Monday, March 25, 2013

Sometimes I Hate Technology!

The hard drive died on my pc! It is in the hospital getting a brain transplant. We hope to retrieve data and reload. Not everything was backed up, but the most important stuff should be. The fix-it guys talked about backing up and retrieving things I hadn't thought about. Wish me luck! I hope to be back in business in a few days, although I'll be reloading lots of programs so I can retrieve the data.

Update - I'm back in business! Still have lots of programs to update. My email has problems. My scanner and printer aren't talking to the computer. My son will be here tomorrow to try to fix.

What have I knit? I finished the socks. They're called Mad Hatter, and are a pattern I sold to a sock club. When the pattern came out, I was given the whole month's package. It took me a while to knit them up.

Another kit that went on vacation with me was a baby sweater. I was given the kit as a door prize when I taught for the Roof Garden{?}Knitting guild in New York near the 9/11 plane crash site. The pattern is a Kristin Nicholas design done in cotton yarn. I don't have a bay in mind, but I'm glad to have the kit done, and babies get born all the time. I'll be ready the next time someone holds a shower with little notice.

The last project that went to Florida and came home unknit is a scarf from Knitty.com called Caireen.. I happened to have the correct Alpaca yarn, won as a door prize again, this time from Knitter's Fantasy held in Youngstown Ohio.The yarn is local, but I don't remember who it came from. It's handspun and sure is soft!

I have more knitting to show you, but I'll save it for another day.

I am so glad to have my computer back. I took it back to the store where I bought it. They were able to save all my data, but not the programs. Luckily what I use most is Microsoft Office. I got the computer back with a limited usage version of it (19 times). I have the disks for the 2007 version and on the second try was able to successfully enter the product key. Why do they write them so small? The "B" looked like an "8". I've downloaded iTunes and Blogger.

How did I survive a week without my baby? I get mail on my iPhone and iPad. I could read blogs and Ravelry. I was lucky it only took a week. Actually, I "stalked" the store. I called when I thought the work would be done, only to find out that it hadn't been started. The phone call bumped me up in line. A second call three days later was more encouraging. I'm having to relearn how to type. Autospell on the phone has spoiled me. You don't have to put in apostrophes, or even spell correctly. It will autocorrect. If you're not careful, it may say something you didn't mean, but generally it's a help, especially on the smaller phone screen.

Friday, March 8, 2013

On to Jacksonville




Joyce took me to two yarn stores. The first one was called Wooly Bully, and mainly carried natural fiber yarns. I found some mink yarn there which will be a scarf. I also got some stitch markers and dp tubes there.

We also went to her favorite yarn store near the Florida State University campus. I bought some bulky yarn and a pattern. I've already knit the vest.

One of the other things we did was make more stitch markers and copper jewelry. She had taken a jewelry making class and wanted to show me what she had learned. The solid earrings are the cut out piece from the beaded ones. We made the necklace the next day.

After three days with Joyce, Julie came and drove me to her house in Jackson ville. I don't have many pictures (camnesia?), and many of those are on my iPhone. I did see the ocean, although it was cold and cloudy. I only visited one yarn store in the Jacksonville area. I got a pound of Great Adirondack wool in sport weight. It will make some sort of a sweater, a small one.

We were able to spend a little time in St. Augustine, not nearly enough time. I guess I'll have to come back again. We'll do the tourist bus thing next time.

I have phone pictures of the new calf that was born ro "Jim the cow guy's" bossy, but they want to upload sideways from my phone. Julie lives on  a secluded street near the Jacksonville airport. Jim and his wife Nancy have a couple of cows, chickens, turkeys, and sometimes a pig. Julie gets fresh eggs from Nancy and meat from Jim.

No more knitting was finished on the trip. I'll talk knitting on the next post.