Eye Candy Friday

Fall foliage at Jockey Hollow, Morristown, New Jersey

Yes, I'm a bad, bad blogger. But I'm looking to fix that. More posts to come...

By the way--as of October 26th I'm no longer unemployed... :-)

Eye Candy Friday

From yesterday's visit to the Bronx Zoo--specifically, the Butterfly Garden.

10 Favorite Places to Eat‏

Now this is an easy list...

1. Ruth's Chris Steak House (New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Rocky Hill, CT; Garden City, NY...) --Hands down my favorite restaurant(s)
2. Italian Bistro (Philadelphia, PA) --Great food, great service
3. Brandon Inn (Brandon, VT) -- Chef/Owner Louis Pattis serves up consistently wonderful meals
4. The Creemee Stand (Wilmington, VT) -- Best creemee anywhere!
5. Dot's (Wilmington and West Dover, VT) -- Best breakfast (and chili) in Vermont
6. Outback Steakhouse -- Always a great meal, and I love their bread
7. Fogo de Chão (Atlanta, GA) -- I was part of a group taken here by a vendor--amazingly bountiful and delicious food
8. Annapolis Ice Cream Company (Annapolis, MD) Best hard ice cream anywhere!
9. J. Alexander's -- Northbrook, IL) One of my favorites when I'd travel to Chicagoland for business
10. Lillian's (Saratoga Springs, NY) -- Many fond memories of my Saratoga summers

I could easily go on and on, but this will have to serve as an appetizer for ya...

Eye Candy Friday

Sunset after a dinner-time thunderstorm at the Hubbardton Battlefield...

Tour de Fleece update

It took me a few days to actually grab the camera (I'm so bad), but here are some pix of my progress on the wheel side of Tour de Fleece.

I started out with this on Saturday...


And as of today I have this...

Not quite four ounces, but close. Still a bit over spun, but not too bad. And the best part--by spinning every day I'm getting more and more comfortable with the wheel! Better control, more confidence, and definitely sucking a little less every day!

I am getting a little bored with the white though. Once I get done with my bankruptcy class I'm going to dye a couple of batches for practicing--both wheel spinning and fiber dyeing.

Unfortunately I can't take the wheel with me this weekend. I've got a Rev War reenactment, and my lovely wheel is just not period appropriate. However, my Bossies will be right at home, so the spinning will continue!

Tour de Fleece

The timing of this couldn't be more perfect...

I'm taking the opportunity to really work on significantly improving my wheel spinning skills by taking part in this years Tour de Fleece. My goal--to spin every day, primarily on the wheel, and on those days when the wheel is unavailable I'll spin with a spindle. (Ms. Moosie, to be exact.)

And so far, I've spent time on the wheel every freakin' day!!! And not only have I spun every day, I'm actually starting to suck less! Woot!!!

I don't have any pictures yet to show you, but I'll try to get some during the day tomorrow.

Eye Candy Friday

Mount Snow Golf Course, West Dover, Vermont

I'm having a wheely good time...

Sorry, but I just couldn't resist that pun...

Looky what I got today!

That's me, alright, spinning some basic white wool top on my new (to me) Ashford Joy. Yup, mine--not a loaner. Thanks to my spinning agent, Punkin, and Rosie, the previous owner of this wonderful wheel, she's mine all mine!

Isn't she lovely?


Single treadle, which suits me just fine.

And after a little shaky start, my spinning started to even out.

Some of that is Punkin's handiwork. (Of course, she had to try it.) I will definitely be needing more work with it, but I think I got some potential here to not suck too much at it.

Even Punkin's Lendrum welcomed the wheel into my life. My Joy just might be her new BFF--after Punkin, of course.


Being that I only got her late this afternoon, she doesn't have a name yet (nor did she previously have one). We'll see how she feels about it as we spend time together, but for now she will simply be called my Joy!

Eye Candy Friday -- Vermont edition

The southern end of Harriman Reservoir, Whitingham, Vermont.

10 Things You'd Bring on a Deserted Island‏

Hmmm...

1. Yarn
2. My knitting needles and tool bag
3. Fiber
4. My spindles--along with my box bag, of course!
5. A nice red wine
6. Chocolate--goes nice with the wine!
7. A nail file
8. Bagels--for breakfast, of course!
9. My mountain dulcimer
10. Jim!

Eye Candy Friday -- the "look at how my hand painted yarn knits up" edition

I almost forgot that today's Friday! Yesterday I brought my hand painted yarn over to Punkin's house. I gave her the worsted weight skein (Cascade 220) and look at what she made with it--

Woo-hoooooooooo!!! I love it!
I want to go back to Vermont and make some more!!!
(Can you tell how excited I am?)

Anyway, go here to see more pics in her Eye Candy Friday blog post. I'll get around to some of my own pictures soon. And more yarn, and spinning too.


Now to get back to some more freelance copyediting I have...

Hand painted yarn

Unfortunately, our Vermont internet provider is having some serious issues--like, there's no DSL service in Vermont. So I'm posting this from a friend's place in West Dover.

I'm calling this colorway "Blue Iris." I dyed skeins of Cascade 220 and Knit Picks Bare Merino Sock Yarn.




So, do you think it's a good interpretation?

And now for some proof of what I've been up to lately...

Aside from job hunting and doing freelance work, I've finally after a very, very long time had a chance to start working on another craft--yarn dyeing!

Some sample skeins...

Inspiration for a colorway...

On Monday we'll see how this one (actually, there are two) turns out. Stay tuned...

Eye Candy Friday

One of the irises I planted last fall in front of the house in Vermont. I can't wait for these to naturalize!

What I've been up to...

I'm still spending time up in Vermont, although I will be heading back to Long Island early next week. I'm still job hunting (frighteningly few positions--either in publishing or for an entry level paralegal). I did pick up some freelance copyediting. But the most enjoyable thing I've been doing--next to some spindle spinning--is...

Those are some stock solutions for the newest hobby--yarn dyeing! Tomorrow I'll be dyeing some little sample skeins for my color wheels. (While they're being steamed, I'll be copyediting. Am I the multitasker or what?) After that, maybe some test colorways before I go home.

Pictures of the color wheels to come...

Eye Candy Friday

My lilac bush at my house in Vermont

What I've been up to lately...

For someone who's unemployed, I've been mighty busy these past few weeks! Given the late hour I don't want to go on and on, but here's a little info for ya...

• For the past two weeks I've been serving as a juror on this trial for this defendant. Today we reached a verdict. And after an evening of Googling, I came up with this and this and this. What an experience! Sentencing is scheduled for next month, and if I'm not busy I'd like to attend.
• My classes have been winding down, but due to my jury service I did not have all that free time to study that I was planning on. Still think I did OK, though (and considering all that's happened this year I'm OK with it).
• Not much knitting or spinning, but I've been working on flags for an event on Saturday.

And this past weekend we did a living history event in Kingston, New York.

The kids really loved the gun--they were doing their own little artillery drills around it. And the adults had an even better time with them.



So cute...

Eye Candy Friday

Early spring in Readsboro, Vermont

Eye Candy Friday -- Cute Baby Animals

Warning: supreme cuteness ahead!

It's finally spring in Vermont. I visited Adam's Farm yesterday with my sister's family (visiting us for the first time at Moose Manor).

A newborn angora goat (literally--born last night)

Baby bunnies

Kids at play

Hungry bottle fed baby

Some jailbird angora kids

And click here for some really cute kids bottle feeding.

Eye Candy Friday -- Vermont Spring

Crocus in the middle of Wilmington, Vermont

Eye Candy Friday -- Spring stream

Behind the Matterhorn Inn, West Dover, Vermont

Well, at least I posted an ECF picture on Friday, instead of what I did earlier this week.

Eye Candy Friday -- Snow in April?

E.T.A. OK, I must admit that I thought today was Friday. I guess the layoff this has affected my sense of time. So go ahead and tease me. Time for me to get a new schedule--and stick to it!

You know, though, this "snow in April" thing is good for a WTF Wednesday...

Driving along Route 344, through Bash Bish Falls State Park.
Snow. At 1,600 feet (yikes!).

On my way to meet JessaLu for dinner... :-)

March comes in like a lion, goes out... with a layoff?

Yeah, I said layoff. Last Tuesday afternoon I was laid off from my job. Position elimination as a part of cost cutting due to declining revenue. It was unexpected, but not entirely so. I knew that the job I was in could be considered something of a luxury (no direct reports, no hard deliverables), and with so many of the big law firms laying off lawyers and dropping print subscriptions to our products, it really was inevitable that they would start making cuts.

So I've spent the last few days cleaning out my office, gathering my belongings, and--absolutely the worst part--saying goodbye to my friends. Actually losing my job has not been that upsetting. Being unemployed, yes, but the actual job itself--something of a relief. Today I'm turning in my laptop and BlackBerry, and saying my final goodbyes.

Tomorrow I head up to Vermont for a week. I've already started my job search and will spend more time on that. I've got my final two paralegal classes going on, so I can concentrate on doing well there. I actually have several different options career-wise, and I'm pretty excited about that. So, there will be no staying in bed for me--too much to do--but I will now have the time to stop and look around and embrace all the blessings I have. And no more crappy meetings!

And there will be blogging! And knitting! And spinning! And dare I say it--even yarn dying!!!

The last few years on the job have been rough. Jim thinks that ultimately this will probably be the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I have to agree. So I'm off to tie up those loose ends. Be back in a few days...

Eye Candy Friday

Friday, March 20 @ 10:50am, Jacksonville, Vermont

At the same time I took this picture it was snowing in New York. WTF?

Happy Spring!

Eye Candy Friday -- the Happy Hour Edition

Cheers from Ms. Moosie!

Eye Candy Friday -- Proof of Spring!

Yes, despite the recent Nor'easter, spring really is almost here.

Taken Wednesday night at the LIRR Station, Forest Hills, NY

My Moosie has arrived!

You know, I ought to be sleeping. After all, I have my last project management class bright and early this morning. But...

Would you want to sleep if you just received this?

Part of the March herd. I was lucky enough to receive my first choice in whorls:

26 g, 1.825" whorl
Gray, heavy mauvey mottles,
nibbles, gray-green undertone,
peppery speckles

This lovely Moosie has a Kingwood shaft.

And yes, in just minutes we have bonded. I [heart] my Moosie!

Moosie and I are heading up to Vermont this weekend, so there will be more pictures of Moosie in her natural element.

A very special delivery!

What a week for deliveries! First was the timely delivery of a textbook for my new Wednesday night paralegal class (Elder Law). Then my lovely Fibership made her way home with a big beautiful batt of fabulous fiber...

And today, the bestest delivery of all should take place--my very own Bosworth Moosie Spindle!!! Words cannot begin to express how thrilled I am, especially since I was supposed to be part of the July herd. (Thank you, Sheila, for the bump up!) When I checked Thursday afternoon, my Moosie was making a pit stop at a postal service facility in Bethpage. I'm so hoping that I'll find a well-rested Moosie waiting for me when I get home from work today. Fingers crossed...

And before anyone gets the wrong idea, there will be pictures.

Lots of pictures... :-)

Eye Candy Friday

From Grafton Fibers--a Fibership spindle (freshly notched--Thank you, Linda!) resting on a gorgeous Grafton Fiber batt.

This makes me very, very happy!

Yay! I got a finished beret!!!

It's warm and soft and I luv it! Malabrigo rocks!

So how long does a One Day Beret actually take to knit?

If you're me, it's about a week. It doesn't help if you takes you about a day just to get started on it because:

1. You left all of your circular needles at your house in Vermont (so no Magic Loop for you) and all you have on Long Island are DPNs.


2. You have a difficult time distinguishing which needle comes first as you move each of your 4 cast on stitches to a separate needle, and your knitting looks more like some pointy medieval torture device.


3. You finally get going with the increases and you're going around and around and you've got a hat about 2 inches in diameter when you suddenly realize that you skipped one of you DPNs way back at the beginning and it's now dangling below your 2 inch beret. (On the plus side, your knitting buddies find this very funny and just giggle all over themselves.)

So throw in a few longs days at work, dozing on the train (and at home) the one short night in the office you have, and assignment deadlines for your new Saturday class, and you have the recipe for the One Day Week Beret.

And, of course, I don't have time to take a picture of it. It's so close--just an inch of ribbing and then end weaving! So unfortunately you'll have to wait for an FO photo.

But for now, I'll leave you with an early picture of the beret--and it's body guard.

I can't get into the whole story behind the bodyguard thing right now. Let's just say there was a fibernapping, threats to the fiber's safety, and ransom demands, and I became a little concerned about my Malabrigo...

More freakin' snow

I know that it's still winter, but really--I'm tired of the snow and frozen stuff that's been falling here on Long Island. (I'm also tired of the snow up in Vermont, but snow up there is normal this time of year.) So, since more snow's on the way, I think a new chapeau is in order...

That's the beginning of the One Day Beret, which I'm making in some lovely Yarn Crack Malabrigo I bought last year at The Village Knitter.

Now, there's no way that I could finish this in one day--I just don't knit that fast. But I'm thinking with what I got done today and will probably get done on the train tomorrow, this could be done by Tuesday morning--just in time for the next snowfall.

Today I went to Panera to knit with my Ravelry buddies. Kelly commented on the icicles in my last Eye Candy Friday picture. Some of those icicles would make really scary spears. Well, here's a close up of another one--just for you Kelly!

Need a jolt?

So last weekend I started this Project Management class at Baruch College. It's on Saturdays--9:30 am to 3:30 pm, and it runs for five weeks. (I'm doing this to improve my PM skills at work.) Not too bad, really.

The big catch with this is that Baruch is in Manhattan, so I have to take the train into the city--and the weekend railroad schedule is more limited. But OK, there's a 7:28 train that gets me in by a quarter to nine. Plenty of time for the subway ride to 23rd and to get a cup of tea. And I live 2 miles from the train station. Easy five minute drive to the train. And the next train--about a half hour later--would get me to class maybe 10 minutes late. Again, not so bad, but I really don't want to be late.

So last weekend was the first class. No problems getting to class with enough time to grab a cup of tea. This is good.

This morning I woke up at 6:30. I stirred a little, looked at the clock, and then thought I could close my eyes for another minute. Next thing I know the alarms (yes, alarms) are going off. I look at the clock, and it says 7:15.

Oh crap.

I need to catch a 7:28 train to get to class on time.

--I caught the 7:28.

And I didn't forget to put any article of clothes on, and my shoes matched.

That's 13 minutes from my bed to actually sitting on the train. That's definitely a record for me. However...

Eye Candy Friday

Winter sky...

Eye Candy Friday

View from the rooftop garden of our annual company employee appreciation party.

Final euphoria

I just e-mailed the take-home final exam for my computer class to the instructor. Woo-hoo!!!

Now I just have one more final--an in-class final for my Family Law class on the 26th. Then a break until late February, two more classes, and then I'll hopefully have my paralegal certificate by June. I'm in the homestretch now!

Snowy weekends in Vermont

The last two weekends have been spent up at Moose Manor. Poor Jim had a nasty head cold and sinus infection, so I tried to take care of things around the house and let him get as much rest as possible. (Unfortunately, he had to work the whole new year's weekend.)

So, there was soup making. Last weekend it was chicken noodle (my first batch from scratch), and this weekend it was chicken barley.

And then there was French Onion soup. It amazes me how slow cooking can turn onions from this...


...to this.


And there was snow...




lots of snow...

No knitting, though. But New Year's weekend there was a stop at Webs, but that turned out to be a remote shopping trip for Punkin.

Oh well, time to get back to work. Hopefully I'll make it to my knitting groups this week, and even get a little spinning time in. I'd like to try out a new toy that was waiting for me when I got home yesterday...

Vermont Spindle Company American Beauty, Cocobolo whorl, 1.4 ounces