Fine, I'll Just Cut Up My Credit Cards!

Stumbling upon this article in the NYTimes explained what has been happening recently, but it doesn't make it any better!

For the first time ever, I got slapped with a late fee on my credit card, and it wasn't small either! We usually pay our bills electronically, and have never had a problem. On my bill it said that I didn't make the payment on time, because instead of the three days it usually takes for an electronic payment to clear, you must now allot SEVEN days for the payment to clear. So, even though I paid my bill before it was due, I didn't pay it seven days before the due date.

However, not to worry, assures the credit card company, if I am worried about not paying on time, I can submit an electronic payment that clears INSTANTLY, but you will have to pay a FEE.

Seriously, this is crazy pants.

800 dollar cardigan

Looking at this makes me think several things.

1. Reminds me of a Todd Oldham project in a craft magazine from a couple of years ago. I can't remember the name of the mag, but I can see it in my mind. It is something hip and diy. Basically take a bunch of thrift store sweaters, cut them up, and assemble them into a cool multi-colored pullover.

2. This would be super fun to knit with lots of random balls of yarn. You could basically take this pattern and tweak it for the perfect lookalike.

3. Both of these projects would not cost you 800 dollars.

I think the cardigan is super cool, and not just because Michelle Obama wore it yesterday on a state visit to the U.K. I would totally do that strip of sequins, just because.

Quilts

I've always wanted to quilt, but once I tried to make my own clothes and basically failed (well, ok, I did make one complete dress, which I wore to husband's brother's wedding) but the experience was pretty off-putting. My MIL likes to make t-shirt quilts, and when she came to visit three weeks ago, she finished them by knotting through the three layers, which made me start to think that maybe I wouldn't have to do all those crazy finishing stitches.

Then, I saw this post.

I'm thinking maybe I should start organizing my fabric stash and see what I have color-wise.

And, today, I somehow managed to go out and buy a rotary cutter and mat.

We"ll see what happens.

Together Everyone Achieves More

Or Else. 

Knitting Update

Jillian Lewis from Project Runway has released a collection, which is cable and knit heavy.

Spring 2009 Interweave Knits Preview.

I'm mildly obsessed with this whole line of legwarmers. I say "mildly" because I don't think I could get away with wearing them, but I have this fantasy of a little bit of knit/crochet popping above my boots.

And I think this Halogen sweater looks a lot like the Holly Jacket.

I'm trying very hard to not buy yarn, because, lets face it, I have enough. I've purposely not gone to either to either of the two yarn shops that are 10-15 minutes from my work. I think I deserve a reward...

Crying Over Vegetables

My grandfather in Wales passed away on the 18th. He had prostate cancer, and a bad heart, and in the end, the chemo weakened his heart and he had a heart attack.

My step-dad and my mom have been calling from Moscow, and I've been calling Wales and Moscow in return. Thank God for Skype, else it would have been incredibly expensive, since we spoke for hours. 

Everyone keeps telling me that is okay that I can't go to the funeral, that everyone understands that I live too far away to make it to the funeral on Wednesday. Everytime someone says it though, I feel more and more guilty. 

I was in Subway the other day, and a man asked for "no veggies" on his sandwich, and I just started crying, because my mother always scolded my grandfather for not eating his vegetables, and that his poor diet would "be the death of him." 

I said good-bye to my grandfather two years ago. We went out there for a week and a half, between leaving my job and starting graduate school. He had just been diagnosed, and everyone said he had a couple of months left, at most. He outlived their expectations, and passed away four hours short of his 86th birthday. 

Still it hurts, that I won't be able to say good-bye at the funeral. I guess that is why we like our rituals, because it gives everyone a proper time and place to say and do what they feel. Maybe on Wednesday I'll go find a pub and lift a pint for Grandpa, since besides building houses, he loved his beer. 

Frustration

I have learned that lace-weight kid mohair and bamboo knitting needles do not go together.

Off to dig through metal needles.....