My favorite Halloween Photo

Isn't she bewitching? My darling daughter Lisette.

Boo!

Happy Halloween! I love Halloween, I love the dressing up and all the silliness for the children. Someday I want to have a real Martha Stewart Halloween party with a "booffet" and lots of fun, maybe next year, when house is in better shape. Of course, the studio is the perfect place..hmmm. Well, I bought mini hershey bars and reeses peanut butter cups, but there are only 32 bars. I have lollipops too (a LOT of them) but think I'll head out to store and pick up another bag or two of candy. In past years we haven't had very many kids, but think I should be prepared for at least 50. Its a bootiful day, sunny, windy of course. It rained a little this am which kind of spoiled my plans to finish planting tulip bulbs today.

I'm wearing my Garfield Got Treats shirt, so happily holiday dressed. A little extra mascara, about the extent of my Halloween makeup though! Studio is closed tonight (who is gonna come to dance class on Halloween, get real), so I can hand out treats. For years Sid did it as I took Lisette around, but now it's my treat.

Went to KC for DMA (Dance Masters America) fall convention. I think I learned somethings which is always the point, had a chance to chat a little with other chapter members. I always feel on the fringes since I don't live in KC, can't make meetings and just in general am not part of things, plus some of these members are getting their 25 yr pins and I'm just a 3 yr member!

Sid had an Army/Mars meeting Sat am, so we drove up together, I knit half of mom's Madison scarf during the meeting. Got about half of my winter hat knit too, not totally happy with the top, got a little "pook" going on, but I may disquise that with a pom pom. I had frogged the beginning about 5 times, it shouldn't have been so hard to start at the top instead of the bottom! Took about 160 stitches to cover crown of my head. It's always hard for me to do the math on gauge etc and knitting several inches of ribbing and then frogging that because it's too tight is just wayy to annoying!

Naughty kitties!

Scamper with yarn

Living up to his name!

Big orange kitty is named Scamper the Obnoxious Lout. When he was little he never stopped moving, hence Scamper.... now, he's about 8 yrs old, and huge and ever so mellow...except this am... I come in living room to find him sitting on a skein of yarn, looking ever so pleased with him self, remove yarn from cat, wind up yarn, come back to living room about 5 minutes later to find that he has somehow gotten a jar of "Aquari-yums" kitty treats with the LID OFF! and again, is ever so pleased to share some with Miss Mouse. Now, RickyFish spends a large part of every evening knocking the jars of yummies off the table in the hopes that my husband will give her some as he picks them up off the floor, and Miss Mouse has been known to paw a jar in a very delicate manner, but Scamper? that would be wayyyy to much trouble...except this morning! Must be fall weirdies due to the weather change, can't think of another reason for two acts of mischief by the worlds laziest cat within 20 minutes!

Okay....Blogger doesn't want to upload my images...keeps getting stuck....I'll try later to post the photos.

Mittens finished!

I finished my mittens, extra long so the snow won't work it's way up my wrists this winter. I think I should have made the whole extra long part in ribbing, but they'll work. Not a very good photo, you can't se that the yarn changed on the 2nd mitten and left the whole tip grey. You can see that it's black stripe is wider...but hey, they're just mittens! I have yarn to make the hat too.

Finally bought something from my local LYS today. Needed yet another needle I didn't have..this time a 16" size 8 to work on the Christmas stocking with. They had it. So many pretty yarns there, just can't afford to buy anything until I work up what I've got!

I am an addict

Hi my name is Vivette and I'm a yarn addict (Hi Vivette!). Today I went to Hobby Lobby to buy 1moreskeinofyarn for "the shawl"....I saw the pack of 4 round knitting looms at 19.99 and I said you don't need it, you can't afford it and I left with my 1moreskeinofyarn and "something" for Peggy who's birthday I drew. (don't think she's one of the few who read my blog but you never know)...so...I go to Wal-mart (damn that walmart) for groceries and household etc, and they have the same pack of knitting looms but it's only $11.99 so....you guessed it....I bought it...I am ashamed, and would put myself in time out but I have wayyyyy to much knitting to do!

oh well.... I don't smoke, don't do drugs, don't play the lotteryrarely have a drink.... guess yarn is a benign addiction at the least. As penance I plan to use up some of the acrylic lurking in the basement for hats for DVACK the domestic violence shelter.

I Like Fridays

Ooh, I like Fridays! I don't teach at the studio, I don't teach at the middle schools, I get to have coffee with my friends and in the evening I get to sit and knit for several hours! All my new ordered yarns have come in and I am so eager to start new projects, need to finish Lisa's shawl...it's coming along...amazing the difference the huge needles and bulky yarn make!
The never ending shawl is calling for a border (sigh) so it's off to HL today to buy 1moreskeinofyarn for this thing!

I got my tickets for Alvin Ailey II today! Who hoo! Row c seat 9...almost close enough to touch them...I'm so excited. They are offering a master class, but I have rehearsals scheduled on that day and since the dancers didn't look so good at the retirement home show...I hate to cancel on them, just to go watch a class.

Okay, blogger is being strange and doesn't seem to want to upload the photo of lisa's shawl so maybe tomorrow.

New Baby Photo

I have a new photo of Karim. He looks so wide eyed alert and intelligent in this photo. Such a sweetie!

Mom Isa says he can wear the hat I sent, but the socks are too big..oh well, feet will grow.

Today is a beautiful fall day, I think I'm going to put off paperwork long enough to walk around the block. I'm wearing a new sweatshirt that I bought for only $3.00 last year after Halloween. It's black with embroidered candy's and trick or treat bags. I love the holiday themed sweatshirts and sweaters, but saw on "The View" that they weren't fashionable...well, what's new, I've never been "fashionable"...guess as long as I'm happy and warm I don't care.

The Shawl is finished!

I finished "the Shawl"! It needs to be blocked, but it's finished. Whew!
Started same pattern in the homespun it was written for on size 13's for sister in law Lisa. She originally gave me the yarn for a birthday present, so I'm giving it back to her in the form of a shawl. What goes around, comes around, hee hee. Homespun tends to split and catch I'm noticing, but if I watch what I'm doing it should be okay.

Got my yarn from www.Elann.com for the snowman stocking. Waiting on order from www.theknitter.com for the pattern.

Saw on the news that "Katie and Tom" will have a silent birth due to Scientology principles set down by their founder L. Ron Hubbard.... well, you can tell that L doesn't stand for Louise! Only a man would decided that a birth should be silent... give me a frickn break. okay, vent over.

Off to studio to retrieve cane to teach Puttin on the Ritz to Stang Gang. Looking through previous choreography I see that I have 90% of their big spring project allready done, will just need some tweaking! Yay me! Organization and record keeping pays off once in a while.

On my to do list today was pick up living room, and deal with Cellular One...not sure either will happen but... I should at least try.

225 stitches

"The Shawl" has 225 stitches, and about enough yarn left for 4 rows, 1 pattern, 1 purl back, 1 knit and bind off. The end is near.

Ordered Parade yarn from www.Knitpicks.com to make a hat to match the nearly finished mittens to me...just in time too as it's pretty nippy walking my mile in the 40* mornings. My fingers were so cold this morning as I walked that I slipped them out of the fingers of the glove so they would stay warmer. Also ordered a snowman stocking pattern and a Simple stripes to make a sweater for Karim. Coming from www.Elann.com is the yarn for the snowman stocking, and coming from www.theknitter.com is yarn to repair the toes of my socks that are wearing out...just plain Socka.

Recieved a DVD of the Nutcracker from the Moscow Ballet yesterday, and things are MUCH clearer, including a few mistakes I have made that I will try to correct tomorrow. Will show the dancers the dvd at rehearsal so they will have a better understanding also.

My hotwater for my coffee is ready, so it's off to the studio. Show at Drury Place retirement apts today, without 4 key dancers so could be a weird show!

lazy morning

Today is a lazy morning...not that much that "must be done" so I'm kinda lazing my way through the morning. Watched all of Good Morning America to see Windsor Castle, such glorious sights, the carvings, the paintings, the velvet and that kitchen! What a wonder that would be to see it in person!

I wore my tiger socks again yesterday. They are quite comfortable and came through the washer/dryer process just fine. Hubby does a lot of the laundry and things just have to be able to stand up to it!

Printing off some studio photo's for this years scrapbook, and then will go to Jo Ann's for the satin to make the tops for Suerte. Wish my sewing machine was working better, hate to sew them up and have them fall apart! I'll look at the machines at too. I do need a new one, but want to do some research before I buy a machine willy nilly.

Last night I picked back 2 rows on the shawl...so close to being finished but, there was an error I just couldn't fix with out picking back. I am so anxious to have this one finished! Ordered yarn for a sweater for Karim, a hat for myself to match the winter mittens I'm nearly finished with and pattern and yarn for an ambitious Christmas stocking...probably for Karim. No new photos' of the baby, must nag Isa for some! I picked up a cozy sleeper with a Christmas design for him for only $3.00! I have a small bear with a pumpkin that I'm going to mail to him, thought about doing tiger socks for him, but think instead the remaining tiger yarn will go to favorite niece Lauren.

Saturday

Saw Beauty and the Beast at our community theatre last night. It was a good production. Costumes had been rented from somewhere and were very nice and quite elaborate. Belle was played by a young lady that I have known for years, who was soo shy and self-effacing, 2 years of college seem to have brought a new maturity both in sense of self and in her voice and acting. She's quite a talent and so beautiful, wonderful to see her growing up in to such a delightful adult.

My seat mate Colleen and I were part of a trio that ran a summerstage program for 5 years where we trained so many young actors...many of whom are now teaching themselves. I'm quite proud of what we helped to develop. I was worried about Colleen though as she has had a stroke and due to bronchitus had to stop taking a particular medication which was causeing the stroke symptoms to re-cur such as numbness in her left hand and leg and affecting her balance. I have several good friends that seem to be on a down hill slide and it worry's me. I'm not ready to start losing the people in my life.

Colleen loved the mitten I'm making and commented on a hat so I will try to make her one. I did get 2 rows done on the shawl last night while watching NUMBERS on videotape. Eventually, I'll be done with it and can get onto the same pattern for sister in law (but larger yarn, larger needles, shouldn't take quite so forever!)

Off to work, have some dancers coming in from 9:30-1:30 today, (missing a lot due to volleyball!) then will try to spend some time with my closets finding my fall clothes, putting away summer, and maybe a little time getting the front flower bed ready for the tulip bulbs that are coming! I wanted to fix up the front yard, but lack of funds will prevent that this year.