Ahh....Ahhhhh....Ahhhhhhh....chooie!

Ugh!

I've got a cold. A nasty head cold which is not helping the work situation out at all. This is my final week of insanity as we prepare a 5 year plan. Its been chaos, and everyone is afraid that I am burning out....I accused them this morning of working me to death!

I left work today at about 6.....first time in months that I've left work when the sun was still out! Woo hoo! Its in the mid-60s here today so its lovely - all of my doors are open letting in fresh air and hopefully chasing out the sicky bugs. No worries - yes I understand that mid-60s feel warm, but its not really THAT warm, I am wearing a thick sweater and socks and have a quilt over my lap. And I'm drinking hot tea like its going out of style!

I finished the requested wings for my nephews Dragon, so I am working on sewing them on today. Hopefully I'll get a little bit more things done tonight before I crash and fall asleep.

Cheers!!

Pssst - Swapna - how am I doing on the exclamation points? I am trying to keep them down and not use them every sentence! *grin*

Is it Friday yet?

Nope, its only Monday. Friday is my goal, my bright spot at the end of the long tunnel I've been running through lately!

I did not get a lot done over the weekend due to having to work Fri night, Sat & Sun once again. But I have made some progress.......here are the most recent updates:

Peach Doily *** Have not even touched in the past 5 days
Triangle Potholder * I have 2 of four triangles now finished
Monkey (1 of 2) ** Finished the body and arms. Hands, Butt, Legs, Feet and tail to go!
Hat *** Worked a few more rounds, still in infancy really
Sideways B-lace Scarf (& the pattern written and posted) * Almost finished!
Crazy Stitch Potholder ** 9 of 15 rounds
Cabbage Patch Bathing Suit * Finished!!!!!!!!
Baby Slippers * One of two done

* = small time required ** = moderate time required *** = large time required

Here is the Cabbage Patch Bathing suit that I made as the first draft for the ones that I am making my nieces......this one will stay with me so I don't have a naked baby sitting my house =)

Actually this is because I used the size hook (G) that the pattern called for, but in the end it was slightly too small on the sides. I used some *gasp* Red Heart that I have in my stash and a pattern from a booklet that was sent to me a while back. I will re-make as it was VERY easy and quick, although with a H hook this time!

Luckily you can not see the doll to closely...she is filthy! She was my very first Cabbage patch that my Grandmother gave to me for my birthday when I was 6 or 7 I think it was. Shes been VERY well loved and used, and can now claim international travel! =)

I hope that everyone has a great week - I can not say that I'll have tons of time to crochet and knit, but I am going to try very hard to finish a few more things!

Toodles!

Adventures ahead......

My next break away from the hamster wheel I am running on these days has been scheduled for May, 3 days after my new co-manager starts....welcome to the group, I'm going on vacation.......rather nice of me eh?

I mentioned on another persons blog today that getting onto an airplane is something I love, and its true. Just think what happens after you walk into a metal tube. You sit down, wait for a specific length of time, read, crochet, sleep, eat, drink.........but when you walk off that plane a whole new series of adventures await you in someplace new. It could be somewhere you've been to a hundred times, or somewhere that you've never been to but only dreamed of. Regardless, new experiences await.

This time when I board my plane, this will be waiting for me to explore.......

Any ideas on where I am going? =)

Caught between goodbye and I love you......

Not really sure why this song is in my head, it just is. The Carpenters are always a good listen!

Only thing I've been thinking of ditching lately is the I-Pod *gasp* What? Yup, I'm getting rid of my I-Pod this summer....just to upgrade less than a year after I bought the first one! I've maxed my 30 GB out to the maximum capacity and of course I can not delete any song.....I just might be in the mood to listen to it one day and be totally upset when its not there!

Oh, yeah. And the job. I often wonder if its really all worth it. The distance from family and friends. The insane hours. The lack of personal time. Expensive yarn. (had to put that one in)

Darn it! I've been really whinny lately! Apologies....and apologies for the apologies.

What is this blog supposed to be anyways? Its a tracking of my voyage into the realm of fiber arts. And I would say a look at the progress I am making in the fiber art skill sets. April 5th is coming which is my 2 year anniversary. I do need to do something again for that day......perhaps another contest. Will think on it and let y'all know!

I joined the Kitchen Swap over at Fiber Freaks. yeah, I said no more swaps but I could not resist this one! An added bonus.......I'm swapping with Mimi! I need to get busy thinking of something superb and spectacular to send over to her!

I did actually find time to work on my WIPs last night. I was jumping around, but I did make some significant Monkey progress, along with working on my Crazy Stitch dishcloth, and the Broomstick lace scarf.

I also saw a few more last night that I forgot on the list........ugh! But as Su says "variety is the spice of life"

Plodding along...

As my co-wrokers are saying I am way too happy to have been working for 2 solid weeks every day, often until 11,12 and my latest night 1:30! But I feel its either smile and luagh or break down in a little ball curled up in the corner and crying out of sheer frustration and overwhelmtion (I don't think that is a word, but it should be if not!)

I did find time on Saturday to sneak away from my computer while a report process was running and head down the street to the yarn shop. Where I picked up several balls of Noro to make cabled hat (out of season, but I'm strating early for next year!) and a find that has made me SUPER happy!

While its still not SnC or PnC, I found Coats Lyric cotton which is an 8-ply, 70m, 50g cotton yarn that has a similar feel to it as SnC. It is slightly smaller I think, but not enough on the ruler to be noticeable, although it does work a little bit differently than the SnC I think. I only picked up 8 skeins at the shop, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be going back for more!

While trying to shove at least a little bit of food into me last night before going to bed after I got home, I started counting all of the WIPs that I could see...I'm embarrassed to say that from my table I counted 10 WIPs in various states......that includes the 2 new ones that I started this weekend....I have to stop this madness.

My goal is to try to cut that list in half over the next week. Here are the projects that I think could be reasonable to finish (ie they are not a massive project that would require more time than I have available):

Peach Doily ***
Triangle Potholder *
Monkey (1 of 2) **
Hat ***
Sideways B-lace Scarf (& the pattern written and posted) *
Crazy Stitch Potholder **
Cabbage Patch Bathing Suit *
Baby Slippers *

* = small time required
** = moderate time required
*** = large time required

This is 8 of them.....will see what I can accomplish! Those that I know I can not finish - Cross Stitch sampler, Baby Afghan

Happy Crafting!

Ready to run!

Run away screaming that is! I realize that I complaign about work a fair amount, apologies for that! But, once again its kicking my rear end! I was in work yesterday at 8:30 am and left at 11:30pm, to come back in again at 8:30 today. Tonight should be another late one, and then I have a 7:30 am meeting tomorrow with on of the VPs. Oh joy....I detest morning meetings, and to make it worse, its one on one!


Okay, enough with work.


The weekend went very well! My friend from Argentina, Zori, stopped in Brussels on her way to Shanghai where she will live for the next 6 months! Of course I am planning a trip to go and visit her! Probably in May, but it depends on my work schedule!


I had a few e-mails about the pattern for Chloe.


The book is called Crochet Les Doudous de Cendrine, autour du monde. And is by Cendrine Armani. Yes, the instructions are in French, but I think anyone with basic crochet knowledge should be able to work them out....there are resources available that explain the terminology from French to English on the web. And of course I would be more than willing to help anyone who gets stuck!



I started the Monkeys this weekend. They will be 17cm tall when completed with the Size 5 thread.

And my following projects after them will be:

The Pig will be about 30cm tall and the others will be 32 by 34 cm. So they are not very big, but they are super cute! I wonder how they would look done in yarn.....perhaps one day!

As for the other outstanding WIPs in my life.....

Peach Doily - round 11 of 35
Baby Blanket - 10 of 25 repeats
Sideways Scarf - 4 of 5 rows
Pooh Cross Stitch - about 90% done - just the outlining to do

Progress is being made on my goals....slowly but surely!

Introducing....Chloe!

Well, my long outstanding UFO / WIP that I've hinted about the past few weeks is finally finished. I persevered through several stupid mistakes that I made, a few pattern errors and finally have my first completed French project!

French project you ask?

Yes, the pattern came from a book I bought in French. I crocheted and assembled the pattern from the French version.....hence a few of my initial mistakes.

The details - Size 5 thread from DMC called Petra (this really should be sold in the US - the colors are wonderful & the thread is wonderful to work with). Start Date - around July 18th 2005!!!!

In all of her glory and magnificence, I introduce you to Chloe.....my Frog Ballerina Princess!

I am tempted to keep her for myself, but she will go to my niece as intended. From the same pattern book I am wanting to start a Monkey - I don't currently have all of the right colors, so I'll need to get them ordered.

While waiting, I will continue to work on the Baby Blanket for my other niece - I finished another section over the weekend, as well as a few other assorted WIPs that are around my apartment!

Pictures pages...time to get your crayons and your pencils!

Sorry that I've not been blogging much - working 14 hour days at work is killing me! I am not even taking my computer home at night. I scan through bloglines quickly every day, but can not take too much time to comment - I am reading though!!

My nephew's Dragon "Charzon" (he named it) is completed! I started on my nieces purple one, but it was looking like Barney, which is a no-no for my BIL's house! I have convinced her that the dragon can be pink, although she is requesting a red tail and that it be named Dora!

The pattern is located here: http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=42777 I found it to be a really easy and fun pattern! Put it on your to-do list!

Here is an ornament stocking that I made from a pattern sent to me by my friend in Texas...sorry that its sideways....tilt the head =) Its not perfect by any means, but I'm happy with it! My knitting skills are slowly progressing. I used some Carmencita Acrylic Yarn that Mimi sent me a while back when I placed an order for thread from her!

Here is a picture of my wonderful present prize from Yasmin..... apologies for the bad color - the pictures are taken on my cell phone. The Doily is a wonderful purple color!!

That is all for now. I've been working more on my youngest niece's baby blanket....she just might get it as her first birthday present in July! I am not quite half done. I am using the Fanned Feather Afghan for Baby pattern and I've done about 10 repeats out of a needed 25 or so! I'm going to try to finish at least one repeat a week until I go home in July.....that calculates to 18 additional repeats....perfect!

I am setting a few goals for my upcoming months crocheting......finishing at least one doily a month (already behind with no February) buying no new patterns until July, finishing at least one new pattern a month from a book I already own, finishing all of my WIPs, writing 4 new patterns in 2007. Is it all possible...I don't know, but at least having some goals might push me in the right direction with my crafting!

8 down more to go....

I have had a slow start on the weight loss process, but on my weigh in this morning, I've lost 8 pounds since I decided to start losing weight.

What have I done to lose those 8 pounds?

Not a thing but be really stressed at work.

Honest!

I am still drinking coke, eating sweets, eating dinner at 9 or 10 at night, not exercising......

I have not been drinking that much alcohol related beverages, but thats been a theme for the past few months really, so I am not counting that one!

Lets hope that I can just continue this trend....and hopefully become a little less stressed and over-worked so that I can start exercising and of course I need to start eating healthier / smaller portions.

No big plans for the weekend, so hopefully I can get some crocheting / knitting done and have some finished objects to show off.

Bron has been on a kitchen bender, and has me wanting to break into my sacred stash of kitchen cotton and start creating masterpieces! We shall see what happens.......

The mail this week brought me a pattern magazine from the US and a box of yarn from Bergère in France to start knitting some French patterns that I've been hankering to try.......we shall see how it goes!

Arrived home safe and sound!

I had a great trip to Zurich and back. The weekend was spent with a co-worker - had great fun watchign movies, gossiping and catching up. The drive there went fast - only 5.5 hours, travelling through Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland. I plugged my I-pod into the Radio transmitter, opened up a package of pretzel sticks and I was in business! The GPS system worked wonderfully too I might add! No need to look at a map!

The drive back was a little bit more exciting. It took in all 6.5 hours to get home due to going a different route (what was the GPS system thinking this time?) and traffic. The way home included the previous countries, plus Germany....which means AUTOBAHN!!! Vroom vroom! I will not say how fast I was going, but lets just say that in the US my license would have been suspended for a very long time! *grin*

A wonderful surprise (well I knew that it was coming) was waiting for me when I got back to Belgium. A while back I won a contest on Yasmin's blog. She sent me a wonderful little package. I'll have to put photos up later, but she send me a wonderful purple doily and a few other little items. Yasmin, thank you so very much for the wonderful little gift - I love it all!!! It has been wonderful reading your blog and getting to know you!

Off she goes, driving across Europe!

As you all know I've been working a lot, okay a TON in Zürich the past year (omg its been a year almost since I moved into this team on a 'short term' basis! eeek!)

I am going to try something new this weekend and drive to Zürich! I am leaving tomorrow afternoon, hopefully arriving sometime before dark, and driving through Belgium, France and Germany before getting to Switzerland. Should be exciting....lets hope my GPS system works and I don't end up in Poland! =)

On the crafty front, I am busy as always. My taking forever WIP project has hit a snafu with the pattern...followed the last section exactly and it ends up twice the size....I'll need to re-do it once I get in the mood....which just might take me another year to find!

I have finished one doily in a light Peach that is 9 inches across and done with DMC Cebelia I think it was:

And have all of the parts of a Dragon for my nephew finished and waiting to be assembled...the picture is missing the scales, which I finished last night. No ambition to sew it all together and weave in ends.....perhaps this weekend

And I finished another Crazy Cloth Dishcloth. I really do enjoy this pattern. It is perfect for sticking in my purse and working on it while I am out and about...waiting for the boyfriend, waiting for my food at the Pita Restaurant, waiting / riding the tram......

My goal for February is still to finish up some of my WIPs that are laying around my house. I'm making progress, so we shall see!

I've also decided that I want to make one doily for every month of the year....12 does not seem like that big of a number, but when one considers how fast I crochet, plus how busy with work I am, plus all of the other projects that I want to make...well, it will be a miracle if I can do it. I've started my second doily already, so progress is being made towards this goal!

Have a great weekend everyone!

It came once again......

Last year I prayed that it would not arrive and explained my whole philosophy on the dreaded V-Day But what do you know, its come once again and this year is worse for me due to the added strain of the boy friend.

Last night I explained ever so gently after he asked me if I wanted to go out together tonight to "get a beer" (very romantic boyfriend have I got) that my plans today were to go to work, and then go promptly home and sleep for the next 10 hours. I don't think he understood when I said "Je n'aime pas a demain" that I was referring to the holiday. He seemed puzzled and perplexed. I said that it was just another day. He replied that it was a holiday. I said that it was a stupid holiday an he gave me a look like I was insane.

Really folks. I can not stand this holiday. Granted, Sweetest Day makes me want to slit the wrists of the card marketing person who thought that one up, but Valentines Day comes in a close second for wanting to destroy the person who decided that it should be a commercial holiday.

Okay, I have been enjoying the Conversation Hearts that I picked up in the US. Chomping away. They do really need to come up with some that have Anti-Valentines messages on them. I.e. Go Away, Die, Leave Me, Its Over, I Hate You, Not!, No Way, Not Hot etcetera etcetera etcetera

*sigh*

Its almost over...only 12 more hours for me and then this day is done for yet another year.

A bientot mes amis!

I am once again benig abandonned. Not one, but two if my very close friends here have left the company. One has returned to the US (Boston) and the other has moved to a Law Firm in London (lucky thing).

Here is a snap shot of my friend Kim's going away party:

From the left - myself, Kim and our friend Tanja who lives in Zurich. I will be going to Boston to visit...just as soon as I find the time, and the money!

I'll always have some awesome memories of my time spent with both Kim and Beatta (the colleague who went to London) including our time together in LIsbon - the three of us were called the Musketeers, and everyone thought that me and Kim were attached at the hip.....even our names were said in one long word "KimandKimberly"

Hopefully with some effort, our friendships will continue!

Until we meet again my friends.....A bientôt Mes Amis!

Dad...this posts for you!

My Dad has been whinning about not seeing a picture of my car. So this shows him the beast that I am driving right now.

It is an Audi A4 wagon, and lets just say that if it was not for the fact that it has a sensor on the rear bumper, parallel parking this would be an absolute nightmare! I live in the city, aside from a few spots behind the church, everything is parallel parking.

The car is a diesel (don't have many of those in the US anymore!) and is a stick shift (ditto the previous comment). I've really enjoyed driving the stick shift - makes driving a little bit more fun - it also keep you more aware of what you are doing.

Yeah, the car right behind mine is a Smart car......that lucky person! I can not count the number of spots I have to pass up because my car is just too big!

Why make me????

Why make me switch version of blogger? I don't want a google account...okay, I have one, don't use it, find switching meaningless, have heard horry stories from those who did switch....i.e. all of my sidebar links disappeared...how do I get them back.

Bah to Blogger.

*sigh*

I'm switching....morons

6 weird things about me.....

I was tagged, so here goes with 6 wierd things about me....

1) I can not stand to sleep with socks on - does not matter how cold my feet are, socks have to come off!

2) I have to finish every book that I read. To date, I think that I've only ever not finished one book, and it is still sitting their taunting me to pick it up and finish it

3) I can tell by looking at the cover of a book 95% of the time if I've read the book and also what it was about.

4) I often dislike mixing foods, and will eat all of one thing on my plate before moving onto the next thing on my plate.

5) I have an elephant memory about things....my parents will call me to ask if I know where something is (although not so much now that I am away for such long periods) and I don't forget things...like Mary Anne Wilder still owes me $5 from 11th grade, and Mike Gage stil owes me $20 from my senior year in college....granted I'll never collect on either, but I still remember! =)

6)I can not role my tongue....no way, not possible, not even a slight upwards bend happening

Word Verification Added

For all of those who comment, apologies for adding in word verification, but my anonymous spam comments have gotten worse over the past week - my record has been 21 in the past 24 hours!

I don't want links on my blog via the comments to such scintillating topics as plastic surgery, tax help, Viagra, enlargement of various body parts, pain meds and of course my number one favorite spam link so far today....

Men Showing their Butt Cracks!

Yeah, if I wanted to see that I would make sure that I was home when the maintenance guy was in the building / hang out by the numerous construction sites in my neighborhood.

So apologies for having to type in the word verification - hopefully this will cut down on my daily spam intake!

Anons.......get away!

Okay, all of you stupid anonymous commenters who are spamming me like crazy the past 2 days.......SOD OFF!!!!!

I AM going to delete your comment ASAP. I am not going to click on it nor let my friends and family click on it. GO away, go far far away, do not pass go and do not collect 200.

Arse-wipes!

(all others - apologies for going off - they are just annoying the crap out of me)

Problems with my blog??

Have many been having problems with my blog? I've heard from both Yasmin and Mimi that when they open my blog, it closes Explorer on them.....I can open it still with my explorer, so I'm not sure where the problem lies.

The only thing that I can think of that I added is the Snap Preview feature.

Send me an e-mail and let me know if you can read this in bloglines but can not open it up to comment! kaml19 [at] yahoo [dot] com

Any ideas anyone?

A new pattern site.......

I've been getting e-mails randomly from a site called Catirina Bonet Designs. I've ignored them until I took a look at them today.......here is my feedback.

This sweater is kinda cute - I'm not so sure on that neckline though.

I love this bag

Frankly, I do not have the words in to describe this...... Winter Coat

I'm scratching my head over some of the holiday attire, as well as some of the hats!

I reaaly do like that bag.