Cancer can SUCK IT!

This past weekend was the Relay For Life in my area. If you don't know, Relay For Life is walk to cure cancer. They raise money for cancer awareness and research. There are many fundraisers out there, but this one is particular to me because cancer has affected my family. My grandmother and an aunt have died of cancer. And my mother is living with cancer. Thankfully my mom is doing great and she doesn't need treatment.
Relay is a great event for people who have either survived cancer or has been affected in some way by cancer. I think its a very therapeutic event. The survivors walk to show that cancer didn't beat them! And the rest can show their support and love. Not only that, they can DO something.
In my experience with my mother's cancer, I felt helpless. This was something that was happening to her and I couldn't do anything. I think Relay can help with those feelings that i'm sure others have felt as well.
Other ways to help are donating knitted projects such as hats for treatment patients.
There are a few organizations that collect knit caps and send them to cancer treatment centers. HeadHuggers has a large selection of patterns. Also, Chemocaps.com. Each website has its own directions on suggested yarn and also how to send in your donation. Also, check your local cancer treatment center to see if they take handmade donations.
Some people donate, some people walk, but i like to knit!

Crisse de Calisse de Tabarnake de Cave!

My Dad...

• has a girly name in English but a manly name in French.
• can fix anything
• taught me how to change my snow tires
• accidentally went fishing for sting rays
• grew up on a farm
• can't chew soft bubble gum (Bubblicious gum + dentures = badness)

• Almost killed himself while fixing a dam
• can't pronounce words that begin with "TH"
• says "WHOA WHOA WHOA"
• taught me math
• loves to buy antique furniture
• does not wear a toupee
• has a facebook page
• has planted thousands of trees
• has a Kubota Tractor
• likes dark colors
• loves seafood
• loves thin crust pizza even more. and loves toppings like apples, raisins, walnuts and whatever he can find in the fridge
• can use an entire bottle of sun-block and still get burned at the beach. "You have to rub it into your skin!"
• drives a van
• makes the the best maple eggs
• taught me how to curse in French (not intentionally, of course) Crisse de Calisse de Tabarnake de Cave!

What can your dad do?

Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day gifts: Necktie for dad at Raverly.com, Father's Day Cloth at KrisKnits.com, and Father's Day Crochet Socks at LionBrand.com

Jordan Catalano signed my yearbook

Its been 16 years since the 90's TV show "My So Called Life"aired, but sometimes i still dream of Jordan Catalano. In 1995, Jared Leto played the high school grunge heartthrob to Claire Danes' invisible Angela.
I loved this show growing up. I could relate to the characters who were just a few years older than me. Okay, i couldn't completely relate to all the social issues it focused on... homelessness, teenage alcoholism, parental neglect, and many others. But i could relate to Angela, who was obsessed with Jordan. He was the kind of guy you wished knew your name and desperately hoped would sign your yearbook. Then when he looked into your eyes, he would realize that you were "the one", kiss you, and the two of you would live happily ever after. Everyone has had this fantasy. Maybe not with Jordan Catalano, but whoever makes your heart melt. It's hard to explain why, but I think it must go along with the same reason why women love the movie "Dirty Dancing".

It's the fantasy that the hottest guy in high school, not only notices that you exist, but is attracted to you. So when the holiday camp's hot dance instructor or the alternative grunge guy at your school has the hots for you, you become smitten!
And then he has to screw it up by sleeping with your best friend. He is so hot, but dammit, he is stupid!
Not Swazye though, because...
Okay, so here is the knitting related section. Click here to find some really cute Knitting Merchandise on CafePress.com

There's no place like home

Well, I survived my first Tornado! And crapped my pants too!
This past Wednesday, a Tornado landed in West Springfield, moved across the CT River and destroyed parts of Downtown Springfield. Another Tornado (or it might have been the same one) landed in other parts of Mass (Westfield, Monson, Wilbraham, Brimfield)
I wasn't outside to see the Tornado go right by my workplace but i saw the video and that was enough to freak me out. Everyone was ordered into the basement for cover since the weather was still suspicious of another tornado on the way.

You can see my office around the 1:38 mark.

Click here to go to the Western Mass Tornado Relief Facebook page. You'll find information on how to help others and also get aid if you have been effected.

Your free pattern for this week is Wizard of Oz themed. Very cute Mary Jane Slippers from CreativeKnittingMagazine.com. Knit them in Red and you'll have Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers! Or if you are more on the witchy side... here is a free pattern for striped Mary Jane Slippers from Craftbits.com

I apologize to those you might find by this post offensive but i feel that sometimes a bad situation needs to lifted with laughter. And that is what I am trying to do here.

How do you say "It's Gon Rain!" in Russian?

This past week i had to say good bye to my assisant. She found another position and i hope her the best, but i will miss her. Fun fact, she's afraid of butterflies. Weird, right?

So this one goes out to her...

I love fun facts. It always great to throw one out when a conversation starts to dwindle. Here are a few:

• The oldest known animal in the world was 'Ming' the 405 year old clam, discovered in 2007.
• If you eat lots of carrots, you'll start to turn orange.
• SCUBA divers cannot pass gas at depths of 33 feet or below.
• Tipping at a restaurant in Iceland is considered an insult.
• Moscow weathermen can be fined for inaccurate weather forecasting!

That last one hits home hard. I had to cancel an outdoor event for work a few weekends back because the forecast was rain, but it ended up being a beautiful day! KHAAAAAN!
Fun facts courtesy of FunFactz.com
PS. "It's gon rain" in Russian is его движение идти дождь

Knitting me up some Foghorn Leghorn

Technology, I say, technology is amazing. It really is. We have cell phones that are mini computers. Laptops that can unlock your computer by finger print, and the XBOX Kinect that will obey your every command except "KILL!"
Technology has even found its way into knitting. Did you know that you can take a photograph, process it through an image-to-pattern generator and voila, you have a pattern to create that same picture into a knitting or crochet project. For example... through KnitPro 2.0 i took a picture of Foghorn Leghorn and put it through the generator.

The generator takes the pictures and basically pixelizes the picture while putting it into a chart. So now you can buy the colors of yarn necessary to replicate the picture. Its not a  perfect copy of the photo but it gives you an idea of how to make the pattern work. This program would probably work best with solid color project with a photo that doesn't have a lot of detail. Like a heart, daisy... bird... unicorn! Charlie, lets go to Candy Mountain!

Sorry, back to reality. I have not used these generators yet but i do plan to try them out. Starting with simpler photos and then working my way up to Foghorn Leghorn!

Here are a few other sites i found after doing a quick search for free or downloadable image-to-pattern generators.

KPG

KnitPro 2.0

Knit Pattern Generator 0.3

Rainy day projects

So Cute!

On rainy days like today, i like to catch up on my DVR shows and Netflix movies. oh yeah, and needle projects! Need a project? Keep yourself busy with one skein. They usually don't take more than a few hours to a day to finish them. Perfect for a rainy day! You can find free patterns on Raverly.com. Register at the website and have access unlimited patterns. Some are free (awesome!) and some you have to purchase.
Here are a few other websites that have free one skein patterns...
OneSkeinWonders.com
TheCraftiblog
Tangle
Reliquary Arts- really cool one skein shoe rug

Finally, here is my nerd reference... rainy days make me think of an episode from Sailor Moon where Sailor Jupiter was dumped by her boyfriend on a rainy day. Click here to listen to the song from that episode.