God, I love him. 

posted by Kristin @ 9:05 PM 0 comments

Isn't this the coolest thing you've seen in, like, the past two hours? 

posted by Kristin @ 9:04 PM 0 comments

I went crazy at the store - the pink (and one lonely skein of black) Calmer is for Gigi, and the Noro Silk Garden is for the Klaralund (below). And now I'm not allowed to buy yarn until September. 

posted by Kristin @ 8:57 PM 0 comments

I cleaned my desk yesterday as I plowed through piles and piles of insertion orders, so I e-mailed Sara and she wrote back and told me to take a picture. Luckily, I had my camera! 

posted by Kristin @ 8:55 PM 1 comments

The finished Fibonacci Tote, also know as "Never. Felting. Again." But it does look pretty smashing, doesn't it? The class starts August 11 - sign up now! 

posted by Kristin @ 8:54 PM 1 comments

I love this poster. I love this commercial. I love this dog. 

posted by Kristin @ 8:51 PM 1 comments

Via Poncho

In case you haven't heard the news, Fall is all about the poncho.  What?  You don't have a poncho?  ARE YOU INSANE?  EVERYBODY NEEDS A PONCHO.  IN FACT, YOU NEED ONE RIGHT NOW.  DON'T EVEN BUY A PATTERN - JUST ASSUME I KNOW HOW TO MAKE ONE.

I don't have a poncho.  I'd kind of like one.  Maybe a capelet.  But ponchos are HUGE and every single woman who has entered The Yarn Shop either wants to make one or is in the process of making one at this very minute.  The Poncho is the new Fuzzy Scarf.

But a poncho can be pretty pricey.  I mean, that's a lot of yarn.  Especially if you want something glitzy and glittery and full of all that crap.  I have $75 in store credit to spend on whatever I want, and I'm leaning towards getting deep pink Calmer for that neat pattern I got from ChicKnits.  I'll have to spend about $15 of my own money (not too bad for a sweater that's about $100 in materials) with my discount.  Okay, I'm sold on it.  I'll buy it tomorrow.  In fact, I will probably call the shop in a few minutes and have them hold it for me just in case. 

The Great CD Challenge
133. Pure Ella, Ella Fitzgerald
134. 1969 All-Star Tribute to Duke Ellington, various artists
135. Discomania, various artists
136. Wild, Cool & Swingin' Too, Ultra Lounge Collection
137. Oops... I Did it Again, Britney Spears
138. Post, Bjork
139. Standing in the Shadows of Motown, soundtrack
140. An Innocent Man, Billy Joel
141. Wilco mix
142. Magnolia, soundtrack
143. Cabaret, New Broadway Cast Recording
144. Dangerously in Love, Beyonce
145. The Cruellest Week, a mix Justin made for me when I had three internship interviews in one week
146. The Party CD vol. 1, the first mix CD I ever made
147. Britney, Britney Spears
148. The Blue Album, Weezer
149. Justified, Justin Timberlake
150. The Definitive Collection, Stevie Wonder
151. Rent disc 1, Original Broadway Cast Recording

posted by Kristin @ 10:29 AM 2 comments

Never before. Never again.

I learned an important lesson this weekend.  Friends don't let friends felt.  And where the fuck were my friends?

I tell you what, this tote I designed for a class I'm teaching at the store nearly killed me.  It's taking all of my energy to not set it on fire.

First of all, pre-felting, the thing was bigger than me.  Penny could have easily slept in it.  And then I made these MONSTER straps, 48" long each, because according to my swatch and calculations, they would shrink to 28" each.  Big fat fucking joke.  I think they got even LONGER.  The bag felted just fine, but the straps were simply out of control.  So I hacked off part of each and tied that part that rests on your shoulder in knots and it's actually not half bad.  But I knit for 15 hours yesterday and I am never, ever, EVER making a felted bag ever again.  EVER.  Everything I own smells like wet wool (which is actually worse than wet dog) and I keep finding it in the sink, on my hands, splattered on the washing machine.

It's almost dry.  I hope.  I brought it to work with me because we have a store meeting at 6, and I'm handing over the thing then.  I'm not keeping it - after the class, the owners get to fight over it.  I wrote the pattern this morning, modifying the strap length.  Hope it works out.  I'm not going to attempt it again.

And whatever happened to making things for myself?  That ship sailed long ago.  In the next few weeks, I need to make a baby sweater (for my boss who's expecting), two ponchos (for which I will be handsomely compensated) and a hat for a class I'll be teaching in the fall.

In happier, belated news, I bought Hot Knits and it's amazing.  I'm going to make everything in there, especially the green, orange and yellow Fair Isle.  Gorgeous.

Good news for the week ahead: I'm taking an Excel class Thursday and Friday for work, meaning I only have to drive 5 MINUTES instead of my usual 30 and I'm going to see my favorite pirate this weekend.  Yay for pirates!

posted by Kristin @ 9:05 AM 1 comments

Unloading the Ds

1. I HATE The Studio.  I'm not going back for the following reasons: they're rude, they wouldn't help the new knitters I brought to the store, and they have a crappy-ass ball winder.

2. It's too fucking hot.  Come on, rain.  I know you're out there.

3. D'Bronx pizza is, like, the best thing I've eaten all week.  Why didn't anybody tell me this before?

4. Even though you get extra money when you get a promotion, it doesn't really count because you'll end up spending it all on therapy because you work for crazy people.  CRAZY.

5.  Roo has somehow learned how to pee on HIS OWN HEAD.  I did not teach him this.

6. I am obsessed with crossword puzzles, logic problems and the like.

7. If my smoke alarm goes off one more time while I'm trying to sleep, I'm going to set the apartment on fire just to give it something to really scream about.

8. Have you seen my boyfriend?  HOT.  Sometimes I see him from far away and I'm like, who the hell is that hot guy and how can I get him to make out with me?  And then I remember, that's my boyfriend and all I have to do is give him that special smile, the non-ugly one that only shows up when he's around.  He's easy like that.

posted by Kristin @ 4:52 PM 2 comments

Amiss

I haven't seen Justin since Monday, and I haven't spent more than an hour with him since last Thursday.  I can't wait to fall asleep next to him tonight.

I feel strange today.  I really want it to storm.

I got a manicure on Saturday, but one of my nails broke today.  I just wasn't meant to have long nails (they're my own - she didn't file them down very far).

I've been really lazy about updating my CD list.  Sorry.

The Great CD Challenge
106. Romeo and Juliet, soundtrack
107. Who is Jill Scott?, Jill Scott
108. Holy Roller, Reverend Horton Heat
109. Graceland, Paul Simon
110. Melon Collie and the Infinate Sadness disc one, The Smashing Pumpkins
111. Sleepless in Seattle, soundtrack
112. Jill Sobule, Jill Sobule
113. Children of Eden, Las Vegas School of the Performing Arts
114. Acoustic Soul, India.Arie
115. Melon Collie...disc two, The Smashing Pumpkins
116. River of Dreams, Billy Joel
117. L'il Abner, Original Broadway Cast Recording
118. The Who's Tommy, Original Cast Recording
119. Annie's Favorites, a mix of Michael Jackson and NKOTB
120. Unreleased, *NSYNC (a mix of unreleased songs, including a BeeGee's medley)
121. Janet Jackson's Greatest Hits, The Early Years (mix)
122. Adore, Smashing Pumpkins
123. The Green Album, Weezer
124. A mix of songs from the revival of Annie Get Your Gun and some Muppets
125. 40 Licks disc 2, The Rolling Stones
126. Aida, Original Broadway Cast Recording
127. Classical Music vol. 1 (mix)
128. Alternative Mess (mix)
129. Charlie's Angels, soundtrack
130. The FARC CD, vol. 2
131. "Live" Rides Again, Jim Widner's Big Band
132. Dancing with Justy, a mix of slow-dance songs Justin made me (and that I named)

posted by Kristin @ 1:49 PM 1 comments

And there was much rejoicing

I got a promotion!  No longer an assistant media planner, but a media planner.  Hooray, hooray, hooray!  I haven't even been "official" for six months, but it feels oh-so-good.  Does this mean I'll get new business cards?
 
Roo loves his new wheel.  I also bought him a log.  I'm hoping to get some pictures up this week, but I'm going to be teaching a bajillion knitting classes, so maybe not.
 
Yay!
 
And for the record, yogurt does not fill one up.

posted by Kristin @ 11:31 AM 2 comments

The picture is actually a lot more fun than the game itself. 

posted by Kristin @ 9:59 AM 1 comments

Reinventing the wheel

Roo has a new wheel.  He's not so sure about it.  It's a tad small for him - they were out of the next size up, but I couldn't let him be bored anymore (there is nothing more pathetic than a bored mouse.  If he could sigh, he would.  He just lays in his bed, all stretched out with his head resting on a pillow, waiting for something to happen).  So he has this little wheel, and he takes up about half of it.  He's decided that instead of running in it, he will a) climb it until it turns and throws him off and b) spin it from the outside like he's on "The Price is Right."  He can't run very fast in it, and he LOVES to run fast.  I think I'm going to have to spring for the $10 wheel that attaches to the outside of the cage.  Then maybe I'll get him some stuff to climb on for inside the cage.  I think he's part mountain goat.
 
There's a new kind of Habitrail cage that's actually just a giant wheel.  It's circular, and it has places inside the wheel where he can sleep and eat and play (the wheel rotates around all of that).  That would be mouse heaven.

posted by Kristin @ 1:03 AM 1 comments

No more revolutions for Roo

Tragedy struck at 1725 this morning. Roo finally broke his wheel. How did a little mouse break a thick plastic wheel? Well, Roo has been jumping a lot and likes to use his wheel as a battering ram. So no more wheel for Roo. When I took it out, he went completely nuts. He was climbing the walls, digging where the wheel used to be, just going crazy. He then dove head first into his food dish. I'm going to come home to a 2 lb mouse.

Unfortunately, I don't have time to get a new wheel today. I'm teaching the crochet class from hell, and then I have knitting with the lovely Abbey and Kyra. He's going to have to wait until tomorrow. I'm considering getting him a new cage, since this one's kind of falling apart. A bird cage might work - he would have a lot more room to climb.

I dreamt about Muppets. I'm taking a risk here, but I think I was in the shower with Kermit and at the Cheers bar. And I also had a dream about going to prom. Abby was getting ready in the "Forrest Gump Dressing Room."

posted by Kristin @ 10:35 AM 3 comments

Putting the tard back in, well, you know

Dear Kristin,
It's not Thursday. Stop being a dumbass.

Love,
Kristin

The Great CD Challenge
101. FARC Front Desk Greatest Hits
102. In the Zone, Britney
103. VH1's Big 80s, killed because I HATE Gary Numan's "Cars" and that horrible "Sister Christian" song
104. Siamese Dream, The Smashing Pumpkins
105. Live in Central Park, Simon and Garfunkel

posted by Kristin @ 4:34 PM 1 comments

Wookie

At least five people have told me today that I'm too tall to wear high heels. I say just because you're a munchkin doesn't mean you can tell me how to dress.

The Great CD Challenge
87. Crazy Dirty Pop, a mix of crazy, uh, dirty pop
88. Annie Get Your Gun, Original Cast Recording (the British version)
89. Neptunes Present: The Clones, The Neptunes
90. Down with Love, soundtrack
91. Who's Lovin' You, a makeout CD that starts with the best song ever - "November Rain"!
92. The Music Man, New Broadway Cast Recording
93. In Search of..., NERD
94. The Producers, Original Cast Recording
95. The Ultimate Collection, The Jackson 5
96. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, New Broadway Cast Recording, featuring Donny Osmond
97. Greatest Hits, Queen
98. HBO No Strings Attached Tour, *NSYNC
99. 40 Licks disc 1, Rolling Stones
100. Greatest Hits, Simon and Garfunkel

posted by Kristin @ 4:14 PM 2 comments

This Google water bottle is too big to hold

WHY do I always have voice messages even though I haven't left my desk? Why? Why?

I'm sad today. I was sad yesterday, too. And it's one of those sads where you don't know the specific reason, but you kind of have an idea of what's making it stick around.

My dad drove up Wednesday night and we traded cars. He left yesterday morning. I miss him. It's not fair to have him taken away so quickly. Sometimes I feel like I'm just playing around here until I can go back home. My apartment doesn't always feel like my home and I keep waiting for my parents to say, "Alright, that part's over! Come on back!"

So now I have my mom's car. I miss the HOE car. I'm not sure if I like the new one. It's a midnight blue Intrepid with a crazy radio that has a chameleon living inside (he runs across the screen!). It just doesn't feel like mine, I guess. Doesn't feel like home.

I guess I'm looking for some home.

Let me just put this out there to brighten your day: I had a dream that I kissed Dave Alexander. He doesn't kiss like Justin.

The Great CD Challenge
75. Kohuept, Billy Joel
76. Shake It!, a mix featuring J-Lo
77. Godspell, soundtrack
78. Pop Rocks, a mix
79. Kid A, Radiohead
80. *NSYNC, *NSYNC
81. What's Going On, a mix involving both versions
82. Fosse, Original Cast Recording
83. FARC CD, vol. IV (by far the most painful listening experience to date)
84. Concept, Cheating Kay
85. *NSYNC's Greatest Hits 1998-2001, a mix made for Harley and Josh Walsh
86. No Strings Attached, *NSYNC

Before I forget: I finished the hated green tank top that I started last summer. It's really not too bad and, surprisingly, fits quite well, but I'm definitely not a fan of working with cotton.

posted by Kristin @ 9:13 AM 4 comments

Teen Wolfing It

The last time I was this tired, I had been woken up in the middle of a field by a pack of dogs.

Justin and I spent the weekend in Chicago with his family and crazy friends. During that time, I had a lot of "firsts." First Cubs game (against the White Sox!), first ride in a Mustang, and first Teen Wolf experience.

Brad is a nice boy. He's friends with J. and Joe, and he was wearing a shirt his mom made for him. He has an awesome apartment in Wrigleyville and is altogether a good person. Brad likes to bite into unopened beer cans, also known as "Teen Wolfing It." Both times he did this, the beer exploded in his face. Not really what he was going for. The second time, he cut his lip. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen.

It was one of the best weekends we've had in a long time, except for the part where our plane home was two hours late. I did get a chance to explore Midway, though, and ate a really really good brownie. So it wasn't all for nothing.

And when I came home, my little Roo was beside himself with excitement. I missed that little guy.

The Great CD Challenge
70. Work Rock, a mix by Justin
71. The Way We Are, Fleming and John
72. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Original Cast Recording
73. Rock Steady, No Doubt
74. Something Stupid, a mix of good songs including "Something Stupid" by Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman

posted by Kristin @ 10:30 AM 0 comments

The day before Christmas break

Doesn't it feel like the day before Christmas break? It's always a little wild here on days before a vacation (even just a weekend and a Monday off).

I taught crochet last night. Five girls showed up, ages 7-10. When I was finished, I was ready for some hard drugs. The two that were really good were also the two who whined the most. I came home, ate some Crazy Bread and then passed out.

The Great CD Challenge
59. Storm Front, Billy Joel
60. All for You, Janet Jackson
61. Hedwig and the Angry Inch soundtrack
62. Dance Hall Daze, a mix of J-Lo, Dream and early Mandy Moore
63. Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt
64. Greatest Hits vol. 1, Billy Joel
65. Daanish Qalbani, Certified Guardian Angel (a mix I made for Justin when he had to drive his ex-girlfriend and her friend back from school for the holidays)
66. Swingers soundtrack
67. Greatest Hits vol. 2, Billy Joel
68. Soul Sessions, Joss Stone
69. Fantasies and Delusions, music composed by Billy Joel

When I say I have a lot of Billy Joel, I mean it.

posted by Kristin @ 3:57 PM 1 comments

And when he woke me up, my pillow was covered in drool

Let's take a vote. Let's say you've had a really bad headache since you entered the glass conference room at 9 a.m. You have three hours of work left. THEN you're teaching five children and one mother how to crochet. When do you take your last two Advil? Because those suckers gotta last.

One of my coworkers has massive food poisoning (but she made it in a little while for our training - INsane) and I think my head is going to explode. It's going to be a very long afternoon.

The Great CD Challenge
45. 'S Wonderful, George Gershwin
46. Songs in A Minor, Alicia Keys
47. The Velvet Rope, Janet Jackson
48. Classical Music Mix, vol. 2
49. Play, Moby
50. The Wiz disc 1, Original Cast Recording
51. Whipsmart, Liz Phair
52. Pink Pearl, Jill Sobule
53. The Bridge, Billy Joel
54. Trainspotting soundtrack
55. The Wiz disc 2, Original Cast Recording
56. Beautiful Boy, a mix of songs Justin hates
57. Piano Man, Billy Joel
58. FARC CD vol. 3

After a long day of training and being trained, I made it home around 7:00 last night. Justin and I were going to go to Target once he finished some stuff. I crawled into my bed to wait for him around 8:00, and when he woke me up at 8:30, I thought it was the next day. My face was mashed with pillow, my chin was sticky with drool, but he still looked at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world. Sucker.

posted by Kristin @ 1:46 PM 0 comments