Madam... Its a BOY !

In the past couple of days, I have knit nothing but this boy rag doll and for the next two days I am taking a break! Not that I don't love doing it.. I actually had to make him socks ... socks could you believe it. Then this weekend I went to Nancy's house to work on stuffing the dolls so that they are similar in size. It was a six or seven hour marathon of knitting, stuffing and girl time. Her hubby took the boys out for a few hours so we had the place to ourselves. I was ahead of the game, Nan had to do some lightning fast knitting and seaming to catch up, I had already had my doll stuffed and was working on adding elastic to his pants.

Here is Nan as she finished sewing up her doll and I think that she was actually trying to strangle the doll and get out all her frustrations.


Here is my boy, of course not my first... I did make the girl doll last year.

He is still naked and has no face yet ...but isn't he cute.

Has anyone bought the new Yarn Harlot's book. It's called Knitting Rules and I picked up on Friday at work. My staff is starting to worry about me since I walked around with the book like it was my new baby. Hey it was .. I lead a lonely life :-(

The book is a departure from all the hilarious knitting stories that she shares with us, it has tips and my favorite thing is all the things she wished someone had shared with her when she started knitting.

But then the weekend was complete when the Yarn Harlot herself...Stephanie emailed me back. OH MY GOD...it was almost like Christmas in March. I mentioned on her blog about me getting her book already and loving it. She was gracious and grateful and took time from her busy day to say 'thank you'. Just goes to prove that as knitters we are so happy to hear from each other, we reach out and we are tried and true.

So I am going to finally do some casting on for the baby sweater which is needed asap while I soak my ankle in epsom salt..who knows what I did to it.

Lets play catch up

I have to play catch up on one major gift that I received for my birthday two weeks ago. My very first needle holder that doesn't come from the Ziploc company.
Nancy got me this fantasitc purple holder as one of my gifts that were delivered to me at work.

Knowing that purple is my favorite color Nan had this made for me in different hues of purple and complementing colors like lime, blue and lime. Its great and I've begun to fill it up. She got it from Allison especially for me.



Now I did say that was putting myself on a yarn diet, a reduction on the stash that will save me hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
I am not going to totally stop buying yarn if need be but I have to make every attempt to use what I have. So today when I got in from a movie with my brother and Mark, I had this goodie in my mailbox.


I had to do an exchange with KnitPicks and they finally sent me this great sock yarn. I need 2-3 balls for a pair of socks and I am planning on socks being my plane knitting when I go to Iceland in 3 weeks.


So I must say " I DO BELIEVE IN YARN FAIRIES ... I DO BELIEVE IN YARN FAIRIES"

I is for Intarsia

Just a quick note to fill you all in on my latest happenings. Today was my Intarsia class at Seaport Yarns. The class was very productive and I got to begin and finish a small intarsia chart and I was very proud of myself. Everyone in the class had to bring in three different yarns to complete this project and next week will be a lesson Fair Isle and then Lace.

This is the front of the swatch and it looks good, it looks like a diamond and some squares.








And this is the back before the the ends get tucked in... not the prettiest thing.


As for my other knitting project, I am really busy putting together those pieces for that phantom doll that I am working on.

I hope that everyone is having a good week and that all your projects are progressing well.

No more yarn ???

Could I really do it?

Has anyone ever had that one moment when you say " I am not buying anymore yarn this year!"
Well I have had that thought running through my head over and over again. Don't panic I am absolutely not giving up knitting.. that would be physically impossible but I have really been thinking about a life budget, and that would mean a yarn spend down...downsizing the stash.
Don't call Bellevue and Nan... don't panic, there will be no worries of me raiding your stash while at the house... Let me explain my train of thought.

At work yesterday I became interested in a new release called Not Buying It by Judith Levine. It is a quasi-autiobiography of this couple who decide to voluntarily simplify their lives by not spending money on anything non essential for a year. No movies, no dinners and no mascara. Everything was brown bagged or home made, and only those vital items where bought. The couple was heavily in debt and they were constantly fighting about money. This gave them the time to regroup, communicate with eachother and friends they barely saw. They took long walks, utilized the parks more, free days at museums and all those great and free events in the city. They paid off their credit cards and even lost a few pounds by avoiding the donut cart and chocolate at the drug store. They have some advantages of course of two homes and no kids to spend on but they realized that they were just spending way too much on stuff they did not need.

But I need the yarn ... right?

I spent over $250.00 less than one week on yarn two months ago and I haven't touched it yet.
I use a large gift certificate for some gorgeous Lambs Pride wool and I have yet to start that sweater.
I then went to another store and spent almost another $50 bucks on some Debbie Bliss which is sitting on my knitting cube still. This doesn't include the sock yarn in bags and the new storage bin that I bought at the Container Store because the knitting cube is full.

So what I have decided is this. I have been thinking about getting my own home, I earn enough to put myself in debt with a mortage and all the repairs. I have to realize that I don't need so much junk, and my mom needs to understand that I don't need a new dish rack just because she likes hers better. I have to downsize my spending now.

Of course then there is ICELAND. I will be traveling to the fair isle in three weeks, and they are known for their yarn and wool and yarn and wool. So with the money I have put aside for my vacation and extra spending money I will be stocking up on some wool goodies.

So....I am promising myself to use up at least 75% of the yarn that I have in stash for my projects this year. I have to do this. If not for my future home but for my sanity in knowing that I have some will power. If not over the Haagen Daas then over the Lornas Laces.

This will be hard, almost like putting a carb-aholic person in a Krispy Kreme store alone for a day and telling them not to nibble on a glazed donut.

MY NAME IS MARIBEL AND I AM A CARBO-AHOLIC

MY NAME IS MARIBEL AND I AM A YARN -AHOLIC.

A Frankenstein moment

Instead of posting all the pictures of my weekend in D.C., I realized that I hadn't had much on the knitting tip lately. I have only a few weeks to finish the Boy Rad Doll from Knitted Toys.

Last year I completed the Girl Rad Doll from the same book as a gift for beautiful baby girl in Florida, and this year I am completing the Boy Rag Doll for a beautiful baby girl in Iceland. Its great to know that my rag dolls are going international.

So this weekend despite being in D.C. I was able to get some knitting done. I can't knit on buses, I get motion sickness but on Saturday night while watching television at my friend Donnell's apartment I was able to finish up the arms for the doll. I have now the pleasure of putting the body together today and starting the clothes. My biggest concern right now is the hair and making sure it doesn't come out. Don't want the dolly going to the Hair Club in Iceland in a couple of years.

I learned how to link today, Nan gave me the breakdown on how to do this. As simple as it was I am not the best at things like this, so she had to walk me through it. So no more ugly links on my blog.

Oh beautiful ...

This past weekend in celebration of my 37th birthday, I took a weekend trip to our nations capital ... Washhington D.C. I have a great friend who lives right outside of D.C. in Arlington and he was willing to deal with me all weekend. I took the notorious Chinatown Bus Line and had a great time. The weather was amazing and my friend Donnell spoiled me rotten. I made him take me to the National Mall and we went to the Smithsonian to see the Celia Cruz exhibit and just to take a nice long walk.

I wont get into a blogging moment about our nations politics and how things are or should be. I did take a few pictures around town. No matter how things are at the moment, I love the architecture of the buildings, and I am an eternally optimistic about their meaning and what we still could be.

( but I would highly recommend that they clean out the reflecting pool soon... smelly and the ducks will need healthcare soon)

And being a tried and true New Yorker, I was shocked that there was no eating on the Metro or the lights that alert you to the trains coming. There transit systems is great and its still in its infancy.

I was going to take out my needles at the Lincoln Memorial but I was concerned with being stopped.... and I don't think that dear ol Abe needed socks anyway.

And as for the "doll" mentioned in my last post ... all I have to say is "WHAT DOLL ? YO NO VEO NINGUNA MUNECA !!! "

A MILLION THANKS

I want to thank everyone for all their birthday wishes. Today was a very good day.

When I arrived at work today, I had this amazing package from the Hershey Gods. Nancy had this tower package sent to me. It has so much chocolate and cookies that I will be visiting Jenny Craig and Lucille Roberts soon.
It came with a one pound solid chocolate cake with my name on it. My staff was trying to sneak it from my office all day. Thank God it is good for six months

I have been wanting to go to Serendipity 3 for dinner for the longest time.
So finally Mark.. the dearest man in my life and a fantastic friend ( ladies he is single ) took me to dinner there finally. We have this new restaurant tradition for our birthdays.

The desserts were amazing and of course I had their famous frozen hot chocolate. Mark had the will and determination to start his hot fudge sundae but it conquered him.

I enjoyed the frozen hot chocolate and my burger was great !

And who am I to let great ice cream go to waste. Mark enjoyed taking this picture of me --------->

And I almost got away without having the embarassing 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' sing-a-long. Since I had embarassed Mark at his birthday dinner in December he was determined to embarass me.

So while I was on line at the new Container Store on Lexington Avenue buying a holder for my monster stash, he proceeded to tell the cashier that it was my birthday. And they all broke out into song. All the cashiers at the container store, all 8 of them started to sing. And Mark was in his glory. He was jumping and laughing like he had just won lotto.

Its okay... its all love ... much love.

And I promise ..knitting pics soon to follow.

I haven't aged a bit !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME .... 37 years and still counting and I haven't aged a bit.

In realizing that I was getting nearer to my birthday I decided late last night that I was going to put a picture of me and my beautiful mami on this blog... the one I have of my first birthday party.
And of course with pictures of my mami .. there have to be pictures of my handsome brothers.

I am the youngest and the only girl. Yes there were times when I was spoiled but most of all I felt protected and loved. I had my own personal bodyguards and to this day I know that they would protect me where ever and forever.

This lady is Lolita ... My beautiful mami ...and she is still the amazing and gorgeous.


This handsome man is Junior and eventhough he is no longer with us ... I know he watches over me everywhere I go.
This smiling man is Al, always constant in my life and I am so happy he is healthier every day.


This sailor is Abraham. He lives in Orlando but always just a phone call away if I need him.


And then there is Radames, always such a innocent soul who loves everyone.

All their love and protection and strength have been a constant in my life, and helped me become the woman that I have become.

I have been truly blessed !

Every girl should have had such a lucky life to grow up with four handsome brothers and a beautiful mami.

Te quiero mami.. Gracias por ser mi mama y por dar me vida !!!

Crazy for Cashmerino

I have raided the stash.

Recently I have had a little self control problem. I went yarn crazy. Crazy I say. All for the love Cashmerino. With some great yarn and craft stores closing I stocked up, I bought enough yarn to complete some projects over the next few months. Some of the goodies I got was several skeins of Debbie Bliss's Baby Cashmerino in many colors and last night I finally swatched for a gorgeous cardigan in this fantastic baby knits book by Debbie Bliss.

It will be in a soft lavender and the baby girl isn't here for another two months so I have to get a knitting.

I must wish Angelia of http://angeliasknitting.blogspot.com the best on her birthday tomorrow.

Thank you for making my entry into the world of blogging an absolute pleasure.

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY... LOTS OF LOVE, JOY AND HAPPINESS !!!!

Who said I don't need any more knitting books !

One of the perks of working for the company I do ( http://www.bn.com) is the discount and the free books. I am not going to lie, it makes it hard to walk by all the new great books, especially all those new knitting titles that are rolling in to my store. But I have some self control, just a little and I walk away and just look and drool. But every once in awhile I break down and buy one or two. This is my recent purchase, a felted knitting purse book. I am not a fancy girl who likes small little cute bags or those under the armpits girlie bags. My bag needs to have space for a few things including my knitting. This has a great pattern for a satchel bag with a great shape that I will be making for myself.

But the one thing that I will never understand is the colors that some of these designers pick for there bags. There is no way in hell that I will be carrying a fuzzy pink handbag, not unless it was given to me by a GORGEOUS man with an engagement ring inside, and even then I would have to question how well he really knows me.

I had a great dinner at Rosa Mexicano on Friday night with Minnie and Pat. Their food is great and they make the guacamole right in front of you, and all I did was spice it up a little. We then end up at the Pig n Whistle. This midtown bar with some other co-workers for a few drinks. It was perfect way to end the long day with some friends I haven't seen in awhile, and of course catching up on all the company gossip, and who doesn't like that.

Have a great weekend everyone... Happy Knitting !!!

Have snow ... will cable !

Picture this ... Your day off, snowing outside, a big cup of coffee, Montgomery Clift on t.v. and your knitting. Perfect day off right, well except when you have to leave your warm apartment to head to a cabling class all the way downtown. But its paid for and you have to go.

Here is my end result... Look ma im cabling.

Now I did learn the basics of cabling from Nancy but this gave me a good hand and some tips. The class was full and I must say that I was very good at it.

Now I want to cable something soon, and of course I will share with you all.

Puerto Rico .. Here they come !

Yep I have proof... I finished them. It wasn't easy but they are done and ready to board a plane for the Isla del Encanto, mi Boriquen Hermosa... Puerto Rico.

The socks for Minnie's mami are done and I will be giving them to her tomorrow over dinner. Minnie and her siblings are going to Puerto Rico to celebrate their mothers' birthday. So we are going to dinner at a Rosa Mexicana here in the city as an early birthday dinner for me. Minnie and I like trying out new restaurants in the city, and I have been dying to go there.
I hope that her mom likes them and will wear them in good health for a long time.
Currently on my needles is a Lorna Laces bulky scarf. I had a hell of a time finding a pattern for this yarn. Its variated and bulky, so it had to be a simple pattern. I found a diagonial pattern in the Lion Brand - Just Scarves book. I like the way it looks and I want it long enough to wrap around a few times.
And since I don't have the time this weekend to go to Nancy's house to use her ball winder, I have to carefully ball up this hank tonight. I surely can knot up some warn rushing the balling up process. I think I might have to get a yarn winder soon, but then again I like going to Nancy's house and bothering her to do it....LOL Hey what are best friends for....

Tuesday's Meme

Well I got tagged, I can't remember the last time I played tag but here it goes. I was tagged by Angelia today.

Here are the ten songs that popped up on my Ipod when I did the shuffle function. 2130 plus songs and these are the ones that come up .. go figure

Here goes nothing:

1. Rapture - Blondie
2. The night is still young - Billy Joel
3. Pastime Paradise - Stevie Wonder
4. Middle of the Road - The Pretenders
5. Monkey - George Michael
6. Tu Amor Me Hace Bien - Marc Anthony
7. Edge of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks
8. Live Wire - Motley Crue
9. Calle Luna, Calle Sol - Hector LaVoe
10. All I wanna do is make love to you - Heart

Well off I go to work on my scarf and I did finish the socks. Pictures will be posted very soon.

Congrats to my best friend and her GOLD MEDAL. Next Olympics ... Spring Board Diving.

Titi ... what ya doing ?

On Sunday morning I got beckoned to my mami's apartment.

My brother would have babysitting duty of his 2 and half year old granddaughter Nyrie. She is beautiful but a handful. Since I don't get to see her as often as I use to, I have to find ways to con her into coming to me or even letting me hold her. She loves her grandpa and she spent the first 20 mins hiding behind him until I pulled out the cheetos. Nyrie is a talking machine now and has a question for everything. So while I was cooking ( did I mention my mami is out of town and my brother hates cooking) I pulled out my yarn and started to work on my scarf. I got two great skeins of Lorna's Laces bulky at the Point last week on sale last week. It is a mix of the best colors of chocolate, grey and a dark yellow. I LOVE IT.

But Nyrie loves playing with my yarn and taking it for a spin on the living room floor. She has a fondness for my Clover Flexi needles too! She thinks they were pencils and wanted to color with them.
Titi ... what are you doing? I'm Knitting ... What's that? ... Its yarn Nyrie... oh Yarn...
Titi ... what are you doing? I'm Knitting ... What's that? ... Its yarn Nyrie... oh Yarn...
Titi ... what are you doing?
So this went on for about 5 minutes.

I was more than willing to sacrifce the two feet of scarf ( and I wasn't crazy about the pattern) to have Nyrie spend some time with me .. her Titi.

For the love of knitting

Happy Weekend to all my new friends !

I have a love for knitting socks, I am still on the learning curve, the right yarn, the right gauge and different techniques - but I enjoy them so much. I did make about six pair of bulky socks for holiday gifts for some friends and I made a pair of stripped ones for a co-worker Anita who feeds my knitting obsession by taping Knitty Gritty for me ( I don't get the DIY network). If you are still seeking help with turning that heel, there is an episode of Knitty Gritty that did socks alone, and I followed it step by step.

So recently I started a pair of socks for the mother of one of the best friends any girl could have ...Minnie opps..Minerva to the rest of the world. She saw the pair that I made for my mami and she asked me to make a pair for her mami in Puerto Rico. Of course I would make them, her mom is amazing and I would love her to have a pair of hand knit socks made by me. So Minnie picked the yarn from the Knit Picks catalog and I ordered it and casted on the same day the yarn arrived - hey they have to be done by the 3rd of Feb before her trip to the motherland but

I HATE THE YARN !

Well maybe not hate but I dislike it so much. It's a sock yarn with elastic, and I didn't realize it had elastic before ordering it, and its driving me crazy. It has a elastic pull to it so when you are knitting it stretches and when you are going dpn to dpn it creates a gap, so you have to tug at it to keep it seamless. So I am rushing through these socks as fast as I can. Knitting on the train to and from work, before my shift and during my break. Of course they will be a perfect as possible, but I can honestly say I will NEVER EVER use that yarn again.


Here is how they look so far, and I am about to start the heel flap on the second sock, so I will be knitting all weekend to finish them. The first one does look good and I am happy with my patience level in knitting them up.

And to everyone finishing up before the Knitting Olympics are over tomorrow CONGRATULATIONS on a great effort and wonderful team spirit.

Who needs Fed Ex !

Today after a long day at work, I went to my knitting class at Seaport Yarn with Nan. It was the last one, and I will be going to the intermediate classes starting next week ( cables, instaria, fair isle and lace) . Nancy is a pro already... the bi**h... but anyway. I came home to find a Fed Ex slip on the floor in front of my mailbox. This is the package that was supposed to be delivered in 6-9 days.

I needed a new 20 inch television for my bedroom, nothing too fancy and affordable. I don't watch much t.v. in my bedroom but you know those days when you just do not want to get out of bed or can't fall asleep. I went to Circuit City with my brother yesterday and got this for a good deal and free delivery. Did I ever mention that I live in a walk up .... FIFTH FLOOR. Deliverymen are my heroes. But this one came the next day, I wasn't home and he left it with my first floor super.
So I could:

• Leave it there and wait for my future husband to carry it upstairs for me ...NOT
• Go down to my supers apt when I can't sleep and watch a little tv
• Throw some rope out the window and haul it up the outside of the building or
• Carry it up myself.

Thats what I did.. step by step and stair by stair but I did it. Its already in use ! There have been many a bookcase and computer bought up these stairs in ten years but I usually had help.

So needless to say .. no knitting tonight, no writing in my knitting journal. It has become an two advil kind of night.

Thank God for Advil !!!

Oh my gosh...it's a shrug !!!

So here she is. Miss BN 2006 ! No really this is one of my fantastic booksellers Jennifer. She asked me if I could make her a shrug. So I showed her the one from the most recent cover of KNIT IT. She wanted the heavy thick and quick yarn, and the goldenrod color, she is is very much into earth tones.

I have read that many are having problems with this shrug. I don't know if it's a conversion issue or a gauge problem, but I had no problems except my laziness in finishing it. I finished it right on time too, it was freezing this weekend and Jennifer wore it at work telling everyone that I made it for her but then she was scared that it would get snagged. I had no problem in seaming it considering that Nan and I have been taking a series of classes at Seaport Yarns http://seaportyarn.com one of which seamless simple seaming and putting your garment together.

I hope that eveyone else completes their shrugs without too many headaches, or too much frogging.

Smooches !

Didn't I tell you they would make fun of me !!

Hello everyone !

I had an early shift at my store, and I had a surprise waiting for me on my office door, but I didn't notice it at all until my head cashier Stephanie showed it to me.

Over the past few years depending on my shift at work I sometimes get to work anywhere from 15-30 minutes early. Hey its quality knitting time. My Ipod, coffee and my yarn. My booksellers know not to bother me until my shift begins. Leave Maribel alone ... "she's knitting !"

<----- This is Stephanie, one of my head cashiers and one of the booksellers who have taken up the pointy sticks because of me. She is currently working on a Vogue Knitting Pattern - a cute bag for her mom. Everyone at work thinks I am starting a cult, there are now about five knitters at my store because of me. Bookselling is stressful! So last night while on her dinner break, someone said that she was morphing into me. She has my needles (size 17's) reading the same book I recently finished - The Fiery Cross ( love love love the Outlander Series ) and she had her gladwear for lunch. So they got her a pair of glasses, a cup of coffee and some water and she put her earphones on to mimic my ipod earphones.
WHERE IS THE LOVE??? Everyone was cracking up, they thought it was me ... but I'm chubbier and I have curly short hair. I'm I upset that they see me as this crazy manager who knits all the time and spends too much time with her needles, or the manager who runs the knitting group, or someone who is way too obsessed with her yarn. NO.. im not upset, it's all so true. But there is one thing I know for sure. I am the one who has taught them something so special and pure. The love of knitting and that there is nothing wrong with fondling a skein of merino wool in public.

This post was supposed to be about the shrug I finished... but this was so much more important to share. I promise tomorrow all the pics !

It's my blog ...and I will bring you to your knees if I want to !!

Okay so this entry has nothing and I will say it again nothing to do with knitting or any fiber craft.
After work today I had plans with one of my best friends. In this blog you will get to know that I have some of the best friends in the world. Some local and one in Lakeland, Florida :-)

Today was dinner with Mark .. the poet in my life. I have known Mark for over 14 years and he has been a rock in my life in so many ways. So it was dinner at a Peruvian place and a movie.
It was freezing today, and the wind was whippin' my butt like I was a naughty girl.
So on the way to the movie, we stopped at Radio Shack. You see Mark needs perfect sound and enough bass to move an elephant.
We walked by this window of a massage place with this horrible video in the window of someone getting a massage. Some people should not be wearing pink and purple latex in high definition on First Avenue.
I mentioned to him that I had a full body massage about two weeks ago. I wonderful birthday gift from Nan last year ( she knows me so well).

He asked in a shocked voice " you let someone put their hands all over you". I said yeah and dammit someone should put their hands on me! ... DID I MENTION I AM SINGLE !!!

Mark .. my friend my poetic hero fell to his knees !!! Everyone at Radio Shack started to laugh.
I had him on his knees ... go figure at Radio Shack. But all this because he was shocked that I would say that to him.

After all these years he was shock and surprised..but thats one of the reasons I love him so....

Smooches

The cube spilleth

Everyone has heard the story of why I named this blog "the knitting cube". It helps me hide a lot of the stash that I have been spending my money on lately in some of the great stores in Westchester County. One of the hardest things to do was to go to Goldman's Yarns in Hartsdale to stock up knowing that they are closing their doors after 60+ years. They are finally retiring and boy do they do deserve it. I have bought enough to get through some projects for a few babies and some kitchen stuff for my mami.

The cube spilleth over ....

And what you all don't know is that I have a lot more. I know I am not the only one- come on we all are yarn addicted. Has everyone heard the stash horror story on Brenda Dayne's Cast On Podcast this week, it is hilarious.

But what about the projects on my needles. I am not officially doing the Knitting Olympics, I didn't sign up in time and I was somewhat daunted on what to complete. I had just finished knitting a hat and 70 inch scarf in three days for one of my favorite managers (and I sprained my finger) and I had started a shrug and this rag doll was the the brain.

So I have started the doll and the shrug is almost there, and a new scarf will be started tomorrow. So where does this leave me .

NO MEDALS FOR ME :-(

But I have decided to take the knitting journal that I bought last year and write down as many projects that I can remember, the yarn used and to whom I gave it to. Keep a record for my future and to see how far I have come.
So maybe I will just get an honorable mention.

Keep the pointy sticks moving.