Bean Counter's Knitting & Stuff

Bean Counting Knitter

December 31, 2008

Happy New Year

I am posting my top five personal goals for 2009 in the spirit of the calendar rolling to a new year. I am hoping this will make it more "real" for me and help hold me accountable to stick to them!

1. Read at least two books per month. I have a rather large TBR list that I maintain on goodreads.com I would like to tackle!

2. Work out at least 3 times a week. We have a lovely workout room in our home that is promoting dust bunnies.

3. Read more news daily from various sources.

4. Study the construction and workings of our government.

5. Knit MORE!

Happy New Year Everyone! Jimmy is taking me out for a night on the town this evening. Something we have never had the opportunity to do before so I am really looking forward to it. Thankfully what started to feel like a cold coming on Sunday/Monday turned out to be a mild one. I will say that Zicam is my new go to med when I feel a cold coming on. It helped me this time!

What are you doing tonight?

December 30, 2008

Got scrap yarn and needles?

My friend Molly is working on her written thesis for a Masters of Arts Policy and Administration. She has started the Knitted Flower Project to create a knitted artwork, a garden of individual flowers knit by anyone willing to participate. To learn more more please visit the Knitted Flower Project blog. Hope to see and chat with you there!

Woodsmoke Sock


I love love love this sock! I have to knit it now.....

December 26, 2008

Christmas Gifts for the knitter

This Christmas has been full of wonderful crafty gifts.


Molly presented me with the Knit Along book and yellow Misty Cotton/Silk yarn. I am still trying to decide what lovely item I am going to make with the super soft yarn.

I knit some kitty toy mice for the special cats we know and love. This is a picture from my Mom of her two cats with in several minutes of opening the package. I stuffed them with my home grown Catnip. Spooky and Frisky have asked for more mice.


Mommy sent me this amazing Namaste Laguna knitting bag for Christmas. Wooozzza it rocks! It not only holds all my knitting to go but also all my purse stuff and Franklin Covey planner. Maybe even the toaster.




These beauties were given to Jimmy and I and hand knit by Tami. They were full of fun things including some curved tapestry needles.

My coworker Gail gave me this awesome hand crafted crochet hook. She purchased it at a craft show from Turn of the Century.


Tami gave me this awesome black Ultra Alpaca for Christmas.


Some knitting friends and I participated in a White Elephant yarn exchange. This lovely red Ultra Alpaca was one of the skeins I received from that exchange.


I am going to be using the two skeins of Ultra Alpaca to knit this scarf during a knitting get-away.

Checkered Double Knit Scarf



Thank you again for the lovely crafty gifts Gail, Molly, Mom, and Tami.

December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas
to you and your family
from
Jimmy
Catherine
Poo
&
Kiki

December 23, 2008

San Diego Surprises

So our friends Molly and Dave are in San Diego for Christmas visiting her Mom and Step-Dad. Today I got an awesome text from Molly with this picture attached!


Wooooooohoooooo Thanks for the giraffes!

December 21, 2008

Poo & Knitting

We are sort of on hold until Monday with Poo. His blood test was extremely high yesterday but the doctor has another possible treatment. She has to speak with another doctor again tomorrow and then we will decide how we will proceed with his treatment.

There is times when you wouldn't know he was sick. Today was one of them. Jasmine was over and Poo chased her around the house. It was awesome to watch. :-)

Of course the second I spread out a piece of knitting to photograph he came running too:

Below is the status of my Susie Hoodie jacket. I have finished the lower body and the small piece is the cuff for the first sleeve.

Jimmy and I got sort of gussied up last evening for dinner. I love this picture of him.


It's only fair I include my picture too. That way he can't yell at me for posting his picture because I posted mine too.

December 19, 2008

Poo Update

Please keep a good thought for our Poo. Tomorrow he heads back to the Vet for a blood sugar check. If it is still high despite the changes made in hopes of lowering it, we will have to begin Insulin shots.

This is a picture of him last night. We received the box of gifts from my family in New York yesterday. Included was a stocking full of kitty toys. This picture is of Poo trying his hardest to break into the stocking. He didn't have any luck since he doesn't have claws or any teeth.


This is our Kiki in the box the gits were shipped in from New York.


Crazy cats!

December 18, 2008

FO and Rip Rip

Below is a finished picture of my Clapotis. I am in love with the pattern but not so in love with the yarn. Hemp for Knitting #220 Hempwol. This yarn is wonderful to knit with but even after soaking it for 2 hours then blocking it just didn't soften up as much as I thought it would. :-( However this has not stopped me from wearing it all day today. :-)


Last night I cast on the first sleeve cuff for the Suzie Hoodie. Notice anything wrong?



Here let me get a little closer. Notice it now?


Maybe I shouldn't have frogged it....


I am going to see if anyone else can see what I saw this morning before ripping it!

December 17, 2008

Cleveland mistake Body taken to impound lot after fatal crash

This is just incredible and I had to share it with you.

Cleveland mistake
Body taken to impound lot after fatal crash
Wednesday, December 17, 2008 3:06 AM
FROM THE PLAIN DEALER VIA AP
CLEVELAND -- A man who was killed in a car crash was left in the crumpled vehicle when it was towed away, and the body wasn't discovered until family members found it two days later, police said.

An officer who handled the crash failed to check the vehicle before it was towed, said Martin Flask, Cleveland's safety director. The police department is reviewing the case.

Emil Azzam, 50, of Lakewood, died instantly of head and neck injuries when his car crashed Friday on a snowy road, the Cuyahoga County coroner ruled.

The car was not far from a multivehicle accident, and witnesses had described Azzam's car as an abandoned vehicle, police said.

But the family said paramedics found the phone number of a friend of Azzam's in the car and notified him of the crash. The family rushed to the hospital that the paramedic had mentioned to the friend, but Azzam never arrived, said Victoria Green, his sister-in-law.

"It was like he vanished from Earth," she said. "We had been searching for him for two days."

Relatives are outraged and will sue the city, said John Lemieux, their attorney.

Police did not return a phone call yesterday seeking a response to the family's account.

Dennis Allen, co-owner of Parma Towing, said the company was asked to perform an emergency tow so the road could be cleared. He wouldn't say whether the driver looked in the car before it was towed.

Lemieux said an insurance adjuster also arrived at the accident scene Friday and saw Azzam in the car. He said no medical care was attempted because Azzam was dead, but the insurance adjuster did tell rescuers about the body.

Azzam's family filed a missing person report, traced his vehicle to the impounded-car lot and found the body Sunday. A burned-out cigarette was still in his hand, his family said.

OJ really you shouldn't have....

Sunday while out with some friends doing what we do, OJ Simpson was busy putting a package under my tree.



I know I was like hummmm OJ really? It is awesome he thought of me while he is settling into his new home for at least the next say decade. WOW.....

Well we all know OJ was a huge star for the Buffalo Bills, which just happens to be my team. Yep I own them so I can call them mine. hahahahaha Anyway last night OJ's gift keeper said I could open the gift.


Thank you so much OJ! Enjoy your new home dude.....

December 16, 2008

Clapotis Crazy

It is official! I am Clapotis Crazy. I knit this thing in 9 days. I started it on December 7 and finished knitting today. It is currently soaking for wet blocking. I loved knitting it and I am so excited to wear it. I was wearing it around the office today with the tails hanging out because I didn't have needle sew them in.

This picture was taken minutes prior to the knitting being finished.

And here it is bathing:

December 15, 2008

I call it a yarn hamster ball....

They call it a Fibersphere. Friday I ordered a yarn hamster ball from Stitch Diva Studio. Today it arrived!
This is good for at least 10 minutes of Kitty entertainment. :-)

Just say "No" to tangles: Keep your yarn untangled, clean and ready for seamless supply to your hook or needles!

Fibersphere not only protects your yarn as you work, here's the value:

  • Effortless Supply: Whether you have a center-pull or old-fashioned wound ball, the spherical and highly polished cavity of the fibersphere keeps your yarn running smoothly.
  • No Snags: The smooth patented opening on the sphere will not snag or catch your yarn.
  • No Cutting: No need to cut your yarn to remove, simply open the sphere.

Fibersphere is available in 2 convenient sizes:

  • 7" Diameter for general use. These come packaged in a clear vinyl drawstring bag.
  • 5" Diameter stand-alone sphere for on-the-go protection.

Fibersphere is available in 2 translucent colors:

  • Clear
  • Translucent Pink: Fibersphere will donate 5% of the cost of each pink Fibersphere purchase to breast cancer research.

Check it out! Stitch Diva Studios designer and owner Jennifer Hansen discovered Fibersphere at a knit and crochet show. She finds them particularly useful when making the Stashbuster Blanket and loves how the 7" spheres allow her to have one yarn in the sphere and the other in it's enclosing bag! Check out her picture to the left as she makes a blanket using her trusty 3 Fiberspheres using the 3-Color Tunisian technique. She's got one Fibersphere for each group of yarns used!

Columbus Winter Farmers Market

All that needs to be said is ALPACA YARN from a local vendor:

Adagio Alpacas
Jane Laudani
Columbus, Ohio
Alpaca Yarn

When it's cold outside this winter, join us inside for a warm indoor farmers' market experience full of local homemade, handmade and organically grown farm products from many of the same farmers that you know at the Clintonville Farmers' Market.

January 3 & 24
February 14 & 28
March 7 & 21
April 4 & 18
10am - 1pm

to be held in the fellowship hall at the
First Unitarian Universalist Church
93 West Weisheimer Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214
(Google Map and Directions)
Located 3 blocks North of West Henderson Rd., the church parking lot is behind Panera Bread at 4519 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio

December 14, 2008

Tis the season....

The weekend started out with this very cute picture of my boys cuddling on the couch.

Yesterday we had a couple of friends over for some appetizers and dessert. I decided to pull out Grammy's china and dress the table in a lace tablecloth made by my Mom's hands. It was stunning if I say so myself.

The Rubber Tree has been loaded down with gifts. Who knew that a Blue Spruce isn't needed to get the Christmas Mojo working? Perhaps a Palm Tree next year?

After "dinner" conversation.

Now I can give details on two items knitted for Christmas gifts since the recipients have received them. Below is the Pastaza Skull Cap by Angelika Burles. I knit this using Mission Falls Super Wash yarn that is so soft and yummy. Stephen seemed to really enjoy the skull cap which is very rewarding for me as a knitter. I would much rather make things for those who truly appreciate the work that goes into making a hand knitted item. Sure it is easy to go to the store and buy a skull cap. It would probably be much cheaper between not only the monetary investment and the hours of time to create the piece. He did say he would much rather receive a hand made item than a store bought one.


It is funny... Back during the summer I made these fingerless mitts. Arla tried them on when they were finished without knowing they would eventually be hers for Christmas. She was excited to receive them. She is also wearing the Friendship Scarf I made for her last year's Christmas gift. The mitts are Fingerless Mitts by Ann Budd from the Weekend Knitting and were knit using Mission Falls Super Wash yarn.


Ohhhhh and I received this cutie from Arla. I am going to find a cute hook to hang her from that will display her with the rest of my collection in our office. She is currently hanging from one of the spice drying rods in the kitchen. So frigging cute.

So this was the Clapotis as of yesterday morning. I have actually cranked out a bunch more on it today so the picture is a bit dated. I should have this finished soon and I can't wait to block and wear it. Very exciting knit!

December 9, 2008

Giraffes & Rachel


So recently I was tooling around Rachel's Facebook and found the picture above. I freaked out. Those that don't know me very well may not know that I love giraffes. I think they are the most incredible creatures. Anyway I asked Rachel if that was her in the picture as a child and this is what she had to say:

it was taken at this wildlife place in lake erie! i can tell you a great story to go with it too, well in my eyes- not sure if you'll find it that funny.... but my best friends birthday is august 6 and that's always during 'lake erie week' and so for her birthday we went to this animal place and they sold carrots but they were super expensive so we went to the nearest grocery and bought them out of carrots like a BUNCH and it was so fun and everything, but then ever since then she talks about it as the birthday that she only got carrots. haha, she uses that excuse whenever she wants anything! it stirs up guilt in her mom, it's so funny... so she got a super graduation present, in honor of the birthday she only got carrots....... :)

Thanks for letting me share this story and picture Rachel!

December 8, 2008

Intentional Dropped Stitches

So my Christmas Cactus was started from clippings from my Grammy's bigger plant. Grammy's plant has been split up among many family members since she passed away. I am glad to have a little piece of her in this plant. She loved her blooming Christmas Cactus's. She had many of them throughout our home. Mine is now in full bloom. Thanks Grammy!


Over the weekend I knit up these Ribby Slippers from the Holiday Interweave Knits. Poo loves them too.


Mom finally sent a picture proving the Cables do indeed fit her! She is going to have my Aunt Joyce take some better pictures soon!

I have finally bit the bullet and am knitting my own Clapotis. I can't wait to drop the first stitch and let it run!


December 3, 2008

Wondrous WonderKnits opened here in Columbus on Monday. Molly and I took a field trip to check it out. Very nice and cozy shop with some different yarn that I hadn't found in any of the other shops around Columbus but I haven't been to them all either. :-) I bought some lovely yellow Cascade 128 for some slipper/socks for myself.

I finished my warm and toasty mitts yesterday. Just in time to keep my patties warm on the way to work yesterday. SNOW! ack....


I have decided in 2009 I am going to do some donation knitting. I have never intentionally knitted something to donate. There was a Koolhass last year that didn't turn out very well that eventually got donated but I didn't intentionally cast the hat on with donation in mind. Below is a Joseph Blankie from Mason Dixon Knitting cast on this week with full intentions of being donated. I have decided to call it D1 for Donation 1.

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