Acquisitions

A few new additions to the already overflowing stash box. Maybe I need to ask for a new yarn box for Christmas? firstly, and most important, is the Malabrigo: The green is aptly named "Verdes" , and the blue is "Tuareg". both are absolutely gorgeous, as all Malabrigo is, and cuddly soft. Yum! The second is a skein of some lusciously colored and huggable sock yarn I won from Mobtown Review. The place to get it is The Unique Sheep. I had such a hard time picking out what color I wanted, they were all so gorgeous! It is luscious, soft, and begging to be turned into awesome socks that want to be worn until they are wearable no more. (Don't worry- I won't wear them to their death. That would be sad.) The color I finally decided on is "Spiced Apple": I don't think my picture quite does the colors justice. I mean, really, it looks just like it does in her picture. You really should go look around at her store! Beautiful colors, in a truly awesome yarn (I got the Simply Socks). I also picked up two skeins of Cascade 220 for some Christmas knitting. Which I really need to get going on. I'm such a slacker... Tomorrow: finished knits!

Hi Again! (And a Winner)

Yes, I'm alive and good. I kind of dropped the ball on NaBloPoMo, didn't I? I just really didn't feel like blogging on the crappy, slow computer at my Aunt-in-Law's house. Thanks for the concern, though, you guys are sweet! I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and ate good food and all that jazz. We had a great time, and the food was awesome. I'm so excited to holiday season is here! On a different note, WE HAVE A WINNER! I did it old-school style, names written on tiny bits of paper and stuck in a bowl. The Hubbster picked a name out of the bowl and the winner is (insert dramatic drum roll here).... Jeri! Congrats! Now, everyone else, go buy some! Really, you're all winners, though. Everyone who participated gets 15% off a pair at my Etsy shop! Just mention the contest, and I'll send an adjusted invoice. Thanks to everyone who participated!

White and Nerdy

Yes, I am a big enough nerd to think this this is hilarious. Are you? See you tomorrow!

BS

Yeah, this post is flaky. The Hubbster is on vacation, with throws off my normal routine. I meant to take pictures of knitting today, really! I also did some felting, which is more fun than I anticipated. for the unknitterly people out there, felting is when you knit something, then intentionally destroy it- like when you throw something wool into a washing machine and it shrinks and gets all gnarly. I've been making some hot pads for Christmas gifts. They actually came out really well, I'm stoked. Definitely more felting in my future, and needle felting (a whole 'nother world) will follow shorty- one of the girls from Sn'B is going to give me a lesson next week. I make no promises of pictures- tomorrow is going to be a bit crazy, with cleaning (my sister-in-law is staying with us tomorrow night when she gets into town), holiday baking (pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap pecan crust), and my usual daily stuff. Oh, and Sn'B, of course! Should be fun, though. I'll try to get some pictures asap, I'm sure you guys are getting sick of my boring ramblings. See you tomorrow!

Knitting

I've been knitting like a fiend lately. I finished a new scarf out of Malabrigo today, and I love it! it may be my new favorite scarf. I'm wearing it right now, in fact. It's a beautiful blend of pinks, knit in a seed stitch, with fringe, of course. I've also been working on some more scarves, with some new Malabrigo acquisitions in my stash. Pictures to come soon, including pictures of my scarf adventures. Hope all the knitters out there are knitting hard and getting nice, cozy hand knits for the cool weather! I really need to do more Christmas knitting, as well. Maybe I'll start tomorrow. See you then!

I is For...

I is for inspiration. There are quite a few things in my life that inspire me, but here are a few of the big ones: -Beautiful buildings. I find myself more and more drawn to architecture. I really am beginning to love it. I love clean lines and interesting details. -"Raw" materials, like fabric and yarn. If I find something I love, I am so inspired as to what can be created with it. -Nature. this is a big one for me. I love the mountains, and all the textures and colors found in the world. Nature, for me, is awe-inspiring and feels like home, no matter where I am. - Loved ones. My friends and family are awesome inspiration, be it through words or actions, or just being "them". The people in my life are awesome and bring me joy, and I draw on this for many things. -Books. I love to read, and always have. Books inspire me in more ways than I can count. My interest is architecture actually started with Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. Just a handful of the many things that inspire me. What inspires you? See you tomorrow!

Goodnight

I know, it's not that late, be we had a long day. Drove up to Taos (about 135 miles) so I could get some Malabrigo (yum!). Stopped in Santa Fe for dinner. I'm tired, and going to bed. Sorry for yet another lame post. Hopefully tomorrow I can show some cool pictures, but no promises- tomorrow is going to be crazy and hectic and yeah. The thought of it right now makes me stressed. So, I'm off to bed. See you tomorrow...

H is For...

H is for hats. I decided to make a hat for myself for the Malabrigo Cast On Week with some stuff I had sitting in my stash. The pattern I used is Foliage from Knitty. Awesome pattern! The finished knit looks much more complicated than it really is. I loved knitting this so much, I finished it in one day. Here's a picture of the finished object: I also had enough left over to knit the Monsterette a little hat, which I think I love even more than mine: The color is so hard to photograph- it's pretty close to the color of the first picture, but richer. Mosterette looks so effin' cute in this hat! She loves it, too- she wears it all day long, practically. Yay! I love mine, too. it rocks my face off. Hooray for hats! See you tomorrow!

Blah Blah Blah

First off, I would like to say a big "thanks!" for all the great comments on the earrings- now if only I could sell a pair! Just kidding- I know all you people who don't win a pair will run over and buy some. Right? RIGHT?! Okay. In all seriousness, though, I'm really happy to get such a great response. Thanks, guys! In other news, the Malabrigo junkies group on Ravelry is hosting a Malabrigo Cast On Week, and I've been cranking out projects left and right! It is fun to be knitting with my favorite yarn. I have two hole balls left in the stash, and I'm going to try to get at least one more project on the needles- most likely a scarf. I've already started one scarf, and finished a hat for myself and The Monsterette with one ball (which rocks my face off, by the way). I *heart* Malabrigo! I may go buy some more tomorrow. We shall see. Pictures tomorrow. Pinky swear! Alright, I think that's it. See ya tomorrow!

G is for...

G is for gaming. We're talking full-blown nerd gaming here, with dice and dragons and miniatures and stuff. I'm relatively new to gaming- we're currently playing my fourth campaign. I started while I was pregnant, and my first gaming experience was a Cthulhu role-playing game. Since then, we've also played a Zombie game and two Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. Starting to game was the beginning of my true nerdiness- there are very few thresholds to cross before I will be a full-blown nerd. Even though I'm a nerd, I still maintain some of my feminine charms. For instance, my dice- owning and collecting dice is an integral part of being a gaming nerd. My dice are all purple and pretty, some of them are even sparkly! Of course, they live inside a cozy little frilly dice bag that I knit. No surprise, that's purple as well. I posted about it a while back. Even though it may be nerdy, I love gaming. It is so much fun to get into a story that you are helping to create. Besides, we get to hang out with awesome friends and eat junk food and stuff. I look forward to it every week! I know I told you I'd show you pictures of my new hat, but you're going to have to wait until tomorrow. See you then!

Random Stuff

Mt brain is falling asleep and I have only seven and a half rows to go to finish the hat I'm working on, so you get blog fluff that I stole from Erin. Enjoy! Three Things Three things that scare me: 1: Bats 2: falling backwards 3: losing a loved one Three people who make me laugh: 1: Hubbster 2: Monsterette 3: Dave Three Things I love: 1: yarn 2: sleeping in late 3: a good book Three Things I hate: 1: pop-up ads 2: crappy drivers 3: clutter Three things I don't understand: 1: quantum physics 2: Tabloid magazines 3: why I decided to blog every day for a month Three things on my desk: 1: a cup full of pens and pencils 2: Tylenol and Ibuprofen 3: two digital cameras Three things I'm doing right now: 1: this thing 2: wanting to knit 3: uh, really, this is a dumb question. What do they expect? Three things I want to do before I die: 1: See some other countries 2: be a grandma 3: win the lottery Three things I can do: 1: Knit 2: Read 3: Have intelligent conversations Three ways to describe my personality: 1: Caring 2: Outgoing 3: Odd Three things I can't do: 1: be a real-life pirate 2: see through walls 3: kill zombies ( I would, though, if the oppertunity arose.) There. All done. tomorrow, I'll show you my new hat!

F is For...

Today was a wonderful, typical Sunday here. We woke up and had orange sweet rolls and coffee for breakfast, and played a game of cribbage (I lost today). We hung out for a while, and i ran an errand while the Mosterette took a nap. Then, of course, began our usual Sunday ritual. F, my friends, is for football. Hubbster and I are both fans, although for different teams. Every Sunday is usually spent lazing around, him on the computer and me with knitting, watching football games. Monsterette is a fan, as well, although she is pretty much excited about everything that happens. She does know how to say and motion for "touchdown", and we think she may be doing the motion for "false start" as well. We definitely have a happy football lovin' household here. My team is the New York Giants. I'm not really sure when or why I started liking them, but nonetheless, they are "my team". Besides, one of the receivers (Jeremy Shockey, if you're curious) is dreamy. Being originally from Minnesota, I will also always root for the Vikings (unless they play the Giants), and am born to loath the Green Bay Packers just as much as the Philadelphia Eagles. Hubbster's team is the San Diego Chargers- he decided they were "his" when he was younger, because he liked the lightning bolts on the helmets. Isn't that cute? Here's a random bit of "me" trivia- the most expensive piece of clothing I own is my Giants hoodie. I know, it's weird. Anyways, I promise no more posts dedicated exclusively to sports. See you tomorrow!

No Hookers!

The Hubbster is an avid amateur photographer, with some really great photos. (Seriously- go check out his photo blog-shameless plug.) Often, he will take photos while we are out doing things. Last summer was no exception. We were driving around on one of our "adventures", and stopped at a gas station in the southeast part of Albuquerque. The Hubbster went in to get some refreshments, and I happened to notice a woman who seemed to be hanging around, talking to a few people, and spending an odd amount of time behind the nearby dumpster. I mentioned it to Hubbster when he returned, and he concurred that the woman was, in all likelihood, a hooker. I nodded, and started to pull out of the parking lot. Waiting for a chance to turn onto the main road, James decided to snap this picture: Well, said hooker took notice. She was definitely not pleased about it, and said a few things that should most likely not be repeated here. I pulled out as soon as I could, but not before she had a chance to throw her Big Gulp at the back of our car (yes, she hit it). Driving away, we noticed her get into a car behind us, and start following. Not just any car, folks- a metallic cherry red Oldsmobile, sittin' on some rims. "Great," I said to the Hubbster, "now her and her pimp are chasing us down." Long story short, we escaped rather easily, with not many worries about the incident. You might be surprised to know that this is not Hubbster's first incident with angry hookers- another he took a picture of threw a shoe at him. So, you may understand my concern. With his penchant to go out late at night and take pictures, I worried this would be a issue once again, and wanted him to stay out of trouble. This resulted in me telling him, "No hookers!" every time he left on a late-night photo shoot. Naturally, this progressed into something I tell him every time he leaves the apartment. Which, of course, caught on in the house, and now he tells me "no hookers" almost every time I leave, as well. The only exception I get is the crocheters (called hookers in the most endearing way, of course) in my weekly Stitch n' Bitch. He gets absolutely no exceptions. See you tomorrow! P.S. To see another photo, go here.

E is For...

Alright, everyone, I'm really excited about this. E is for earrings. Now, I love earrings as much as the next girl, but this is about special earrings- ones that I have created! Knitters, prepare to rejoice, and get your wishlists ready. I present to you all, knitting needle earrings! I am really, really, in love with these! I made a pair for myself (size 9's, of course), and now you can have a pair, too! I have the pair above, as well as a pair made from size 6 needles, listed in my shiny new Etsy shop. Go check it out, read my profile for extra goodies. Wait, there's more! A CONTEST! Finally, here at Saving Nine, there will be a contest. For, of course, a pair of these swanky earrings! Maybe other goodies too, or runner-up prizes, I'm not really sure yet. So, here are the ways you can enter: 1. Leave a comment on this post. Easy, huh? 2. Blog about this contest, and link to this post. Leave a comment or email me (address below) to let me know you did this one, otherwise, I'll never know! 3. Donate a pair of aluminum knitting needles. Each pair is one entry. This has an added bonus- the first pair you donate is worth $5 in my Etsy shop. each additional pair is worth another dollar off, up to $5 more! Email me (address below) for my address to mail them to me. This contest will be officially closed to new entries on midnight (Us mountain time) November 23rd. If you donate needles for an entry, they must be postmarked by this date. Winner(s) will be randomly chosen by some completely random and yet undetermined method. Bribes will be graciously accepted! See you tomorrow!!

D is for...

D is for decisions. I have a hard time making them, usually, because of being a Libra (at least, that's what I blame it on). I like to weigh everything carefully before choosing, and most of time, it takes a while. Example: We go to Baskin Robbins (home of 31 flavors of ice cream, if you didn't know). I carefully look at each type, seeing what's in it. I then try to narrow it down to three of four choices. I decide which of these would go well together ( I usually go for two scoops), and if that's what I want, or all one flavor. I then narrow it down to two, usually one that is a chocolately or similar, and one that is fruity or similar. By now, the Hubbster is giving me dirty looks, and telling me to choose already, because he's known what he wants for 5 minutes. I then think about what I really want. I think about how it's going to taste, if the texture will be pleasing, if it'll satisfy my ice cream desires. I then waffle over it while James is ordering and make a last-second decision, which I am usually happy with. Crazy, isn't it? I'm like this with a lot of things- where to eat if we go out, what to eat when we get there, dessert or no dessert. I do the same thing in book stores, yarn stores, online stores, clothing stores, pretty much everywhere, unless I already have a clear idea of what I want and am going just to get that one thing. Although, that's not a guarantee, either- just today, I pondered my grocery list, halfway through with my shopping. Yes, decisions in my life are a complicated thing. See you. You know when.

Lame

This is a lame post. Feel free to leave now if you want to. Spent the day up in Santa Fe with the Hubbster's family, which was fun. We had Indian food for lunch, and northern New Mexican food for dinner, all yummy. Met a relative I hadn't met before. Monsterette had fun, although she didn't nap all day, which sucked for me. I was very unproductive. I bought some yarn (sorry, Erin, used up my gift certificate) and read a month-old issue of People magazine. I need to go to bed now, though, because I'm stuffed and exhausted and having trouble typing. I promise to limit the lame posts. See you tomorrow, of course.

C is For...

There are quite a lot of C's in my life- I think the main one would be create. I am constantly creating things-most often, or course, in my knitting, but in other things as well. I've dabbled in jewelry ( an exciting project in the works there- more on that next time!), clay, drawing, writing. I love to create, and love to get to the roots of things, like felting wool by hand, or writing with a good old pen and paper. I'd love to learn how to draft and spin my own wool, as well. C is also for clapotis. You have all seen this work in progress, and it has actually been finished for some time, now. I absolutely love it! I cozy up with it all that time, take it out when it's chilly. It is so excellent in wool. I'm definitely going to use this pattern again, maybe for another in a wool blend, or a summery one in cotton or silk, or a scarf-sized one. It's awesome! Oh, and it is huge. Awesomely huge. Pictures: C is also for curls. My hair is stick straight, but The Monsterette has a head full of golden curls. I think they are so precious! Well, except when I need to comb it Then it's a nightmare. today, though, they are fresh and bouncy and adorable: You can not even imagine how ridiculously hard it is to take a picture of the back of her head- she is so obsessed with getting her picture taken and staring into the camera. I love these pictures, though- so cute! See ya tomorrow!

More Yarn

Even though my yarn box is literally overflowing with the stuff, I can hardly keep myself from buying more. These last few weekends have been no exception! A few weeks ago, Erin went to the yarn store here in Albuquerque with me, and I picked up this: It is RYC Classic Cashsoft DK. I'm planning on doing some gloves or mittens with it, in combination with the same stuff in lighter pink, that I got from The Hubbster for my birthday. The following weekend, I went up to Santa Fe to use up some of my gift certificate, and came away with these: Both are Blue Sky Cotton, and I'm planning to do a scarf. This stuff is so soft! I love the colors together, too. Finally, this last weekend, the Hubbster and I were at Hobby Lobby looking for Dremel stuff (which they don't carry) and I got this on sale for a buck a ball: It is Yarn Bee Mosaic Twist. I'm planning on remaking this scarf, because the first one I made I can't stand to wear. The yarn is way too itchy, and I am not that sensitive to wool, either. Sigh. I so love that scarf, too. Hopefully the new one I make will be just as lovable! I also bought some dishcloth cotton, but I won't torture you with those pictures. I'm off to Ravelry a bit. See you tomorrow!

B is For...

B is for Balloon Fiesta. It is such an awesome event here in Albuquerque! Hundreds of hot air balloons come from all over the world to participate. Pictures really don't do any justice to the multitude of balloons that fill the early (and I mean early) morning sky. I'm very proud of my pictures this year- The Hubbster said they were better than his. Such a great compliment, coming from such a great photographer! B is also for Burt's Bees. I love so many of their products- lip gloss, baby buttermilk lotion, carrot body lotion, the list goes on. I got a whole bunch of goodies for my birthday which I hadn't tried yet, and they are rocking my socks off! I've been using the Pomegranate and Soy shampoo and conditioner for a few days now, and I am still madly in love with how delicious my hair smells. I also love the fact that almost all of their products are pretty close to 100% natural. If you haven't tried them yet, you should! See you tomorrow!

A is For...

So, I'm starting my Selfabet thingy. I've seen this done around bloglandia a bit, but the last place I saw it was over here. The original idea comes from here. I know she's calling it "the encyclopedia of meme", but I think "selfabet" is much more catchy, don't you? Anyways, onwards. (forgive me, it's late and I'm kind of tired.) A is for Ashlee. Ash is my younger sister by 4 years and some odd months. I love her dearly, I couldn't have asked for a better sister! She is bright and sweet, and one of the most caring, giving persons I know. She is so much fun, and her and I have had many laughs, inside jokes (Hi Mel!), and all around good times. We've also had some good cries about everything under the sun, but especially those "sister" things like our parents and boys and how unfair life is. My sis totally rocks my socks off! On a side note, she's coming to visit in a few weeks- right before Christmas, in fact. I'm so excited to see her again! Living so far from family is definitely tough sometimes. I'm sure it'll be a great time and we'll have fun. Love ya sis! A is for Ayn Rand. I've read quite a bit of her books, and loved them all. The Fountainhead is one of the books that sparked a passion in me, and I know that someday soon, I want to go to school for architecture. (Hey, another "a"!) She really is a great writer and her books will always have a place on my bookshelf, to be read and re-read. See you tomorrow! (Are we having fun yet?!)

November Ramblings

November. I write amidst a pile of candy and scattered wrappers- the evidence of Halloween and successful trick-or-treating. When i woke this morning, I stepped onto the balcony for my morning ritual of hazy new sunlight and drowsy smoking. It seemed everything knew it was November. the air was crisp and cold, and it seemed overnight that the trees decided to burst into golden yellow and fiery red, leaving the fresh green of warmer months behind. Thoughts of a fun, chaotic Thanksgiving dinner flooded me, I'm planning my cooking. I make excellent pumpkin bread and pumpkin cheesecake. I swear I can smell fresh pine, and images of brightly wrapped gifts and candy canes and twinkling lights come to mind. I am still behind on my Christmas knitting. Still, I love this time of year. Bring on the holidays! I finish my cigarette, and start my day with a smile, and goosebumps. -N.

Here We Go

Alright, so it's the first of November, and NaBloPoMo is underway! I had some grand plans for my first post, but, uh, probably not going to happen. It's escaped me. Anyways, I was wondering- if I was to have a cohesive theme, which would you guys prefer? Whatever I decide to do, it won't be the main focus- just a thread to hold my posts together this month. You'll still get ramblings and knitting updates, don't worry. Here are the options: A. The "selfabet" meme- each post is dedicated in part to a letter, which I name a few things correlating with said letter that relate to my life. B. 100 Things About Me Meme- at the end of every post, I'll list a few things about myself. some may be really lame, especially after the first 50. I'll do my best, though. C. Picture a Day- Every day, I'll take a picture and post it. These might be equally lame, especially since I don't leave the apartment much. D. Nothing. Just good old regular blogging. Vote in the comments, just let me know what you think! I may blow you off and just do what I feel like anyways, but it will be nice to have your opinion. See you tomorrow!