Monday's Musing

Thank you, everyone for the kind words about my pile of yarn! I am happy to report that it is half gone again and I will soon be finished with Secret Project #3. Yay!!! :)

Onward to today's musing:

"The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it." - Moliere

Happy Monday! Have a great week. :)

:(

A picture is worth a thousand (swear) words.

Special!

Well, after my sale, now we're back to those weekly specials and give-aways! I have a ton of heavy gauge copper, sooooooo this week's special is my copper swirl penannular style pin.

Through next Wednesday, September 2, take 20% off your order of one or more of these pins when you enter coupon code TWIRLY at checkout.

And the give-away? It's getting close to hat weather, so retweet (mentioning this blog post and @RomiDesigns), blog about, comment on Facebook, or plurk about my special with appropriate link to my post here, and be entered to win a copy of fun hat pattern, Toque, Yo (pronounced toke-yo)!

It's a super easy slip stitch pattern that looks difficult but is super easy to knit! If you don't want to talk about my special, leave a comment, say hello and be entered! Do both and get two entries. :) I will choose a winner next Thursday, September 3rd.

Amazing

This is mind blowing, although not in the least knitting related. Wow!

Love this!

I was reading the Daily Om (Scout got me turned on to this!) and this caught my eye:

FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real

I love it!

In other news, The Consumer Product Safety Commission has exempted yarn and fabric from the CPSIA. This act still boggles my mind. And I have to wonder if it will end up doing anything at all, since the government has no money to enforce it.

Oops!

I messed up. The dates on my sale were incorrect on my website, so I have extended the sale through this Wednesday August 26th! The coupon code has changed to DOGDAYS1 (don't forget to add that 1), because the other one expired. Too early. Oops. But good for you, right? :)

Come on over! :D

In other news, Doc Steph has won my last give-away! She is the randomly generated new owner of my five lacy patterns: Bluebird, Love Squared, Verdigris Socks, Queen Wil, and Dynamique. Congratulations, Steph!!! And thank you to everyone who entered!

Monday's Musing

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw

Have a playful week!

Woof!!! Don't Forget!

Last weekend of my Dog Days of Summer Sale on all shawl pins in stock! Here's a cat to tempt the dogs.

And a couple of sheep for the dogs to herd. A ram:

and a ewe! :)

Don't forget! The sale goes through this weekend. 15% off $15 or more on all shawl pins in stock at Designs by Romi. Enter DOGDAYS at checkout!

Dog Days go on

In honor of my Dog Days of Summer Sale...

A Scottie dog!

Don't forget! The sale goes through this weekend. 15% off $15 or more on all shawl pins in stock at Designs by Romi. Enter DOGDAYS at checkout!

Time Out

...for a little yarn play. I have a bunch of Royale Hare high twist sock yarn to photograph for her website. Just look at these colors!

Are they not drool-worthy?

In other news, Stealth Knitting continues. Secret Projects #1 and #2 were packed up and sent off and I am now working on Secret Project #3. Next up? Secret Projects #4 and #5, which are, thankfully, smaller!

And my sale goes on!! Most popular so far are my swirl kilt pin

my swirl penannular

my silver eternity pin

and my prong pin!

Remember to enter DOGDAYS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase of $15 or more through August 23rd!

Monday's Musing

"The difference between can and cannot are only three letters. Three letters that determine your life's direction."

"Train your mind to think in terms of 'possible' and 'can be done'." - Remez Sasson

The other day I was working on positive thinking. Well, really, I am always working on positive thinking! I realized that when I was younger, there were times that I just knew I would win something or get something done. When I auditioned for Eastman, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was mine. And it was. When I used to write proposals for engineering and architecture contracts, I knew there was a way to get it there on time, (even after all the messengers had quit for the day and I had missed the last flight out and the printer's machines had broken down and it was midnight) and all I had to do was find it. And you know what? I did find that way. It wasn't a trash-talking kind of sureness. It wasn't an "I'm so great; I can do anything" kind of sureness. It was a knowledge, deep inside all the way into my bones, that it was going to happen.

Somehow, over the years I've lost that sureness. Maybe it's the deep realization that there are so many obstacles to overcome in our society. Maybe it's having to make daily compromises. Or maybe it's getting knocked down a few too many times. But I'm trying to get it back. I need my positive mojo. Don't we all?

Dog Days of Summer SALE

Can you believe the summer is almost over?!?! What happenend?! Kids are headed back to school, there's fall in the air, crush is beginning here in wine country, and we're headed into autumn, my favorite time of year.

That means it's time for my Dog Days of Summer Sale at Designs by Romi! Everything that's in stock, with the exception of patterns, is 15% off a purchase of $15 or more through Sunday, August 23rd. It's a great time to stock up on pins for the holidays, especially since I get so incredibly busy through the end of the year that I have no time to come up with new pin designs. And no new pin designs = no sneaky sales! Well, it's possible there might be one more, but you never do know with those sneaky sales! ;)

To receive your 15% discount, enter code DOGDAYS at checkout. (Hmmmmm, it's only fair that I have a cat days sale some time, isn't it? But when????)

And the give-away? Retweet (mentioning this blog post and @RomiDesigns), blog about or plurk about this sale with appropriate link to my post here, and be entered to win a set of five lacy patterns, including Bluebird, Love Squared, Verdigris Socks, Queen Wil Socks and Dynamique Socks! I will choose a winner on Monday, August 24th. However many times you mention this sale (and tell me about it), that is the number of entries you will have in the drawing! Receive double the entries for each pin you buy. (Does that make sense?) Buy a pin? Receive two entries! Buy two pins? Receive four entries! Good luck to you! May the best fiberholic win. :)

Report from the Summit - The Last Day

Well, at long last: the final report on my wayward Sock Summit badge, from our roving reporter Ba.

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And now for our final chapter….

Before we continue our story, Romi’s Badge forgot to tell tell you about seeing/meeting the Yarn Harlot (Romi's badge was so relaxed from her bath, you see….).
Saturday night, while going up to her room at the hotel, Stephanie walks into the elevator. Squee! As much as Romi’s Badge wanted a picture with her, she kept it cool and didn’t say anything, because accosting Stephanie in the elevator (or lift) would have been very bad form. (Ba did tell Stephanie that from a vendor perspective, everything was running very smoothly….)

Anywho, Sunday morning came and we went to the last day of the Market. We chatted awhile with Stephanie of Rainy Days and Wooly Dogs

(She has Goth inspired hand-dyed yarn and knitting bags. Cool stuff…)

Then Michelle of Boulderneigh came by to get a ewe pin to go with her ram pin.

(She’s pouting because I could only find a copper one and she wanted a silvery one. But she was happy to be here…)

Then Kathy from knit group stopped by with her sister to say hi!

(Kathy has a yurt for a studio. Romi’s Badge wants a yurt for a studio, too….)

And Cristi popped in to give Romi’s Badge a kiss

One last look around the market and Romi’s Badge admired Jennie the Potter’s wares one last time…

(Her stuff is so awesome…Ba got a mug with a chocolate colored sheep and a spindle with green yarn)

At last, it was time to pack up and leave. Romi’s Badge fortified herself with a fresh blackberry shake from Burgerville

(made with real blackberries. Yummy….)

She helped pack the High Twist Sock yarn and silk hankies

and the Superwash Bluefaced Leicester (which is pronounced ‘lester’, not ‘lyster’).

Soon, the truck and trailer were packed and Romi’s Badge settled in for the long ride home.

Thanks everyone for joining us in The Adventures of Romi’s Badge!!

Ba would like to thank her youngest son for the loan of his computer while at Sock Summit. Without it, this adventure would not have seen the light of day. Thanks, kiddo…

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I'm thinking my badge had too much fun without me! ;)

Something Socky this Way Comes

Yep, another sock pattern! This one was also at the Sock Summit without me. :)

Presenting Dynamique!

It's a fun lacy pattern. I started out with another pattern charted out and then I took it to my knitting group.

Oops. I totally changed it while not paying any attention whatsoever.

But it turns out that I like this one better anyway! :D

It's available on Ravelry.

Or on my site.

This one is a top down construction using two skeins of the Royale Hare's special Designs by Romi colorway, Flaming June. There are both charts and written instructions. Hope you like it!

A great, but sockless, weekend

While my badge was off living it up at Sock Summit, I was at a swim meet watching my boys compete. The littlest one (aka The Bear, 6) was debuting in his first real meet, and #1 Son, 10, was having his first anniversary of competition. It was a great meet, lasting two days, and involving the Redwood Empire Aquatic League (REAL) teams. The following is a picture heavy post with highlights from both days!

We were up at 5:30 am both days to get to the meet and get a good set up area. And we totally scored! We got there at 7:20 and snatched up a great place right on the pool deck to set up our tent. Here are the boys getting ready to warm up and showing off their attitude! You can see they have their events written on their arms with a Sharpie, the badge of the swimmer.

Here's #1 Son taking a warm up start before the races.

The Bear got in a start too!

We were sitting right in the middle of a bunch of other team mates, and scored some temporary tattoos. Here's The Bear showing off his tattoo right before he warms up for his first race.

The Bear got off to kind of a slow start on his first race, 25 yard backstroke (one lap). I had to yell to tell him to go! But he won his heat and his 6 and under division! Here he is in the middle.

Here's #1 Son scoping out the competition before his first race.

And his start. He's in the middle.

Here's The Bear getting ready for his second race: 25 yard breast stroke. He won his heat and his division in this one too! He was the only one in 6 and under that had a legal breast stroke. Everyone else was DQed! For the 8 and under kids swimming 25s, they start without blocks.

Getting a little snack and some extra team spirit before the medley relay....

#1 Son showing his Trident!

#1 Son waiting to swim the anchor leg of his freestyle relay. He's the swimmer on the left block.

In the end, #1 Son swam 5 events, made it to all his finals, and then swam the breast stroke in the medley relay and anchor leg in the freestyle relay. His relay team won both their races, and he got a three 3rds, 5th, and 8th in his event finals. Looking back over the year, it's been an amazing one for him! Last year at this meet, he had C times, and this past weekend, he swam A times in all but one event (he hates back stroke), and improved all of his times. Last year, he was an alternate on the B relay team, and this year he was a solid member of the A relay team.

The Bear won his division in 25 back stroke and breast stroke, got 3rd in 25 and 50 free, and DQed in butterfly. He can't quite get his arms all the way out of the water yet! And he swam the back stroke in the 8 and under medley relay. They came in 1st, but were DQed for the butterfly lap. It's a tough stroke! And he loved his first real meet. He was only bummed that they don't have finals for 8 and under kids. :)

Whew. So that's it in a nutshell. It was a blazing hot, but fabulous weekend! I wouldn't have missed it for anything!!!

Report from the Summit - update

My poor badge had a very very long weekend, Ba tells me:

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I’m sorry, but Romi’s Badge can’t post right now because she faceplanted as soon as she touched the hotel bed.

Please come back tomorrow……

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I don't know about you, but I am sooooo looking forward to seeing what happened the last day of Sock Summit! :D

Monday's Musing

"Energy flows where thought goes." - anonymous

Think about it. :) And have an energetic week!

Report from the Summit - Day 3

While I am away at the kids' swim meet, Ba the roving reporter continues to report on the exploits of my badge at Sock Summit. If you are at Sock Summit, don't forget to go by the Royale Hare booth (916/918) and get your picture taken with my wandering badge!

Ba sez...

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Our saga continues…

We find Romi’s Badge waking up far too frikin early (5:40 am!!) to a typical overcast Oregon morning. Back at the Market, yarn fumes are still strong. Joan, reading about the Romi’s Badge on her blog, comes by to say hi

(Joan bought a copper kitty pin that went beautifully with her Clapotis)

Later, Kathy from Purlescence stopped by with Baby Ellie

(Ellie was just too adorable naming all the colors in the fibers….)

Then Brianne and Jamie stopped by. Jamie had just gotten her first spinning wheel (an Ashford Traditional) and was eyeing the fiber. She gave us some great tips on where to find dinner. Thanks!!

Look who else came by, attracted to the wonderful dyed fibers….

The Tsock Tsarina herself…..(though we saw through her disguise)

Then Brenda Patipa stopped by…

(She won a pin in a Romi contest)

After lunch, Romi’s Badge stopped by the Purlescense booth to sign a Get Well Card for Alison Hyde

and then went to the Periwinkle Sheep booth, and wrapped herself around the Constance shawl (Which Alison knit out of Periwinkle Sheep yarn) to try to send Alison good healing juju.

Romi’s Badge then wandered over to Carolina Homespun to say hello to Morgaine

(Morgaine, I’m soooo sorry for the fuzzy picture….)

Then she helped Ba spin on a gorgeous 30” Schacht-Reeves cherry saxony wheel….

making sure the lanyard didn’t get in the way. (Ba wanted to take the wheel to the Royale Hare booth to spin. Morgaine didn’t think this was a good idea)

Whew…it was a long day at the market. After having dinner at the hotel, Romi’s badge decided to go back to downtown for dessert at Mother’s Bistro. Marionberry claufoti and a cup of green Jasmine tea. Yum…..

After that scrumptious dessert, Romi’s Badge had a nice hot, relaxing bath and listened to a knitting podcast before going to bed.

Stay tuned for the Final Installment of Romi’s Badge….

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What will happen next?!?! While Romi is away the badge does play!