Cat in a Sweater...Seriously

I would not have believed it was possible had I not seen it with my own eyes. Christine Landy not only created a sweater pattern for a cat, she actually convinced a cat to sit still long enough for her to put it on the cat. Check it out!

I've Been Tagged!!

Hi all,

I've been tagged for the 6 quirky things meme by The Knitting Librarian! NessaRenee added me to her list, so I am bound to continue the tradition!

The rules:
1) Link to the person who tagged me
2) Mention the rules
3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself
4) Tag 6 other bloggers by linking to them
5) Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged

The meme:
1) I generally knock twice on hard surfaces when I walk by them.

2) I watch/ listen to C-Span just about everyday.

3) I love watching trivia game shows, especially the Family Feud and Jeopardy.

4) I make up songs about my dog and sing them around the house. (for example, Koobie Koobie Koo - sung to the Scooby Doo theme song).

5) I wanted to be a nun when I was a little girl.

6) I went through a "goth" phase in high school.

I tagged:

Ellen/Jan
Susan
Zukeila
Wendy
Tiffany
Carolyn
Hope

Knitting Out on a Limb

Hey all,

I am back in Minneapolis now. I had such a great time in Texas. And my mom did indeed make mashed potatoes on my brother's birthday. They were wonderful. I feel so much better about the status of my life. It is amazing how just connecting with family can have such a grounding effect.

Oh, and I gave Ava her sweater. Her parents really liked it and I think she looks beautiful in it. My goal is to have her other sweater finished in time for Christmas. I think I should make it. Here is the most recent picture of her.

I made a lot of progress on my Lacy shrug. Naturally, it does not follow the pattern at all. It has sort of gone off on its own tangent, but this is what I am working with now.


There were also some dye lot issues that I tried to compensate for. I used the darker yarn for the sleeves and the lighter yarn for the body. Maybe I should have done it the other way around. I don't know. That is why I am engaging the community. I am a little nervous about this one. This yarn was really expensive. I probably should have experimented with a cheaper yarn!


This is one of the largest projects I have done free hand. I am also trying to write down what I am doing as I go. Which is pretty interesting. I do less ripping back if I work it out on paper first. Do you think the sleeves will look disjointed? I didn't think so, but perhaps I should reevaluate when the other one is finished.

Comments and suggestions are welcome. In fact they are solicited!!

Eryka

The Family Portrait

Hi all,

Mom mentioned that she wanted us to have a family portrait taken since we were all here, including the latest addition to our family, Ava.

So, today she had us all get dressed and go to the studio. Nothing fancy, just a casual family photo. My grandmother came over as well. This was her first time meeting her eight and latest great grandchild.

What Mom failed to mention was that the "studio" was inside the H.E.B. grocery store down the street. Now, not only was this classic mom, it was also a blast! We had such a great time on the way there. I took several shots of our family getting there, and during the shoot. The green screen behind us is the placeholder upon which they will put the "official, fancy portrait background.

After that, we all went to dinner at Abuelos, my mom's favorite restaurant. I know this sounds silly, but I really enjoyed today. I am enjoying my time with my family. Tomorrow is my brother's birthday and we are having a little get together for him. It will be just the family, but I can't wait. My mom is making mashed potatoes; she makes the best in the world! I wait all year for her mashed potatoes.


I am knitting. I am making some progress on my Lacy Shrug in Copper Penny. I finished one sleeve and am now working on the body. I feel content.

Eryka


P.S. Here is a photo album with all the images, in case you are interested.

Home at Last

Well, I finally made it to Texas and I have to tell you, there is nothing better than sitting down at my mom's table and eating a plate of her spaghetti. Which was nice after the day of travel I had.
I love my mom's house. I would write more, but I am tired and my brother has been hogging the computer! (it feels just like the old days!) Oh, also, by baby niece is beautiful! I am so in love with her, I might move to California so I can see her grow up!

Off to Texas! ...Oh, and he emailed me...

Ron sent me an email this morning saying he was sorry and that he loves me....I'm not buying it. I have also been getting alot of hang-up calls recently. Again. Not buying it. It was the right decision and I the tone and content of his email confirmed it for me.

I leave tomorrow to go to my mom's house, so look for updates from Texas. Of course there will be several pics of my new baby niece Ava as well as my mom and the dogs. I had better go to bed now, got an early flight tomorrow. In fact, I have to take three flights to get to Midland. My first flight leaves around 9am, and I will reach Midland at 6pm...so I will have plenty of time on my hands! TTFN!

Farewell to the Fair

Hi all,

As some may know, this was my first time attending the Minnesota State Fair. I have lived here since 2004 and I have never been to the fair! Anyway, it was sooo much fun. On the first day, Thursday, August 21, we had the Square Affair, which was hosted by Steve Berg, the Glitter Knitter and owner of the Yarn Garage. Alot of us got together and made square for Warm Up America and to hopefully inspire a few new knitters, which Steve did!!

I had also heard that "fair food" is legendary. Apparently, Minnesotans can put ANYTHING on a stick! Now while I didn't eat much of it, I did photograph ALOT of it.

Some of my personal favorites, were the key lime pie on a stick, hot dish on a stick, a deep-fried hot-dog roll on a stick, deep-fried gator on a stick, ostrich on a stick, etc. They are also masters of the deep fryer. Check out the photos below.

I also managed to visit some of the animals...the animal houses smelled surprisingly...stinky but I loved it!