Just Another Day...

Today is not just any day, it is my husbands 31st birthday!!! Yay, John! Happy Birthday, sweetheart! If you haven't taken the hint by now, John is the best husband ever, and as I like to tell him, he's my favorite yet! ;-)

We have had another one of our usual busy days and busy weekends for that matter... and my sewing machine broke down on me! I'm trying to be a bag maker, build a mini-empire and the sewing machine is on the fritz... how's that for luck?

I am now on the fence ~ so I go buy a quick replacement tomorrow so not to slow progress this week and shop it out for a few months to buy the 'great' machine - or - do I try to squeeze in shopping for the great machine next weekend and take this week off of sewing? I'm definitely leaning towards option #1.

Tonight I added some new zipper / notions pouches to the shop and plan to add wristlets this week ~ provided I go with option #1. Check us out!

End of Summer Sale!

We're celebrating the end of the summer and giving you a 25% discount on all items at RoseKnits!

Discount applies to merchandise only! Take advantage now because this sale ends on Friday, August 28th!

Fearless Knitting

I have always admired the fearless knitter. The person who will try a new pattern or technique - the person who uses yarn other than what is recommended and takes the time to calculate gauge should they want to use something different... The person who has the where with all to adjust as they go and know that fixing it is as easy as ripping back a few rows... This knitter is definitely not me! I need to follow the pattern, use the recommended yarn - or at least yarn that meets that gauge... I remember I knit a sweater, top down mind you, and I felt a bit more free when I put in just a few more waist decreases! That was living on the edge, people!

I purchased the pattern Moch Cardigan by Gudron Johnston today and am getting nervous as I think about using worsted weight vs. the recommended DK weight. I have so many worsted yarn varieties in my stash - sweater quantities - that it seems like a sin not to try and use them! I am going to drag out the calculator and do what I've never done - attempt to adjust the pattern... Heck, while I'm at it, I may even try to convert it to top down rather than bottom up!

On second thought, I'll only try one new skill at a time! I'll let you know what yarn we're using after I swatch!

The Countdown Begins

This week it is official and I will begin the countdown to my unemployment! Boy, this is scary - and exciting - all at the same time. I am relieved to at least feel that there is some movement coming along, rather than feeling stagnant like I have for the past ten weeks or so.

While it is difficult for me to imagine what my days will be like without the official 8 - 5 gig, I am hoping to really dive into RoseKnits to determine if it is something that I can do on a more full-time basis. I figure I can always return to HR if it does not work out and if I keep my certification current.

Speaking of RoseKnits ~ I am attending the Dustbowl Arts Market in Norman, Oklahoma on Saturday, August 29! Come check us out if you are in the area! Tonight I will also add additional 'Bag Buddies' to the shop... so be on the look out for that as well!

Waking Up is Hard to Do

I am incredibly sleepy this morning ~ and it is becoming more and more evident to me that I just cannot do everything. This Saturday I went to the hairdresser at 6 AM, worked at Loops from 9:45 - 5:00, and went on a date with the hubs at 7:00. Sunday ~ house hunting began promptly at 9:00 AM and I then worked at Loops from 1 PM - 5 PM... After that we had my mom over for dinner ~ and I got in some knit time and cutting / prep work for sewing. Today ~ I started at 5 AM. Will work the day job until 5 PM and work at Loops until 8 PM. I'm pretty sure I should do some sewing when I get home before bed.

This sounds like a complaint, right? I'm not complaining, really. I love everything I'm doing. Just wondering if I am doing too much at the moment! I did reward myself with a coffee from Starbucks this morning ~ 4 shots of espresso ~ just the way I like it! Too bad it has little effect. I'm off for my second cup of coffee and will hopefully find something along the way to keep me motivated!

Happy Monday and I hope you have a great week!!! Look for more Bag Buddies in the shop tonight!

TGIF!

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!!

Spreadsheet Anyone?

Depending on how often you read this, or how often I manage to write, you will sometimes see my incessant rambling about my husband and his spreadsheets. In the words of John, Spreadsheets are the answer to everything! And he truly, truly believes this...

Example: John goes to Denver, CO (very cool place, I hear) on business... He visits friends from high school or college (I can't remember)... I anxiously await stories of catching up, cool restaurants, bars, something that 30-year olds do... Not my husband! He instead fills me in on how the office where he was working uses Excel 2007!!!! Excel 2007, people! This isn't just any 'ole excel program, this program holds One Million line items! We're both nerds in our own way, so this is ok. I'm sure he enjoys hearing about yarn textures, fibers, colors, etc. and my latest bag idea...

Today, I have a new appreciation for the spreadsheets. You may also know that we have been house hunting. Why? I don't know, because in one month only ONE person has looked at our house so if you ask me today, I doubt we'll be purchasing another home anytime in the near future... But, hey, I guess stranger things have happened. At any rate, I digress. Since we have been house hunting for one month we have looked at and liked a lot of houses. As you can probably guess, they are neatly organized in a spreadsheet. MLS#, Address, Stats, Subdivision.... Well he added a column with a hyperlink to the house page!!! LOVE THIS FEATURE!!! This feature has given me a new appreciation for my husband's spreadsheets!!!

And onto RoseKnits news... I have a new bag idea brewing in my head! With any luck, I'll have one in the shop tonight!!! Stay tuned... Also, if you are a RAVELER - join our group 'RoseKnits'! For the month of August all group members who 'refer a friend' to join the group will be entered into a drawing with their friend for a bag out of the shop! Who can pass that up??

A New Week and a New Bag!

I have been kind of MIA since we returned from NY. Two days after our return I had to have a quickie medical procedure - that didn't work - so I get to do that one again, UGH! I started working at Loops and I've been trying to keep RoseKnits updated... You get the picture, right? We're busy as heck! We also had scheduled to play in my company golf outing this past Saturday (100 degrees outside with 22 MPH winds) and had an open house yesterday (which meant lots of cleaning! I often ask myself if life ever truly slows down - and I'm beginning to think that it does not.

I have, admittedly, been on some kind of fabric frenzy and ordered A LOT of fabric last week... Somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 yards or so... And I'm still sittin on 20 yards that I've not cut into. Surely this will get me through the month - or year rather!

I did manage to add a new bag to the shop yesterday, we are calling this one the Bag Buddy! The bag measures 10" wide by 13" tall and it's perfect to toss in a project and toss in your larger bag! And it is priced right at $12!







Tonight and tomorrow night I'll be working at Loops and trying to figure out where the gym fits into all of this business! I am hoping to head over after I finish my shift (around 8 PM). This is out of the norm for me, but some times we have to try things out to see if they will work! Hope you all have a fantastic Monday!

Eye of the Tiger

This is complete silly, Annie type trivia. When I was growing up, my sister closest in age Casey, had a favorite movie. Her favorite movie was When Peggy Sue Got Married... My favorite movie was Rocky IV. Not just any Rocky - Rocky IV. Let's get specific here, folks. To this date, it is still one of my favorite movies. So much so, last year or the year before - John bought me the Rocky box set as a Christmas gift! I was pleased as punch, let me tell ya! I even make him sit on the couch and watch Rocky just about every single time it is on television! My favorite scenes... When Apollo Creed performs with James Brown right before being beat to a bloody pulp by the Russian... My second favorite scene... When Rocky is training in Russia, prior to avenging the death of the dear Apollo Creed.

Ok, that's my only fun fact for the day!

Today we putzed around in Spring Lake Heights, Avon, and Ocean Grove. I've half decided I should move to Ocean Grove and open a yarn store (forget the fact that I did not notice ONE SINGLE open store front). It's such a quaint little town with lots of fun eateries and shops. It would be fun... In my dreams! Baby sister Rita also did some twists and turns for me today! I've never felt a baby in the stomach so I was very fascinated by this event! I think I've asked Margaret to pull her dress taut several time since just in case I can see Rita making more moves! Margaret, of course, patiently obliges.

We are currently looking over the picks for the horse races tomorrow... So far I'm going with Summer Bird and A Rose for You <---or something like that... I only hav 12 more races to pick for!!!

More to come later... I'm sure of it!