My new addition

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Originally uploaded by KnittyBits

Here it is!!

Beaman Automotive really worked hard to get me into this car. I had to walk away a couple times, but I drove away in this last night.

Oh what a feeling!!!

A place for my stash

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Originally uploaded by KnittyBits

This showed up in my garage the other day (for free!!!). Eventually, it will house my stash (well...a good portion of my stash). It's not a true Hoosier cupboard, and it's not terribly old. I haven't scraped any paint away, but I can tell that the wood is of the plywood variety. If I had to guess, I would say that it's probably from the 60s or so. The green paint and strawberry stickers are probably vintage 80s...as are the hammered copper-like handles. When I'm done with it the stickers will be gone and the color will be more pleasing. The enamel counter is in tremendous condition. The upper left-hand cupboard is the flour bin and tilts out. I may reconfigure that. If it was a true Hoosier, I'd leave it intact, but I really don't think I'm going to devalue this peice by ripping out a flour bin. The only thing that's missing is the right-hand bracket that holds the upper and lower pieces together. The white drawer on the right is an aborted attempt by a previous owner to scrap off the green paint.

I'm not sure if I'll strip the paint entirely. Should I stain it or paint it? The drawer pulls and handles should probably be either glass or enamel, I think. And then, once it's done, where should I put it? Den? Guest room? So many things to consider.

I'll post photos of the progress. Wish me luck!

A litte ketchup with my blog

I've put off blogging for the one reason I should blog. So much has happened this month that I should have been writing about it. Yet to write about it would mean reliving it, and it was exhausting enough the first time around.

• I totaled my car.
• I turned 45.
• I taught my first knitting class.
• I got a passport.
• I was strong enough to walk away from a car deal that would have put me in big debt.
• I learned to weave on a rigid heddle loom (and loved it!)
• I ripped out the heel on my second sock...again.
• I started spinning a lovely mohair/sparkle blend batt on my drop spindle (it's like visiting an old friend!)
• I went camping and made beer pancakes.
• I survived my son surviving finals.
• And, the best part--I have had lunch, dinner or drinks with all my friends!

I still don't have a car, but that's ok. Maybe it will happen this weekend. I'll post photos of the beautiful batt I'm spinning and the gorgeous sample I made on the Ashford Knitter's Loom. So, while there are no photos this time, I do hope that this is enough to catch up!

A busy summer full of blog-worth events is on the horizon! Have I mentioned I'm going to Quebec? On a train? Pinch me!!!

La Petite Corolla: A Eulogy

[insert sound of bugle playing Taps]


How can I put into words this feeling of tremendous loss? Haiku, of course!

The squealing of brakes.

"Oh, s**t is that a Beemer?"

Metal on metal.

Is anyone hurt?

What in the hell just happened?
(It was a Volvo.)

No one was injured.

Broken headlights on the street.

Cars blocking traffic.

I watch with sadness.

As the tow truck hoists my car,

The Corolla limps

They called with the news.
Too much damage to repair.
The car is totaled.

A tremendous loss.
Hearts and head lights are broken.
It was much too soon.

I recall the days
Such a dependable ride.
Good times, yes...good times.

So long, 44!

That pretty much says it all! Tomorrow is the big 4-5. Eeeee!

Rather than whine about the fact that I'm getting older, I shall celebrate the added gray hairs, the reading glasses, the extra few pounds. Bring on the birthday and many more!

Yarn Shop Crawl 2009: A Blogumentary

You didn't think that was all that I got while at Stitches, did you?

On Saturday, we took a break from the Stitches South classes/market and embarked on a local yarn shop crawl. If you look up local yarn shops in the Atlanta area, the list is rather daunting. My suggestion to you, should you decided to crawl, is to call each shop you plan on visiting. You'll save precious time by calling ahead for shop location and hours--some shops had extended hours because of Stitches.

The weather was perfect!


Liana took to the helm and guided us about town in style.


Stop 1: Strings and Strands
This was a nice little shop, but was a bit hard to find. She had a great selection in her sale bins and had some lovely custom yarn that appeared to be dyed/spun specially for her shop.


Stop 2: Only Ewe and Cotton Too!
The bonus here was that the yarn shop was also a bead shop. Two evils under one roof!


Purchase: Shibui sock yarn for socks from the "Knit 1 Below" book.
This shop also had a booth at the market. Even so, a couple skiens of ShiBui sock yarn reached out and grabbed ahold of me. What's a girl to do? This yarn is going to make KILLER socks!


Stop 3: LUNCH! Azio's
By this time we were all getting a bit hungry. We asked the guy at Only Ewe for a lunch recommendation and he directed us down the street to this little place. We never would have found it on our own. The food was inexpensive, plentiful and best of all, delicious! I recommend the pesto and penne. So good!


Stop 4: Cast On Cottage
After lunch we were energized once again and made our way to the Cast on Cottage. What an amazing shop! It really is a cottage. And it's not just yarn. They also carry needlepoint supplies. Walking around the shop made me weak! Every time I turned a corner there was another little room filled with fiber wonders. Heaven!


Stop 5: Knitch
I've found that you could have two yarn shops side by side (wouldn't that totally rock?) and they would be completely different. You'd think that after visiting 3 yarn shops that we would have seen it all. Au contraire. Knitch is more like a yarn boutique. It's tucked away in an alley and you could very well miss it if you're not paying attention. Just make sure you don't miss it! This yarn shop is an experience!


As I was walking around absorbing all the colors and textures, I heard the door open and the clicking of dainty toe nails on hard wood flooring. Could it be? Yarn shop dogs? Yep! Meet Tank and Olive! What an added bonus!


Purchase: Shepherd's wool for the February Lady Cardigan
Have you ever touched this yarn? For the love of everything wooly, go find some and rub on it! It's life-changing...well, that may be a bit of a stretch. It will, however, change how you feel about wool. Oh...and it's shockingly inexpensive. I don't recall what I paid, but it was very reasonable.


Purchase: Alpaca silk blend fiber
Since the Shepherd's wool was so reasonable, I couldn't resist snatching up a couple ounces of this to-die-for alpaca silk blend combed top. This is another good "rub on it" fiber. But what's not to love about alpaca and silk? Completely yummy. I have no idea what it will become after it becomes yarn, but I can guarantee that it will be soft enough to wear next to the skin. Undies, perhaps? (Ok, seriously, it's late, I'm getting punchy.)


Stop 6: Dinner at Pozole's
The kind folks at Knitch offered a couple suggestions for dinner and we voted for Mexican. We had no idea that we were in for "REAL" Mexican. Delicious! What a great spot to hang out. If I lived in that neighborhood, Pozole's would be my regular hang out. Good food, cold beer, great prices.


By the time we finished dinner we were pretty fried. It was a long, but fun day of exploring. We got back to the hotel, admired our purchases, and CRASHED! The day was a complete success.

Have I mentioned that Karen and I are meeting in Chicago for Stitches Midwest in September? What have I done?