I don’t have to go to work today, but that does not eliminate work from the agenda today.  I have work to do and lots of it!

I am heading off to the post office to send some packages out.  I am finishing up the never-ending laundry.  And, I am casting on sock #2 for my May Day Sock Swap Pal!  Yes, I am behind the 8-ball a bit.  Sock #1 is done, and done nicely!  Sock #2 will soon follow!  I will not be crying “May Day” but sending off a nice May Day Surprise package instead!

Having rejoined the ranks of the employed, managing a house has become a challenge!  I am seriously in need of some downsizing in housework!  Right now, I have floors that need to be mopped, sheets that need to be changed (which will make more laundry, gah!), bathrooms that need something more than a “quick wipe”, and I need to put a serious grocery list together!  I seriously need to find a “Housekeeping Genie”!  Especially since I have no magical powers - I cannot wiggle my nose like Samantha did on Bewitched - sending things moving through air to their correct place, nor can I blink like Barbara Eden did in I Dream Of Genie instantly making things right and in their place!  So, I am looking for a “genie replacement”!  It will give me time to knit, spin, and unwind after work!  It will also make my days off a bit more manageable.  So, my goal for the week will be to find someone who can do a few things here for a reasonable sum of money!

So, I am off to get a sock cast on and get to the post office!  Have a good day all!

Spring cleaning has hit and I am doing a bit of destashing! Prices include US shipping. If you need shipping outside of the US, email me and we can work something out. If you want more than one, I will re figure your shipping cost. Paypal preferred. The fiber is well taken care of in a home with dogs and cats! Email me with questions at kachrist37 (at) gmail (dot) com. Of course you know to replace (at) with @ and (dot) with a .

A sweater’s worth of Tahki Torino. 100% Extra Fine Merino - color 125, dye lot 2151. 94 yards per skein. All 10 skeins with shipping - $56.00

4 Skeins of Di.ve Mohair Kiss. Color - 27385, dye lot 9575. 98 yards per skein. All 4 skeins with shipping - $20.00

Rio de la Plata Sock yarn - 437 yards. Color way code SL02 - pale pink pastel, sandstone, chinchilla. $10 with shipping.

Opal Sock Yarn. 425 meters. Color - denim-y blues, khaki, and gray. $13.00 with shipping.

Opal Sock Yarn. 425 meters. Price $13.00 with shipping.

Fortissima Colori Socka Yarn. Mexiko Country Colors. Price $13.00 with shipping.

Regia Sock Yarn. Price $13.00 with shipping.

Regia Bamboo Sock Yarn. $12.00 with shipping.

Regia Bamboo Sock Yarn. $12.00 with shipping.

Fleece Artist 100% washable merino wool. Spring colorway. $13.00 with shipping.

Sweetgeorgia yarns. Coal Harbor Colorway. 370 yards. $10.00 with shipping. SOLD!

Duet Sock Yarns - Skinny. 100% Superwash merino. 450 yards. $17.00 with shipping. SOLD!

Thanks and have a great day!

Hello everyone!  Yesterday started out as a day off, but I got called in to work from 3PM to 7PM.  Not too bad at all, especially when I could sit and knit!  Not too bad at all.  And, since I am trying to finish my May Day Swap Socks - 4 hours of knitting time with no housework yelling at me sounded like just the thing!

And, I got sock #1 done!  Sock #2 will be cast on this morning and I will knit away on it as I work on the house a bit too!  And, tonight is knitting with the S.A.B.L.E ladies - the high point of my week!  What an amazing group of women.  They are so positive and cheerful.  I am truly blessed to know these ladies.  It is so fun to watch them helping and encouraging each other!  There is some spinning going on, some knitting going on, lots of laughter, and an abundance of love.  I am eagerly looking forward to spending my evening with those ladies!

On the work front, things are still going wonderfully.  I truly love my job.  And, I am finding new reasons everyday.  Yesterday, I got on the scale and much to my surprise, I have lost almost 10 pounds since starting!  Holy cow people.  That equates to a lot of walking!!  As my feet tell me after every shift.  I have gotten a different pair of shoes and they feel good, but I am still working on getting rid of blisters.  I am seriously hoping that 3 days without 12 hours of walking will help cure that!!

It also seems that spring has finally sprung here in my little corner of the world, with a big SPROING!  Birds are singing,  breezes are blowing and we have a week of 70 plus degree days.  I could not be more thrilled!  This does not bode well for the tulips for Tulip Time, however.  Warm days and warm nights make for a short tulip season.  And, we have rain in the forecast for the weekend.

I will leave you with a view of the sunny yellow forsythia that is blooming in my back yard.

Have a great day everyone!

Or, why are there only 24 hours in a day?

It seems to me that when a person works 12 hour days that their day’s off should be a bit longer than 24 hours!

Here I am, on my day off, and I find myself doing laundry, cleaning the house (don’t have a panic attack, gentle readers - just surface cleaning is going on here), getting something ready to take to Sandy and Bud’s tonight for dinner, and I am about to leave to watch #2 daughter play in her tennis match at school.  I have done little to no knitting (soon to be remedied at the tennis match), no spinning, not one fun thing!  If you could see my bloglines - I don’t think I will be caught up ever!

Thus why I think that day’s off should be MUCH longer than 24 hours!

Tomorrow will be one LONG day.  Work 12 hours and then I will be making a beeline to see/hear #2 daughter at her spring concert.  If I sit in the back do you think anyone will notice that I am in my work clothes???  There will be no time to change - the concert starts at 8PM - I should arrive moments before the start.   Oy.

Alright all, I am off to see my tennis pro!  Have a good evening all!

Hello everyone!

What an amazing weekend!  From start to finish it was just amazing!  From Friday night with The Yarn Harlot to Sunday with Amy and Jillian and a bit of work in between it rocked!

But, I have to tell you that Sunday was simply beyond belief!  Ann, Sandy, and I headed out to visit Mecca for the premier of More Big Girl Knits.  It was a transforming day.  Truly transforming.

Personally, weight is something that I have struggled with for a long time - a lifetime, it seems.  And, living in a society that tells us daily that the norm is to be a thin, svelte size 6 makes being the exact opposite of that a challenge.  As friends have blogged about, shopping for clothes for those of us who are not societies norm is not much fun.

When you get to my age (yes, the ripe old age of 47) there are things that you want to change, but changing them in reality just ain’t gonna happen!  I mean, get real.  I am not likely to start training for a marathon next week - or even next month.  Hell, lets be totally honest here - marathon training is not ever going to happen!  So, shopping consists of finding things that “cover” you up.

Then, yesterday happened.

Amy and Jillian brought with them to Threadbear a volume of samples to try on.  A volume I am telling you!  How awesome is that?

But, what is even more awesome is the fact that each item I tried on flattered my overweight, middle-aged body!

These patterns are well written with amazing instructions to help fit each garment to me!  I spent the evening reading through the book and I am more in love with it than I was at Threadbear!  If I could make a  recommendation to you about a book to by if you are a beautiful big girl - get this book!  Usually, I am lucky if there are a couple of patterns in a book that I might knit.  In More Big Girl’s there is a list!  A long list!  This could provide me knitting for a good long time!

I am not the only person who this “Aha Moment”.  There was much excitement in all the women who were trying things on.  And, it was truly amazing to be with women who were like me…. and watching them be transformed as I was.

Add to that the fact that there were some divine cupcakes and astonishingly delicious cake -  and a building packed with yarn - you can understand why Threadbear gets the title of Mecca!

Matt and Rob were charming as ever - and they had amazing sales as well yesterday!  And, I mean AMAZING!

So, what was so amazing you ask????

Ummmm, how about a little Shaeffer Clara on sale - think - Liberate Your Laceweight!

And, can you even pass up Lorna’s Laces Lion and Lamb on sale at 50% off - I cast on last night for a new Clapotis!

And, the best of all - a sweater’s worth of Garnstudio’s Silky Wool that will become The No-Gap Wrap from More Big Girl Knits!

Yeah - a great day.  I will leave you with some photo’s of what you all were missing!

Sandy and Ann with some new yarn for a scarf for Ann!

Tracey casting on something new from the book!  I am so fortunate to have her as a friend!  And, I am loving her sweater - you looked awesome, girlfriend!

Jillian and the “Wall of Collinette”.  If you are not blessed to know this woman - she just rocks!

Amy knitting away on a gorgeous sweater.  I don’t know what the knitting community would be without knitty.com.  She is awesome!

And, last but certainly not least - Carla!  She is knitting the same sweater in the same yarn in the same color as me.  It is a sister thing!

Whew - after a weekend like this I need to get back to work!  But, just to keep the “knitting glow” going.  The S.A.B.L.E. group is on my agenda for the evening.  What could be a better way to end - with knitters with the same obsession as me!

Have a great week all!

Good Day everyone!

It has been a great weekend! And, it all began with a road trip to A2 to see The Yarn Harlot in all her humorous glory! That’s right! Erica, Blogless-Linda, Sandy-who-needs-to-get-a-blog, and I all headed off together! The drive was most interesting. Black skies and rain traveled with us. When we arrived in A2 we were welcomed by a Tornado Watch - we were glad that The Harlot was speaking in the lower level of the library!! The room was filled to overflowing - and the overflow was filled to the brim as well! There were many great knitters and spinners present! Abby was there and Jofran, too! Abby was wearing THE SHAWL! And, of course, I did not get a picture of it! I know - fifty lashes with wet wool for me! There were some members of The Black Sheep Knitting Guild attending as well! We had a great time sitting, knitting, waiting. When at long last - she arrived with a thunder of applause!

Through a sea of knitting heads, she was there! Funny as ever. I have started reading her new book and I give it a great review…. 5 pointy sticks on the knitter’s scale!

After her talk, there was of course, the opportunity to get her autograph in our books! Of course we stood in line. Sandy got a photo of all of us, but I don’t have it to share with you yet! Sandy just sent me the photo of all of us!  Here it is…

But, I do have a photo of me!

There we go - I have her sock - she has mine. Oh… and this sock - it is THE sock for the May Day Sock Swap! It is now a famous sock!! I am sure my pal will love knowing that this sock made the journey to visit The Harlot!! I am ready to turn the heel on sock #1 and will get there on our journey today - that is right, even with gas prices through the roof - we are heading out again today to see Jillian and Amy in Lansing for the premier of More Big Girl Knits!!

I worked yesterday, picking up an extra shift. This is a very good thing. It was a nice day, and I paced myself well. All in all, a great day! I came home to soak my feet and sit and knit a bit. All week long we have had a guest doggy here at our house! Mitzi the Boston Terrier has been hanging out with us and we have loved every minute of it! She is a great knitting buddy!

She climbed right up on the back of the sofa to snuggle in with me.

“Are you talking about me????”

She is welcome back anytime she’d like! It is always a good thing to have a Three Dog Night!

Stay tuned for a Big Girl Knits update! Have a great Sunday all!

Yes, that is right.

There is a group of us heading over to A2 to spend the evening with fellow knitters and The Yarn Harlot!

The library there is hosting an event for her.

On the work front, I have completed my orientation and Saturday I am picking up my first extra shift!

Woot, woot!!

I cannot tell you all how much I love my new job.  I am so blessed.  I work with wonderful people.  It is so nice to be part of a team again.  The work is extremely satisfying, as well.  I also love the fact that I don’t have to spend anytime thinking about what to wear each day!

I do have a casualty from the week.  My feet!

I have a truly lovely blister to prove it!

See??

I am not sure about traipsing around Ann Arbor to see the Harlot.  Poor foot!

I have not found the right combination of shoes and socks as of yet.  Obviously, this is something that I need to solve sooner than later!

I see a pedicure in my near future!

One thing I am really missing is regular blog posting!  On the days I work, I get home late - so there is not much time between arrival home and me crawling into bed!  Last night I tried my best to stay up for ER to no avail!  Thankfully, I was smart enough to Tivo it!  Silly me for thinking that I would stay awake!

On the knitting front - I am happy to report that I am knitting away on my May Day Socks!  I switched gears and changed patterns.  The Twisted Tulips had gone to the Frog Pond for the last time - in their place I am knitting along merrily on a pattern from Dream In Color - The Sleepwalker Socks.  How appropriate, huh?  I have figured that the pattern can be knit while one sleeps!  Yet, the design on the sock is truly lovely.  And the yarn will make my pal’s feet very happy!  Stay tuned for their photo op with The Yarn Harlot today!

Alright, I am off to the shower and then out to find something for my blistered foot!

Have a great day all!

Hello everyone!

I have officially made it through my first week of work!

Whew!

I still have volumes to learn but Week One was a pleasant surprise.  I survived orientation and I am holding my own in training on my unit.  I have a wonderful teacher.  She is patient and understanding - even if I have to ask her several times about something.  She has a bit of an accent - so I am asking her to repeat things at times.

Okay, she has more than a bit of an accent!  I am struggling to understand much of what she says, but she is patient and is willing to repeat things.  She pronounces my name “Katy” so the patients are calling me Katy - to which I do not answer.  Oy.  It is pure comic relief, I am telling you!

Within the month I am sure that I will have lost some weight with all the walking I am doing.  There is LOTS of walking.  And, I mean LOTS!

I am thankful for comfortable shoes!

They are sitting right where I took them off last night.  After a 12 plus hour shift, I dragged my butt in the house and did not do much more than that for the remainder of the evening.

I am also thankful for the new friends that I am meeting at work.  Now, I do not want to sound prejudiced - or discriminatory, but it is so nice to work with women my age!!  They are all wonderful.  They are encouraging and welcoming.  There are knitters!!

I have, however, been practicing my long draw technique that I learned from Abby and I am pleased to report that I am getting it!!  I am even more pleased to let you all know that Icelandic Wool is an excellent fiber to practice this technique on.  I have a lovely batt of this yummy stuff and I am enthralled with this new technique!

As you can see, I am working on filling a bobbin and hope to have some plied up this weekend!  My consistency is improving which was my goal.  I am feeling more confident with the technique.  Practice, practice, practice!  I love how this technique allows the “springy-ness” of the fiber to remain.

Finally, I am thankful for good friends.  Copper and Penny are a welcome sight at the end of the long day.  And, even after being cooped up for the day, they are happy to crawl up on the sofa and sit with me.

Here is Copper hamming it up for the camera.  Penny was borrowing a page from the camera shy cats - I could not get her to sit still.  Here she is hiding…

What I did not know at the time was that she had gotten in the garbage.  Hmmm, she knew she was in trouble!  LOL!  Kind of hard to put her in “Puppy Time Out” when she puts herself there first.  If it is not raining all day here we are all going for a bit of a walk!

Okay, I am off to get the sewing machine out for a bit of sewing fun.  Stay tuned to see what I create!

Have an awesome weekend all!

Hello everyone from The Home of the Employed!

I have survived Day One and the onslaught of HR representatives, Security representatives, Benefits representatives, Infectious Control representatives (she was at least funny!), and Don’t Hurt Your Back - Use Good Body Mechanics representatives.

Whew, it was a LONG day.  A long day of sitting.  And listening.

Today - Day Two, I survived IS (Information Services) and was rescued during the afternoon session (Thank you Sandy!).  I found everything I needed to and more on my “Scavenger Hunt”.  Lots of walking!  Lots of new faces to remember!

So, here I am at almost 7PM and I am working on drawing myself a nice hot bath, pouring myself a glass of wine, and settling in that tub with a good book.

Then I am heading off to bed.

Day One and Two I did not have to be to work as early as I do tomorrow.

I know that 6:45AM will come EARLY!

So, early to bed for this poor knitter.

Oh… I did manage to get some knitting done yesterday in the barrage of presenters - simple scarf knitting.

Have a good evening gentle readers!

Gentle readers, it was The Most Amazing And Spectacular Saturday - The Most Amazing!

At dawn I was awake (after barely sleeping all night) to head out to meet Lisa.  We were off watching the sunrise as we raced over to Howell Michigan.

What, you ask, is in Howell that we had to leave so early?

Two things.

The Divine Miss B and Abby.

Okay, maybe I should say Abby and The Divine Miss B.

Lisa and I signed up for a spinning class - specifically Spinning for Socks.  Holy Cow.  Total brain overload.

I learned things that I never imagined I would ever learn - ever… and some of them were actually from Abby!

So, when there is the clear light of day I will show you pictures of the amazing things I learned today.

Okay, maybe not all of them - but how about the things that Abby taught us!

If you have not had the pleasure of visiting Beth’s Shop - you need to run, not walk, but RUN to see her.  She is fun, a great spinner, and she has more fiber than you can shake a stick at (even a spindle at!!).  If you have visited and you have not availed yourself to some of the classes she has, get yourself signed up!  Seriously.  She has amazing classes.

So - I am now heading off to bed to digest what I learned today and I will be dreaming of the fibers at her shop.

… on Cormo and Shetland, on Masham and Merino, on Dorset and Polwarth…

Sweet Dreams all!