Not knitting, but...

I just have to share this listing my sister found on Craig's List (or as my dad calls it "Greg's list"). Check out the mermaid table for sale. I have a couple of thoughts about this:
1. If you bought it for your home in Florida, why didn't you sell it there? Why did you bring it all the way to Colorado and then try to sell it?
2. You paid how much?!?!??!?!? And you are asking how much?!?!?!?
3. I keep getting images of having a party and someone gets drunk and starts making out with the table. Party guests will come up to you and say "dude, someone is making out with your table again".
4. When the drunk person passes out under the table and wakes up in the morning to stare into that frightening, bronze mermaid face I can only imagine the horrified screams that will ensue.

I thought I should put the pictures here since the link will eventually not work.

The meaning of time

On Saturday I had to take my car in for a routine oil change. When we bought the car 2 years ago we purchased the lifetime oil change option. This is a good thing since I've noticed the price of the oil change has gone up each time I take it in over the last 2 years. The downside is we have to take it to one place, Burt Automotive. It's not a bad place mind you, in fact, the staff there are quite nice. The problem is they are always very apologetic about any wait time there may be on your car repair. Here's what always happens: I walk in, they say can I help you, and I say I'm here for an oil change. They look all dejected and say "It's going to be about an hour and a half". That's fine, I tell them (because, of course, I've got my knitting with me). They kind of look at me as if they don't quite believe me and then take my information. I feel kind of sorry for them because they must get yelled at a lot over time issues.

While I was there this Saturday (5/31) several people walked in and they got the same speech "it's going to be about an hour and a half" and those people got irritated and left. I'm thinking, hey, an hour and a half where I am forced to just sit here? Okay! Sign me up! Here I am!

When they called my name after a mere 50 minutes I said "I thought you guys said an hour and a half". The poor guy looked like he was going to cry and started stammering something about how the time can vary depending on the work, etc. I interrupted him to say I was only joking! Whew, when I think my job is frustrating I just think about these poor guys dealing with people yelling at them about time. Maybe someone should set up a yarn shop in the store and people can learn how to knit.

Oh yeah, I got half of one sleeve done on this little Berroco sweater. I probably could have got the whole sleeve done if it would have taken a full hour and a half.

Camp memories

A lot of campers have been reminiscing about our super fun camp experience lately. I've listed to podcasts, read blogs, read Ravelry posts, etc. and now I'm feeling a little homesick (or would it be campsick?). I still need to get my pictures edited and posted on Flickr but I did come across the little video (apologies for the poor sound quality) so I uploaded it on YouTube and you can check it out here:

The new (and ever so true lyrics) were written by the super talented Stephen from hizKNITS If you can't hear the audio on my video very well, you can check out the lyrics on his blog.
One of my favorite parts is the bartender who runs by at the end!

And here's a quick shot of the audience (after the song was sung - I can't video AND take pictures with one camera)


How long until next year?!?!?!?!?

Alpaca Sunday

I decided to go to the Great Western Alpaca Show that was in town over the weekend.

Aren't they such cute little guys? (ok, some aren't so little).

I saw furry alpacas, small alpacas, and.......






NAKED alpacas! These poor little guys just got sheared. Actually, it was pretty warm in there so they might have been happier to be in the buff. Aren't their eyes HUGE when they don't have all that wool around them?

There were alpacas everywhere! Even performing alpacas.


Well, these guys were being judged but there were other alpacas who were running obstacle courses and doing crazy alpaca tricks for their young owners. Kind of like a 4-H event.

I also learned that there are two different kinds of alpacas: Huacayas and Suris. Here are the Suris. (The Huacayas are the ones in the above pictures)


Then I decided I needed to learn more about the alpacas. Here's a good website with some FAQs about alpacas.

I keep trying to talk my husband into buying one but he thinks that's a bad idea. I think if I had an alpaca think of what I would save in yarn! I could make my own. Just a thought.

Guilty Pleasures Ravelry Swap

I love doing swaps on Ravlery. This time I signed up for the Guilty Pleasures/Good Karma swap. I got my package yesterday and wow - what a treat!

First let me say what an incredible wrapping job Pippin67 did! Even my husband was impressed. Not only did she do one big package but she also individually wrapped the goodies inside.

And what fantastic contents! I love, love, love the misti alpaca she found! I hadn't even see that color before! And the sea silk - I'm in heaven! Yummy chocolate, teas, fabulous addis, some eucalan (which I haven't tried yet) and some awesome Cherry Tree Hill Suri Lace (made from Suri Alpacas which I didn't even know existed until I saw some today at the Alpaca Show - but that's another post).
Thank you so much wonderful swap buddy.

Yarn Retirement Account (401Y)

I've been trying to get my stash (as well as my knitting paraphernalia) organized and cataloged so I can see (or at least know) what I have. This flurry of organization came about when I returned from the bookstore clutching a new knitting book (Knitting circles around Socks by Antje Gillingham) only to find that I already had it. I've had this same realization with knitting needles but usually it's because I've got a project on one pair of the needles in the size I need for a new project and rather than move that project onto stitch holders or scrap yarn (or finish that project first - a novel idea) I just buy new needles in the duplicate size. This seems to work well but eventually I finish both projects and am left with two needles of the same size. So with the help of Ravelry I decided to start getting things listed. No easy (or quick) task, I assure you. The first step in this process was getting all the knitting items into the same room.

You'd be surprised how many places I had yarn, books and needles stashed around the house. As I was moving everything up to the spare room (I hope we don't have any house guests for awhile) I started pondering what made me think that a house with multiple stairs was a good idea. Once I got everything (or what I think is everything) up there, I started with the magazines. My fears were confirmed when I found that I had three duplicate magazines in the stack.

OK, three isn't a lot but still, it's a sign of a problem that needed to be nipped in the bud so I felt pretty good about lugging all that crap, I mean fabulous knitting items, upstairs. Then I did find another duplicate book. How does this happen? This cataloging of books and magazines took longer than I thought so I didn't really get into the actual yarn stash yet but I did have a realization. It's not that I'm accumulating yarn, I'm actually making deposits into my yarn retirement account, my YRA 401Y if you will. Think about it -- if I buy yarn now until I retire then I'll have a fabulous "nest egg" and I won't have to spend my actual retirement account money on yarn. (Some of you might say I will probably still make yarn purchases after I retire - you can point out your plot holes elsewhere). I think this is a fine rationale and I'm sticking to it as I continue to make deposits into my YRA. I suggest you do the same.

Then I did find another duplicate book. How does this happen? This cataloging of books and magazines took longer than I thought so I didn't really get into the actual yarn stash yet but I did have a realization. It's not that I'm accumulating yarn, I'm actually making deposits into my yarn retirement account, my YRA 401Y if you will. Think about it -- if I buy yarn now until I retire then I'll have a fabulous "nest egg" and I won't have to spend my actual retirement account money on yarn. (Some of you might say I will probably still make yarn purchases after I retire - you can point out your plot holes elsewhere). I think this is a fine rationale and I'm sticking to it as I continue to make deposits into my YRA. I suggest you do the same.

Quick update from Sock Camp

I'm here at Camp Crows Feet and having loads of fun. Wish you were here.

This was the first night (Monday) when we came into the Discovery House. The camp counselors and sockateers were standing guard over the shop - we couldn't make any
purchases until later. Recognize anyone of the guards?



As you can see here, when they did open the store people went wild!





We all love our yarn.










This is Joan - doesn't the yarn frame her face well?





More to follow... Stay tuned...