25 January 2007

tagged! your it!

(Wow! thought I posted this!)

1) Post 5 things about yourself that you have never posted
2) Tag 5 people whom you'd like to know more about


1) I wanted to be a jockey and race horses at the Meadowlands when I was younger. I also wanted to be a gymnast. Basically, I wanted short people jobs. I cried the day I got on a scale and weighed 110lbs and found out I was 5'3". That was when my growth spurt started in the 7th grade and didn't stop until I was 5'10".

2) I am not the person you want to call Customer Service, that is, if you work for customer service. My close friends like to say that they "went Marietta on customer service" in order to get whatever problem they had fixed. Fritz will call and say “you so don't want me to put my wife on the phone." Admittedly - I have gotten 2 months free electricity, 5 months free gas, 3 month free water, 1 month free cable, free sewing machine repairs, and the list goes on.

3) I don't like to sew. Okay - I do, I just wish I didn't have to do it all day long at work so I could actually enjoy it more for myself.

4) I secretly desire to be Martha Stewart...not her personality and unpleasantness, mind you – just want her house and Birkin Bag. And the appearance of being able to decorate, cook and create in an instant….I think I just want her staff.


5) Hmmmm... 5 things…. Oh! I like to break out in song whenever possible! With my own lyrics to popular songs, of course, as well as incredibly out of tune and off key. Fortunately, this is more fun when with my mom since she cannot sing either. Not so much fun for Fritz since he has an ear for sound and music…


Pass it on to 5 people? Well never been a fan of chain mail and forcing people to do something they might not want to do…and I think most people I would like to know more about already have answered this lovely little game – since I am so slow on the posting and all 

16 January 2007

Knitting – can you believe it!!!

There are many other things going on here at Casa de Knit Or Get off – but there is actually knitting – for once!!!
Some old (like May!) and some new!

I finally met up with Starr and was able to give her (and have her try on) her knitted corset that I made this summer – AND IT FIT!!!! She was kind of enough to slip it on quickly before our lunch date the other day – unfortunately the pic is a bit blurry and we were in a hurry – so not the greatest picture:



Pattern: smallest size of Annie Modesitt Bias Corset from Interweave Knits Summer 2006
Yarn used: not quite 5 Balls of Debbie Bliss Cathay, cotton/micro fiber/silk blend, 50g balls, approx 109 yards each (did not use contrast yarn for bind of or strap)
Needles: US 3 (I knit loose, so always go down 1 or 2 sizes, plus I wanted the fabric to be dense for stability)
Changes to pattern: More like corrections. The ribbing did not flow from cast on to body as smoothly as it should (actually, it only works correctly as written for 2 sizes) so I cast on the number if stitches I would need for the body with a contrast yarn , knit a few rounds, then changed to my yarn and started the body. When I was done, I picked up in black and “forced” that ribbing to work. All mentioned here.
Also, I used half elastic/half ribbon straps instead of i-cord. I knew Starr would be wearing this out dancing, so I wanted it to be a bit more secure.

and then there was this lovely - just a tshirt turned into a dress. Starr said - MAKE A DRESS, and I said OKAY! Wish i had teaken pictures of the how too - but again, forethought, something i am seriously lacking....


Fritz always wondered why I knit tea cozies for everyone else and not us – so as an answer to said complaint, I whipped out this little puppy over New Year’s weekend. NO, not any of the cool tea cozy houses or other fun shapes that I got off Ebay this summer – but something plain and boring with a little cabling action to amuse myself.

I used Patons 100% Merino from my stash (a recent purchase, it is true – but stash none the less). I think I cast on something like 130 stitches and then just went from there. The cable pattern is from an Elspeth Lavold book. I would tell you which one, but that would require opening one of 15 boxes labeled “books.” The movers are coming tomorrow, so that will have to wait

Oh yes we are moving!!!!!!!!!! Scary thought! Of course this means decorating and making curtains (or buying) and making (definitely not buying) a new slipcover for the couch – one that is a little more cat proof than the current fabric – I HOPE!!! *gulp*

there is so much more to sohw you and so much more to this post but alas - blogger ate it yesterday. When i have time this weekend, I will update to the new and figure out how to use it all - as well as post a few more pics -but this i always say and never do :) .....

15 January 2007

time to switch

okay maybe it is time to upgrade
wrote fabulous blog
lots of pics
hit "publish post" and blogger ate it!!!!!

will try again tomorrow - and it was all about knitting - really - have to go teach knitting class now....

02 January 2007

HAPPY HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!! okay so it is the 2nd dayof the new year - but i have never been one for punctuality (ask anyone who knows me - and no, I will not work on it as a resolution).


As for Resolutions - I have many as do you all, I am sure, I thought I would try out a few:

1) Be more organized....*giggle*...

Last year I told Fritz, that in order for me to be more organized, I needed an I-pod...that worked. This year, Fritz has decided that for ME to be more organized (read: make room for baby - either the yarn/fabric goes or no baby...) that we need to move. So we are moving to a larger apartment in 2 weeks.
Oddly enough - I have discovered that I do not have as much yarn as previously thought (and no, i did not count the balls/hanks/skeins - that would have used too much brain power and financially depressing. But I have A LOT more books and magazines than I thought I did....and can not let go of a single one of them! Of course, we shall see how I feel in a few more days when i am so over packing. OF course packing/cleaning has it's rewards - since i have found....

One CD containing very few pictures of my week in Vienna! I had left the digital camera at home – so I had to get a disposable camera while in Wien. I had the pictures developed at the local CVS and put on disk for sharing purposes – well what a pain in the buttocks!!!! That Kodak disk is not user friendly – well at least not Marietta Friendly 

I really didn’t take too many pictures – 7 maybe? Should have taken a pic of the REBECCA marquis – but that would have required forethought – and I am not very good at that.

But I did get a picture of the MANNER store in the airport, ‘cause that is just too funny that there is a huge pink store dedicated to the yummy Manner cookies.



I bought this very cute baby bib (before I knew gender) and though it is pink, Maximilian (we have decided on one L) will have to wear it.

All I need to do is put 2 dots above the A, and turn it into MAENNER (which means “men”). Okay… I thought it was clever.

And in the Museum Quartier at the Museum Moderner Kunst (Modern Art Museum) was this lovely display….

Could you imagine? I am guessing it’s Dorothy, and she has taken a WRONG turn!


2) Learn how to cook and bake - more than the few things I know how...

So I joined the Campbell's Kitchen - web page created by Campbell's Soup and other related companies - you can have a recipe box on-line - and most of the dishes are totally MidWest America Cassreole type dishes. Some are even healthy! We are not talking gourmet here, people, but it should help me with my fear of cooking and food poisoning as coinciding hobbies.
I have tried two recipes and so far, no deaths.

I also made Cranberry Scones for a new year's brunch we went to yesterday - and people who are not related to me, nor were they bribed, REALLY REALLY REALLY liked them! (I have to thank my friend Beth who gave me her fabulous recipe and told me exactly how to mix and bake - down to the kneading as well as description of colour of Scones when done.)
Not only that, Fritz asked me to make more when we got home!!!!!!!! And i learned something in the 2nd batch - self rising flour is not a good choice for Scones - stitck to ALL PURPOSE FLOUR and they will be fabulous! My mother would be so proud!


Well, that is all for the resoloutions - i was thinking about losing weight - but i have a life form in me so i think i get a pass on that one.

There is even knitting to share - but that will have to wait until those who they were made for - get them......