michael's and finally got some Moda Dea TuTu in Petal Pink, Grape, Cabana Blue, & Raspberry (2 skeins of each - I couldn't choose!). The link is from JoAnn b/c Michael's doesn't sell online - phooey! I also got some fun yarn in 3 similar colors (turquoise, fuscia, & purple) but I can't find a link for it & the labels are wrapped inside the yarn balls already ;) It's soft & fuzzy w/ some dots of contrasting colors throughout. I wanna get a long circular needle so I can make horizontal scarves! I also got some other secret yarn, which you'll see in due time :)

Ok - I have to put in the obligatory kitty photo...

I thought it was so cute that Teeger laid down next to a calendar w/ photos of kitties that look like Neo! (Notice the "Get Organized" magazine excerpt above... ha - wishful thinking :)

MeMe take 2!

2005-12-04T11:36:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all - it's been a while, and I am procrastinating about my end-of-the-semester un-fun, so I thought I'd do this MeMe! I got it from Tish, who I believe is Leah's secret pal... Anyhoo - I was surfin and thought it would be fun - so here we go! Check out my answers, then paste the MeMe into your blog w/ your own answers so I can get the scoop on you! :)

Ten years ago I was... approaching my first Christmas break as a Freshman in high school.
Five years ago I was... living with 19 boys & 3 girls and doing the grocery shopping (!! :)
One year ago I was... working overnight shifts and knitting up a storm (a fresh 1-month into my new skill.

Five snacks:
1) (natural) Peanut Butter & Banana
2) Microwave Popcorn (Homestyle is the bestest - but I usually get the 94% fat free)
3) Clementines (YUM!)
4) Ice cream (Double YUM!)
5) Reese's Peanut Butter & Hershey's Chocolate Poppycock (need I say more?? ;)

Five Songs I know all the words to:
1) "Demons" - Guster (& almost everything else they've written :)
2) "Swing Life Away" - Rise Against
3) "Someday" - Mariah Carey (old school~ ;)
4) "Gin & Juice" - Snoop Dogg
5) "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson
[quoted from Tish]"Although I will let it be known that I know all the words to thousands of songs, it's the only thing I have ever really managed to solidly and regularly impress my friends with and frankly, I have know idea where in my brain I store all that information." - let me just say, Ditto!

Five things I would do with a $100 million dollars:
1) Build my dream home
2) Give 10% to charity
3) Pay off all my yucky debts
4) Create college funds for my future offspring
5) Start a business w/ my husband so we can live the easy life!

Five places to run away to:
1) BED!
2) My mommy
3) Mindee Randa's house
4) Tucson, AZ
5) wherever my honey is - he gives good hugs!

Five things I would never wear:
1) A micro-mini skirt (you can thank me later ;)
2) One of those full length quilted winter coats that make you look like a sausage
3) Fur (please save the aminals - they're our friends!)
4) A straight jacket (this is an optimistic one ;)
5) A mumu

Five Favorite TV Shows:
1) My So-Called Life
2) Felicity
3) Lost
4) Real World/Road Rules/Challenges
5) The Daily Show (Jon Stewart ROCKS - he really should run for office)

Five Biggest Joys:
1) My hubby
2) Knitting
3) Scrapbooking w/ friends/family
4) My cats, Neo & Teeger
5) Brownie Obsession at TGI Friday's ;)

Favorite toys:
1) laptop
2) knitting needles (& yarn ;)
3) crossword puzzles (Monday's, please)
4) books
5) cards (i.e. Phase 10, Uno)

Booga Booga!!

2005-11-20T15:28:00.000-05:00

Hola! Que tal? How is everyone doing? I'll bet your're all excited for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday... I know I sure am - I need a break! Sorry it's been a while since the last post... but better late than never :) I'm thrilled to finally show you photos of my first ever fully completed booga bag!!

First, the pre-felting pics...

And here it is post-felting...

Thanks to my honey for modeling it for us ;)

The first post-felting photo is sans flash... which is more accurate but doesn't show the blue quite as much. The pre-felting pics overemphasize the blue... I give up! ;)

The fun doesn't stop there! I've been knitting up a storm lately... My boss at CVS generously paid me to make her a hat & scarf, and that got me back into the knitting groove (cuz it gave me a free license to buy yarn - woohoo!) I quickly whipped up a nice fuzzy double-stranded (icicle white & baby blue) set mixed w/ a thin strand of purple fuzz in only a few days! Here are some close-up photos, along with one of Laura modeling her new winter wear :)

After I made Laura a scarf - the requests at work started piling in! I'm hoping to make them all different :) Here's one I made for Jessica, a co-worker, knit w/ 2 strands of Moda Dea's Dream yarn (Leaf & Winter White), in a k1,p1 rib pattern. It turned out really nicely, and now Laura wants one just like it too - can't say I blame her, it's super soft! ;)

Notice the return of my scarf model from last winter - my 2000 Love bear. :) The coloring, again, seems off - it's somewhere in between the 2 pics - but you get the idea.

Currently I'm working on a fun scarf for my good friend Mary Ellen. Check the pattern out here! I'm making a slightly variated version than the exact pattern, with size 11 needles, thicker fuzzy yarn, and 5 ribs instead of 7. So far it's given me a bit of trouble - I've had to frog it 3 times!! (Note to self - do not try row-patterns during the movies!) Right now the 4th go of it is working well, but I'm only on row 13... wish me luck!

Projects for the next month include Christmas gifts (shh!! ;) and eventually I'd like to make this bag that I randomly found on Suzann's Textilefusion. How cute is that???

In other exciting news, I did some fun sale shopping at DSW & got a hat, purse, AND shoes for about $50. The purse was 80% off - only $7!!! :) You can't really see it, but the stripe detail is in a lime green shade... I love it!

If anyone knows of a good pattern for a hat like this - let me know!! Here's another shot of it...

I scored these KangaROOS at about 50% off retail... I've always wanted a pair of these - the little pockets are so cute, and they're really comfy for work! Man, I love a good sale!

I think I went a little nuts w/ the green - my mom would be proud! She loves me in green ;)

Finally, the obligatory cat photo - I give you Teeger, atop the kitchen cupboards, cozied up in a casserole carrier...

I really need to utilize that & cook more! Maybe he's trying to give me a hint? ;)

Holy Buckets!!

2005-10-26T21:26:00.000-05:00

I'm alive!! Kinda! ;) Just kidding! I'm doing well, in case any of you were thinking I fell in a deep abyss somewhere. I sort of have, but I'm starting to crawl back out! Graduate School has been crazy - what have I gotten myself into?? Each week I spend 10 hours in grad classes, 16 hours in high school (field placement aka internship ;), 4 hours writing progress notes about students/clients, 16-24 hours at work, and 10 hours in my car (Ugh commuting sucks!! But I'm brushing up on my Spanish w/ cd's ;) Oh yeah, and somehow I'm expected to read 5 chapters for each of my 3 classes every week (uh, I get to like 1/3 of that!) and write papers too. I'm lucky, though b/c I have a devoted study partner, Mr. Grr!

And good news! I haven't had a nervous breakdown yet, and I'm getting all A's so far! (*please your cross fingers for me that I can keep it up!!* :)

I've also been scrapbooking with my new "BFF" Mary Ellen (she's COOL!) which keeps me sane - I will try to get a couple photos of my latest pages on here sometime before the next millenium ;)

Guess what, I got some knitting in this month too! I made Mary Ellen one of my fantabulous cell phone holders, and I have a couple other w-i-p's. Canadian Thanksgiving in the Sault w/ Mark's family was a glorious mini-vaca, and even though I had t0 spend a lot of time catching up on reading for class I managed to squeeze in some knitting while watching an amazing documentary called Born Into Brothels.
I finished the body of my Booga Bag, and now I just gotta do the I-cord and felt felt felt! (wish me luck on that, btw - I'm a felting virgin!) I also got to meet my adooooorable new niece, Miia. Isn't she the cutest thing?!

Almost makes me want to have one of my own... I said ALMOST! Not yet, anyway, so don't go gettin' any ideas, Mom! ;)

Btw, unfortunately for those of you dying to see my beautifully knitted Noro up close & personal, my camera crapped out on me when I was trying to take a photo. I've gotten bitter about it and haven't charged the batteries yet... But I promise I'll get a shot up before I felt, whenver that happens. I did manage to take this picture before the camera went kaput, however...

It's another baby toque like the one I made for Miia I know it's nothing too exciting, but it's all I have to offer and I couldn't post w/out the obligatory knitting pic! I started this before I learned to knit in the round, too... Now I'm itching to make some scarves and warm wintery fun! I really need to pick up my abandoned Warm Fuzzies and that sweater... I'm bad! ;)

If you're wondering how I'm staying sane lately, check out this beautiful view from my window... it definitely helps! (along w/ my super duper awesome and understanding husband! ;)

Well, that's all for now... Hopefully I can get some R&R after my piddly 3 1/2 hours of sleep last night! Neo and Teeger make me so jealous w/ all their snoozing!! ;)

(Who, me?? ;)

A Bit of Politics...

2005-09-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

Hey all... In the wake of the tragedy in New Orleans, I'm left with a sinking feeling that much of this suffering could've been avoided. I highly recommend the following reading:

"First by the Floods, Then by Martial Law - Trapped in New Orleans"

A very informative & concise summary of how events unfolded...
Crimes of the State

and finally, just for fun..."Vacation is Over... an Open Letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush"
(Thanks to Cyn for this link :)

Happy reading - though I'm sure you won't be feeling quite so happy after you've finished... I hope this outrage sparks some action in all of us! Be it $, food, clothing, time - please consider donating to our fellow citizens in New Orleans... they really need our help - it's obvious that they aren't getting what they should from the government!

P.S. - On a positive note, I was pleased to watch "React Now - Music + Relief" on MTV last night... it's great to see celebrities come together to help benefit those in need. The performaces were amazing (Melissa Etheridge wrote a moving song for the occasion). You can watch the clips on think.mtv.com and even download some mp3s from the performances to help raise money for relief. In addition, they offer links to some good credible charities - I would've never known about America's Second Harvest, who I chose to donate to... check it out!

I'm an aunt!

2005-09-01T19:42:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I'm writing a quick blog to let you know of a way you can help the victims of Hurricaine Katrina, and also to let you know I updated the photo of Baby Luomaranta's hat & booties. Miia Aino Luomaranta was born Aug 26, 2005 weighing in at 6lbs 6 oz and she's just the cutest thing! Check her out in the top left section of my blog (scroll under the doll picture) donning my toque & booties and looking so adorable!

From: Webs - America's Yarn Store
Subject: Webs will donate 10% of sales to Hurricane Katrina
relief

Dear Customers, over the past couple of days, all of here at WEBS have been moved by the devastation that Hurricane Katrina has brought the Gulf Coast. The magnitude of this tragedy is overwhelming. We met with our team here and we all agree that we need to do something.

So, starting today, for the next 10 days, we will donate 10% of all purchases to the American Red Cross. If you order on-line, over the phone or shop in our Northampton store, 10% of your purchase, through September 10th, will be given to the hurricane relief efforts of the Red Cross. There is nothing special you have to do, just shop.

We hope you will join with us in supporting this very worthwhile cause for the people who have lost so much across the Gulf Coast States.

www.yarn.com

Sincerely,
The Elkins Family and the Webs Team

Where have I been?

2005-08-21T19:42:00.000-05:00

Hello!!! I'm alive & well! So sorry I've been a terrible poster in my blog -- there's just been so much going on this summer, which doesn't leave much time for knitting. :( I've just returned from a weeklong vacation in northern Ontario, Canada - and I feel refreshed and ready to get back to it! I was able to get a bit of knitting done while I was there...

This is a photo of the toque I knit for my soon-to-be-born niece/nephew a while back, along with the booties I knit this past week. I am working on a second hat, because I messed up one stitch on the first one and it's driving me nuts! Plus, I love working with that beautiful & soft periwinkle yarn, and hats (toques in Canadian speak ;) are fun to make!

Now, on to what I've been up to!

In early July I helped out at my sister-in-law's baby shower...

I made a towel cake for my best friend's shower
and then did a crazy scavenger hunt at her bachelorette party...

(yeah, I had to wear my bra on the outside of my shirt for 5 minutes - good times! ;)

I played "pin the tail on the male" at Mark's cousin Diana's lingerie party in Canada, did a reading in the wedding ceremony, and took polaroids of the guests at the reception... (Mark played piano :)

We had a lot of fun that weekend!

Then came Miranda & Adam's wedding, in which I was a bridesmaid, and Mark played piano.

It was in my hometown of Manistee... the weather was nice, it was a gorgeous wedding and the reception was a blast! Miranda was the most beautiful bride I've ever seen, and I'm not just saying that b/c she's my best friend!! (Not sure if she wants me putting up her picture, though...sorry!)

... But I can show you what I made for her as a wedding gift... (click the photo see a close-up! :)
(it wasn't quite dry when I took it)

Mir & Adam's thing is "my wish came true" - they got their rings engraved with it, and it's so cute! So I made a poem and put it on this canvas (kind of copying my friend Anna's that she made for my wedding gift ;) But I made it 3d - took scrapbook paper and wrapped it around wooden stars/moon, and ModPodge'd the whole thing.... I'm pretty happy w/ how it turned out!

Well, we've now put about 5,000 miles on our car in the past 2 1/2 months with all our trips to Manistee, Grand Rapids, & Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario... It's been fun, but I'm glad to be home for a while, now! I've already started Project Organization in the apartment, and Mark and I are suffering with allergies from all the dust we've kicked up! Ah well, it has to be done...

On top of all the traveling, I've also changed jobs yet again, which was a bit stressful at first... I am now working as a pharmacy technician at CVS in Ann Arbor! I've put in over 2 dozen classroom/computer training hours, and I've got another dozen or so to go! I'm really happy there, though, and am glad to have another trade in case I need something to fall back on between social work opportunities! Plus it's fun and I have some awesome coworkers :) Being a nanny was kinda lonely!

So school starts in 2 weeks for me, and I'm excited about continuing my Masters program at Wayne State (even though I'll be spending 6 hours a week in my car to get to class!:) I have my field placement set up at Manchester High School and the Shumard Center, which are about 35 minutes from Ann Arbor. I'll spend my Monday's & Tuesdays there, and another 2 1/2 hours in the car... wish me luck on combating my road rage! I think I'll just picture myself here...

Help!

2005-07-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

I am geeked to use my nice new periwinkle yarn on a sweater & bonnet for my soon-to-be-born neice/nephew, and even found a cute pattern...but am confused - help!

What the heck does this mean??? (the 2 purl ridges part)

Work even in garter st (knit each row) until 2 purl ridges on right side.

I don't even think that's a sentence?? How many rows is that? I think I've lost my mind... and I'm itching to start this!
In any event, the pattern can be found here - please help me! :)

Booga bag here I come!

2005-07-05T14:30:00.000-05:00

I'm SOOooo excited!!! Here I am having a bum of a day, just relaxing at home watching Style Network and TLC - and what do I find when I open my door after lunch? THIS!!

(well, it arrived packaged in a box, of course ;)

My secret pal sent me a (belated) birthday gift!! Which really is the coolest thing b/c my birthdate wasn't included in the SP5 database - she figured that out from my MySpace site!
THANK YOU SECRET PAL!! You made my day! :)

I never could've dreamed what was inside! :)

Booga Bag, here I come! (Just gotta nab some 10 1/2 circ's & dbl pts first - but that's just a minor detail ;)

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Noro! I've never had any before, so I'm excited to just look at it, let alone knit w/ it! I'm SO geeked, I took a bunch of close-ups...

isn't it gorgeous!!! my favorite colors, too!! :)

And as if that wasn't enough, check out what else I got!

Yay butterflies! I was just thinking how I need some cute hair clips, too! Secret pal, are you psychic? ;) Thanks so much!!

Although my birthday itself kinda sucked, I did get to go out on Friday & have some fun celebrating a friend's birthday (half pretending it was mine too ;) - and I got 2 cute skirts thanks to a generous birthday gift from my Dad & Step-Mom Wendy!

In the end, I'd say my birthday wasn't bad at all! :)

Secret Pals ROCK!!!

2005-06-19T19:37:00.000-05:00

Thursday I got a package from my Secret Pal -
and you have NO idea how excited I was!
(** updated w/ yarn details - sorry I was in a rush! **)

(please excuse the tan line ;)

I'm a big nerd though, so I didn't open it right away b/c I was in a rush to get to work... So I took camera & package w/ me, and waited until I could devote my complete attention to appreciating it and documenting it w/ pictures! :) My cousin thought I was crazy - she said she'd have ripped that sucker open before we'd gotten in the door! Yeah, I am strange... anyhoo, here are my fun gifts in all their loveliness!

(Check out the cool butterfly tissue paper! :)

I got some yummy periwinkle "Cashsoft Baby DK" by RY, and it's sooo soft!! :) It's merino wool, microfibre & cashmere (!!!) I have never had anything w/ even a hint cashmere so I'm geeked! YAY secret pal - thank you! (Plus, HELLO! it's my favorite color!) I tried to take pics of the yarn alone but they looked like boobs... so this will have to do ;)

Isn't this a gorgeous notebook?? And it has BUTTERFLIES! :)

I LOVE this cute photo keychain! It folds up and stays shut w/ a handy hidden magnet :)

And last, but definitely not least - these awesome stitch markers! I wonder if my secret pal made them herself?? :)

P.S. - I also sent out a SP package, and discovered that it was a big success by reading her blog - woohoo! :)

Lapghan & Anniversary

2005-05-31T12:31:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Weekend! Mark and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary on Sunday, and had a wonderful trip up north. We stayed at The Brookside Inn which was great! :) I also finished a knitting project in the car on the 4 1/2 hr drive up there! Woohoo (finally)! Here it is (modeled by my pretty mommy ;)

And close up...

I made this lapghan for my Mom for her birthday (Wed. June 1) / Mother's Day (a little belated). She was pretty pleased, so that made me happy too! I also gave her some pretty matted butterfly prints w/ sweet sayings, and her favorite movie on DVD - What the Bleep do We Know?

We also got to visit with Mark's older sister, Marie, her two adorable kids, Mikayla & Daniel, and Mark's parents, Aiti & Isi (that's Mom & Dad in Finnish :) Marie's husband had to work this weekend, but Mark and Isi got to hang out with him on his down time - they went to see Star Wars III together and played some golf as well. We ladies watched "The Notebook" instead... I LOVE that movie!! We had a great visit, and it was so nice watching my honey playing w/ the kids - I know whe's going to be a great dad! (Not for a few more years, though ;) I think they tired out Isi, though :)

My dear sweet Mark wrote me a song for our anniversary, called "Fascinated with You" and it's so cool! I never thought I would've ever had 1 song written for me ("Love Song for You", my 22nd birthday present), let alone 2! I'm one lucky girl :)

It's been a while!

2005-05-25T21:09:00.000-05:00

So Sorry I've neglected my lovely blog! I have been thinking of all of you and checking your blogs on occasion, but I have felt too guilty as I haven't knitted a thing since I finished my sweater's back panel. I'm not sure if my random row-adding tactics worked for the better or not, so I'm nervous on how to start the sleeves to make sure they fit the arm holes - *oops* didn't think of that when I was making extra rows here & there! In any event, here's a photo of that...

While trying to find my pincushion (which still remains missing!) to block my sweater panel (just for the picture - haven't done it yet), I figured the only thing I had to use was some cross-stitch needles... so I dug out my trusty cross-stitch tote, & I came across a few interesting things... I give you exhibits A, B, and C:

Notice the gorgeous photos of what they should look like...compared with my measely progress ;) I am really bad at not finishing what I start! Look at all these projects I've started over the past 4 years or so! Of course, there were a couple cute (and shorter) finished works of art in between, but c'mon - I'm terrible! By now all the newborns are toddlers, and by the time I finish the things they'll be in kindergarten... but the one thing I resolve to finish by Christmas is the Amazing Grace piece... It's for my Grandma! Can any of you relate to this? Since I've moved on to knitting, of course the issue is still the same (see "On the Needles" in my top left window). Oh well... moving on...

In case you're wondering what I've been doing the past 2 weeks, I have embarked on a personal fitness regime change! It's a pretty big deal for me, being that I've always had issues with my weight. I was at a decent size for my wedding, but I tend to gain weight in the winter, and this year it was a doozy! I knocked off some of the extra pounds in Jan/Feb, but then gained a bit back. Recently I've lost that bit, and so now I'm working hard to get in better shape! I've got a lot to go, so wish me luck! Here's what I've been doing...

Debbie Siebers' Slim in 6 every morning (except Sunday)...

And 3x/week I do this cool weight training routine I found in one of my old Fitness magazines. It's from May 2003! (I knew I saved that one for a reason... ;) I also made a binder of all kinds of routines to prevent boredom... I'm using Diet Organizer software which is SO helpful! It tracks all my progress, tells me how many calories to eat based on my weight & activity level, how many calories I burned in certain exercises, and most importantly - keeps track of whether or not I'm getting all my protein & vitamins/minerals in for the day (something to worry about for a vegetarian like myself! ;) I also like that it has a journal feature, and I could basically go on and on about how much I love it. Anyhoo, enough about weight loss.
If you want to keep up w/ my progress...
...you can check on me at Losin' it 4 Good! ;)

SO... this past weekend I had my awesome godsons overnight, and I love them SOOoo much they're adorable & so smart! It was AJ's 6th birthday Sunday, and I couldn't resist getting Taylor (4) a gift too so he wouldn't feel left out. He kept saying "When AJ's 6, I'm 5...so I'm 5 now!" I tried to explain to him that he doesn't turn 5 until August ;)

Aren't they just the cutest things??? We took them to see Kicking and Screaming, which was pretty funny, and they were super excited to go to church with us Sunday morning! Too bad it started raining on us when we tried to play at the park...

In other news, this is realllly late (sorry!) - THANK YOU Maryellen for the adorable card and oragomi giraffe! (I really hope that's a giraffe or I'm making a food of myself..lol ;)

Anyhoo, it's SO cute! It made my day to get that in my mailbox, and I still get a smile on my face when I look at it on my desk :) You're such a sweetheart! (And very talented!)

Also - I GOT IN SECRET PAL 5! :) I'm so excited! I feel like I've waited so long for registration, as I just missed SP4. SO - I'm stoked about that :) Next post: the SP5 survey... everything you never thought you needed to know about me, and so much more - are you ready?? ;) I think I will post it "before" this one so the pretty photos stay on top!

I will try to be a better poster, and I promise to start knitting again this weekend! I just wanted to make sure I got on a good routine w/ my whole exercising stuff b/c I'm lazy and I know I would've stopped to knit if I could ;) Hope you're all doing well! *HUGS* ~Andi

Secret Pal Questionnaire

2005-05-23T11:59:00.000-05:00

**Updated 6/6/2005 for accuracy!** :)

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
Definitely not a snob! Some Lion brands are "higher quality" to me b/c I've never really had the top notch stuff yet... Besides, Red Heart makes some fun colors for cell phone holders! :)

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
Nope, and nope.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
No, but I don't like the smell of smoke!

4. How long have you been knitting?
Since November 2004

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yup... and I just deleted all my hubby's geeky political books! ;) Now it's all mine :)

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Lilac! YUM!

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Yes but pleeeassee don't send me that stuff b/c it'll tempt me!

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I like scrapbooking (one area where I actually finish what I start! ;) and cross-stitching, but I haven't done the latter in quite some time! (See exhibits A, B & C in the next post! ;)

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I love alternative/emo/rock/pop/punk type stuff... and yes I can play mp3s... I even have an mp3 player in my car - couldn't live without it!

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love periwinkle! And nice mellow shades of blues, purples, & yellows. I also like turquoise & pink...

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my husband and 2 cats, Neo & Teeger (who I gratuitously plaster photos of all over my blog! ;)

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
To become a family therapist, own our own home, have a family (2 kids - one birthed & one adopted... unless I get twins on the first shot! ;) and most of all I dream of travelling the world.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I love soft stuff... and I like yarns that are fun! Like Moda-Dea's TuTu and Aerie... I really would love to knit with Noro Kureyon - I'm dying to make a Booga bag!

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Fun Fur! Anything too scratchy...

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
hmm... for a while it was cell phone holders... I just like making things for others :)

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I love projects that you can do in a weekend or less, and stuff that's not too complicated... I have a short attention span!

17. What are you knitting right now?
From S&B Nation: Flower Power (sweater), Yo, Drop It! (scarf), Warm Fuzzies (scarf)... and somethin for my parents! (shh)

18. What do you think about ponchos?
Love 'em - so long as they're not too fringey or thick!

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Straight, only b/c I've yet to master the circ's...

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I like Susan Bates (aluminum)... but I hear bamboo is good for circ's? I dunno I hardly have any!

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Aspiring sock knitter... I have yarn for 1 pair I've yet to try!

22. How did you learn to knit?
From this book!

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Uh... I am guessing that's something about an unfinished project... knit wise? (Still learning the acronyms over here ;) - probably Warm Fuzzies

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Well I'm not really into cartoons, but I LOVE butterflies (can ya tell? ;) and I love black cats & orange striped kitties like mine :)

25. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas - I love shopping for & giving gifts!

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Butterflies, and DVD's :)

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None... :(

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
They're on my Amazon List... Vogue Knitting, Last Minute Knitted Gifts, The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns, and Stephanie's At Knit's End...to name a few :)

Catster!

2005-05-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

Hey all - I've been a bad poster... and not the best knitter! I've finished the back panel of Flower Power, but haven't taken a pic yet as I want to block it first (this will be my first blocking experience, so bear with me!) I've been working a lot and plan to quit my sales job... I start my FT nanny position in 4 weeks and in the meantime I'm working for the kids about 15+ hrs per week after school. That's going so well and I love it! But the A2 News thing has got to go... So what if we'll go 3 weeks w/ a skimpy pay check on my end... (I'm at a 2 week pay lag, so I'll still get paid a couple weeks after quitting) I'll go on a yarn fast!

Tonight instead of getting stuff for my blog, I added some links - check them out! The kids I babysit are so cool - I helped them make their own blogs! Shera loves science, so her page is called Encouraging Girls in Science (she's 7!) Michael, nearly 10, made a great site with his friend Marianne called Bully Solutions. I'm so proud of them - please hit up their pages & leave a comment - they'll be so thrilled! :)

In other link news, I discovered Catster! It's so fun! I made a page for Neo and one for Teeger. They're quite the popular kitties & already have lots of cat friends! Check out their pages, & if you have a cat you should make one too! Then our cats can be friends!! ;) (I know, I'm a nerd...but maybe this will help me keep this blog more for knitting?)

I've also been reading We Thought You'd Be Prettier & laughing my bum off! (Well, not exactly, I think it's still there... darn! ;)

Laurie Notaro rocks!

2005-05-03T20:09:00.000-05:00

I'm geeked! I just got to meet one of my favorite authors at Borders (and listen to her read an excerpt from her latest book, plus a sneak peek for the follow-up due out in November :)
She's a hilarious self-proclaimed Idiot Girl, & I love her writing!

(This picture really doesn't do her justice - Mark caught her in mid blink!) If you've not yet been exposed to the wonder that is Laurie Notaro, then I suggest you go out & buy her books! (I've even linked the photos to Amazon.com - hint, hint ;)

Seriously - they will have you laughing out loud and reading paragraphs aloud to your friends/partner/family members ;) I'd lend you mine, but as I just got them autographed they've now been elevated to most-prized-posession status. (Along with my Dooney & Bourke It Bag, which has recently been sent out for the SECOND zipper replacement.. ugh!)

Since my dear friend (& fellow Idiot Girl) Naomi is on a 34-day vacation (poor thing!) and was unable to attend this event, I got Laurie to write her a note :)

In case you can't read her writing, it says "Naomi - Go ahead. Miss me to poop in the woods. Whatever. I still think you rock! Laurie Notaro" - How cool is that?? ;)

Knit Picks stash additions!

2005-04-30T19:52:00.000-05:00

I have new additions to my stash! (I discovered KnitPicks!)
I got my first Alpalca for lace-making...

...which I'll use to make Branching Out, & maybe 1 other lace project... (or 2 scarves, depending on how I like that pattern! Seems like they'd make great gifts!) Isn't it gorgeous!?

I got some wool for my 1st felting project, French Market Bag.

I'm excited to make this!

Also in the stash additions is some sock yarn, for which I haven't decided on a pattern yet... but this will be my first attempt at socks!

Finally, I got some silk-blend yarn, and I can't remember for the life of me what I had planned on using it for!?! Any suggestions?

In knitting news, here's my progress on the new scarf I'm making, using the Splash ribbon yarn I got from Cyn! (It's a pattern from Stitch 'N Bitch Nation called "Yo, Drop It!" ;)

The knitting you see here is what I accomplished while sitting in the theater during Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy yesterday w/ my hubby. First time trying a drop-stitch effect, and as you can see it's not exactly even yet! I'll get the hang of it soon... what do you think - should I rip it & start over??

In other knitting news, here's a photo on my sweater progress... It's been stagnant for a few days, but I'm about to go to work and I think I'll get a bit more done then ;)

I feel loved!

2005-04-29T18:16:00.000-05:00

This is me on drugs, er, a RAOK high!

(RAOK=Random Acts of Kindness, in case ya didn't know :)

I feel so special! Thank you Cyn!! Cynth is a fellow U of M alum, & even monogrammed the USPS priority envelope with the block M! (GO BLUE!) She gave me some lovely ribbon yarn (my first ever - I'm so excited! :) in maize & blue - our school colors:

...along with a note suggesting my hubby order her fave sandwich (#88-Georgia Reuben) @ Zingerman's, an awesome local deli. (I can't, b/c I don't eat meat! ;)

Cyn, I can't tell you how much this made my day, especially considering I came home to a lovely spot of cat pee on the bathroom floor... *hmph* - I can't be mad, though, cuz poor Teeger has some urinary issues (bladder infection). I just wish my hubby had seen it first so he could've cleaned it! ;)
Ta ta for now! ♥ Andi

Scarves & Why my Keyboard is so Ghetto

2005-04-29T11:44:00.000-05:00

As promised, here is my post on butterfly scarves & why my keyboard is so ghetto ;)

I got some pretty (non-knit) butterfly scarves from Kmart (not on sale, unfortunately!) during my blue-light escapades last weekend... and they just make me happy!

I'm still trudging along w/ my sweater, and am almost up to the armhole shaping part of the back panel! I've gone a long way error-free, but maybe that's just b/c I haven't counted my stitches in a while ;) - I'm gambling w/ the devil, I know! hehe

So my keyboard has seen better days. The laptop I so diligently post from is my husbands old work computer. It really isn't that old - he got it a year & a half ago when he worked at a different company. When he switched jobs & got a new laptop (which is smaller and less cool than the one I inherited - muahaha) this one became mine! (Also cuz when I quit my job at the U, I had to forego my ibook privileges ... and it was so pretty - looked like a chicklet!

Anyhoo, it all started when Teeger started biting the keys off the laptop... it wasn't pretty. Mark tried to reattach them, & was successful w/ most of the buttons, but the darned left Ctrl button was beyond repair. SO.. he figured he'd take the Tab button & put that in the left Ctrl's place. To replace the much-needed tab button, he snagged the Backslash (\) button... - who uses that one, anyway? (Are you with me?) So now theres a big gaping hole where the \ should be (I get to press a funny rubber nob instead!) I asked him why he didn't just use the \ button for the Ctrl button in the first place, keeping the Tab button intact, but I guess he didn't think that far ahead... Exhibit A:

In any event, the result is a very ghetto-looking keyboard. And lately the 2 button has been having issues. It pivots like a teeter-totter, with its resting position leaning forward toward me, as if to say "hello - I'm here - use me!". Fun, huh? Here are some closer-up pictures:

Yesterday I babysat my cousin-in-law's daughter, Elisa, while her mommy got a haircut. She's 2 and sooo adorable! She was the recipient of some very cute 25 cent Blue Light Special winter hats, and patiently modeled them for me. She also modeled my shoes, which look so funny on her little feet! I like this picture b/c it captures almost every aspect (doesn't have the art project though *sniff*) of our afternoon.

Note the lipstick (I did her makeup ;) - and the Care Bear bandaid on her hand (soon to be discarded when she realized it was "ALL BETTER!") from the "owie" she got from Neo after repeatedly trying to get him while he was in his "safe zone" (aka kennel). *whew - long sentence!* I felt so bad! :( But I did try to warn her that when Neo was in his safe zone it means he is scared and wants to be alone... of course, she's 2, and
"don't do that" is not in her repetoire!

All in all, I had a very fun day - but felt like crap by the time Mark got home - I think I was having empathy pain for my cousin in FL who got in a car accident (we're in-tune like that) - I felt like I got run over by a truck!

I shall leave you with this fun picture of my family... now how many of you think my hubby actually looks his age (almost-28)??? Sometimes I think he looks like a teenager (ahh)! I love you, honey! ;)