Back and catching up!

Well I am back from NJ. We had a really good time. The wedding was very nice, the reception was fabulous (WOW! The seafood!!!!!) and it was great to see some of family members again. I haven't seen some of them in years, so it was great! I forgot my camera though, so I have no pics. We walked to the ocean from my uncle's house. They live a couple of blocks from Pt. Pleasant beach. We drove past the boardwalk and saw some gorgeous multi-million dollar homes. Sigh.......

I am glad to be back though, because of course, much work awaited my return. I am finally catching my breath a bit, but I really feel bad I haven't updated before now.

I have been knitting.....a little.

I finished this little blankie for my niece Kennedy (aka Peep to me). She has this little attachment to another yellow blankie (appropriately named Yellow - gotta love kids), but her other one is falling apart. So I thought we would try this one, to make original Yellow last a little longer. This yarn is called Heaven or something, I lost the band. It is very, very soft and not that horrible to work with. It only took me a few hours in the car to finish it. Parker was feeling the yarn, and now he wants one too. So yesterday I picked up a skein of blue and one of white to make one for him too. Easy project - Yay!


Also on the ride to NJ I finally started my Maggie's Tote (Fiber Trends pattern). I am using some handpainted yarn from Briar Rose Fibers. I am alternating between skeins a little, hoping for a bit of subtle striping. The colors scream autumn to me, very appropriate for this time of year. Brrrr, it is supposed to get down in the 30's here tonight. Hey! It might be time to start an afghan hehe. (yes I will say anything to justify making THAT blanket!)

No progress on the shawls, minimal progress on the socks and I still haven't found another skein of yarn for the cardi. I have a couple more local stores to try, so I hope I get lucky.

I should be exercising, because, wow, I think I ate enough for 3 people last weekend. YIKES! Does cleaning count?.........I didn't think so.

I am SOOOO in trouble!!!!!

Dang that Knitty.

Did you see the new patterns? Oh! My! Gosh!

That blanket is haunting me, no lie. I just can't stop thinking about it. How in the world am I going to be able to afford that much Noro? Ouch! I know the hubby isn't going to let me splurge on that one. But maybe there is a substitute yarn to be found. Any ideas? Please? I am desperate! There has to be something right?

Other patterns are tempting me too. Like this, but yikes, a whole sweater on size 1 and 2 needles? Not sure I can do that!

This and this are nice too. But...........I am not going to cast on another sweater until I actually finish the other one. And yes, I am ticked at the sleeves again on the cardi. I think I did something wrong and the seams looks like crud.....yes, crud. I am praying I don't have to rip them. I think I will go to the LYS today and have her look at them. I hope they are fixable. Or I will have to knit them for the 3rd time.......and this will NOT make me happy. Sigh....

Like forever!

Yeah, that's how long it seems to have been since I posted last. Busyness has captured me and it won't let me go. My evil friend volunteered me to be on the costume committee for the fall musical at the high school, so I have been busy with that. That along with everything else that starts up in the fall, like soccer, piano, voice, church activities, etc. - yupp that equals busy me.

I did actually accomplish something though. At last, another FO!


I finished the shrug and it fits Alex, and it DEFINITELY doesn't fit me. Oh well, I kinda expected that. This pic really doesn't do it justice though. There isn't really a wonky spot on the front edging either, it was just in a weird position when I took the pic. It is so cute on her when she is not wearing a sports bra with a tank top that is too big for her. (Believe me, I tried to get her to change it for the pic!) I used the Knot Ugly Shrug Pattern from the Happy Hooker book. I modified it quite a bit, but mostly on just the edgings. I really like it on her, and I think I will make another one (a bazillion times bigger!) for myself. I am tellin ya....I really love to crochet! If you haven't tried it yet, go for it. It is fun to achieve stitches that look different from knitting.

Well I am off to continue my organizing, and let me tell ya, many, many things here need it. Yikes, the paper piles alone!!!!!! I also need to plan my knitting and crochet projects for this weekend. I am going to a family wedding out of state, and I will have many, many hours for knitting and crocheting. The trip takes about 14 hrs each way, and yahooie, I don't have to drive. I smell a pair of socks coming...........

KAL's

I think I'm becoming a joiner. I have already joined the Knittin' Mittens KAL.


I have never made a pair of mittens or gloves in my life, but hey, I am willing to try it. Now I just need to decide on a pattern. I have some lovely brown alpaca that would make some nice warm gloves, but yikes, I am scared to try gloves. Those fingers! They look really hard. You know I am an avid sock knitter, would I be able to make gloves? You experienced people out there, please let me know. And if you have an easy glove pattern to suggest, I would appreciate that too!

I think I'm joining the Sexy Knitters Club too.


Right now they are making Sizzle (and one other pattern), and I just happen to have the Sizzle pattern. I think this would be a fun knit. Now I just have to wait for my acceptance email.

So what KAL's are you all joining? Any great ones that I haven't heard about? I know there was a list somewhere of current ones, but I can't seem to find it.

Oh, I almost forgot, I started seaming my sweater last night. YAY!!!

FO!!!!!!!!!

Finally I finished the STR socks! I know why they took me so long, because I really don't feel the love for short-row heels. I just love the flap heel. It fits my foot better and actually goes faster for me. I know that if I do the short-row method more often it will become easier, but so far I just don't love it. Anyhoo.....


I think they are Bee-YOO-tee-ful!
Pattern: my own
Yarn: STR Highway 30
Note to self: using this pattern in a solid yarn could be very nice too.

An old, and I mean very old, UFO - yay! I'm almost there:

That is the last piece (woot!) of a cardigan I have been working on, for like FOREVER! See! I really am trying to finish things! I am determined to wear this thing within the next couple of weeks!


And what is that new blob of mesh you ask? It is a crocheted shrug from the Happy Hooker book. So far so good, although it started out being for me and I am not sure I can squeeze the old body into it. If not, Alex gets a new shrug! (it is so nice having a slightly smaller than myself child to fall back on hehe)

Working on this reminds me yet again that I really like to crochet. Now to locate some more really great crochet patterns. If any of you have suggestions where to find some, let me know.

NOTE: I am so sorry that my blog still doesn't read well with Firefox. I have tried to fix it, but I still can't figure it out! Grrr.....I wish I could be a techie!

No pain, no gain....

I am having a bit of hand pain. When our family got in a car accident last year (we were hit head-on by a teenage driver), I must have gripped the door handle a little too hard while crashing, and damaged something in my middle finger. Now when I knit or crochet too much, it can flare up. Today it is quite sore, so I am taking a little break.

I would love to keep on knitting and crocheting/starting new projects, especially now that the new Magknits is up! I particularly want to make Seaside and the Lombard Street socks. I have to keep up the chant......I will not cast on, I will not cast on, or start anything new, or start anything new. Believe me, I know I won't last long, seriously! I know myself well enough to realize that the temptation will win. Ooooh, good grief the new Knitty will be out soon too! Aghhh....what is a girl to do? I have no chance! I am, however, determined to finish up a couple of UFO's from the past, and I have been faithfully working on them.....really! I promise I will show them off soon!

Oh, and I am going to call my sewing teacher Tues, so hopefully I can have a lesson sometime next week! I love crafty stuff!!!!

Gifties!

Yay! I have received some delicious yarny gifts! I love it when people know me well enough to buy me YARN!!!!!!!

Wednesday I went out for lunch with a friend that I hadn't seen much this summer. We have been trying to work out a time to get together for over a month now and finally it happened. She showed up with an unexpected, belated birthday gift for me.


2 skeins of Regia Crazy Color yarn in great bright colors, and a little trinket box from Willow Tree. (I collect a few of their pieces.) She is not a knitter so I was very surprised to get yarn from her. What a good friend!

I received another great yarn package in the mail this week from one of my knitting friends.


2 skeins of Regia Bamboo. I really have been wanting to try this yarn. My LYS has a baby sweater made out of it, and it is so incredibly soft!!!! I can't wait to make a pair of socks with it. Now I just need to finish the STR socks so I can dig into this stuff!

Yikes! I found a new dishcloth pattern here. I am trying really hard not to start one so I can finish up some of my UFOs, but wow I am TEMPTED!!!!

It's so quiet.....

Wow is it quiet here. All three kids went to school today. Yesterday only the girls had school. Now Parker is gone too and it is so so peaceful. I am just basking in the solitude. I have been cleaning, doing laundry, reading emails and catching up on my phone calls. I am enjoying EVERY minute of it. Ahhhh.......

Parker was in the backseat this morning on the way to school and he says "I am a little...um...not scared....but what is the word?" Alex says "nervous?" and he says "Yeah that's the word!" He is apparently sitting across the room from a little girl he likes and he is worried because he will "HAVE to look at her". Haha, the kid cracks me up!

Last week he went to the fair. A friend of ours does face painting there and he apparently visited her multiple times that day.


He had a lightning bolt, a bomb, a heart, a spider, an inchworm and a Batman emblem. Wow was he proud! I warned him they were temporary and were going to come off and he said in his best southern accent "No they're not, cuz yer not washin' me tonight ma!". Haha what a little bugger! Where does he come up with this stuff? Hick language? Haha, I told him to please not call me "ma". Ma does not make me feel good, after all, I am only 38! It was good for a laugh though!

Well off I go to enjoy the quietness. ALL BY MYSELF!!!!!! Bwahahahaha.......

Odds and ends....

Sometimes it is really hard to come up with a post title, especially when you only have little bits of things to show. So...you get my terribly uncreative odds and ends post.

I have been plugging away on my socks. I finished the first one and I am happy with it.



The stitch pattern is fun and easy (I might share it with you later). Here's a close-up:



This yarn does not photograph well. It is dreary here and I had to use a flash. In person, the yarn is deeper and richer looking. Oh well.

I will keep working on the other sock and shhh...more dishcloths.

I just can't stop!

I will leave you with another pic that Alex took. I received a bouquet of dahlias from a neighbor and they are just beautiful. She took a great pic of one of the flowers. Enjoy.

A little update

First of all I want to thank everyone for your comments. I am no Harlot or Grumpy with a bajillion commenters, but I sure appreciate the ones I do have. I read every single one of them. I wish I had time to respond to each one personally, but usually I don't. Maybe when school starts again. (Although, if your email isn't public, I can't anyway.) Just wanted you to know, that I love my blogging friends, ya all are so special.....awwww.

Secondly, yes, I am knitting, and yes it still involves some dishcloths. Is there a 12-step program for people like me?

Next up, the small haul from the Michigan Fiber Festival. You see, I was trying to be REALLY good. The stash is a bit out of control here. I did good, yupp, I only bought three things when I was there. One was a set of needles (haha for those dishcloths no less), I also bought a skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot in the Granite Peak colorway. I love Bearfoot!



Yummy stuff! Next I bought some fiber that I just couldn't stop petting in Toni's booth. This stuff was just so soft and the colors were beautiful.



I think I have about 9 oz of it, and I am so sorry, I should have written it down, because now I can't even remember what this stuff is! I just know that I am going to spin it someday. Someday meaning when I don't totally suck at it anymore.

There were a lot more really tempting things there, but I really needed to control myself, so I can knit up that stash!

I worked at our local county fair yesterday, in our school's food booth. It was a lot of fun, but I am still a little tired today. Haha, I'm a wimp. I might have to take Parker back today, so he can go on some rides and see the animals. I love the fair.

My dad is doing well. His thumb is healing slowly. The doctor thinks he will need another 4 weeks of healing before he can use it. There is quite a gap at the break that needs to fill in with new bone yet. At least he can work a bit though, so he isn't insane yet hehe.

I hope to get some knitting time in today. I finally turned the heel on my STR socks last night. I don't know why I was putting that short-row heel off. It went really well once I got going on it. Now I can fly through the foot portion. Maybe I will have enough progress for a pic tomorrow.

What do you do?

What do you do when life gets a little stressful (besides eat and drink lots of wine hehe)? When you can't concentrate on much of anything beyond just living? When you can't even knit if it doesn't involve plain stockinette or a pattern you know by heart?

I know....you knit dishcloths.



Yes, dishcloths! Yupp, gobs of them even. I am telling you, they are therapeutic! Really! Row after row of easy peasy knitting. These are just a few of them. I have already given 7 away this week! They are so much fun and everyone loves them. I have been making mostly the ball band from Mason Dixon Knitting and the garterlac (free pattern here). Both are great patterns, but beware, they are also addicting!

I have been organizing a little (you see I have this itty bitty stash problem). I need to do the heel on my sock so I can be zipping right along again. I am still working on both shawls (I am farther on the easy one), and I am looking forward to school starting so I have more knitting time.

Parker helped me wind some yarn. He is so cute when he wants to help.



That is Alex in the background cooling off after some running or soccer or something. She is quite the athletic child, I should take some lessons from her (wink). I need to get rid of a little chub! I did join an online support type group for better bodies. It is a fun group so far. I don't have a lot of weight to lose, but I want to be healthier and stronger. If you want to join in, go here. I'm not talking about how bad I blew it today...move on, just move on. Tomorrow is another day!

Here and gone!

I'm back from camping, but gone again. I am going to the Michigan Fiber Festival today and tomorrow with some of my knitting friends! It should be a blast! Cya when I get back.

On the road again....

Well sorta. We leave for camping again today, Yippee! We are going to the state park beach campground in Holland this time. I haven't camped there for a few years so I am anxious to try it again. I will be going with a bunch of Steve's family. Should be fun!

I have already packed some knitting projects. I need some new dishcloths and hope to give a few to my SIL's so I will be taking along a bunch of cotton. I might make some potholders too. I will have to see how much my hands can take. Usually knitting dishcloths = ouch hands for me.

I have been making a little progress on some of my projects.


I have another 3 repeats done on the simple shawl. This pattern is so easy and quite fun actually. I am going to have to switch needles soon. This circular is getting a little short for how wide the shawl is now. Plus the stupid thing has the most ornery cable I have ever seen! I am sick of fighting the twist in it. It is like wrestling/knitting. I wish I could pin it out better for you to see, but I just don't have the time right now.

New socks YAY!!!!



I started a new pair and I really like how they are coming out. I forget how wonderful STR is to work with until I use it again, and then it is like "Ahhhh.....yes, this is why I love this stuff so much!". I think this is the Highway 30 colorway. It is really beautiful. Shades of burgandy, rust, rose, and greens. Very nice! Those gals sure know how to dye some yarn!

Well I really need to get packing. I am trying to do a hurry-up post (in case you hadn't noticed from the less-than-stellar photos). I shouldn't even be on the computer this morning, but what can I say, it's an addiction hehe.

Be back in a week or so. I think we are coming home Fri night, or early Sat morning. Then I will be off to the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan. I will be meeting a bunch of my knitting friends there, including my good friend J. I just can't wait! We are going to have so much fun!

Change

Sometimes change is a good thing, sometimes not. We all go through phases in life, some are wonderful, some are difficult. People change, and not always in the way we would want them to. Most of the time I just go with the flow. Up and down, down and up. I don't usually mind taking the ride. I see the glass half full most of the time. I am not one that has to be competitive or have the things that everyone else has. I live in an old house, but I don't care. I like my house, I like where it is, I like that it is paid for. I like my life. I have a great husband, 3 wonderful kids, really good friends and a hobby I love.

Lately some of my valleys have been a little too deep for comfort. I am not looking forward to a few of the changes that are coming in my life. But I will keep my chin up and see what happens. I have already learned to see the bright side of some changes.

I don't always like seeing this when I look in the mirror.

(Oops, I guess I need to pluck!)

Yupp, wrinkles baby! But hey, I can live with them. Actually sometimes I kinda like them. To me they mean I have laughed often, lived life, had a lot of beautiful days in the sun. And yes I know that the sun is not good for me. Those age spots are proof of that. But most of that sun damage was already there from my childhood (when we didn't know that playing out in the yard all day without a lick of suncreen was a bad thing). So really, I know it is odd, but I really kinda like my laugh lines.

This not so much:



Shoot, I don't pass the Special K test. That is over an inch! I am not embracing this AT ALL! Not one little bit. I hate it with every fiber of my being. It doesn't even matter to me that 3 lovely children play a part in this. Nope, don't care! It has got to go! I need to get my lazy knitting and blogging addicted butt outside and walk!

But my lazy butt self has been making some knitting progress. Both of the shawls are growing, however both of them are the kind that you increase as you go, so every repeat gets longer. If I get some more knitting done on them today, I will post a progress pic tomorrow sometime. I also started a new pair of socks. (Love socks!) I did have to frog them once due to some unfortunate and ugly pooling issues, but hopefully with a new stitch count they will be fine.

Well I am off to pack for another camping trip. We are leaving this weekend for the beach again. Different campground, but still on Lake Michigan. I love the beach! (Don't worry I will be wearing my sun hat and plenty of sunscreen to avoid further damage! Hehe, we do get smarter as we age too.)

Naughty and nice....what will Santa think?

I have been naughty and nice. I hope I still get gifts this year! Haha I don't even think my husband ...um Santa even knows where I live. Either that or someone steals all my presents every year before I wake up and get to see them.

First the nice (sorta). I finished the first Opal sock.



I am not starting the 2nd one until I can have my mom try this one on. Wow are these buggers snug. She has very small feet, so I hope they fit her. If not, a froggin we will go! These will be my last socks on dpn's too. I tried the octopus again, but I realize I am just a Magic Loop girl.

And the naughty:



Yes, (hanging my head in utter shame) I started something new. But, but, but, I needed a no-brainer knitting project because I can't start that 2nd sock. I HAD to, really! I promise I won't do it again! (yeah right, snort!) It is this simple shawl pattern (I am not going to fringe mine) from Briar Rose Fibers, using this yarn. It is beautiful stuff and the sheen is heavenly! Chris definitely has the gift of color. I met her at the Allegan Fiber Festival last year and saw her again at Convergence a few months ago. She is such a sweetie and has some really gorgeous yarn. I bought sock yarn to match the shawl too, but I won't start those yet. Well I better get knitting or you may never see another FO again!

Green and good

Every afternoon for the last few days I have been going over to my hubby's work and packing green peppers. In the summer he grows acres of green bell peppers and hard winter squash. I love peppers and I even like packing them. Right now we are doing a special kind of box that needs them all lined up nice and a target # of peppers per box. These take longer but they sure look nice!



Ahhh the green goodness! Who knew produce could be so beautiful! I put some in the freezer this afternoon for soups, casseroles and stir-frys. YUMM!!!!!!!!



I wish I would have put a golf ball or something in there so you could see how HUGE these things are! Massive I tell ya!



This is my niece Katie (left) and Alex holding up a couple of them. We women are good packers! (insert muscle flexing and grunting here wink)

Anyhoo.....the packing of peppers every afternoon has seriously cut into my knitting time, but I should have one Opal sock done by tomorrow and I hope to work on the shawl tonight too.

A little lace

Well I have officially gotten myself hooked on lace. I broke down and restarted the Swallowtail Shawl. I love it so far.



Sorry for the wonky pinning job. I can't find my regular pins, and didn't have much time to fiddle with it, so you get this lame-o picture for now. I wish I had more quiet knitting time to work on this. I am not confident enough to knit on it when there is a lot going on around me. Distractions are not good for my lace knitting. (some of you may not have this problem)

I worked on the Opal sock a little bit, but I will show you that when the first sock is done.

Here's a beautiful pic that my daughter took. She loves taking pics and I think she is pretty good at it, even though she is only 14.














Pretty huh?


Happy knitting everyone! Have a great day!

Out of the mouths of babes.....

Some of you know I have a 7yr old named Parker. This kid is a hoot I tell ya! He cracks us up all the time! I had to share the latest with you.

Before we went camping, Parker was in desperate need of a haircut. My friend cuts his hair but she was booked up. I knew he would be miserable camping if he didn't get one. His hair is super thick and it was getting long. He is also the most hot blooded kid I know. I cut my husbands hair all the time, but I usually don't cut Parker's because he has cowlicks, just a little natural curl and it's thick. Hubby is getting quite thin on the top, so I just buzz his hair off with a size 4 guard and it looks great!

So I say to Parker, "Bud, why don't you just let mommy cut your hair this one time?". He says "nahh...that's okay mom, I can wait." So hubby pipes up and says "Buddy, Mom cuts my hair all the time. You don't want to be that hot while we're camping." Parker thinks about it for a sec and says, "Okay....I guess......but don't give me that bald spot in the back!" (Snort!!!)

We just busted a gut laughing. He actually thought I cut that balding area on the top of Steve's head. As if! I think I almost peed my pants. Kids.....don't ya just love em?

Scary crazy!

Life here has just been scary crazy! Like crazier than that weird lady I saw in the grocery store parking lot the other night. She was weaving around, carrying a bag, singing with her head tilted to one side. I seem to have this freakishly keen radar for these people. No kidding, in the last few weeks I have spotted at least 4 of these odd people when I am out and about. For a bit there DD Lauren and I thought we had some type of magnetic force that attracts them. Weird!

Despite my less than normal/perfect life, I have been knitting.....a little.



I am on the heel flap of some new socks in some Opal yarn. I am using a new stitch pattern but I have no idea what it is called. It would probably show up better in a more solid yarn, but oh well. I like them anyway!

I also had a bit of a lace craving. When I saw the Swallowtail Shawl in the new IK, I was soooo tempted. I like small shawls and this one is so cute! (Am I allowed to describe a lace shawl as cute? I hope I am not offending any die hard lace knitters out there!)



Didn't get too far yet did I...hehe snort? I only got to work on it for a few minutes. I hope my edging will be loose enough. I have no clue how to tell. Help?

P.S. While shopping last night I discovered yet again that some ladies do not follow the cardinal rule of leaving the public restroom as clean as you found it! What is wrong with these people! It isn't that hard to get the toilet paper in the hole is it? And while assuming "the stance" (you know the one where you are hovering just above the toilet so you couldn't possibly touch even one tiny spot of your skin on it while your not-so-young-anymore thighs are shaking uncontrollably?) if you happen to sprinkle, please clean it up! And do not under any circumstances, stick anything on the walls!

I bought myself a present!

Haha, Happy Birthday to me! I was at TJ Maxx yesterday (love that store!), and found this:

This is a really nice book! And what a hoot! A $30 knitting book at TJ Maxx for only $16.99! So woot! I bought it! I just couldn't pass it up. I spent a while looking at it last night after my birthday dinner. I think it was well worth the price!

Sorry, no other knitting content. My dad smashed his hand today at work and is going in for surgery in about 30 min. So I am off to the hospital with mom and sis to pick him up. He was working about an hour from here when he hurt it, so he is in the hospital up there. Maybe my sis will drive so I can knit....I can always hope! And yes, I feel like a whining broken record. How much can happen to one family?! Good grief....sigh.