And now, for your viewing pleasure, I present......

Yep. I did it. I made a Sophie. Wait, that sounds too close to "I made a doodie!" So, I knit up a Sophie bag. My mind is way too twisted to post anything seriously today. Everything I type just sounds so....dirty in my head. But we shall forge ahead (snickersnort) my little stalkees.

I'm rather proud of my Sophie for several reasons. It's my first knitting project on my Denise circulars. It's the first time I've had to pick up stitches in knitting. It's my first finished project made with wool yarn. It's the first time I've done serious color changes where a mistake would be oh-so-visible and it was my first time felting, ever. So see? It was a milestone project. I'm still not seeing fair isle or socks in my future. It's just not gonna happen. Sock knitting looks like a Chinese torture device while it's in progress. And I don't have to worry about any of you trying to ensnare me into knitting socks because none of you know my address to send me hand knit socks and suck me in. HAH! I'm safe. Besides, who would I knit socks for?? My feet are square. They are as wide as they are long and it would take too much pattern changing to make a pair. There's not a chance in hell that I will knit socks for the hubby. He wears a size 17 shoe. It would take 3 skeins of yarn to make one pair. Not happening.

Knitting Sophie up wasn't so bad. It gave me a better grasp of decreasing and it went really quick. I knit all of the heather green section and 2 rows of the amethyst in about 4 hours of Songburst. Rather quick for me. I also discovered that to get from my house to work with T driving, is one cigarette and a row of Sophie away. Now, felting the bag was nerve wracking. It took everything I had not to call information for the number of a certain Blog Mistress and say "Hi this is Stalker Angie and I am felting Sophie and will you hold my hand please???" So Sophie went into the washer with hot water and a pair of jeans. And there was some hovering involved. I didn't leave the washer throughout the entire process. Each time I would pull it out and think "Is it enough? How small should it be? Is it supposed to look like an amoeba on crack??" After only 4 cycles in the washing machine, Sophie was felted. Then she was blocked and dried which took another 24 hours. T did the grommets because I was sucking ass at grommetting (is that a word?) and couldn't get the little buggers to stay together. So without further ado...here she is. Ms. Sophie v1.0. Click on picture for bigger view as usual.


Do the Sophie! Do dodo dodo dodo do dooo....

She was knit with double strands of Cascade 220, on size 10 Denise circulars. The handles are from Kim, of course, over at Gibson Girl Designs. She does beautiful work over there. Sophie was presented to my MIL for Mother's Day and she was well received. I know there's another Sophie Bag in my future because I want to make one for T's sister for Christmas. Right now I'm in a rut with no project started. I have yarn block or something. I have the yarn and the needles. I guess I just need the right project and no, it won't be socks. What I think I want to do is make a shawl. One of the kind you can wrap around your shoulders or tie around the waist that looks more like netting than anything else. And I want it fringed for that cute swing. And it has to be knit (Stop laughing at me, Ms. Ryan) because the yarn will NOT lend itself to crochet. I have tried. Anyone know of a pattern I can use? I just want something very open. *Sigh* I'll find what I want at some point.

Hope everyone has a great day!!

Big floppy hats and teeny tiny pastries

First off I want to welcome a couple of Dorks to the blog and some lovely people who found me through said Dorks. Oh, and any other new readers I may be missing. Hi Ladies!!

So the day before Mother's Day, the Historical Society of Millican, Texas had itself a Tea. The Country Gingham Tea to be exact. I was a smidge nervous about going because I didn't have anyone to go WITH and the only person I knew that would be there is my mother-in-love, but she was serving, not socializing. Have I mentioned I have issues about going places alone the first time? I do. I can go out to eat alone, go to the movies alone, drive across states alone...but you get me to go into a library, new store or a meeting place all by myself? No sir, I don't like it. This would be why I haven't been to our local knitting guild meetings even though I know when and where it is. Can someone come hold my hand??

So anyway, about this tea. It was a grand time. It was a hoot and I had a great time. I don't even know where to start, so I guess I'll go from the beginning. I arrive to the Millican Civic Center/Meetin' House. This is the same place the hubby and I vote and it's an old civil war building that is in need of repair. Well, they did some repair. It was too cute. They had planted all around the front ramp and had hanging plants eveywhere. Oh wait! I have a picture! I have no idea who the ladies are, but they were nice and I love the dress.



Well when I got inside, they had patched up the old paneling as much as possible but the walls were covered in hand sewn quilts. All of the tables had white table clothes with gingham ribbon and big ribbon bows in all different colors. Sooooo pretty. Everyone is in pretty dresses and big hats to match. Hell, I even painted my toenails! Then we had a speaker who is a history buff and told us all about how that hall had been the meeting place for all of the counties on this side of the river to be shipped off to fight in the Civil War. It was interesting. Not my thing, but interesting. Then we got tea and food. Mmmmmm boy did we get good stuff. And yippee! I got to be served by T's mom! So the first course I have a picture of. They did everything so nice.


Almost too pretty to eat....almost.

We had chicken salad sandwiches, apple slices, an asparagus roll and an open face cucumber sandwich. Now folks, I don't like asparagus. I'm not real damn crazy about cucumbers either. It was all wonderful. I loved everything they served.

The next course (sounds so distinguished, don't it) was a cranberry/orange scone with honey butter. Are you drooling yet? Cuz then there was a third plate. Oh hell yeah. Bring on the sweets!


It's Texas. Pecans will be involved.

That's 2 luscious chocolate covered strawberries, a sugar cookie shaped like a tea pot (too cute!!), a Ghirardelli Caramel and a wonderful, wonderful, mouth watering pecan tart thingy. Oh it was divine.

But alas, I am an idiot. I didn't take any knitting. Not a bit. No crochet either. Stupid me thought it would be inappropriate. Sitting next to me during all of this lovely experience, was a good friend of the M-I-L. I had my camera with me for blogging purposes (see? I was thinking of you) so I showed her stored images of the Sophie bag (discreetly since my MIL was, like, there) and she just went nuts over it. So of course the nice lady across the table wanted to know what the fuss was about so I handed her the camera and she loved the bag and then fessed up that she knits as well. So the lady 2 seats down from her says "Are y'all talkin' about knittin'?" and we said we were and the next thing you know, we're having us a great big conversation about knitting. And I started it. Ms Ryan is probably laughing her ass off right now at the irony of it all.

But every woman at that table either knit, crocheted or both. And then I mentioned the LYS and there was a moment of complete silence and then my table sounded like the trading floor of the stock market. I tell you one thing though. Next time, I'm taking my current project. Screw decorum. By the end of our conversation, I had 2 ladies who would have helped me with an idea I have for knitting and had a couple of ladies that wanted me to show them some crochet stitches. Dumb ass stalker.

Tomorrow or Thursday you will see Sophie. Isn't it exciting??

Hope everyone has a great day!!

Shhheeerrrrrrrrtttt Rattle Rattle....

That's the sound my chest makes when I breath. Inhale, "sheerrrrrrrtttt rattle rattle" and exhale "cough hack hack". I have been sick for a week now. A freakin week. Oh and here's a bit of stalker trivia nobody ever wanted to know and for pete's sake if you're squeamish AT ALL just skip the rest of the damn post, will ya? Just skip to the comments, say hi and go about your day in blissful ignorance. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I have an over-active gag reflex. I'm one of those people who can't take a baby aspirin without gagging. Yeah. When I was a kid, my brothers teased me constantly about not being able to hock a luggy. Now, as an adult it's not a talent I miss, but as a kid? Dev-uh-stay-ting. I tried, but once it hit my throat...major yurk. Drove my mother insane that I kept trying. To this day, if I get sick, it's major yurksville for me. Even if it's not a stomach thing, it becomes one. I'm actually getting better, but for 3 whole days it was an endless cycle of cough cough hack yurk blow my nose sniffle snort cough cough.....yeah. At this point when I cough, though not as often, it hurts all the way to my elbows. I want my mommy.

On the positive side of things, I was well enough on Saturday (or so I thought at the time) to attend a lovely Tea put on by the Millican Historical Society. This was pre coughing and hacking. It was a lovely time and I shall tell you about it later. I even have pictures. Whee! Also, Sophie is finished and has gone to her new home. I have pictures of that too. It's just not gonna happen today. Tomorrow doesn't look good either cuz I am helping my folks move. Well, yeah I'm still sick. Yes, I am a dumb ass, why do you ask?

Hope everyone has a great day!

A post for Ms. Ryan.

Well I suppose it was inevitable. Someone had to get pushy about my lack of updating. I just never thought it would be my very own blog mistress. Say, who's the stalker here, anyway?? So update I shall. Let's see....what shall we talk about? Oh! You want to talk about me?? Perfect! So, I had a birthday a couple of weeks ago. Did too. I turned 33. I thought heading for mid-thirties was gonna be scary. Truth be told, I still see myself as 18. I don't FEEL 18, but I still act like it sometimes. What's that? What did I get? Nosy buggers, ain't ya? Ok fine.

My mom (of the "she gave birth to me variety")gave me a gor-gee-muss frame that had a picture of myself, her and my grandmother in it. It made me cry. A lot. My little brother gave me this really cool music box of a dragon and wizard fighting that has flashy lights when you play the music. Too. Freakin. Cool. Did I ever mention that I collect dragons? I do, ya know. My little sister gave me a really pretty watch and necklace set and she made me a message board that's all irridescent and has beads spelling my name out. Saying she's creative is like saying the Titanic was just a big boat. My mother-in-love gave me a $50 gift certificate to my LYS. Yes she did! Nope, haven't spent it yet. I'm savouring the moment. Cuz T's sister sent me $50 for my birthday and it's going with the gift certificate. That's right, baby. I get to go spend $100 on yarn and still pay the rent. Ooooh yeah. I was debating just putting the money with my cruise money for next Spring. But that would be stupid. Yarn FOR the cruise...now you're talkin'. I'm buying silk yarn for a shawl to go with me on the cruise. I am one smart stalker. Hubby is getting me a BBQ pit. See? 33 ain't so bad as all that. In fact, it kinda rocks.

The only scary thought about getting older is that whole shrinking thing people do. Now folks, I don't know if you're aware, but I'm not very tall. I'm 5'1" tall. There's not a whole lot of shrinkng room there. And my nephew had bigger hands than me when he was 5. My longest finger is 2 inches long. Think about that for a moment, will ya? Piano is so not in my future. Now T, he's got some shrinking room. Wonder if he'd take my share of the shrinking. I'm his wife, he should shrink for me. The man is 6'7" tall. Yes he is. A full foot and a half taller than me. Am I asking too much here?? Oh, and here's some stalker trivia for you. Hubby and I met on the internet. Did too. We were both living in Houston in the same area of town. We were engaged within 3 months and married before we knew each other a full year. I asked him to marry me. I am not the most patient of people. We've been married for 6 years now. I am one lucky gal. Well that concludes our Stalker Trivia for today. Hope you were paying attention. There will be a quiz.

In knitting news, Sophie is 9 rows away from being felted and she's loving every moment of it. When I got home today I caught her cavorting in the garden enjoying our lovely Spring weather. I just had to whip out the camera. Here's Sophie frolicking in the ivy.




Now, our ivy isn't really that bright, and Sophie is made from the lovely Cascade 220 I ordered so it's really not that...well, blah. I'm still trying to figure out how that happened. Here's Sophie with the sunflower she insisted on having a picture taken with. Silly Sophie!




My neighbor has these sunflowers and since we are downhill of them, some of the seeds washed into our yard and we have 6 of them coming up. Can't wait 'til they bloom. Now I want you to notice that my thumb is in the above photo....my whole thumb. See? No freakin' shrinking room here, people. In ten years, you can just call me Stalker Nub.

Hope everyone has a great day!!