Taking pictures

Taking the perfect picture is not as easy as it might sound. You have to grab the camera, the model, all projects you want to photograph and drive to the park on a nice sunny day.
Here is a short tutorial to taking the perfect pictures:
 1.) Call model and bribe her with a visit to Starbucks after the photo shoot.
 2.) Pack projects and camera with spare batteries. (Ask me how I know about batteries....)
 3.) Pick up model.
 4.) Listen to complaints about models love life and calorie counts for the 20 minute ride to the park.
 5.) Lug complaining model, camera and projects to the favorite spot at the park.
 6.) Get model (wearing shawl) into the right light and the right position.
 7.) Get camera to the right setting, line up perfect picture and get blank screen and the warning: "Low battery!"
 8.) Change batteries while listening to model whine how long she should hold this position.
 9.) Line up shot to discover she has put the shawl on wrong side out.
10.) Rearrange model and shot. Discover light has changed now and you have to move the location.
11.) Finally take shot and get a few decent pictures.
12.) Pack up projects and camera. Load into car including model which is still complaining.
13.) Drive model to Starbucks, pay for order, try to tune out model.
14.) Drive model home. Shoot model and self in driveway, leaving note saying: " I can't take it anymore!"

Lace ahoy!

Yup! I'm sold, addicted, caught up, hook-line and sinker. Lace. Good bye, fingerless gloves. Good bye, socks.  It was nice while it lasted. But alas...I have to move on to bigger skies and wider shores.
Or something like that.
I can't believe how ridiculously in love I am with lace shawls. Prefer the triangular style. Did a test knit for a round one, but while that turned out very nice...I still prefer a triangle pointing to my butt. There's really nothing to point at, so goddess knows why.
Modeled by my daughter: "Icy Kamile". I used white iridescent beads. They don't really show up in the photo. Buy there are better views on my project page right here:  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/dyeforsocks1965/kamile

Right now I am working on the Sopro Shawl. No beads in the pattern itself, but that has never stopped me.  And another half circle shawl is in the making for a friends birthday. No pics or she will know.....pssst. It's a secret.
I shall keep you updated on my lace adventures.

Funny thing happened......

This morning.....late morning that is.....my phone kept ringing. Seemed to be an out of country number. Thinking one of my relatives in Germany might be the caller, I answered and was assaulted by a very fast avalanche of spanish spoken by a man. I heard the name Rosa Maria several times. Speaking no spanish myself I simply said: "Sorry, you must have the wrong number."  Which had no effect whatsoever on the avalanche.
We played this tag team game twice...then I just let it go to voice mail. Eight (8) times.
Later this afternoon the same number called. With a sigh I answered. A very very nice mature lady informed me that her father was calling my number. He is in his late 80's, has dementia and Alzheimers and was convinced he had dialed his daughters phone. Apparently he did that a few times before the family got an inkling of what he was doing.
The sad part is...his daughter Rosa-Maria died 13 years ago.

Damn...getting old sucks.

Good bye SS 2011 - hello SS 2013!

Recap: We had lots of fun at Sock Summit 2011. And even though my boss did not believe me, yes there are thousands of people that attend a convention like that. My daughter and I took the train to Portland and it went smoothly. Nici opened a bottle of carbonated water and sprayed it all over everything. Passenger across the way: "Now it's a party!"
It made my camera wet, so it wouldn't even start up. Luckily it was just water. It works fine now that everything has dried.
Nici: "Oh, look! A horse!"  Me: "That's a tree."
Nici: "I think there's a seal in the river!!!!"  Me: "That's a rock."
It was very entertaining since we both operated on three hours of sleep and some alcoholic beverages the night before.

We met the people we are closest to on Ravelry finally in person. That was the biggest thing for me!
And I bought an (for me) insane amount of yarn and patterns and project bags. Hey! Now I have an excuse to start more knits! After all...what do I have all the project bags for if there are no projects in them, right?
I am already in savings mode for the next Sock Summit in 2013.  :)

In knitterly news: I have completed the test knit of the Crescent Lake Shawl. Even though it is rather inexpensive yarn, it turned out great. I love the color changes. I added green sparkely beads and they really pop.

I started the "Spring Awakening" Shawl for a dear friend. No pics, because she might be reading this. That's why there are no pics on Rav either..lol.
Still knitting on the Kamile shawl, small size.
I also got the 60 inch long Chiao Goo knitting needles. I am absolutely in love with them. They currently hold my "Sopro" shawl.

Next week I'm on vacation. Should have some pics of finished knitting to post then.

Squooshed!

If that is not a word, I just made it one.

Anyway...I discovered today: whether a Mammogram hurts or not is largely dependent on the technician.
For the past six years I have gotten the procedure done every other year. Until this time it was always Alma (a lovely mother of 6 in her 50's from Mexico). She was always friendly, asked if you were doing alright, if she could move the "item" to be scanned a little more over here.
Alma doesn't work there anymore.

Today it was a young lady who's name I don't remember. She was clearly on auto pilot. You could tell by the way she was emotionlessly rattling the same sentences off to you that she has rattled off to ladies all day long..
"Relax those shoulders, hun..okay...take a deep breath...relax the shoulder, hun...."

Well, lady if you wouldn't toss them around like a dead fish, I might relax!! They are attached to me, you know?
If I could detach them, I would have just mailed them in!
Sheesh!

Everything seems okay, but if the Radiologist needs more images...blah, blah, blah.
On your way out drop the dirty gown....What do you mean "DIRTY"??? Lady, I took a shower and shaved my underarms before I came in here..alright?
Could you just say "used"?
So it was not as much fun this time. Good bye Alma...wherever you are. My coconuts and I miss you....sorely!

What the....

I don't know what happened. I was so wrapped up in doctors and tests and other things that I neglected the blogging.(Can you be fined for neglecting a blog??)
The young one was finally diagnosed with severe migraines. My Dad had them really bad. I hardly ever get a headache, so it must have skipped a generation. At least we know now what is going on and can deal with it.

Many things happening in Karin's Knitting World: I am doing a test knit for one amazing designer: Ines Sousa. Her ravelry name is "seni" if you like to check her out. I'm using the Schoppel Wolle "Zauberball", which is just the most wonderful yarn I have worked with in a long time. And I love the long color changes. And..Yes! I am using beads. This shawl is gonna be really nice!

I did finish the socks for Nici's birthday with two days to spare....cutting it kinda close, lol

A friend whose DIL is going through chemo asked me if I would knit a hat for her. Well, of course. So I settled on a week and a half of time and then my competitive little brain turned it into a challenge. How many hats can I knit in a week and a half? Turns out the magic number is: (drum roll please....) 7!
My friend was very happy, she will let her DIL pick the ones she likes and donate the other ones.
Here are five of them. Now I have to figure out why photobucket is telling me that my pic is no longer available from the owner...which would be me....hm.

If you want, you can look at the other ones on my project page on Ravelry under the tab "Mika's hats".

I also started a pair of strangely constructed socks. A fellow raveler suggested :"just trust the pattern" and that's what I'm doing. They are called "Skew" and are a challenge. But the end result will be very nice.

I am trying (purely for myself) to avoid the word "awesome".  The universe is awesome. A hot dog....not so much.
Anyway...I'm striking up a friendship with the musician I mentioned before. Since he shows interest..all bets are off. I am pulling out all the stops. LOL!!
Much to the amusement of my children.
So far I got some nice additions to my wardrobe (new shirts and a cute skirt) and I have actually thrown away some things from my antiquated closet. I had to be heavily sedated for this...but I did it.
On to more adventures!

What's happening?

Quite a bit. The things I am currently working on are: a simple pair of fingerless gloves, mindless knitting while I wait in waiting rooms, examination rooms, while we figure out what's ailing my 13-year old. That girl has seen more doctors in the past 4 weeks that I have in my entire life!

A pair of socks for my soon-to-be 23-year old for her birthday.

A test knit I finished recently for a pair of very pretty lacy fingerless mitts. I will be making them again in a pretty peach color for my friend Tammy"s wedding. Here are the matching photos, btw.

The "Hwaet" socks from the Sanguine Gryphon. The entire Beowulf Saga in the original language on a pair of socks. The Wannabe-Historian in me could not resist. Using my friend Debbie's hand dyed yarn. Loving every minute of knitting these.

Two new designs are up for test knitting right now on Ravelry.

Went to see NiteCrew again last night....at the invitation of the keyboard player. We saw them the last weekend in April and he invited us to their next performance this Friday.
To say the least: it was interesting. The place was a Sports Bar/Lounge. A couple of very strange characters there.

The main attraction were clearly two ladies that decided to sport a corset as appropriate attire. If you are DESPERATE! Both had ample "front porches"...one more so than the other. And really: once your boobs have their own zip code, you might want to reconsider stuffing them in a cup size A 32.
Had  a lot of fun though, just watching people.
Here is a little tid bit of conversation I had with a clearly drunk guy.
Guy: "You have an accent...where you from?"
Me: "From Germany."
Guy: "Oh, really? Cool! I'm going to Italy in two weeks."
Me: ....
What do you say to that? Where is the relation? I guess it made sense in his head, lol.

In other news: A triangular shawl design is in the making. A little different approach. I hope to have it ready for testing by the end of April.