Violet Knits

Happy Birthday to Me! (& a meme too)

Yes, today is my birthday.  I am now the big 38, officially in my late 30s.   Do I feel any different?  look any different?  Well, compared to 20 years ago, I would definitely say that I look and feel different.  Does my age bother me? no, I am happy with who I am and what I've become.  Although, one of my daughter's friends did call me middle aged the other day. 

Lynette tagged me earlier with this meme.....seems appropriate to post this today.

Ten Years Ago:  I was working at Macy's as a department manager (children's shoes).  John and I would celebrate our 7 year anniversary in November.  Johnny had just started first grade (wow!) and Tori was in the midst of her terrible twos. 

Five Years Ago:  I was working at E*TRADE as a customer service supervisor (what a scary thought) and working way too many hours.  I actually had my broker's license, along with being a general principle and options principle.  I had just taught myself to knit to relieve the stress from work.  John and I were planning our trip to Italy in November.  Johnny was 11 and much taller than me already.  Tori was 7 and just starting 2nd grade.

One Year Ago:  I was working for ValleyCrest as a purchasing agent.  I was just discovering the many knitting groups online and in the Sacramento area.  John and I were going on year 16, after many ups and downs.  Johnny, at 15, towered over me at 6'1" and had just started high school.  We actually made it through Jr. High!  Tori was entering 6th grade and was full blown into cheerleading and gymnastics.  I was the crazy woman that was coaching her cheer team. 

Five Favorite Snacks (what?!? only five!! that could be why I need to lose 10 lbs)

• potato chips (my list could consist of just the different types!!)
• French Fries (I have this thing for fried potatoes)
• chocolate (preferably dark)
• chips and salsa (much different than potato chips)
• crackers and cheese

Five Songs I Know All the Words To:  This is actually scary for those of you that don't know my taste in music!

• Serenity by Godsmack
• Voodoo by Godsmack
• Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson
• My Humps by Black Eyed Peas
• Dirty Little Secret by All American Rejects

Five Things I Would Do with $100 Million:

• By a home large enough (yes, even bigger than the one I have now) to accommodate my Mom and Mother-in-law.  They would have private suites and be able to see us too!
• Buy vacation homes in Italy and Maui.
• Share this the rest of my family by either setting up trusts for them and their children or buying their homes
• Set up a philanthropic organization that would donate funds to different causes (wouldn't want to limit myself here)
• Travel and allow my 'mom's to travel and visit their children

Five Places to Run Away to:

• Anywhere on Maui
• Italy
• Home, on the couch downstairs in my pajamas
• Morro Bay, CA
• Any where in Napa's wine country! (or any wine region for that matter!)

Five Things I Would Never Wear:

• Tube top (the girls just ain't what they use to be!)
• Fur
• Anything that shows the tummy area (I've had kids, surgery, and I'm getting old!)
• Nose or belly button piercings (just not me!)
• really low cut jeans or very short shorts!

Five Favorite TV Shows:

• Gilmore Girls (absolute fav! only show that I will not miss)
• Law and Order
• Medium
• Stargate (original series)
• NCIS

Five Biggest Joys

• Johnny and Tori (not always in that order!!)
• John (my hubby)
• knitting
• reading
• my friends and family

Five Favorite Toys:

• My knitting stuff
• IPod Mini
• Gameboy Advance
• IHome (for my IPod Mini)
• my computer and digital camera

Whew! That was a long meme.  I won't be passing this one on.....but feel free to add this to your blog!  Really makes you think!

Proud Mama Part 2

Great game last night.  Oakmont defeated El Dorado High School 35 to 16.  Yeah!!  Johnny had a great game.  Two sacks and a safety!  Whoo hoo!  No pictures of the gaem, but here is what my boy looks like.  Isn't he handsome.  Of course, I am just slightly biased.

Now, I do have another child and I am just as proud of her.  That is Tori on the left.  Talking on the phone like any girl her age (she's 12).  Today, I will be at her game.  No, she isn't playing a sport, she is performing.  She is a cheerleader for the Oakmont Jr. Vikings.  Their team is quite good and they work very hard.  Here is just a sample.  So, every Saturday afternoon, I go and watch Tori cheer .

Enough of being the proud parent for now.  For some entertainment, try reading my blog in teen speak.

Proud Mama!

My wonderful baby boy, Johnny, is a football player at Oakmont High School.  Now, I am sure that my calling him a baby boy may strike one as odd, but it is a joke between the two of us.  My baby is 16 years old, 6'2"and 185 lbs; while mom is 5'2" and weighs much less than him!  That being said, he is a pretty big teen.  In 8th grade, I signed him up for youth football so that he would be physically active (and because Dad loves football).  Since then (only his 3rd year of football-he is a sophomore this year) he has discovered his love for the sport. 

Well, there are several reasons why I am proud of him.  First, as a sophomore, he is playing and starting on the Varsity team.  Second, because he now has a goal of going to college and playing college football, he is taking school seriously.  And last, he was named Defensive Player of the Game for last week's game! 

Tonight is the first home game for the season.  Maybe I'll have a picture or two to post.  Anyway, I am very proud of him.  It's great to see your kids set goals and start to achieve some of them. 

As for knitting........I knit Cleaves from Knitty Spring 2005.  It's a very quick and easy project.  I think I may rework the cowl and make it tighter.  Not sure if I want to do that or not.  I also felted my Pacific purse and blocked my Easy Lace Poncho.   Will be posting pictures of these soon. 

Look! I Can Knit! (Warning: long post!!)

Okay, I have been MIA for a while.  Between working full time (yes, I work in addition to the time spent at the store), running the yarn store (thank God I have Kaedean!) and my kids' activities, I have had little time for anything else.  Fortunately, we have lots of knitting groups and customers that like to spend their time knitting with us.  So, here is some of the knitting that I have been doing:

I have finally felted!  I knit Sophie, two of them actually.  The one pictured on the left is knit in Lorna's Laces Bullfrogs & Butterflies.  The color is Tuscany.  It was a really fun bag to knit, quick and easy.  Hence the reason I knit two.  The other one was knit in the same yarn, different color.  I used Somerset as I loved all of the pinks, blues, and greens.  I will have to post a picture of that one later .  I have been using it so it wasn't around when I took pictures. 

Soon to be felted is Pacific by Cultured Purl.  We had a knitalong for this purse in the shop.  I went for a different look:   I decided against the blues and greens that gave the purse it's name and went with colors that I wear all the time--pinks and black.  I used Cascade 220 in 3 colors: pink, black, and fuschia.  The purse is lots of fun to knit and choosing the colors was lots of fun.  We have been carrying Cultured Purl patterns in the shop and they are quite a hit. 

Since we decided to carry many of the Lorna's Laces yarns and I really wanted to try out Lion and Lamb, I decided to knit Clapotis.  I will be honest, the pattern was not exciting.  Lots and lots of stockinette.  But-dropping the stitches and seeing the end result was well worth it.  I used the Lakeview colorway and love how it turned out.  The colors are beautiful and the yarn is so soft and silky.  I would love to knit more items using this yarn!

I have one more finished item to show.  I also knit a poncho...a lacy poncho.  This is Easy Lace Poncho by Knitting Pure & Simple.  I knit it in Artyarns Ultramerino 6 color #110.  This was a fun pattern and very easy to knit.  I still need to block it, which I am hoping to do tonight or tomorrow.  I want to be able to wear it as the weather here has gotten cooler (okay, 84 degrees is cool after weeks of 95+).

Last update for today: Sockapal-2-za.  I am finally starting on these socks.  Yes, I know the deadline is tomorrow.  I think I will be late, don't you?  Anyway, going to try out Artyarns Ultramerino 4 in colorway 108.  The picture makes the yarn look more blue than purple, but it is a very beautiful purple with some pinks thrown in.  I did get a start on the socks and I am using a pattern out of Nancy Bush's book Knitting on the Road.  Great book with fun patterns.   I will post my progress on these later this week.  I should be completed by Sunday, so I will only be a few days late.

That's all for now.  I am knitting some other projects that I will post about later.  This is just turning out to be a realllllly long post.  Just proves that I need to post more often!

Confessions and Apologies

Interesting title, huh?  Well, I feel that it will be appropriate for this posting.  I have a few confessions to make.  Ones that I am not particularly proud of.  Here goes.......First, I have been an awful Secret Pal.  Here is why:  I signed up way back when to be part of KRSP Secret Pal 3 with good intentions.  I bought all kinds of fun stuff for my pal, learned what I could about her to make sure that these would be good gifties, then I opened a yarn shop and have had no time to email her or send her gifts.  Well, I am sure that I have been dropped from KRSP SP3 by now, but I still intend to fulfill my gift giving obligations.  Giving the gifts is as important as getting them, and she was left out.  That is confession number 1.

Confession number 2 is along the same lines as number 1.  I am an awful Secret Pal.  My wonderful gift giving secret pal from KRSP SP3 has sent me wonderful gifts.  Fun, thoughtful and creative gifts.  I have not given her appropriate praise as a gift receiver.  I am sooo sorry!  I promise that my next post will be only to praise her thoughtfulness and creativity.  I have been so fortunate to receive the gifts that she has given me.  They have been more that I could ever ask for.

And last, Confession number 3.....I have neglected friends.  Yes, I have.  This whole yarn store has taken over my life.  Not that I regret opening the store, I just regret the lack of time to spend with my friends.  There are some people that will be getting emails from me to let them know that I am truly sorry to have lost contact or have neglected them.  Believe it or not, I am now at the point where I am able to organize myself to find time to do the things that I had once done. 

Well, enough for now.  I have emails and thank you notes to write.  All of my friends (I hope you're still my friends!) should be hearing from me soon.