I found out today that it is official that our department is scheduled to move to the Westchester location in September of this year. That means I have 8 months to find a new job. My goal is really to find something by my birthday, July. That should give me enough time to find something that would at least tide me over until something good comes along. Anyone that wants to start up a trust fund for me, I am all for it!

In a happier part of my life, I left work last night and did get some work done on my aran sweater. It calmed my nerves and made me go to my happy place. If only I could find a way to make knitting lucrative enough to handle the lifestyle I hope to one day become accostomed. Maybe I need to find a wealthy Sugar Daddy that will allow me to live a life af leisure. Then I could knit until my fingers bleed. I know that's disgusting and bad for the yarn but the amount of knitting involved is really the important part.

Well, I think the jailer is rattling my cage over here. My brief moment of freedom has come to and end.

Well, I went to S-n-B last night. I wasn't sure if that was going to happen or not. I am really glad that I went. I needed some knitting therapy to sooth my aching soul. It's amazing how much better I feel as soon as I get out the needles. Even if I just work on something simple, the repetative motions and comforts of the fibers bring my tension level down. I may have to start picking up projects at the office in the middle of the day.

That's right, this is the second day this week that I have put in 12 hours or more at the office. I am really torn by all of this. Right now, I am killing myself to get these impossible projects finished. There is no humanly way that I can get through everything that needs to be done in a reasonable amout of time and still have everything up to the high standards that are expected. So part of me (that evil work ethic) wants to work harder to reach the highest standard I can. On the other hand, I have this horrible nagging apathy for my job in general. That part of me wants to walk in the door at 9 AM and leave at 5 PM and say who cares about anything else; I don't get paid to work this hard.

I had this problem at the last job that I had. I worked like a mad person for no thanks, recognition or money until I had to leave or die trying. Now I am in the same position I was in 3 years ago. At least then I liked the industry I was in and cared about what I was doing. I really wish the job market was picking up. To make things feel even worse, I just found out that yet another friend of mine will most likely be laid off on Friday.

I feel like going into a political tirade right now about the financial state of the country and our leader who seems to think that picking fights with other countries might solve all problems. But, this is not the arena for that. I'm just a bit frustrated and bitter by so much around me that I can't change. I have to take it out some how.

I think I need to go home and do some serious knitting to get this out of my system.

Okay, it's 9:00 PM on Monday. I am still at my desk working like a crazed woman. This is the fourth 12 hour work day in a row. I don't like this to be a forum for me to complain about my job, but I think I earned the right to bitch a little. Te only good thing about working all of these hours is I think I have convinced my boss that I should postpone the Insurance Licensing class that I started last week. I'm supposed to go back tomorrow. I am going to try to get out of it if I can. There is no way that I can focus on Insurance while I am barely getting any sleep because I am at the office all day and night.

I tried to use the weekend as a knitting hibernation. I can't say it worked that well, but I tried. I did get some progress done on my socks. The first one is finished. The second is cruising nicely. I also tried to make this hat that I have been dying to make in the Vogue Knitting on the Go: Vintage Knits. It looks like an old fashioned ice skater's hat with cables and tassles. Well, I started along using yarn in the right gauge. After a while, I started to really wonder if it would fit my head. Alas, it must be a child's size pattern or maybe I have an enormous head. I don't know. In any case, it doesn't fit. I guess I'll go ahead and finish it since it's still cute. Then I can figure out with whom it should live.

I have convinced my fellow concessionaires at the theatre that Wrist Warmers are not only stylish but practical. When you are stuck standing by an open door in a drafty theatre and need to handle money, these wrist warmers come in handy. The yellow muppet-y looking ones have a home and I have started a pair of purple ones. I'll get a picture of all three of them in use as soon as I finish the latest ones.

I want to send a big "THANK YOU" to Grandma Dolly. Although it's a bit late, I got the Christmas present she sent me last week. It was a gift certificate to KnitPicks.com, which is a knitting catalog company based in my home town. Gotta support the 'Couve. Thank you Grandma D! I am just trying to figure out what I want to make next. Well, I have to narrow down the list!

It is sooooo cold out there. I realized today that I have reached the highest level of layering possible with my winter coat. I think they are saying that we will reach a high of a whopping 17 degrees today. On the bright side, my alpaca scarf, mittens, wool hat and Voodoo Wrist Warmers all helped to keep my toasty warm. What would I do without them???

Before I jump head first into another day of chaos here at the office, I want to apologize in advance for what may be some infrequent or terse postings in the next couple of months. My job has really gotten out of control. I am currently doing the job of at least 5 people in a time frame that is about 1/3 of a reasonable time for that size team. The only good news is I will be traveling so I should get plenty of quality knitting time in while I am galavanting around the country.

Well, off to the salt mines.

I have but a second to write since my job has begun to spin out of control.

Over the long weekend, I finished my Graduated Rib sweater. No pictures now, but it is being blocked. I also made another pair of Voodoo Wrist Warmers in some furry, sparkly yellow. They look like wrist muppets.

Didn't go to S-n-B last night because of a focus group. I'm a sucker for extra cash. Now I am totally crazed at work and will probably be working VERY late for the next couple of months. For all of you folks that I see on a regular basis, feel free to send pictures to my office to remind me what you look like.

I just got a phone call from one of my other harried co-workers letting me know that we have 5 weeks to plan 3 meetings (about 150-250 attendees each) in Atlanta and Colorado. I may have to stop posting for a while as I will be pulling my hair out to do the job of 4 people in an insanely rushed amount of time. Have I mentioned lately that I am really not happy with my job?

On a brighter note, I started the mending of the hole project last night. I unraveled 3 rows of ribbing in the front and then bound off again. Luckily, there was not a whole lot of difference in length in the front and back that I couldn't fudge the seam a little to make it look even. One problem I ran into was the integrity of the yarn. It is a 5-ply yarn that has been sitting on a shelf with a hungry moth. I would get about 1/2 way through the front with unraveling and find a severed ply. At first, I just ignored it and continued to pull it through, until I realized it didn't go through very easily and the loose ply came out. Before I know it, the yarn I was going to use to fix the hole had only 2 plies at the end. That is why I had to unravel further than I expected.

In any case, the hole is better, right now but doesn't look like the rest of the ribbing. I think I will go back and redo some of it in a different way. Oh, I also found a budding hole on the front by the collar. That one I can fix with a simple duplcate stitch.

I called the sweater's owner to give him the status. He actually asked if I could rework it so it would fit him better. (He's a size medium and the sweater is an extra large.) I told him that a) it wouldn't be ready before next weekend for Nana's party, and b) at that point, it wouldn't be Nana's sweater, it would be Nana's sweater that was torn out and made by Marney. He agreed that wouldn't be good. Maybe after this party, I could make it smaller for him using steeks. I have never done that and would be willing to give it a try.



After I decided to put that aside for the night, I picked up the second Voodoo Wrist Warmer. I think I amy make this pair for me. I am usually the one tho gets stuck meandering outside at the theatre. If my co-worker really likes them, I can always make a pair for her.

I got all kinds of suggestions for this sweater. Thank you all. I think the best/easiest suggestion come from last night. Ideally, I would like to just weave in the ends and do some darning to make the hole go away. Problem with that was a lack of extra yarn. Dennis (a fellow S-n-Ber) suggested unraveling only a couple of rows of ribbing, bind off again, and use the remaining yarn for weaving. I think that may be the best option, since I don't really want to change the design or the integrity of the sweater. If I had made it, that would be another story. Since "Nana" made it, I want to make sure that I respect her work.

S-n-B last night was a lot of fun. Two friends from the book club came along for lessons/a refresher. We all met at the yarn shop. That can be dangerous. I am proud to say that I only got some more yarn for the graduated rib sweater that has been on hold since I realized I needed more yarn. I was tempted to start something new but then I went down my list of WIPs and thought better of it.

Tonight is the big fix it for the sweater, wish me luck.

After looking over this sweater that I hope to fix, and getting so many fabulous suggestions, I may end up redoing the ribbing, which was my last option. The ribbing is 2 1/2 inches. If I take out all of the ribbing and make it about 2 inches instead, I could probably make it all better. To be honest, the sweater is quite a bit too big for my friend. When I saw him wearing it last week, he had all of the ribbing tucked under (and another couple of inches) to make it the right length. I think an exta 1/2 inch off the bottom won't make a difference at all. Now if I can convince him to invest in some cedar for his closet....

Other than that, I started working on a pair of Voodoo Wrist Warmers from knitty.com. They will be a birthday present for one of my theatre co-workers. The theatre can get so cold but we have to be able to use our fingers to count money and such. I opted for a pink and black striped pattern that will go well with the colors of the T-shirts we sell. I forgot to bring in the finished one today so there is no picture. The second one should be a snap.

Wait a minute, once again, I am finding myself making projects and fixing stuff for everyone else and putting my projects on hold. I have 2 sweaters and a pair of socks on needles for me but I keep putting them aside for other projects. Is there something wrong with me? I really need help. But going back to knitty, I really like the cheesylove pattern that was revealed this week. That may be another project for me that I can put off in lieu of someone else.

In finishing news, I ordered some buttons yesterday from Buttons Galore and More for the twin baby sweaters. I looked all over for something simple for these sweaters. I have to admit, I did order a few additional buttons to keep on hand, as well. It's a small indulgence.

I have been a bit lax in posting today. I guess I don't really know where to begin. My head is a little foggy from the weekend thanks to a lack of sleep and a growing cough that I am trying to keep under control.

Anyway, I managed to finish the front of the cable sweater. I have decided to go with a crew neck and make the front and the back the same stitch pattern. I am really getting excited about being able to wear this sweater. It will make me very happy.

I have posted this question in a couple of other places in hope that someone can give me a hand. A friend of mine has a beautifel cabled sweater that his grandmother made for him years ago. Sometime since the last time he wore it, a moth made a meal out of the ribbing. The hole is about 5 rows long and about 2-3 stitches wide. The strands have been totally severed. I tried to find some extra yarn in the seams and such but Grandma was not very generous with the extra yarn (I thought there was more when I took on this task). I thought about taking out the entire ribbing of the front and reworking it, but I don't think that is a very good idea. I don't know what yarn she used and I don't think the color will be easy to match - a dark forest green with a hint of teal. He needs it back in a couple of weeks for a family get together honoring Grandma's "collection". Any suggestions???? I plan on bringing it with me to S-n-B tomorrow night.

I have decided that I really need to get buttons for those Baby Sweaters. My boss's birthday is next Tuesday and the babies are expected sometime this month. (The due date is the first week of February, but I guess twins generally come early.) If I were smart, I would make a trip to Tender Buttons at lunch today and pick some up. Otherwise, I will have to make a trip to the notions store on Saturday between shows. I don't know why I even bother with other stores. That notions store, Greenberg & Hammer, always has everything I ever need. I thought I learned last time that I should always start there. But I could use a walk today in the freezing cold, though.

The book club was a lot of fun last night. There were two very welcomed newcomers, Amy and Joy, who both found our book club through this site. I am glad that I can use my rambling skills to actually bring people together with common interests. We had a great discussion about The Awakening by Kate Chopin. It was really good to look at themes and metaphors and other literary nuances that are hidden in classical literature. I think I have become a snob when it comes to literature. Contemporary writing just doesnít give me the same fulfillment as the old stuff. As we talked about it last night, these books are called classics for a reason.

In any case, if you have not read The Awakening, go out and pick it up. Considering it was written in 1899, it is a really wonderful feminist work. For you non-readers, it is only about 150 pages or so. For that matter, it can be found in it's entirety (as well as some of her short stories) here on the PBS website. If you really like it, check out the site for the PBS program, Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening.

I think I will leave today's entry as a purely literary one. Everything else will have to wait until tomorrow.

As I was walking to work this morning (yes, I walk to work everyday), I was thinking about how smart I am to have started up knitting. The weather out here has reached the seasonable range of freezing, &$%# cold and are my ears still attached? Not only do I have a hobby that makes me happy but it makes me warm. Not only the finished products but the process. My apartment is in a building that is over 100 years old. Let's just say I don't have many of the latest features like regulated heat. Even if I can see my breath in my living room (wouldn't be the first time), that bigg wooly sweater that I am knitting on my lap can now have its first opportunity to create warmth. Then, when the project is finished, there is the second chance to bring heat into this frigid climate. I feel so connected to our frontier foremothers and fathers.

Last night's S-n-B was filled with many new faces. It was so nice to see so many people that have just stumbled upon our little group and decided to give us a try. Of course, the cafe was rather crowded and we had to make due with whatever space we could find. C'est la vie.

I worked a while on my aran sweater. After S-n-B, I talked with my mom on the phone and made a few decision about what I want to do with this puppy. Man, this designing thing is much more complicated once you have to take into accounts necklines, sleeves, and so forth. I think my idea of an aran tube top or halter top was really shot down by most everyone. Even the front of a sweater with the laces/straps in the back was not received well. I guess you can't please everyone.

Well, yesterday as I was trying to do a little bit of conversion from metric units to standard units, I came across this Metric Conversion Chart that made me giggle. I think I knew about some of these before I read this chart.

In website news, I updated the NYC Book Club Page last night. I have been a little negligent on that puppy. Hopefully I will have a better, more current report for the meeting tonight. There are already a couple of people that can't be there tonight. Maybe they will feel a little more connected to this discussion if they read my little report. I have so diligently written up some of my own discussion questions to keep the chatter going. I guess it wouldn't be too hard to strike up a good conversation about The Awakening. If you haven't read it, you should put it on your short list.

I have to say I am feeling a lot better today. Last night I treated myself to a quiet evening at home, knitting. That is really the best medicine. I put off the sweater and the secret project for the socks.



As you can see, I tried a toe up pattern for these. I only have one ball of yarn and I didn't want to run out. The pattern that I have been using is pretty neat as it lets you use any gauge for any size foot to figure out the right number of stitches. You can see the pattern here and the chart that lets you figure out your stitches here.

Tonight is the good, ol' S-n-B. Of course the last two Tuesdays have been holiday eves so we haven't been doing much stitchin', at least as a group. I know there are a few projects that I would like to see the progress on. It will be nice to get back together with everyone without the harried feelings of the holidays.

Oh, tomorrow is the Book Club meeting. I am happy to say that I finished reading the book yesterday. We will be discussing The Awakening by Kate Chopin. It is definitely a book worth reading. The interesting thing is, I found the complete novel as well as some of her other works on the PBS web site. I had only a couple of chapters left to go so I finished it at work. If only all the books could be this accessible.

This is going to be a very short post since I am feeling a bit under the weather.

I wanted to say that last week I got a fabulous gift in the mail. A few people from Knitter's Review Forums decided to do a yarn exchange for the New Year. I received a hank of Cherry Hill Super Sock Merino from Luann (Thank you very much, Luann). I have already started on a pair of socks for me. Yea!!!!

Anyway, I am going to sit back and drink a lot of green tea for the rest of the day. I hope I can shake this bug quickly. I hate feeling this yucky.

Well, now that I am getting back into the swing of things, maybe I cam expound on what's going on in The World According to Marney. Just the weather alone has been noteworthy in the past couple of weeks. For all of you that were not in the Northeast for Christmas, NYC had it's first white Christmas in over 30 years. None of that light dusting stuff either. I figured that there was about 7 inches in Mid-Town Manhattan alone. I did take a couple of pictures of the snow as it was falling. That's the only time the snow is pretty in NYC, unless we get more than a foot in a short amount of time and force the cars off the roads. As soon as I get those pictures together, I will shore them. Today, the weather forecast calls for freezing drizzle. Am I crazy or are the meteorologists making stuff up now? Freezing Drizzle. Right.

Anyway, I was rather productive during my week and a haly at home. I sanded down and painted my armoire. It was a bit of a mess. I had tried to paint it about a year or so ago and I did a very bad job. The paint was pealing and splochy. Granted, it had an amaturish antique effect. So, I broke down and tried it again. After watching many episodes of Trading Spaces, I figure I can do anything, right? Well, aside from needing to get a little more paint for touch-ups, I think it turned out just fine. Of course, in order for me to actually get all of that done, I had to clean out all of the stuff in and around it. That was a much bigger project. I didn't get around to tackling the closet, but I did manage to clear out some of the other clutter that was beginning to bury me.

For Christmas Eve, I ended up spending a lovely evening with Suzanna, Debbie and John (the former two from S-n-B, John being Debbie's friend) for some yummy Indian food. Christmas Day was all about staying inside until I had to go to the theatre. Can I just say, even though it was a major holiday and a snow storm, Hairspray was still packed.

I spent New Year's with friends at an intimate gathering. Nothing too raucous (if you can believe that). It was a good time all around. That is, of course, before I left my wallet in a cab on the way home. Silly me, I didn't realize it was gone until yesterday morning. I got to wark to find a voicemail message from the guy who found it. So much for this being a cold-hearted city! There are definitely some good people out there.

I think that about brings us up to date.

I am back! I have to admit that I had a pretty fabulous vacation. It was filled with doing productive things around the apartment (like painting my armoire), spending a lot of time at the theatre and hanging with friends. All in all, I really enjoyed the time I had. I can't say that I met all of my goals for my vacation. In fact, compared to the list that I posted a couple of weeks ago, I think I only achieved the knitting and the reading, oh and the relishing. There was much relish in my vacation.

I was able to get quite a bit of work done on my sweater. I am almost finished with my second ball of yarn. That brings me to nearly 20 inches for the front. I don't have anything to post as far as pictures are concerned. Maybe I can get something together next week.

Right now, I am still trying to get my head back in the game. I'm afraid I will have to cut this post short. I am still trying to shake the vacation mode. It isn't easy.