Blogging, Knit Guilding and Gardening

I'm having a drink. Here it is, Sunday, and I've been working on digital photos and this blog for most of the day. My new button alone took 2 hours - grab it, will ya? I hope someone will use it. I have Photoshop Elements 3.0, which I am beginning to adore. Being an impatient person, I didn't take the time to read through the wonderful Short Courses manual until now. Instead of being intimidated, I should've realized that PE3 is perfect for a nitpicky, detail-oriented, organization freak..uh...person like me who loves to put everything in categories and lists.

I have three CDs chock-full of pictures since 2002. I managed to upload only the first CD of photos to the catalog and tag them. Tagging!! I love it!! What a concept!!

Creating the button was frustrating but educational. You can go to GRSites Button Maker if you don't have image-editing software. I picked up this tip from the ever clever Agnes. If you do have Photoshop, you can create your own button. Basic steps if using a photograph:

• select your image
• edit/enhance your image (you may need to crop so that it's basically rectangular)
• save this as your baseline
• resize to button dimensions (something like 1"x.5")
• save this as your baseline button
• you may have to close and re-open baseline button image
• use the Text tool to layer your text onto the image
• save your button as a GIF or JPG

In knitting news, I attended a knitting group at Coffee Republic yesterday. It was kind of intense. Amid the serenity of many ladies knitting away socks and scarves, there was a buzz of excitement. I was in awe of the complicated projects these women were working on...Beth had a lovely lace pattern from White Lies using bamboo yarn...Sandi and Carol were knitting socks on such teeny needles...Kaedean was holding up samples of a reversible cable...Barbara was putting on a show and tell about felting purses. I was enthralled by it all. So of course I joined the Sacramento Knitting Guild (aka Camellia City Stockin'ettes) and then rushed to Babetta's for my 10% member discount. And I promptly bought several skeins of Manos del Uruguay.

Hence my button. The background is Manos del Uruguay in colors #113 and #32.

I dig Manos because it's a Fair Trade company. I think that's very important. Yes, the yarn is expensive. However, Fair Trade means the final product was produced with environmentally sustainable processes, the middleman is cut out and 90% of the profits go directly back to the cooperatives. My coffee is the same way - don't laugh - Fair Trade organic coffee is the best!

Finally, two more happy events this weekend. First, Carolina is in the NCAA Championship Final by way of beating Michigan State. It was a nail-biter for me in the first half and I'm sorry to say that I was quite snappy at half time. Poor Karl. However, I made up for it after Carolina won. Second, I spent some quality time in my garden tending to my riotiously overgrown herbs. I let the parsley overtake their borders so I cut them back furiously (hopefully I won't regret that later). The mint was just atrocious. I really had to fight with the original plant because it spread all over. Tip: do not grow mint in your yard, it will grow like a weed! Keep it in containers! I trimmed the oregano and the flowers close by - Blue Marguerite and something that looks like a mum.

OK. I'm having another glass of wine. For you Sacramento-area readers, the Ironstone wines are very tasty. The Symphony Obsession is crisp and sweet.

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful day!