another sign of an administration gone amuck

Even though we have no small children at home, and no grandchildren that aren't teenagers, I am appalled by the Mattel situation.

Our administration has been so controlled by the whining of big business and the whole "fair trade" with China thing, that now a big company like Mattel, after sending all of the manufacturing jobs off shore feels it must apologize to CHINA!?

What the....?

We are declaring that there will be no Mattel products purchased by use for anyone for any reason by our household.

Lets resurrect the hand made by crafters SAFE toy.....no more lead paint, no more toxic chemicals...

Afterall, we are a group of KNITTERS aren't we?

(please feel free to use my "no Mattel" graphic where ever you would like!)

More Blue!

I'm trying to finish up a lot of projects before taking off for dissertation research next week. I'll be gone all semester, so I had to rush through my husband's project so that he could stay warm while I'm gone in the fall and early winter.

His favorite color is blue, so this is an appropriate place to post. The scarf is a 3x3 rib in Cascade 220 with randomly-placed stripes but symmetrical (i.e., the stripes weren't so random for the second half of the scarf). I knit up the hat this afternoon with what was left of the blue and yellow yarn. The hat pattern is from Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. I LOVE that book.

My next blue projects will be a pair of blue socks and a sweater for my husband in Rowan's denim yarn. (I'm thinking the EZ seamless hybrid).

Red White and BLUE

I've knit something with some blue to it for the first time in a while! It's the My So-Called Scarf
in Berrocco's Hip Hop in the Karaoke color-way. I had enough to put together a very basic hat that I made up as I went along... I like to call it my Quick-and-Dirty hat. It took about an hour to figure out how I wanted to make this-- it's basically a triangle.

I love the grunge-y look-- which I've grown out of but am always reminded of when I think of the "My So-Called Life" drama-- which happens every time I think to knit the My So-Called Scarf.

On the politics front, I just wanted to add that this Petreus stuff, and all of the congressional discussions and pundit-speak since has been a total farce! It's definitely time for a change in the administration.

a blue band

It is finished. My Calorimetry is all done and it is quite nice. I liked the way the yarn holds the shape. It doesn't feel like it will get really loose like wool probably would. Wick was a bit sticky on my bamboo needles, but not too bad where I wouldn't use it again. All in all, a lovely blue project. It will be coming with me to Big Sur in November. Perfect for a hike.

what part of 411 against 3 doesn't Bush get?

as I sat in a hugh traffic jam this morning I was listening to the local talk radio discuss the idea that Mexican trucks will soon be allowed on our highways.....

now I thought back when the vote was taken and 411 representatives said NO and only 3 said yes (who were those morons?) that this was a dead issue, but NOOOOOOO....its still alive and well

and while I watched big trucks in the traffic around me weave in and out of lanes and cut people off, I marveled at what a "joy" it will be to have all those new trucks on our highways without the safety inspections for drivers or trucks that we have, not to mention that they are not require to keep log books like US drivers, and who knows how many hours they'll be driving.

its like alot of things now days, its all about getting the labor cheaper -- why pay a U.S. driver 40 cents a mile when they can hire someone that will do it for 12 cents?

and what is the origin of all this coming chaos? NAFTA---yes, be sure and write to former PResident CLINTON and tell him thanks a lot for getting us into this mess by signing that travisty and selling us all down the river....(in case you wondered why I'm not a big Hillary fan, this is one reason)

For those of you that remember the old song Convoy you may enjoy listening to an updated version here (under Convoy Mexico Parody at the bottom of the page).

Jeesch

I actually finished a knitting project!

And it's blue (ok, there's also some green)! I am a slow knitter, so I'm quite pleased with myself ...

Anyhow, without further ado, I give you - just in time for the end of summer - the Fishnet Beach Bag:

This pattern was simple, addictive, and fun to knit. Here are the specifics:

Pattern: Fishnet Beach Bag, a house pattern from my LYS, Rosie's Yarn Cellar
Yarn: Adrienne Vittadini Nicole (65% acrylic, 35% nylon); 3 balls
Needles: Size US8 24-inch circular
Crochet Hook: Size H
Beads: 2 glass beads, 3/4 inch size (the size is the only thing you need to duplicate - I just liked these beads an decided to use them).

This had very cool construction (at least I thought so). You knit the bottom with two strands, using seed stitch, just as straight knitting for 8 inches. Then you pick up stitches all around the square you've knit, using a single strand, and suddenly you are knitting circular! You then knit the pattern until you have 12 inches from the bottom. The cords are made by crocheting a chain using two strands, then woven through the lace, and secured by beads at the ends.

And, unlike Alberto Gonzales' testimony, this was supposed to have holes in it!

The Ick Factor

So yesterday morning, I was watching one of the news shows, and they played the tape where the arresting officer and Senator Daniel Craig go back and forth about what really happened in the men's restroom of the Minneapolis airport.

At one point, the officer says something like, "You put your hand down towards the floor," and Craig responds, "I was reaching down to pick up a piece of toilet paper from the floor."

Now I ask you - regardless of anything else - who in their right (hah, right!) mind would pick up ANYTHING off the floor in a public restroom??????

I think that even if he was only doing that, he should be arrested ... ick!

Saying hello

Hello.

I joined KnitBlue a couple months ago but haven't had the opportunity until now to post and introduce myself. I am a CA transplant living in TX. Big change, I know! I am lucky, however, to be in probably the only blue spot on the very red state.

Anyway, I thought I would come on, say hello, and share my knewly purchased blue yarn with you all. It is really great. Soft and springy. It is my first time buying yarn made of soy and I really like it.

This yarn is destined to be a Calorimetry, I think.