Today I ventured out for a "me" morning. I went to my LYS (local Yarn Shop) to pick up a few more skeins of the Kureyon yarn I need to finish Lady E. They were out of the color I needed and will order some for me. I have to wait another week. Bummer cause I have already waited a week to get more (it's a budget thing).

Then I went to the Origins counter at Macy's for some new makeup. I needed it as I have not bought new in a long time and I budgeted for it. I pampered myself with a facial and let them do my makeup for me which was fun.

My Cougs play in a half hour. I went to the game last weekend and bad me never posted any photos. Maybe because I was so devastated they lost. Oh well.

Above is hubby and I. Not the most flattering photo of me so just concentrate on my cute hubby (he's the one with the goatie).


Here's a shot of the CMB (Cougar Marching Band) on the field at half time. I was a member when I was in college. Although I didn't play an instrument. I was in the color guard which sadly no longer exists.

There was a surprising amount of orange shirted Oaklahoma State fans in Seattle to play my WAZZU Cougs. Most of them sat just to the left of our Cougar Pride sign.


There was a Seahawks game the night before so between the end of that game and the next morning they had to spray the field with our logo. I think it's great WSU has started playing one game in Seattle every year. There are a lot of WSU alum who live on the west side of the mountains. This year Apple Cup is in Pullman and I would love to go.

Well, got to jump off, make myself my version of a Starbucks iced mocha and watch my Cougs hopefully beat Cal!

Where Did All The Yarn Go?

So last night I was knitting along on my Lady E and was getting down to the end of the skein of yarn I was working on. I started looking for another skein to tie on and discovered to my horror I have no more left.

This could be due to several things. I could be a loose knitter therefore taking up more yarn that is necessary to complete the amount of tiers in the instructions (I didn't do a swatch). Or I could have lost some skeins in my house (totally possible). In any event, I have ten more tiers to go (twenty rows) plus the end row of half triangles. I could stop now but really want to go those ten tiers. Plus, I really think after I put it out there in a poll I want to do the fringe.

This means I will need to wait until this weekend to buy more yarn. I was on such a roll! At least that gives me time to work on other things around the house while I am not knitting. This is agony!

Happy New Year!

It's September 1 and my "New Year". Today is day one for so many things...

Health - Goals for September are...

*Lose ten pounds
*Get twenty minutes of exercise a day
*Drink at least six 8 oz. glasses of water a day
*Journal my points on the ww website religiously
*Take current photos and measurements

I weighed myself this morning and entered it in to weight watchers online system (up 1.8 from last week - bummer but not a surprise) along with my yummy point wise breakfast. I put together chicken chili and it's cooking in the crock pot as I type this. I got out some salmon to grill for dinner too. I plan on jumping on my elliptical for at least twenty minutes today as well.

Wealth - Goals for September are...

*Stay within the 5% fun money budget
*Stay within the food budget
*Try out the Walgreens 101 plan
*Keep doing surveys enough for another $50 check (or more)
*Start some online offers
*Pay additional $485 on the debt (focus is credit cards this month)

I spent some time yesterday going over the budget and making some adjustments. Today I finished revamping our budget spreadsheet and balanced the checkbook. I updated our net worth badge and debt graphs on the blog. I know what our fun money budget is for this week until I get paid Friday. I have done a couple surveys and plan on starting an online offer this week.

Spirit - Goals for September are...

*Do yoga once a week to settle myself
*Have "date night" with hubby to connect
*Work on my screenplay/book
*De clutter my bookmarked sites, documents and photos saved to the computer
*Work on knitting my Lady E
*Generate a list of ideas for Christmas gifts (hand crafted or not)
*Get my house decorated for fall
*Research a class on html and writing

I have started to jot down what is rumbling around in my head for my screenplay/book. Plan to do some knitting while watching a favorite movie after I get off the computer.

My thoughts are with all who are affected by hurricane Gustav. Here's to a great month!

Happy Friday

I have been waiting for the weekend since I woke up Monday morning - how pathetic is that? Although my days were filled and went by quickly, this week seems to have drug on forever.

What to do with the next two days stretched out before me? Hubby and I plan to research laptops, have some friends over for dinner and visit my new niece who is the ripe old age of two weeks old today.

Plus, I might just start getting the ideas that have been rambling around in my head down on paper for a screenplay. A treatment (outline) actually. I know where I want to go with my story and I'm pretty excited about it but I am not an expert on the subject matter and until recently it didn't interest me much.

Oh, and there is always knitting.....

Bag Of Tricks

I started my Lady Eleanore wrap about this time last year. It took me a few tries to get going as I had only been knitting a year with a few completed projects under my belt. I bought 15 skeins of Noro Kureyon 100% wool self striping yarn. The color is 213 which includes greens ranging from chartreuse to hunter, blues ranging from steel to navy and some neutrals of grey, brown and black.

I completed two more rows last night which took me from 8:00 to 11:30. Part of the reason it took me 3 1/2 hours was because I had not knit on it in so long I needed to refresh my memory. I also have a smaller "test" version that I knit when I get stuck so I don't ruin my real one. Once I remember how the particular rows are worked it went rather quickly.

Right now it's length is approximately four feet which is comprised of a row of base triangles and 18 tiers which is 36 rows. I am just over half way done. I need to complete 16 more tiers and a final row of base triangles.


I first saw the wrap on Jen's blog and found another example at Fig & Plum. The pattern is in the book Scarf Style by Pam Allen editor of Interweave Knits. If you Google "Lady Eleanore Blogs" you will find tons of other examples of people who have made and are making this wrap.

Even the back of it looks cool.

I have not knitted on this thing since last winter and thought I would get it out last night and have a go. I would like to actually complete it so I can snuggle in it this winter as my office is notoriously cold.

I am undecided if I will add the fringe at the edges. Of the two examples I have linked to one did (Fig & Plum) and one did not (Jen) and I like it either way. Sometimes fringe and I do not get along - it could be a hazard at work and get caught in the wheels of my desk chair.

Take the poll at the top of my blog and tell me what you think regarding fringe - definitely a must have or dangerously feminine.

Dogs & Knitting

I have completed another 6 tiers. That doesn't sound like a lot but it has probably added 8 inches to my wrap. An update photo of just Lady E would be just boring at this point so I decided to have my dog model it for you. He hates getting his picture taken. It took me about six tries and right at the last second he would move. This is as good as it gets.....

My hubby had to distract him from the camera. That is why he is looking away. Isn't he the cutest?

Lady E Update

Caution! Actual knitting update going on. I know I have been bad about posting lately. Especially about knitting. I admit, I have been in a slump. But....I'm back!

Well, Lady E has come out of hibernation. I picked her up a couple nights ago. Except for a few places I was momentarily stuck, the pattern actually came back pretty quickly. I have three more tiers done for my efforts. No updated photos just yet since there is not a significant amount done since the last time I worked on her.

Part of the reason it took me so long to pick it back up was I was worried I had forgotten how to do it. I don't know why I was so worried. I learned once, I can relearn.

You can see photos of my Lady E on Ravelry. I am under paisley penguin.

Tomorrow night is the two hour season opener of Lost. So, I imagine I will be doing my best to knit while catching up. For those of you out there who can't get enough of the show (like my hubby) have you been here yet? You could spend literally HOURS there!