That's what [boy]Friends are for...

There will be a massacre at my home tonight. WIP's that aren't 'working' are being put to rest. By my boyfriend.

Why? I just can't bring myself to rip out about 600 yards of hard work on these early projects. The thought of unraveling the back of Kyoto that I so diligently labored on when I was new to the game is sickening. Call me a virgin frogger if you will, but I just can't take that dive yet. So that's where Jason comes in.

To him, this merely a pile of yarn. To me, wasted time that I could have been using to work on something that was the right gauge / size / color / design. Ah, the lessons learned of a novice knitter. Headed for demise: Ky-oto and the Peruvian Mini-Sweater.

In addition I have decided to implement an 'if and then' policy to my knitting:
IF you finish Clapotis, THEN you can start the Manos Shrug
.
IF you finish the Dolly Cardi, THEN you can start the Retro Stripe Tank.

IF you finish the Last Minute Legwarmers, THEN you can break into Scarf Style.

Christ; no one warned me that knitting would actually put some structure and discipline in my life.

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PLACES I HAVE BEEN KNITTING THIS WEEK
[] At the A's v. White Sox game in Oakland. The Sox lost. JSwag was not happy.
[] In the car on the way to San Francisco for a 4 hour, 2000 person college faire. Monday's just don't get any better than that.
[] In my bed, half lethargic, with Viva attacking the sticks (surprise surprise)

[] I was NOT knitting on Saturday afternoon while I was on my hands and knees planting a mini-garden on Jason's porch. Before I cooked dinner. And did Laundry. It was a nice little Saturday!

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In other news, I am stalking a co-worker because I found out he knits, works in a LYS, and has about 10,000 things to teach a stubborn, self-taught, way too confident newbie like me. Just one more reason my job rocks. That and the Salt and Vinegar chip stash that I now have in my bottom drawer. I think the lady in the food court thought I was NUTS when I bought 6 bags on Monday morning.

I had no idea how many of you out there covet the s + v like me. If vinegar were a god, it would be Hercules. No doubt.

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Finally, I needed something different around here and hence the changes to the blog layout. Someday maybe I will be creative and venture away from the generic Blogger 'Rounders' template and strut my own in blogland. Or I'll take a nap.

How Embarrassing

have you ever been walking along, minding your own bees-wax, when you unconciously start to focus on someone walking towards you, not realizing that you are probably making them totally uncomfortable, only to be snapped out of your haze in a moment of panic when they loudly ask you the time, so you manage to squeak out an "i don't know", only to walk away and notice that you were wearing a watch and come to the realization you were busted looking like a freak.

Oh, me either. Hypothetically, of course.

Whoever is the genious behind Miss Vickies Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar Chips must have invaded my taste buds at the exact moment that I am PMS-ing and craving a vinegary-carb snack.

Someone convince me that I do not need to buy four pairs of shoes on Zappos.com right now. Jason, this person cannot be you.

The BSO (Big Stash Organization) has begun. It involves spreadsheets and everything. it also involves ranking projects, noting gauge, researching alternate yarns, and a strategic stash-busting pairing system. I <3 the spreadsheet.

OWW! A manila folder just hit me over the head. Guess that means lunch is over.

Blame the Leprechan

Is it depressing that I am 25 years old and every night when I go home, all I want to do is this?

That would be 'pass out on the bed' or 'stalk your cat for attention', in no particular order. Sure, I been partied like a rockstar this weekend (thanks to trip back to the 'No and the obligatory bottle of Jaegermister that always makes an appearance) which could account for the excessive tiredness this week, but it is SO much easier to blame the manilla folders. DAMN THE MANILLA FOLDERS!

I know I sound like a broken record but HOLYWOWOHMYDEARLORD there is a lot to do at work! I just finished a photo shoot of all the files in my office to post for you all soon so you can see the madness I am talking about. No, I would not like some cheese with that whine. I propose that if we could drink wine at work, everything would be ok... think of the lively conversation it would make with an impatient parent!

It's a sick twisted circle, you see: Delia's new job = spending money to buy lots of fiber goodies and patterns = no time left in the day = mountain of yarn in bedroom growing at a monsterous pace. I support this theory with Exhibits A & B:

	4 Skeins of Paton's Grace and Scarf Style bought with a 40% off coupon at Michaels (as Napolean Dynamite would say... "Yeeeeess!"). This will become either the turtleneck-scarf thing on the cover or the Spiral scarf contained within. I love choices.
	6 Balls Lion Brand Microspun for the Krazy K.1 tank. I had to go to 3 Michaels in 3 seperate cities to get all the colors. I think I should definitely do my hair like that when I wear it in public. What do you think - would you bring your teenager to talk to me about college if I had my hair like that?

Oh wait. All this implies that I will actually get around to KNITTING these items in the next decade.

With that, you must be asking yourself (or not, but humor me, please...) if I finished Jr's Cardi. You know where this is going, right?

The short answer is.... NO. After feverishly working on the front panels in the car on Friday NIGHT, and knowing that about 6 bottles of wine were waiting for us at my mom's, I threw it down in a moment of clarity and said 'NOT TONIGHT!' Realizing that I needed SOMETHING to wrap up for the next day, I whipped up this bad boy in Paton's Cotton:

Hell, the kid can't wear this thing for like 9 monthes ANYWAY, so why stress? God bless tiny, obtainable projects!

CES'T LA VIE!

I haven't given up the craft COMPLETELY - I have been knitting on my random WIP's here and there; nothing worth photographing because each is only a few inches longer than it was in a previous post. Although I thought this was quite interesting (plus it proves I haven't COMPLETELY forgotten about Lucky.

Do you see it? The magical jumping YO? How did you jump off the top of the right one and land near the left? Me thinks it was a little leprechan prank, because I always pay way too much attention to my knitting for something like this to happen.(<--- note sarcasam).

Either way, the last few weeks have been wrecking havoc on my stress-free lifestyle, so I did way any normal girl would do: I bought new shoes.

Aren't they awesome? My mom, sister and I all got them in different colors. I think the leprechan is jealous of my green pair; that's why he is f*cking with my yo's.

That's all for now. I have obviously jumped way past the realm of 'competent' and 'alert' when I am talking about leprechan's sabotaging my knitting. Someone get this girl a glass of Pinot...

Let there be white smoke!

A new pope has been elected!

No Yoga Knitting Here

I am currently in the middle of my first case of 'fiber fever', AKA knitting at a feverish pace to finish a gift by Saturday at 11am. Baby Dottie is definitely feeling the strain of my procrastination - I've only got 2 more nights (one of which will definitely include a whole lotta wine courtesy of dinner at Mom's) to finish the front panels, block, seam, and add adornments (the little 'dots' are SO not happening).

BTW, is it just me or does this photo invoke the feeling that creepy girl from The Ring visited the salon recently?

Have it be known that in the land of Wine and Needles, knitting is to Delia what a cluttered room is to a neat freak. Totally stressful. One of you master knitters out there could make a killing off people like me in these desperate situations - wouldn't it be great if I could drive to the LYS, hand the front panels to the friendly worker, and have her whip them up in about 30 minutes? All the while you could lounge with a glass of champagne and auromatherapy stones like they do in those chi-chi salons. If you have the ability to knit the front of a sweater in 30 minutes - the idea is all yours. Just comp me my first visit.

But for now, back to the FTF Evaluations. If someone you know is applying to SJSU and has not gotten an acceptance letter yet, my sincerest apologies - I am definitely bringing a camera to work tomorrow to document that insane amounts of manilla files in my office right now.

40 oz. to Freedom.

First off, proper THANK YOUS are in order for the wonderful ladies who sent me little gifties on my b-day...

... glasses of Pinot Noir to Marty, Natalie, and Liz for the cute eCards....

... a vine-aged Zin to Secret Pal for the Elann.com gift certificate...

... glasses of Napa Valley Chardonnay for the wonderful notepad which I now use to scribble my knitting notes on [pictured here in the knitting basket] going out to Susan, and to Stacy for these wonderful little whimsies.

THANK YOU THANK YOU and THANK YOU AGAIN!

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FOs!
As in, multiple projects. Yes, there has actually kniting and completing going on at Casa de Wine and Needles. Without further ado, I present to you the Oh My Stars modified Hug and Kureyon Palm Pilot Cozy :

2 Skeins Knit Picks Merino in Nutmeg, size 10 1/2 & 11 needles. I will definitely make another one of these - I LOVE it. When I do, I will knit it in the round - Under those arms are the crappiest increases/decreases I have ever done.

About 1 ball Kureyon, in color #88. Size 8 needles. Knit into a rectangle and sew up. Brain surgery, I tell you.


Ok i'm getting way off track. Back to the knitting stuff.

In true D to-the E to-the L-I-A form, I started about 3 new things since I last posted. Here's an idea of the starting rotation from this weekend*:

Batting first for the San Jose Knitters, the Red Hat Purple Scarf!
Batting second and "warming" up in the bullpin, Mohair and Wool Legwarmers!
Playing Short Rows and batting 3nd, the Baby Dottie Cardigan!
and today's relief pitcher is Patrons Grace, waiting to be knit up in to booties to be gifted with the cardi.

*this update has been sponsered by Delia's uncontrollable excitiment about the start of the MLB season, highlighted by the Giants glorious win over the Dodgers and Jackass Jeff Kent on opening day, a game at which she was present and screaming at the top of her lungs.

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Not much else to report; I'm still swamped at work, complaining there aren't enough hours in the day to knit, and drinking too much wine. Some things never change.