As the vegetable turns.

My my.... what do I spy?

A growing cucumber.


Some tender green peppers.


A budding squash flower.


Some sweet carrot tops.

Behold

I CAN HAZ COT GARDENZ.


MAH BEANS OF DOOM.

It's like Ohmigod!

You can say many things about me. I possess many talents. Gardening, however, is not one of them. In fact I'm spectacularly bad at it. Since moving to Kansas City, you might say that I have a one way relationship with potted plants and cuttings, one of virtually assured destruction.

My only briefly successful foray into the growing world was the Aerogarden escapades of this past spring/summer. And I have to say it was kind of cheating. It was grow lights, water, prepackaged seed pods and food pellets.

Last weekend Wes and I decided to try our hand at growing again. We spent a little while at Home Depot pondering our options and ended up with a Burpee Grow Kit. The kit comes with a plastic tray, a watering system (reservoir and absorbent mat), and some "magic" dirt pellets (they expand when you add water). At the end of the evening our newest project looked like this:


We planted a variety of vegetables and herbs. From our previous experience we expected the herbs to sprout within a 7-10 days and be ready for harvesting and transfer within 4-6 weeks. From reading the vegetable packets, we expected our plants to be transferable in about 6 weeks and mature in 60-90 days. We reasoned that this would be at earliest, March, and at lastest April, perfectly warm.

A mere 6 days later, this is what we have:


Those there on the left are the BEANS OF DOOM with root systems already OUTSIDE the plastic tray. In the middle you can see a melange of tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and onions. Those big sprouts on the right are the broccoli.

Not much action from the herb section:


Apparently the hubs and I are genius gardeners huh? We're also in SERIOUS trouble.

Snow day.

No one told me it was going to be a snow day, but here's what I saw when I woke up:


My hunch was further confirmed when I went to go to the market and found this:



Why did I leave California again?

P.S. And why do I still have to go to work?

And fall is over.

Just like that, the trees have shed their leaves, the temperatures have dropped and snow is in the forecast. Fall was beautiful but short and I miss it already. I'm really cold.

This weekend we headed down to my in-laws so that Wes could finish up a curio cabinet that he's building for his mom. This meant LOTS of knitting time for me.

My favorite accomplishment this weekend was finishing the first of two fingerless gloves that I'm making myself.


The Pattern: Winter Twilight Mitts

The Needles: US 1's

The Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug & Dale Ulli

The Verdict: LOVE LOVE LOVE these! These are going to be a part of my new winter set (well yeah winter is already here). It's my first big stranded project and I had a little trouble with tension at first, but then seemed to get into the groove. I still have the second one to do, but I'm hoping that it will go faster now that I know what I'm doing!


I also managed to mostly complete a commission order that I'm working on, a newborn baby bunting. (Yes the sleeves are still missing - hope to finish that up today!)


The Pattern: My own, adaptation of EZ's February Baby Sweater for the yoke and then all my own.

The Needles: US 5's

The Yarn: Caron Simply Soft, Off White

The Verdict: This is turning out pretty well for a hare-brained idea of mine. I found the red star buttons in my sewing box and thought it would compliment this unisex pattern (Grandma doesn't know whether it's a boy or a girl!)


Finally, I managed to finish a big sweater that I've had on the needles for a bit. This is a sample that has already been mailed to A Mano.


The Pattern: Shawl Collar Openwork Jacket, Tahki Stacy Charles, Fall 2008

The Needles: US 10's

The Yarn: Brown Sheep Lanaloft, 7 skeins.

The Verdict: I really loved this pattern and I think it makes a great cozy jacket. Having done a few openwork patterned projects, I have to say that I don't care so much for the knitting of them - more for the final product. This is another one that may find it's way into my queue again!


This week is pretty open. I have a few more commission projects to crank out while I'm waiting to hear about jobs. Hopefully I should know more by the end of the week. Hope it's a great one for you!

Beautiful fall.

Today I put Round 3 of interviews to bed and I'm feverishly hoping that soon I'll have good news to share. Until then I'll leave you with (of course) more knitting and some lovely pictures of fall.


The Pattern: Mega Cabled Scarf

The Needles: US 15's

The Yarn: Sheep Shop, Sheep Two

The Verdict: This was a really fun, quick knit. Since you're using bulky yarn and big needles the scarf goes like lightening. The only thing I might change is that I'd make the scarf wider across - a slightly larger, wider cable to keep me warmer. This one is going to live at a The Studio.

**

With our recent cold weather, the city is beautiful right now; full of gloriously colored leaves. My favorite trees are the ones that look orange and yellow and red, but I like all the leaves. I've been dying to shoot a few fall pictures and I got my chance yesterday wandering through midtown on my way to UFO night at MisKnits.

And here comes round 3.

The big news of this weekend (well Thursday and Friday) is that I have now progressed to Round 3 of job interviewing. That means that on Thursday of this coming week I will be meeting with a whole new set of potential colleagues and bosses, including the president and CEO of the company. Let's hope this goes well so that I'm happily employed soon!


Things haven't been too exciting around here. I've used my copious free time to crank out a few projects. I've done a second cowl for another local shop in another scrumptious yarn, I've progressed on several other projects I've got going and I finished another commission - an Elizabeth Zimmerman February Baby Sweater and hat. The yarn is VERY VERY pink, but the client brought it to me to make something cute for her granddaughter.


I've also managed to catch up a bit on reading. I'd had The Other Boleyn Girl on my must-read list for a while now, especially since I wanted to read it before I rent the movie. I tore right through the book and it was a pleasant read. I find myself sort of engrossed in the Tudors now having just watched Season 1 of The Tudors on Showtime and having pored over the internet today trying to learn more about the Boelyns and Henry VIII.

I've also gotten sucked into Mad Men. I'm now mid-Season 1 via my old friend Netflix, and I'm loving it so far. My only complaint is that I can't get the DVDs here fast enough to devour them!

The weather here has really turned to fall. The leaves are changing, and it's crisp and cold out. We've been down in the 40's at night, so the first frost can't be far off. All of this makes me want to knit up tons of warm sweaters and get myself ready for fall. Today was sunny, although a bit cold, and Wes and I managed to take a couple-mile walk through the parks and trails behind our house. It's been interesting living here over 9 months now and watching the area change with the seasons. Today I noticed how bare the trees are becoming and how the colorful leaves are burying the paths. I love the change in the seasons and I love fall, so I hope it sticks around for a while. No need for snow just yet!

Busy today.

Worrying about people in Ike's path and building ark after rain in Kansas for 12 days straight.

July 4th Weekend

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes!



1. Summer's best fruits!, 2. Climbing through the fields., 3. Bushwhacking for treasure., 4. Kansas isn't flat!, 5. Mortimer the Rhibra, 6. IMG_1732, 7. The cool water feels great!, 8. Cooling off at the lake., 9. Fireworks, 10. Ferris Wheel in Motion, 11. Riding the tractor, 12. The car wash?

Proving Kansas Isn't Flat

The picture to the right was taken on my camera phone after I turned the wrong way today and ended up in a beautiful hilly farmland area not far from where I live. Who knew Kansas wasn't flat and brown?

In other news, I FINALLY registered my car today. I say finally because I really began this process at the beginning of last week when I got in my car and drove to the VIN inspection department and they told me that I couldn't even get inspected, much less registered, without my title. Problem: I don't have the title to my car - I still owe a bit more money on it (side note - I will actually own my baby in October for a mere ~$1000 more!). So I called Toyota, who told me I had to fax them something directly from the state of Kansas. So I faxed them instructions from the state of Kansas which dictated that Toyota should FAX the title directly to them. Toyota then mailed the title to me via snail mail. Gotta love the system!

Anyway, title in hand today, I went to get inspected, got all turned around in farm country, and made it to the DMV to pay my property taxes, registration and to arrange for my call sign plates. A few weeks more and the Kansas call sign plates will be mine - and they were only $1.50! WHEW!

Must commence to knitting...

The Siren Song of .... well.... Sirens.

Howdy folks. I'm sitting here while the tornado sirens wail, the lightening flashes, the thunder rolls and the rain pours down. What we have here is a good old fashioned midwestern electrical storm and (minus the tornadoes) I'm kind of enjoying it. I really don't have tons to report since life is crazy on a variety of fronts.

The past two days I've made negative progress on knitting - that is I've knit and I've tinked back and I've knit and I've frogged. More than once on the same pair of socks. It's frustrating and maddening. I love being a knitter but I hate that I keep having to rip, especially now that my time is much more limited.

The job is getting better. Slowly I'm starting to learn more and get things better organized. I don't know yet whether or not it will be a good permanent fit, but for now it's a good source of steady income.

Lastly, I seem to have fallen into a slight Facebook addiction. Man some of those applications are EVIL but fun. They also make the day go by faster when things get slow at the job.

More news and pictures when I get something fit to print (we're kayaking this weekend and there should be birthday pics soon too - Cinco De Mayo is Monday BABY!)

On Midwestern Weather

After I discuss the phenomenon of "Hail Damage" sales.

Him: Are you going to buy a car at the sale? Come on - you need a sportscar or something for the non-hail days!

Me: For the 3 days a year I won't either dent from hail, freeze from ice or cook like an egg from heat?

Him: That about covers it -- ooops, except for the 30 days you may blow away!

Still Alive.

Believe me, I have lots to post and pictures to boot. But for now let me just say that the Midwest appears to be undergoing some kind of havoc since I left.

Behold: my friend Amber's house.

But wait, there's more. Shakey bakey Midwest quakey.

What a day!

1. Things I never, ever, EVER thought I would say:

Target sucks...where the hell is Wal-Mart?

2. Things I learned today:

Always read the pattern through before you begin knitting. ESPECIALLY when you think there must be something wrong with the pattern because it's probably YOU.

3. Things I laughed at today:

Crazy Aunt Purl's photo - I laughed for hours. God I miss California.

4. Things I'd put on a tee shirt today:

If my eyes are open, I'd rather be knitting.

5. Things I made today (for a coworker) that might make me die of cuteness:

Oink.

So I was on the highway yesterday and I look at the semi next to me and it is a truck FULL of pigs. And my first thought isn't "my aren't they cute?" (They aren't.) Nor is it "oh geez I wonder if where they're going!" (I don't want to know.) My first thought was actually, "Holy S&^*! I don't think I've ever seen a real live pig before!" I mean sure, I've seen them on TV and the like, but I don't think I've ever actually been that close to one. I am SO a city girl.

Data entry is my middle name.

Today I went down to the Plaza to temp for a lending institution. It turned out that I got quite the education today, as my data entry project was in the collections department. Now in the past I haven't had a great opinion of collections agencies or practices. I certainly heard some interesting things today, but I also saw the other side; where the agents at the bank tried to work out payment plans with people who got behind on their payments based on what they could afford. The office highlight today, for them anyway, was when they repossessed a client's car. (Before you feel too bad, the client had financed in full last year and hadn't paid a dime back on the loan yet).


Anyhow so that was my day job. Today's lesson from the Midwest, is that things in Kansas start earlier than most places. In Los Angeles the earliest I was ever at work was 8:30am, and most jobs didn't start until 9 or 10. Here if the job starts at 8am, that's late. Most of the people were already there when I got there at quarter to 8 today. This does mean we get out of work earlier, but it also means that we drive to work in the dark - see my GPS was on NIGHT mode as I drove to work today. ICK.

The one real perk today is that the lending institution is about 2 blocks from a knitting store so I got to walk there and fondle the yarn at lunch. Tonight was also Wednesday knit night, so there was lots of fiber goodness there too!


Speaking of fiber goodness, tomorrow is Wear a Sweater Day in honor of what would have been Mr. Rodgers' 80th birthday. I know I'm going to wear my handknits! You should too! And won't you be my neighbor?

Lazy Saturday

Today Wes and I took it easy. I slept in a bit this morning and then got up and ran a few errands. I hit the post office and then dropped off "Darla" at the local yarn shop and picked up a few balls of yarn as compensation for my efforts. I now have some fun new sock yarn to try, including the new Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn.

I came home and we chilled while watching some t.v., then got our stuff together to go out shopping for a bit. We stopped at Home Depot for some utility shelving, at Bed, Bath & Beyond for some miscellaneous kitchen items, at Borders so we could spend a gift certificate, and then at Macy's so I could pick up a crock pot that I have been coveting (yes I now have domestic urges... sometimes).


Then we headed down to a big shopping center for our last shopping stop and some BBQ at Famous Dave's - a local favorite. We were headed for Cabela's, an outdoor and sporting mecca of sorts. Now Wes drags brings me into outdoor stores all the time and usually I'm fairly bored. He loves kayaking and camping and I prefer day trips to nature followed by a hot shower and a good night's sleep in a warm bed.

Nonetheless, I have to say, Cabela's was pretty awesome. It was kind of like Disneyland for outdoorists. In front of the lodge-like structure is this huge bronze statue of elk - please excuse the picture, all I had with me was my camera phone. What you can't see is that behind the elk is a man-made "waterfront" where you can take the boat you want to buy for a test drive.


Then you head inside and there's a man-made stream inside (with live fish and ducks!) and a whole mountain sculpture with stuffed animals of all kinds. It's kind of a like a trip to the zoo, except that the animals have all seen the taxidermist. There's a gun section, an archery section, a fishing section, a camping section, a clothing section, and of course the water-related areas. There was also a yummy looking grocery section to be used for both camping, and home cooking. And there was a fudge counter in there with 20+ different kinds of fudge! After resisting going for so long, I felt kind of silly. I'd totally go back and browse, and I don't even like the outdoors. (Why yes, that is a grizzly bear staring down at the fish in the stream - too bad he's dead and the aren't!)

Anyhow, after Cabela's and a BBQ dinner at Dave's we're now sitting at home hanging out. I'm icing my toe which I delicately slammed into a curb outside, and knitting a bit. And it's the perfect lazy Saturday (well minus the toe-slamming).

Ode to my Windshield Wipers

When I lived in California, I did not realize the importance of the windshield wiper. Sure I've driven I-5 in the middle of the summer (can you say bug city?) and needed those babies to squeegee the bug guts off my window, but until I moved to the Midwest and drove my own car, I didn't realize how dirty winter is and how necessary the wiper is.

See, snow falling is pretty. Really pretty.

Until it hits the streets. And then someone drives on it. And it gets brown, and dirty and oily. And then it splashes onto other cars. And as you're driving your car, your windshield gets spotted and oily. And then it's freezing outside and you try to use your windshield wipers only to find that your washer fluid is frozen. Or the tubes are frozen. And the nice man at the gas station tells you not to use your washer fluid because you might crack the tubes and have to have them replaced. And your dad tells you the same thing. And you drive around for two weeks with a really dirty windshield simultaneously hoping that you haven't broken your wiper tubes AND that someone splashes a LOT of water on you so that your wipers can actually clean your windshield because it's so dirty you can't really see out of it.

And then the weather warms up (to the 40s) and you test them just once more and washer fluid coats your windshield and cleans it and you can see again and you marvel at how clear the world looks, almost like the first time you got glasses. And you're so thankful you didn't break your tubes, because who knew you could do that?

Oh yeah, and it's going to be 60 this weekend.

The end.

Fear the "Wintry Mix"

My friends, I am learning so much about the Midwest. Today I learned about the goodness that is the "Wintry Mix". Fear the "Wintry Mix". For those not in the know, "Wintry Mix" is what they call it when they know it's going to precipitate but they do not know what is going to be falling from the sky. It could be rain, it could be sleet, it could be snow, it could be ice. It's a veritable grab-bag of winter fun!

Sadly, I couldn't stick to my normal winter day plans and just stay home and knit. I pulled myself together (and scraped ice off my car for 20 minutes), ran errands, dropped a finished piece off at the knitting store, and headed over to the neighborhood AppleOne Temp Agency for a little interviewing. That is definitely the bright spot in the day - my account executive practically drooled dollar signs when he saw my resume and fell all over himself to be my permanent "representation". Hey he makes money if I make money, so I'm happy. Hopefully he has an opportunity for me that will start next week!

On the way home I had an experience I would never have in California. Sadly my wonderful car was running on empty and I had to get out in the yuck to pump gas. I decided I needed a cup of the super sweet vanilla cappuccino, and then saw the anti-freezing windshield washer fluid. (I might add that my windshield washer fluid has been frozen and unusable practically since I got here.) I told the lady to add it to my tab. She asks me if my car is out in the lot, and I reply in the positive. Next thing I know she has her high school worker come out to my car and put it in there for me. I was so sorry that I didn't have any cash on me, because the poor kid was out there in the cold fixing my car.

Now I'm home, on the couch, safely knitting and staying warm. Blasted winter.

We're not in California any more Toto!

Today was the day that I decided I would get a Kansas drivers license. Now unlike California, you don't just go to a Kansas DMV. For some reason, in Kansas you get your license in one place and your title and registration in another. I also learned, upon perusing some of the government sites, that even with a valid out of state drivers license I would have to take both the written and the driving test and provide either a birth certificate or passport because my California license was not considered valid identification and proof of identity. OY!

So I started the day going to the Kansas licensing center, hoping my quick perusal of the Kansas State Driver's Handbook would be enough to pass the written test, and that my 10+ years of driving experience would be enough to pass the driving test. I might add, that before I loaded up the GPS to find the center, I did place a quick call that went like this:

Me: Hello. I was wondering if I needed to make an appointment to take my driving test?
Her: Why would you do that?

Um....Ok....this is a little different.

I arrived a bit after noon to a storefront in a strip mall, and stood in line for a while. When I finally got to the front of the line, I presented my California drivers license and my passport. She asked me a few questions and then started typing furiously. She asked me if I wanted to register to vote today (YES YES I want to be one of the 12 Kansas democrats!) and then handed me this:



That my friends is the sad remains of this California girl's ID. Apparently my Kansas license will be here in 2-4 weeks.

P.S. The website also lies - I didn't have to take any tests, just paid my $22 and was on my way.
P.P.S. So I queried the center about where to register. She lost me after "go to the main road and just past the waffle house you'll see a...."
P.P.P.S. Of course fate also intervened - in the SAME STRIP MALL I looked over and saw a sign for Knit Wit. Ahhhhh a wonderful knitting store where I sat and knitted for over an hour and chatted with tons of people!