Merry Belated Christmas

Merry Greetings people. I have been busy. I was knitting my way accross India for 16 days. Then upon coming home I had a week to finish shopping and bake all my cookies AND cook Christmad day dinner. Now onto New Years which is going to be on the quiet front. I do want to see my friend Dan's band check out his website and listen to his groovy tune @ www.danfordsworld.com
Anyhow, back to India I have some pics to post,so here goes... This first one is my initial shopping excursion in New Dehli. Now, when you shop here they pull out a bajillion things for you to look at(note all the clothing in front of my mil and me. Spent the equivilant of $100 us dollars and bought quite a bit of clothing plus a soft pashima. next pic...
This is mendhi, a henna paste that is artistically drwan onto you. It dries an you leave it on overnight then scrape it off in the morning and it leaves a temporary tattoo that gets darker for about 5 days, then begins to fade. I had this done before my wedding also. They also do your feet. This took about 3-4 hours , and was done by my husband's cousin ketki. As you can see she is EXTREMLEY talented. She is in college in India. We had a lovely chat, and I really like her. Hopefully someday she can come to visit us. All the women have hobbies/crafts/singing,etc... I had a lovely show and tell with my husbands grandmother. She is a VERY talented knitter. She does not speak much english, yet we shared so much. I was knitting my herringbone poncho, which I had to frog 3 times ,dropped a stitch, did not ktbl, which caused the pattern to go in all the same direction,then I dropped another stitch. Nightmarish I tell you. So it should be done by now, BUT a 19 hour plane ride home in which I was told on the phone by airfrance that I could not bring my knitting needles on the plane so I did not. However, I noted a woman in the row accross from me crocheting away for 10++ hours. Hmph are they prejudice against knitters???? Food for thought. This pic is moi and Ketki, then mendhi artist. So, you ask how was India for whitebread like myself? Definetly a life experience. I see alot of things differently now. I think the next trip we be much better, because I know what to expect. I will also pac some Kraft Mac and cheese for days when the tummy can't handle the spice. Otherwise, My husbands family is so nice. Everyone was so generous, and the Chai tea, was delicious!!!! I did look disheveled most of the trip, but trust me, this is hard to avoid. You don't take showers, you take baths. Which are quite refreshing, think buckets of hot water that you pour over yourself. However it's not the best for the frizzy hair. I will leave you with one last photo of the Taj Mahal. Do you know the story? Long story short: It was built by a king for his deceased wife as a tomb. He loved her so much he built this for her. I believe it took 30 some years to complete. It is symmetrical, and it was so beautiful words and pictures do not do it justice. At sunset it turns a goldish color and during a full moon it turns blue? I think it's blue. Looks like a professional photo right? That's my hubbies digital. Have a safe and happy new year. Peace.

It's late but I'm still Thankful

OK so my Thanksgiving day post is late, sorry, but I am truly thankful. I'm thankful that I have a wonderful mom. My dad, he's a confused little camper, so I forgive him for being what he can't help but be. I'm thankful for the world's BEST husband. He is the sunshine in my life and I love him with all my heart. I am thankful for a sister who has found sobriety in her life and I finally get my sister back. I am thankful for wonderful grandparents. Grandmom K. is the only one still here, and she's in florida. But I wanted to post this pic of my other Gram. I lost her last year on Christmas eve. We called her Gramom Goodie, she was always baking. She made the BEST pie crust I have ever tasted. She taught me how to make rugelah, pirogies amongst other of her specialties. I miss her every day.....This pic is from 1939!!!!!!!!!

felting mania!!!!

Where have I been? Felllltttttiiinggg. Ugh, I don't know what the problem is but my washer does NOT want to felt. Some of these pieces have been through 4 (50min) cycles. Is this unusual? They are still not completely felted. First I thought maybe too much water, um no, my washing machine maybe doesn;t use enough water. It's a calypso so it does not have the center agitator. I think the water does not get hot enough. I have it on hot wash/cold rinse but it's not working. Then I decreased the other objects from 4 pairs of jeans to 1 pair of jeans and a shirt as company. Nope, still not working. But this does not stop me from continuing to knit bags to be felted. I will not give up hope!
I have also been teaching alot of yoga classes. I started subbing at a local studio, oh this is nice.... Such a different atmosphere from the gym, I love it. I taught there sat, sun and today. I also taugh mon at the gym and I am teaching tonight at the gym. Phew, I will sleep good tonight. I feel good.... Lots of yoga makes me a happy(knit:)

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!!! My favorite holiday because my husband and I had our first kiss (sigh). Dressing up for work, usually I am a witch (hmmm...) This year I am dressing up as a "mod" chick. Bought more yarn at AC moore yesterday, help I need acrylics anonymous. I am running out of containers and space for this stuff. Time to clean some crap out of the basement. MOst of it is for the next craft fair Janet and I are doing. I'm hopping it's a good one, so I have money to buys lots of clothing in India. Wore the beautiful Sari to wedding this past weekend, but I have no pics because we were rushing and we forgot the camera. I am in a bit of trouble because I have never seen a sari or punjabi suit that I didn't like. Look out India, I'm coming with 2 outfits and having all my clothes made. This is a girls dream!!!!!!!!! Having some problems with the herringbone poncho. Yarn broke and I am afraid to frog out the row you can see problem at top right side. If I ignore it there will be a hole and I will not be happy
Triangle is coming along nicely though........

Ladies night

Successful ladies night 2005. The weather was crappy so I had a couple people that were traveling cancel. Heather and I drinking Cosmos. We have Indian Bindhi's on our foreheads (we both previously had 2 tangerinis each). I had a great time cooking apps also. I made Chicken skewers and spanakopita from the Barefoot Contessa's recipe collection. Each lady also got totake home a little goodie bag. I made choc chip pecan coconut cookies and pink m&m cookies. Of course in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Here is a pic of the goodie bags......

You've got mail

Got new mail today, ordered yarn and pattern from http://www.jimmybeanswool.com got my stuff in 2 days, all the way from Reno!!! Here's pic. New adventures in felting. But this bag is toooo cute. I'm still working on herribngbone poncho, but I also started a scarf using Rowan polar. I'm trying a wheatear pattern. I think it looks like hearts, and I love hearts.
Ok a word about the avian flu. Mass panic is staring to set in. I have people asking me for antivirals left and right. You need a prescription people. Let me get on my pharmacist soap box for one minute and say, If we keep using antibiotics when we have a virus, eventually they will NOT work anymore. Also if you stop taking the antibiotic before you are finished with the full therapy, eventually antibiotics WILL NOT WORK. This is not just for the guy who has 3 Amoxil left in his bottle but ALL of us. The bug becomes resistant to the med. Let's just say the same goes for the antiviral. Is the bird flu coming? you betcha. Should you be concerned? ah yeah... Let's get on the people in charge to get their asses in gear and work on this problem before it's on the homefront. Do you know how many people travel from Asia/Europe into this country every day? Are they testing them from avian flu before they are aloud through customs? uh, no, that's not going to be possible. Here is my advice, wash, wash, wash your hands PLAIN soap and water is great. (Nix the antibacterial crap, that's also not helping resitance). Also one final word, Be NICE to your pharmacist, we are often overworked, malnourished. We are on your side, we do our jobs to help people get better, not to become a punching bag for all the cranky pants people out there. We don't make up your copay, be happy you have insurance. Guess what, I'm sick, I get to go to work. So give us a break, huh????
End of soap box. As always check with your doctor before taking any of my advice, after all what do I know.

Why do you knit????

Last night while watching this movie, "Saw" my husband inquired, "When are you going to stop knitting?? Why do you knit so much?" Hmmm. It is so meditative and relaxing, except when watching said above horror movie (not for the squimish I might add). I also like the idea that I am making something from a piece of glorified string. Number one reason I knit? It makes me HAPPY! The poncho is coming along well. I did notice that it sheds all over me so I can't wear darking clothing while knitting it. I am hoping to be done by the 29th because we have a wedding and I am wearing a sari that it would look beautiful over. So the question of the day is WHY Do YOU KNIT???

totally off today

I finally have a day off! long week. Mom is coming out today and we are going to do some shopping. I want to try to get additional pieces of the lexmark spooky town collection. I ordered some yarn from http://www.yarnmarket.com only took 3 days to get! Here's a pic.. I think I will restart scarf on larger needles those are only 15's I think the scarf needs 19's.
I also spoke to the girl from Pick up Sticks yesterday, she designed a beautiful bag (among other felted things!!) called triangle. She was very nice on the phone. I can't wait to try to design some of my own things. That green bag I made (my own design) he he, was the first piece to sell at that craft fair. My husband and I went to Red Robin last night, it just opened on Monday. Mmmmm it was good....tasted like more. See this is part of my problem. here's a pic of progress on poncho from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.. Its coming along pretty well for only 2 days work. The stitch was really weird at first but, now it's pretty easy. The yarn is sooo soft, a pleasure to work with.

I just have a list of things I want to do that keeps growing. Including trying to learn some Marathi before we go to India. So I will leave you with one more pic, it's my little girl in her Halloween costume...... OK uploaded wrong pic, can't seem to get rid of them so I shrank them... Isn't she adorable??? Hehe. Found costume in crackerbarrel on way back from my sister's. She was NOT happy, but like I said she will do anything for her Dadu.

No show tuesday

Today was another no show tues at the gym. What's worse is the class before mine 2nd week in a row the girl called out. She had a decent kickboxing class, but the RWJ gym and the new Gold's are taking all the customers away. Sinking ship? I don't know. I know if it was my business I would go down kicking and screaming, these owners haven't been around for 2 weeks. Anyhow, thought it was time to post a pic of my little girl, Bootsie....
Awww, isn't she pretty???Belly pouch included, although she has lost alot of weight since the vet put her on Atkin's diet for kittys. She is about 15 years old, and she has had a semi-rough life. My x-ahole boyfriend broke her femur bone, and then let her sit home all day in pain until I came home from work at 9pm and then tried to figure out what happen to her. You don't need to ask me why we broke up, ugh. But he got his karma, in the end of our miserable relationship as he tried to salvage he cried in her fur every day.
But NOW, she has a daddy who loves her to pieces!!! She gets more attention from him than I do sometimes!!!! It's ok, I guess I can share her ;)

Happy Monday

Today was a stressful day thus far. But it can only get better. Scheduled to teach in an hour. Got rained out of festival on Sat, but Sun was on and I sold $200 worth of stuff. Janet sold about $165. Not bad for our first time out. There were other women there with knitted stuff, beautiful, but very expensive. They had ponchos for $200 and felted bags for $150 and up. Um, I don't know but, I have a hard time selling a $65 scarf. I can't afford to invest $100 bucks in something that might not sell, and I would rather make myself :) something with that money. Next craftfair is in November. I have a ladies night scheduled for the 22nd, so that's next on the agenda. Should be fun, I asked everyone to bring their favorite appetizer. Just nice to see everyone befor we leave for India. I wore one of my Indian outfits on Sat pm for a party at my mother in law's house. All the Indian girls were dressed in jeans. I like wearing the beautiful outfits my mother-in law brings me back. This stupid thing won't let me start a new paragraph here. Finished another baby hat and a scarf yesterday. I have to replenish my scarf supply. I also bought some ribbon yarn from yarnmarket tonight. All the ladies liked those ribbon scarfs, sold both!!!!!

Wow 2 in one day!!!!

Wanted to post several pocketbooks I made for craft fair tommorrow. Check um out.....
Two are felted, and this is a learning process. I am not completly happy with the purple one too big, and the buttons on brown one... I suck at sewing. But pretty good for first time out. Wish me luck.

Yeah a new day

I'm currently big on reading non-fiction books. I am half way through "Easier than you think, because life doesn't have to be so hard" by Richard Carlson. There is a chapter that talks about his daughter(?) getting up in the morning and saying, "yeah! daddy I get another one of these!" she is of course referring to a new day. I think about this when I get up in the morning. I still after almost 4 years walk down my stairs and say, Thank you God for giving me this beautiful house! One more note on the philosophical side. Has anyone seen "What the bleep do we know?" It's a GREAT movie. Slightly cerebral but definetly interesting. I bought this book yesterday at B&N, it's something that they spent alot of time talking about in the movie. Treat yourself to this flick. There is part of the movie that deals with an experiment with water and how depending on how a regular bottle of water was labeled (with emotional words, such as I love you or I hate you...) the molecule of water changed it's shape..hmmm interesting. Here's the web address http://www.whatthebleep.com .

Now, I couldn't leave B&N without knitting stuff, this holiday book has some really cute stuff in it. And there is an orange poncho in the cast on that I am going to put on my to do list.















I leave you with one final pic of my newsboy cap made out of yarn I bought at a farmer's market, home spun/dyed. Have a great day!

I've been neglecting this blog

I've been neglecting this blog. Too busy, 2 jobs, blah,blah,blah. Janet and I are supposed to do our first craft fair this weekend. An outdoor Octoberfest, tropical rain included. I am trying to let this go, because, it is beyond my control. How many times do we fret and worry over things that we have no control over? This is such a waste of our useful energy. We need to focus more on being in the here and now, mindfulness. I have read so many book and articles that talk about this. So today, pick something, even a 5 minute thing (like washing the dishes) and be present in washing the dishes. How does the water feel? what are the sounds that are made? Immerse yourself in washing that dish. Sounds silly? Give it a try. You slow down your world. Breathe. Too many of us forget to breathe.
Ok enough yogi stuff today. On that note, I can't wait to start my next poncho, I'm going to try to post a pic of this....

excellent, it worked. I also visted a new LYS Ynotknit in pennsylvania. I was at yoga class with Liz my first teacher and I noticed this shop, LOVELY.... Also here is Liz's website her studio is beautiful, http://www.prancingpeacock.com .. Ok here are some of my purchases

The light blues I am going to make a newsboy cap holding the 2 together. The seafoam, probably the same a hat, The colors are gorgeous.

new blog

Ok again trying to figure out the blogging thing. Uploaded 1st pic easily but it was not the one I wanted. Couple things about me, I L>O>V>E to knit and do yoga. I am a yoga instructor. OK here goes the pic again.... OK it worked.....