Resolutions Schmezolutions

I don't do well with the whole resolutions thing. I will try, don't get me wrong. I just get tired of not completing whatever tasks I set myself. I have found I'm much happier in life with lots of itsy bitsy goals. I can cross so much more of life's list that way and it's not that big of a deal if I don't follow through. Wow, that's really pitiful. Ah well, I'm happy.

I do have one resolution for 2008. I resolve to smile politely and QUIETLY when people point out that I may knit too much and may have a problem. My usual response is to smile not-so-politely and say "BITE ME!"

I'd also like to get a real camera this year and learn to use it. I take sucky pictures. I hate that. Ah well. Bite me.

I sure didn't end up with what I was aiming for on this one. I think I like it, though. I may make the actual long sweater jacket this was supposed to be someday. It was SUPPOSED to be the Long-Collared Jacket-Sweater in Garter Stitch, Spun-Out #32 from Elizabeth Zimmerman. I ended up making a 4 ridge garter stitch border band and bound off knitwise so the braid-like edge matches the phoney seams on the sides. Freakishly deep armholes meant the sleeves would make me crazy on this one. I think it works as a vest though. I'll probably add buttons and pockets down the road. I made the collar increases one at each collar point instead of 2 so it kind of rolls into a tighter shawl collar kind of thing. I'm pleased with myself for making changes and following my knitter's instincts on this one. Yarn was Gjestal Naturgarn, No. 1, dark grey wool from Norway, that I got from Joanna in the local knit guild's yarn swap night. I've still got 4.5 balls of this stuff, I really REALLY like it.

Ok, I apologize to long-time readers that have already heard this story, but the "itsy bitsy" made me flash back to my daughter's preschool days. Even though the girl is usually quiet (NOT like her momma) when she wants to she can be LOUD as heck. Music teachers usually love this and put her in the front row of concerts because she can belt out the songs. Lizzie's preschool teachers asked me to practice new words to the Itsy Bitsy Spider at home with her. Apparently they had to change the words due to a "situation" at a little concert. They went to the old folks' home to sing and there's my daughter in the front row, singing at the top of her lungs, "The ITCHY, BITCHY SPIDER went up the water spout...." I almost swallowed my tongue I was trying so hard not to laugh. The teachers were all in a huff, I think I escaped with a few snorts and covered them well with a coughing spell.

Quite possibly the ugliest thing I've ever knitted. Ever.

Nine partial balls of Schaefer Elaine yarn. Each one beautiful in its own way. Independently beautiful. Together? It's as if I knitted up the barf from my dog after he got into the kids' neon twist-up crayons. (Thank God that stuff was non-toxic.) It was the strangest thing. I was POSSESSED by this project. The more I knit, the uglier it got. The uglier it got, the more I was compelled to knit it. I started it Wednesday morning, finished it last night. 5 days. Of knitting this thing. I used the basic idea of the Moderne Log Cabin garter stitch blanket from the Mason-Dixon Knitting book. Seriously, I love this yarn. It made some of my very favorite scarves knitted years ago. I just would NEVER put these colors together on purpose. It ended up being 26" X 44", which is just perfect for a lap blanket for me while I'm working at my computer. Also, if you spin it in an ever widening circle and flip the lights on and off, it looks just like the start of a migraine. You never know when that may come in handy.

I've decided to not make sleeves for the Zimmerman-ish sweater jacket thing I'm working on. Adding a band/border thing around the inside, not sure if I'll like it or not. I'll probably finish it off with an i-cord bindoff and see what I think.

Anyone, besides Chery catch the little phrase "HUGE downturn in the freshly acquired yarn department" in the lat post? I'm on a budget. *gasp* I know, it sucks. The whole saving for our future crap, not living for today, but living for tomorrow......blah blah blah. Yes, I do truly want to have a place to live and retire early enough to be able to enjoy our lives. I'd also like the home we retire in to have electricity, running water, air conditioning and internet access. Though the tick-infested "farm" we were looking into has dropped off the list, we're now looking at 3 more country properties. Our goal is to move there when the kids go to college, in about 12 years. In order to do that, I've got to help save for the greater good. The budget I wrote had a very modest $300/year yarn allowance. Those that know me well snorted quite loudly at that amount. Apparently, I don't walk into a yarn shop without spending about $80 per trip. Seriously. The whole "you need MORE YARN?" discussion came about after the boy pointed out the cedar chest full of lovely yarn. I decided not to point out the large 6-drawer monster dresser also full of yarn. See, sometimes I CAN think before I talk. So, the $300/year is off the board. gone. no yarn budget. for me. none.

SO, the new plan is to pay groceries, medical stuff, bills, gas, etc from the checking account. Live on $100 per month for the rest of my misc. spending needs. This includes McDonalds' trips, pizza deliveries, movies, entertainment and YARN. Cripes almighty. Seeing as I'm a shopaholic yarn snob, you'd think the stash would have some good stuff in it. It does, but also my tastes have changed drastically in the almost 4 years I've been knitting. The plan is to re-fall in love with this fiber that I couldn't live without. I do have some good stuff in there along with a lot of single balls of strange stuff. I'll save my pennies up for goodies and use the couple of gift certificates I've got and hope to make it through. I still have a secret stash fund for monster yarn cravings, (and the yarn shopping room at the Knitting in the Heartland Spring festival thing) but I'm going to try to use it sparingly.

Frugal doesn't come naturally to me. A normal weekend outing with the kids would be taking my two to the movies, buying popcorn and icees and pop for me and a big ass bag of peanut m&ms to share. Easily spend over $50. Then maybe order pizza for dinner, another $20 including tip. OK, so I see how this COULD add up to a lot of wasted cash. In a fit of frugal go-get-it-ness I planned an entirely FREE outing this last weekend. The kids and I mixed up some kool-aid in thermoses, iced tea in a thermos for me, packed some granola bars and fruit roll-ups and hit the road. We went to the Nelson Atkins Art Gallery and parked on the road outside (free parking) and toured the old part of the museum and admired traditional paintings and sculptures and various Chinese displays. Then we wandered into the new Bloch wing and it ROCKED! That had such neat, unusual things the kids were fascinated. Then we walked all freaking OVER the outside checking out the sculptures and enjoying the beautiful weather. We must have walked for almost 3 hours total. We had a picnic snack in the minivan and headed for home, tired and proud of ourselves. I'm going to try to scout out other free adventures here around the city. Being frugal sure does take a lot more planning and thinking.

I was all inspired by myself and went to a frugal mom website to get more ideas. They were talking about making their own granola for cripes sakes. I'm not going that far, I just wanna save some money but still knit with soft, pretty yarn. Is that so wrong? For the record, saying "for the greater good" in Dumbledore-speak doesn't really help either. Not shopping still sucks. Anyone with good ideas of outings for the kids and I please feel free to send a note. I'm just starting on this stupid ass budget challenging new lifestyle and could use some help.

He may ruin the house and drive me crazy, but the boy gives good presents!

Santa's little helper did a very good job this year and got me a ball winder and a really nice wooden swift. I've spent HOURS winding yarn into cakes and rewinding my old hand-wound balls into cakes. I do love cakes, whether they be chocolate or yarn. OH there's nothing prettier than a freshly wound cake. I've not wound the new yarn I got at Knit Wit's big sale yet, I've got to drag out that little pleasure as there will be a HUGE downturn in the freshly acquired yarn department. Details later, let's just say it's a good damn thing I've got a monstrous stash.

Joey loved his sweater made by his momma! Yeah! He wore it for about 3 days straight and now my mother has decided the whole family needs these wallaby sweaters. Oh, she'd like hers just like Joey's, but washable, ok? Sure mom. Joey's doing his modeling shoot with the "this one the girls will think is hot, mom" shot. Yes, I'm surrounded by dorks. I love them, but they're all dorks.



We've been busy here at the Weasley house. All Christmas decorations are put away snugly in their tubs and stored away in the basement. The boys found the snow and a sled helped get the newspaper up to the recycling bin a little easier.


Much sledding was done, we went to the super hill over by I-435 by corporate woods at least 4 times in the last 2 weeks. The last picture is Jeff and his friend balanced on a giant innertube with his friend's little girl riding on top of the both of them like a pyramid.



The action shot of my hat is the new hat I started because I was feeling left out without having a hand knit needing completion by Christmas. I ended up making TWO of them just the same. I used my Kansas Alpaca yarn I got last year. I them with 2 strands of dk alpaca held together using my Dax Alpaca's Seed Stitch Knited Cap pattern I got in Taos. I love this hat! I gave the other one to my cousin Kelly. Jeff's the one in the pics with the strange elf-looking red tipped hat. It was a gag gift received by his youngest son and is now Jeff's favorite hat.

OH, and I almost forgot. I'm Zimmermanning myself. I'll give details tomorrow since this post is so freaking long. I'm having to recalculate everything because I couldn't get the gauge called for and it's mostly working out. The sleeves are NOT, so the whole thing is now in time out stuffed in my dresser drawer for another day. It's a garter stitch long sweater coat kind of thing from one of the little pamphlets put out by EZ and Meg.

Sympathetic Knitting Pains and CHRISTMAS YARN SALE

It's a strange Christmas season this year for me. I'm not holiday knitting. Seriously. Ok, so I had to do ONE project, it was making me looney. I knit up an adorable shrug from Stephanie Japel's book, Fitted Knits for my cousin. She kept talking about how much she liked mine, so this summer I asked her do you like it like it? or do you like it like you WANT ONE like it? I made hers washable in some beautiful dream in color teal yarn from MisKnits. It took exactly two skeins to make one of the larger medium sizes. I love it even more than mine. It's hard for me to knit for others because I want it all! Ah well. I hope she likes it.

I keep waking up in the middle of the night with heart pounding, feeling like I've forgotten something important. I'll catch myself driving down the road and just SITTING at a red light without any yarn and needles in my hands. Don't freak people, I put down the knitting when I drive, during Christmas crunch time any few moments spent not knitting are just wasted time. Catching up on some reading during quality time on the john? That's a luxury not allowed during Christmas crunch time. Hell, sleeping is low on the priority list during the crazies.

I am absolutely a mess this year since I'm not making myself freak out with the deadlines and pressures and crippled hands. I feel like I'm missing something. Getting sleep, wrapping normal presents DAYS before Christmas? Who is this woman? I'm usually knitting and crafting right up until unwrapping begins. My family's Christmas is on the 30th and I keep catching myself thinking, hey, I could knit four more hats and two pair of socks by then, no problem. I have to walk away from the pattern books, back slowly away.

I finally figured I couldn't take it any longer. I cast on with some local Kansas Alpaca I picked up last spring and am working on a hat. The holiday non-startitis was KILLING me! I feel less lost this way. I'm not sure who the hat will be for. Probably me. Do you know I've not got a hat of my own yet? My pretty blue alpaca one I made has been claimed by my daughter Elizabeth who wears it to school almost daily. It shows off her blue eyes so well and makes my heart happy to see her wear it.


BIG ASS YARN SALE ALERT!!!!!!
Jan, the owner of Knit Wit in Olathe, KS is having her day after Christmas sale on the 26th. It starts at 9:00am and as she puts it, "Every inch of yarn in the shop is 30% off." She's also got some seriously amazing closeouts that are 60% off as well. Boy, if it wasn't Christmas season, I'd not post this here. A little part of me thinks I should keep my big fat typing fingers quiet and save all that yarn for ME ME ME ME ME! But, since I can't buy it all, I'll share. Just don't get offended if I knock you on your butt trying to get to the sock yarn! She's also got massive amounts of cascade 220, which I plan on getting for a few more sweaters.

SO, what do you do when you're the only woman in a house full of boys and men (Elizabeth is in NM with her dad for Christmas)? What's that? What's the big deal? I started smelling a little bit of gas and walked down to see what was going on. They'd brought in the old go cart that Jeff's restoring with the kids. To CHANGE THE OIL and work on it. ON THE CARPET. IN THE HOUSE. In front of the large fireplace insert with a full fire going. IN THE HOUSE! I went down, stood there with I'm sure a puzzled WTF look on my face and Jeff said, "oh, honey. You're here. Good. We need to borrow one of your pans for the oil." nice. I find my life is less stressed all together when I just smile, nod and not try to even explain how freaking strange the idea of this is. See, it's COLD out in the garage. huh. ok. I just gave them a plastic tub, asked NOT to have it back and went back upstairs to my knitting. Welcome to my world.



Merry Christmas everyone! May all your projects be finished in time for you to get a few moments of sleep!

I'm STILL tired

Whew, I could get really used to traveling on other peoples' money. Jeff ended up winning a big sales award, so we stayed at the Bellagio Casino & Hotel and living large. We got to charge everything (except gambling) to the room. OH the food I ate.....that second stomach I seem to have came in very handy. OOOoooooohh it was yummy. Since Jeff's not a fan of the sweets, I got all his fancy desserts too. He was very gentlemanly and didn't make any comments as I was inhaling both plates at the Eiffel Tower restaurant, I mean they were PRETTY and CHOCOLATE and unbelievably creamy. He did ask me on the 3rd day of 2nd helpings of all things chocolate if I was going to have to pay extra for an additional seat for the new addition to my back end I was working on, but after a dirty look and a smack, he was back to behaving himself. I did totally have to wear a girdle/gut&hip sucker-inner thing under the dresses and skirts I brought, but it's VEGAS and I wasn't paying! Come ON!

OK, besides the food, we had free use of the spa & salon. Oh my holy hell. We both got rubbed, steamed, oiled, soaked, filled with healthy cucumber waters and the works while in big fluffy robes. LOVING that! I also had Joe (or was it Bob?) and his THREE assistants do my hair after my toes and fingernails got did. Seriously, one assistant washed my hair. One brought me diet cokes, and the other one I think all she did was say "ooooooohhhhhhh, aaaaahhhhhhhh" and clap just like the 4th of July. I asked if he might want to do something different for our big fancy award dinner night. Maybe straighten it and make me look all sleek and sexy? OH no. He said, You're in Vegas girl. You need big sexy Vegas hair! Being a fan of the big hair, I said, ok, knock yourself out!

Well, after an $85 plus big tip paid by the company, I was presented to the mirror sporting technically big hair. There was much oooohhhhing and aaaaaahhhing and clapping by the three assistants. I thought I looked like someone famous, but couldn't place it. Feeling ready for anything, went up to the room. In the elevator, it came to me. The famous one I looked like? Peg Bundy. Minus the tight pants. Peg freaking Bundy. Then, in the room, it dawned on me. My hair was NO bigger than I normally wear it. Apparently I'm rocking the midwest with big ass Vegas hair on a daily basis. *sigh* Ah well. It was an experience being applauded for sitting there while people played with my hair.

You be the judge. Me on a normal day:

Me with Peg Bundy aka Vegas Hair:


I'm trying to scan the photo of the two of us all dolled up for our big night out on the town, but my scanner is being pissy. Maybe tomorrow. Since it was a special occasion, I used the $50 boob job. God Bless Victoria's Secret silicone inserts. What else? Oh we saw the Producers show with Tony Danza as the star, very good. We ate EVERYTHING in site including a full seven course french meal at the Eiffel Tower restaurant. We finally got craving normal food at one point, we walked up the strip a ways and ended up at a McDonalds.

No yarn shopping, but plenty of sock knitting. I ended up making two blue socks. From two different yarns. I've just realized I've ALWAYS made two socks for a pair in a row until now. I've never had the 2nd sock syndrome, unless you count my very first sock that turned out 4 sizes too big and I hated the yarn so I purposely never finished it. How weird is that? I'm a total start-a-holic having at least 4-10 projects going at a time, but always make one sock and then its mate right afterwards. I can start two or three socks but once the first gets cast off, the matching one is always next to finish. ANYWAY, I finished my first birthday yarn sock from blue smoooooshy and it's fabulous. Because I thought I'd better get mom's first pair of socks done before our family Christmas on the 28th, I started one for her out of some wollenmeise I'd picked up. It's fabulous. Unreal. It's sexy yarn. Seriously. I hope the woman likes them, because they're gonna be pretty damn hard to give away. The wollenmeise one is the tube only with these bright little teal bits in it. It's killing me because I have this pretty soft smoooooshy sock and I can't wear it yet.



OH, and I totally played Texas Hold-Em all night long until 5am and went back to the room with $200. Of course, if I'd have left about half an hour after I sat down, I'd have gone back to the room with $350, but I never said I was a smart woman. Me leaving Vegas with money? Who'd of ever thunk it?

I'm thinking I may have to go back to the good old days of big velcro rollers, shellacking the hair with hair spray and blow drying it to glue, ratting the crap out of the top of your head and then smoothing it all over with yet more hairspray. I just need a trio of applauding assistants and I'm there, baby.

Vegas Bound!

Sorry for the no blogging, I'm hitting the road. Ok, hitting the air. On our way to Las Vegas courtesy of Jeff winning a president's award in sales for his company. Can I get a woo hoo? Day of spa goodness for me, golfing for him, lots of free cocktails and dinners and shows for the both of us.

Taking my hiya-hiya metal needles on the plane. Wonder if they'll let me. I've got some little rosewood dpns stashed just in case they take my hiya's away from me.

Have a great week and talk with you soon!

Madam Inappropriate Strikes Again!

SO, just when you thought it was safe to bring a nun to the knitting guild meeting........

Ok, so I arrive LATE to the morning knitting guild meeting, just sit and start knitting away, mostly minding my own business. Two sweet little ladies are sitting to my left, two dear knitting friends are sitting to my right. All is right with the world. Joanna tells a story of an old boss who would get creative and avoid cursing at all costs. I told a story of a preacher's wife, who when on the phone talking to me, called her soon-to-be-son-in-law a "Richard Cranium." It took me a bout 5 minutes later in the conversation to get it, Richard Cranium! HAH! We all chuckled and the very sweet lady to the left of me put her hand on my arm and asked "what, dear? I didn't hear you." I said loudly, "she said RICHARD CRANIUM" and smiled. She thought a moment and said, "I'm afraid I don't get it either. Would you explain it?" At this moment I was puzzled by the looks of shock by both Joanna and Teri and the mortified look on the other lady sitting at the table. Joanna was making odd movements under the table (later I found out she was trying to kick me but I was sitting too far away). I said, "Richard is sometimes known as Dick and Cranium means head." She said, "I'm sorry, I still couldn't hear you." Joanna's just shaking her head now like people do when they see a horrible wreck on the side of the road. I say VERY loudly, "it means DICK HEAD." Now at this point, BOTH tables of ladies turn to stare at me. The lady to my left laughs and seems to get a kick out of it.

Teri said, "Christine, you missed the introductions, so you apparently didn't know that she's a nun." Joanna said, "Christine, why did you think everyone was calling her SISTER?" Nice. I missed that part coming in late. The fact that the lady sitting next to her called her sister at least 8 times since I'd sat down apparently didn't sink in. Although, at the point where I had to explain it that last time I thought to myself, "huh, they don't LOOK like sisters, ummmmmmm"...and proceeded to yell obsceneities in the poor woman's ear. I apologized and she just laughed.

Then it dawns on me, Oh sweet mother, I just yelled DICK HEAD in a nun's ear. I think I actually heard God's eyes rolling. Yeah, that's a good start to a day. Thank God nuns seem to like me. So far, all the nuns except one have had great senses of humor and forgiving natures. That one exception? It was a long time ago and a certain red-headed little girl had decided to buck the system with a titch of attitude back in the doily-on-the-head days. It wasn't pretty.

"Mom, I had the strangest dream last night...."

Apparently, my daughter had this dream that she was trying on clothes all night long. Weird, huh? The fact that the child sleeps in a super-freaky high bunk bed and her mother would have had to clamber up on her tip-toes with one foot on a stool and one on the top back of a chair while leaning precariously over the edge of the bed and stuff the kids' arms into unyielding armholes held on cords from the denise interchangeables and one of the damn button ends popped off, so when the child finally got the sweater pulled off of her she had to be wiggled all around until the missing button thing was found so she wouldn't accidentally choke on it in her sleep..... yup, weird dream. Seriously, what kind of a mom would do that?

See what happens when you make a top-down raglan and don't have a spare 11 year old girl to try on the sweater so you can determine when to stop the decreases and make sleeves? It was either that or pay a neighborhood child to try on the thing and keep her mouth shut. I'm thinking that could end you up in jail, so that was a no-go. Knitting isn't pretty, people.

I'm making the Anthropologie inspired capelet out of Lamb's Pride bulky on sz 11's in a dark blue for Elizabeth. I'm adding long sleeves and was going to do a cable down them or use long ribbing, but she's been talking about wanting belled sleeves, so am not quite sure how to handle that one. We'll see when I get there. I'm hoping to put it under the tree along with her main present. Joey's wallaby sweater is all done and ready for wrapping as well.

Other misc. knitting going on around here is yet another pair of mountain colors barefoot socks for Jeff (if they fit since I forgot and used 1.5's instead of the 2's, otherwise they'll be for me). I ran out of yarn on the start of the 2nd toe. YES top down-people, I know that could be avoided, but where's the thrill? Being a knitter who has an absolute buttload of yarn more than she decently needs, I went digging and found another colorway that blends in so well you couldn't tell unless you REALLY looked close, and I think you might not even know then. I love a challenge. Can you guess which one was the patched up one with the different yarn?

I started two pair of birthday socks, one of smooooooshy from Teri and one from Jo Major in Claudia Handpaints. Yes, both for me as well.



I knit most of one fetching on the way home from the Lake of the Ozarks on Sunday. I am using up some leftover cascade 220 from Joey's sweater for a pair. I think I'll make another one with the same yarn and smaller needles for Elizabeth. They're unbelievably cute. Fetchingly, actually.


While at the Lake, Jeff got to play with big boy toys as he'd rented a big old machine with a 7 foot scoop thing to dig out the hill that was advancing on the lakehouse. I took the kids to my folks' lake house about 20 minutes away and spent the day indoors with heat and television and yummy goodies left over from the Thanksgiving meals. When I went over to see him the next day, I saw Jeff was working in a pair of my wool socks and wearing his boyfriend sweater! Action shots of the sweater below. Since I wasn't the one taking the pictures (his stepmom snapped these for me) the sweater wasn't the focal point of the picture. The older guy with Jeff is his Dad. It was a good weekend at the lake. I got to knit, he got to play, kids ran around with my folks, good times.

What can I say? The 80's were very good to me.

So, sitting outside my kids' elementary school, doing what I do, knitting away. I'm usually referred to as "the knitting mom". Where is Marcy supposed to meet her mom? Near the Knitting Mom. Where is Susie's Grandma picking her up? At the big tree just past the Knitting Mom. I was minding my own business, listening to a girl on her cell phone trying to figure out where her mom was in the parking lot. I overheard "no, mom, I'm over by the mom with the really big poufy hair." nice. I thought I'd had exceptionally good hair lately. I've now overheard three comments plus one from my daughter asking how do I make my hair "do that?" I guess once every 9 months isn't enough to keep this mane under control. All I can say is I rocked the 80's, people. I'm not giving up my hot rollers. You can't make me. I was born to have big hair. I just may need to move to the south. They still appreciate a good 'do, right?

I've been busy knitting lately too. The glee purple sweater still needs its hooks & eyes sewn on and I know I promised no more pitt shots, but come on. We all knew I wouldn't be learning how to use the damn timer button on the camera any time soon.

Joey's Wonderful Wallaby is done. I think I knit it in about a week. It's got a cute hood on there too, you'll just have to take my word for it. Without a model, this thing is really hard to photograph. It's going to be a present (along with something cool, I'm not THAT horrible of a mom now) so good photos will come later. I think this was the easiest, most fun sweater I've ever made. I'm going to have to make Elizbeth one as well. I did this one out of cascade 220, LOVE that yarn, on sz 6's for cuffs and 8's for sweater. The sleeves rocked along since you make them FIRST and they're just tubes. You don't have to be whannging the whole sweater around every row. I'm going to have to do more sweaters this way. I was going to post the pic of the sleeves since I was so proud that I actually MADE them (sleeves suck for me. I don't know why) but then I just kept knitting and all of a sudden, here was this whole finished sweater!



I pulled some stash yarn out (Colinette Cadenza, similar to Koigu Kersti but superwash) and thought I'd make a pair of gloves for my dad. I'm using Ann Budd's basic glove pattern from her Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns and love it. I was guessing at the size and think I guessed wrong. Of course, even though the hand felt too big, I just kept knitting. Fingers 1 and 2 felt big, but kept on knitting. After finger #4, I had Jeff try it on for me and then REALIZED hey, it's still too damn big. Huh. Who'd of thunk it? damn. I'll be frogging this one and doing it in a smaller size. Of course I sewed in the ends on the tips of each damn finger. I did that KNOWING it was working up too big. cripes almightly.


And because now my kids are all growing up and cool and all, we just don't get creations like this very often. I leave you with SuperTurkey, from my daughter Elizabeth long, long ago. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Absolutely Stunning

What else can I say? I met my dear friend Chery for lunch and she gave me this piece of SOFT LUSCIOUS BEAUTIFUL heaven. She knit this for my wedding. How amazing is this woman? I promise better pictures and action shots on the boat in February! I just had to take a few shots to show you how stunning this is! I'm planning to wear this over a sundress, probably a spaghetti strap number with an a-line look. I'm not sure of the fabric yet, but I'm thinking blue. (yes, I did have to edit away the whole quote of the day about the bride wearing black and carrying a scotch & soda down the aisle that's been residing in my sidebar for the last year or so.) I'm probably going to make Jeff a pair of wedding socks in colors of the ocean. I'm thinking he'll probably not wear them at the time, but I can give them to him and he'll remember our special day whenever he pulls them out of the drawer.

Chery's not posting lately, but go check out her FO photo albums. I love her work. Also, she's got a great 2 socks on 2 circs pattern posted that takes the THINKING out of the whole sock thing. You just count gauge and circle the right numbers and you're off and knitting. I'm still a die hard top down dpn girl, but I'm surrounded by these toe-uppers and am glad I know how should a pattern call for it. I still favor the whole "will I run out of yarn?" drama combined with the ability to use the spare dpn to poke anyone that gets on my nerves.

Best Mom & Daughter Double Sleepover Birthday Party EVER!

My birthday girl is at the end of the table. The girls were painting bobble head dogs and singing along to music on the boom box.

The weekend started Friday afternoon with an after-school skating party where BOTH of my children are no longer wall-grabbers. They are skating in the middle with the rest of the kids. Joey's even developed a unique "this is my too-cool-for-dance-tunes" expression he uses as he dances/skates around the floor. I think it makes him look contstipated, but who am I to say? Constipated could be cool. Jeff took me out on the town to the Capitol Grille where I ate a BIG ol steak and tater and we just had a great time. My cousin watched the kids, so we had the whole house to ourselves. Very nice. He then ran away drove to the farm to work on cattle instead of hanging out for the slumber party. Joey spent the night doing manly things with my brother, so it was just us girls and the dog.



Thank god for Knitters and friends. And even better is FRIENDS WHO KNIT!! Teri offered to come by to help out with my daughter's sleepover party so I wouldn't be outnumbered. Then a few more friends said they could come too. Before you knew it, we had a full scale double party going on. My daugher turned 11 and had a blast. I turned 39 and also had a blast. Let me tell you, though, 4am comes a lot HARDER on this old body than it used to. We ate, watched movies, ate, knit, ate and then they GAVE ME YARN GOODNESS and even wound up a buttload of yarn from the stash for me to boot. THANKS guys! I got Smooooooshy sock yarn from Teri in a beautiful blue, some Tofutsies in pretty purpley teal and very cool "yarn snob and proud of it!" stitch markers from Zephyr knit from Jo Minor, some Claudia hand painted sockyarn in Argyle Socks colorway from Jo Major, and a beautiful sock bag/small project knitting bag and set of stitch markers from Carmen. Aunt Carmen even brought a Hello Kitty bag full of HK stuff for Elizabeth and some cute puzzles for Joey so he didn't feel left out.







All the girls were very well behaved except one. Let's just say that after dealing with her most of the night, when I was woken up at 6am (after going to bed about 4:30am) I wasn't too keen on her. Here's a hint...if your kid's sleepover bag is not just on the front step outside, but at the end of the driveway outdoors and your kid is outside also, your kid is probably not going to be sleeping over at my house any time soon. I did at least have the girls all playing outdoors for the last 30 minutes waiting for that mom. I'm not totally heartless. But whooooooooo I'm pretty damn heartless on one and a half hours of sleep.

I'll leave you with something that made me very happy. Remember the ruffled shrug I made for my daughter last year? She wore it once because I asked her to and then it disappeared into her closet. She pulled it out the other day and wore it to school every day for a week. Here she is bringing cookies to school last Friday for her birthday WEARING MY SHRUG I knitted. I love that!

Man, I love the smell of vinegar and wool in the morning!

The yarn is actually darker, murkier and lovlier in person. And that little blast of vinegary yarny goodness that hits you when you open the plastic bag from the Socks that Rock Sock Club? mmmmmmmmm I love it. It's aired out a bit so you have to bury your nose in it to get the whiff now, but it's a great way to start the day. Though I've loved the sock club, I'm not going to sign up again. I think once is good for me. The fun, the wondering the smooshiness, they were all good. I've just got to start knitting up this stuff before acquiring any more. Plus OH the horror, I'm having to BUDGET myself now and yarn is way, way, WAY low on the family budget. Sucks, huh? Ah well. I've got enough to keep me busy for years to come. I did get to add that VACATION YARN DOESN'T COUNT DAMMIT so there's extra $$ added into that part of the budget. Wonder if they have any sock yarn in the bahamas? I'm going to do some research and if there's a yarn shop on one of those islands, we're going to have to take a little ride over to see. I am going to Vegas in December with Jeff for a business trip, and I KNOW there's some yarn shops there. hmmmmmmmm



From almost completed sweater back to balls. Poor little cascade 220 heathery purple yarn. What will you become now? It didn't quite work out as a scooped neck vest from Fitted Knits, it just last night became balls again and is no longer a cardigan in the making for my daughter. *sigh* Poor little yarn. I'll find something for you to become. If you were just one or two skeins more (I've only got 4 of this dye lot) you could beome almost anything. I don't want to waste you on knitting you into hats, no, I hear your voice. You want to be a sweater. I'll have to do some more thinking and wandering around on ravelry to get some ideas.

My daughter saw me working on the sleeves yesterday afternoon and said, "Mom, that's really looking like an old lady sweater, you need something prettier than that for yourself." I held it up and showed the cool amazingness of it and realized it did resemble something old and safe and boring. If an almost 11 yr old girl thinks it's old lady for her MOM to wear, I'm guessing she'd not be real excited about wearing it herself. This morning before school I did what I should have done long ago and ASKED her opinion on "if I were to make you a sweater, what would you like it to look like?" Duh.

Laundry Day

I always get such a happy feeling seeing all those socks out drying. *sigh* Warm feet this winter, huh?

You now, snack sized hershey bars and m&m's and 3 muskateers really CAN get old for breakfast. This year it's only 2 days after Halloween and I'm about chocolated out. Good times were had by all. The kids tried to dress Miles in a pirate costume, but he ate the hat and Beth about had to tackle the dog just to slip this over his head. The costume lasted all of 3 minutes. I think it's a new record. Mine are the two on the left. Jeff's are the two on the right. We've got candy coming out of our ears.




Been knitting away at the Glee sweater and picked up Elizabeth's cardigan to try to force myself to make her sleeves. WHAT is it about sleeves that I just can't do? You'd think a woman who cranks out the damn socks right and left could handle a few tubes, wouldn't you? They make me insane. I'm trying to get her sweater finished up and maybe will add a few felted flowers around the neckline if it doesn't make it look too girly. I've casted on for the sleeves for Joey's wallably hooded sweater. I'm doing it in blue cascade 220 and will probably make a stripe of black or grey or something also. I'm thinking the bottom up thing may be a good idea. I'll do both sleeves FIRST, then the body and hopefully they'll both be done in time to put under the tree.