Bitsy

This is my new laptop, Bitsy. She's so cute!

I'm having a blast learning about her. She can do so many cool things.

Her screen can swivel and become a tablet for browsing the internet or writing in Journal. I tried to import a file from Journal to show how she can store files in my handwriting or convert them to text., but it wouldn't work, so for now, here's a sample of the text-recognition practice program, which will eventually be able to read my handwriting and convert it to text.

Maybe.
This was one of the sample sentences the program gave me. I swear I am not making this up. Perhaps HP should google famous knitters and see how wrong they are.

Her screen is 12.1" and she weighs about 5 pounds. I carry her in a neoprene case in my book bag.

It only took an hour (!) on the phone with a guy with an intense accent to get her hooked up to our wireless network, then she was ready to go. I've used her in town while waiting for Tom, and I'm looking forward to using Bitsy in airports, hotels, and anywhere else in the world I go.

Maybe Cancun in the spring? We have two free roundtrips each (Tom and me, not Bitsy; she travels free) that have to be used by the end of July, so we're thinking of going to CA for two weeks this summer and maybe Cancun. Airtran conveniently added Cancun as one of their destinations in the last month or so, and we just might take advantage of it. Their airfare for spring break week (mine) is about $800 each round trip, so that would be a big savings.

So. I have my new laptop, Itsy Bitsy, and she's raring to go places and enjoy new experiences with me. I love my new baby.

Another FO!

I finished those (black)hearted socks yesterday on the way home. YES!!! Goal achieved!

In the truck just after I finished them:

And on my feet today (shoe shopping in Ft. Lauderdale--a dream! Three pairs.):

Baby socks

I finished these socks a week ago Friday, the day the baby was born (son of a teacher here) but didn't get them to him until this morning. Still, they're done, and I'm pleased with them. They're from some leftover Strawberry Fields from vieuxrouet at etsy. I made a pair for myself, but I think these are prettier.

Weekend 'o' knitting

February's over! It was 60 degrees yesterday! I finished those blasted I'm So Done Mother&Daughter Socks!



*ahem* See what a little sunshine and warm(er) weather do for me? *note to self and Tom: we have to buy a house in South Florida. Soon.*

Last night, just before bedtime, I finished the blasted M&D socks, and if I do say so myself (and I do), they're lovely. I immediately picked out some yarn for the Bremen Muster socks, some Claudia Santa Fe, a colorway that's been discontinued, the very first Claudia yarn I ever bought, a colorway that I snarfed right up when she was getting rid of it. This one is a little darker than most, but I still love it.



But I might get a wild hair and buy some Fingering 55 for these socks, merino/silk, which takes color in a different way, so the same colorway looks totally different and luminous. These socks just deserve something special.

Time to run downstairs to the attendance office and hand out detention notices to the kids who insist on being tardy every day.

Textured rib stitch

Okay, I'm so pleased with myself for actually trying a new stitch that I have to show it off in better (I hope) photos. I'm also tickled that it turned out so well, especially for this project. I've got to use it again. I don't think that I can give the pattern here (even though it's only a 4-row repeat, since it's published in a book, I guess it's a no-no to reprint it), but you can find it on page 64 of The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns by Ann Budd, no doubt available at your friendly local and online bookstores).

Closeups of the stitch:

















I think I've found the pattern for my next scarf. It wasn't that hard to do while watching tv, I only cursed a little while knitting, and I love the look.

I tried something new and it worked, for once!

I have the best boss in the world

She made this for me. Last night. Stayed up till midnight, and she's an early-to-bedder (as I've had to become in order to function in the Real World).

Each ball is made from bits of yarn; she cut the yarn in pieces so that the right colors were in the right places.

She used tiny white nails as knitting needles. I'm so impressed with her creativity. She'd seen a big tree decorated with balls of yarn in a mall and decided to make a little one for me.

Love that woman!