Preppy much? Yes, thank you!

Pattern: Aleita Shell by Bonne Marie Burns in Interweave Knits Spring 2008 magazine
Yarn: Aslan Trends Artisenal 1.5 skeins, cotton, polyester and alpaca blend, heavenly cool
Needles: sz 3's for bottom border ribbing and 6's for the rest
Deviations from pattern: Realized my fronts were working up too long, so did faster increases at end and my shoulder seams are just over the back of my shoulders, I actually like the look better. I also said OH JUST FUXX IT when I was nearing the end and there was all this neck band knitting and grafting and sewing and finishing. I just seamed the shoulders to the back and put it on and wore it.

Wore it at work today with my khaki capri pants and little penny loafer slide shoes. I was flashing back to my preppy 80's days. Love the vest, did not love the way the pattern had to be written to save space for magazine article. Way too many "at the same times" for my taste.

Also, my daughter donated 10 inches of her hair to locks of love. She rocks. And looks quite cute in the shorter 'do. Here's the before and after:



And these pics show that I had no fun whatsoever at our knitting conference, right? Gwen, it was so much fun hanging out with you again! And of COURSE I didn't take my pic with Stefanie while WEARING one of the sweaters I've made that she designed. No, that would have made sense. Instead this is the 2nd day and I'm sporting my glee sweater which I'm thinking is absolutely a keeper. I'm going to calculate out the stitches to make a smaller one for Elizabeth next fall.

Man, is there anything sexier than tall knitting redheads in the midst of all that yarn?



Three days till I'm getting mallied. Mallied? Mallied! We've decided against all the organized kids' activites. No jumping thing, no organized games. We're apparently going for the bedlam approach. We've got a volleyball net, ONE volleyball (can't you just hear the fights already?), a ton of badmitton rackets and birdies, a bunch of balls for kickball, etc. I'm also getting a lot of little bubbles, jumpropes and other misc. crap for them to be put into a big bucket. I may be overly hopeful here, but I've also got extra bottles of sunscreen and non-toxic bugspray (Avon rocks). Even though it's forecasted to be rainy and cold tomorrow and part of Friday, I'm SURE it will be sunny and gorgeous Saturday.

Because nothing says "Here comes the bride!" like a giant goiter on her chin...

Holy crapamoly. I'm still here. I'm just not quite here. Better blogging next week, I promise! In the last week and a half, I've survived being part of the motley crew that put on the Knitting in the Heartland convention that SO SO SO rocked. OH man, there's something liberating about being among that many other yarn junkies and feeling totally normal! Ok, so not quite totally normal. I think I scared a few women when I was moaning and trying to decide which yarn to buy at that damn Textiles a Mano table. Damn I loved that yarn. So I ended up buying yarn there at least three times that I can remember. The last time I almost made it without buying anything. Almost....you see, when there was only one big-ass skein of gorgeous earthy brownish yarn in my hands the thinking was "what could this be?" I almost set it down and walked away. But then there were two. Yes, BUT THEN THERE WERE TWO! Two skeins of 800+ yards for $22 each and they were soft and did I say gorgeous? TWO SKEINS? 1600 YARDS? That could grow up to be anything. It was too much for this yarn junkie. It went home with me. Along with a crapload of other fibery goodness. I've not even piled it all up for pics for ravelry or blogland yet.

Stefanie Japel? You all know how much I love her designs. I think I'll ask to be buried in that sleeveless cascade 220 sweater if I've not worn it to bits. If you've not bought Fitted Knits yet, go get you one. The book has so many good patterns and just good common sense taught so you can make other things fit that way too. I'm still floored by the idea that you can convert any kind of a flat pattern sweater into a top-down or bottom-up raglan with simple math. That realization was magical for me, just like the time I turned my first sock heel. Pure knitting magic.

Joanna, Johanna, Teri, Sandra, Carmen, Holly, man we put on one hell of a fun show. Seriously. I had a blast. You guys rock. Thanks for dragging me along for the ride.

Let's just say I bought so much yarn that I wasn't even sad that I wasn't able to visit even one yarn shop when I went to Minneapolis right after the convention. I think it might even carry me over for the non-ability to purchase vacation/honeymoon yarn. I'm thinking there will probably not be very many yarn shops on the islands of the Bahamas. You never know, but I'm actually feeling like I've bought enough yarn lately. How scary is that? Yeah. There was a LOT of yarn bought. Pictures soon. OH and the knitting project bag I got from Carmen's table? Oh man. It's freaking amazing. It's black on the outside, quite respectable, with the lining that is so cool I find myself flashing people (mostly knitters so don't worry) with the inside lining peeking out. Again, pictures do better justice. I promise. Soon. It rocks.

What else? So Knitting Convention done. check. Trip to Minneapolis for a three day interview. check. Got home to a bullying issue with my daughter that freaked me out but she didn't seem too worried. Police and principal involved and took care of everything. check. Negotiation of job offer. check. Accepted job (I get to stay in KC). check. Wedding and family party in FOUR DAYS. OK, since it's almost midnight it's probably closer to THREE DAYS. crap crap crap. The fact that it was SNOWING here in the morning of last weekend didn't have me worried. It's Kansas, right? Weather changes. In fact it was gorgeous today and in the upper 60's. But then the weather forecast is calling for snow and rain at the end of the week. It's an outdoor barbeque and I am wearing my damn sundress one way or another. check.

Explanation of the giant goiter zit on my chin. And a few brewing on my right cheek. And at least 11 more across my entire face. Not worried because 14 zits must be lucky. You know, I could have 13. That would be bad. right? An almost forty year old bride should not have freaking zits on her chin. It's just not right. This one is so big that I may have to knit a cozy for it. A zit cozy? Oh yeah, I'm doing just fine here. No freaking out or losing my mind what-so-ever.

Glampyre is coming to town! And amazing Yarn Shopping in KC!

OK, I don't know whether I'm more excited to meet this designer whose patterns I freaking ADORE or to get to shop at the vendor market! Holy crapamoly. Anyone in the KC area, come out to the Radisson Hotel at 12601 W 95th Street in Lenexa. It's at I-35 and 95th Street.

The Sunflower Knitters Guild is putting on the Knitting in the Heartland fantabulous event this weekend! Saturday and Sunday, April 5th & 6th. There's still a few spots in some of the classes and they'll take last minute signups. There's also a Knitting 911 going on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. If you're registered for classes it's free, otherwise there's a $5 fee. Bring any projects you're having issues with for some great help!

For a class schedule and more info on the event, click on the Knitting in the Heartland link above and get yourself a printout of the brochure. Glampyre is also known as Stefanie Japel, one of my very favoritist designers around. Anyone that's seen me at a knitting event has seen my sleveless turtleneck from her book Fitted Knits, knit out of grey cascade 220. I'm also seen about town in the two-tone fitted shrug from her book, mine made with one tone of teal. I also made a teal shrug for my cousin as a Christmas present that was really hard to give away since hers was made with dream in color yarn. I think I've loved Stefani's designs since I made a couple of the one skein wonders from her website years ago.

The vendor market is going to get a LOT of my $$ this weekend. I've been holding myself back (mostly) at yarn shopping and plan to be a true yarn whore. There's going to be yarn, yarn, and more yarn, spinning stuff, fibers, bags, buttons, sheep cards, (you KNOW I'm leaving there with pictures of sheep people) and other amazing stuff. Click here to see the vendor list with links to their websites!

Stefanie will be signing and selling copies of her book Fitted Knits as well. The vendor market goes from 10am-5:30pm Saturday and 9am to 4pm on Sunday.

Just because I'm so excited about this, I'm going to revisit the pics of my favorite Stefanie Japel creations...

Introducing the Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy Sweater!

OH how this sweater amazes me. I amaze me. It amazes me that a couple of pointy sticks and a bunch of string, anyone can make something as happy as this. Knitting is freaking miraculous. TWO STITCHES. A simple knit stitch. A simple purl stitch. Sometimes I forget just how magical the whole thing is. Then a moment comes along and I just sigh. And then dance around the house with a sweater or a sock or just a little square of something. And totally freak out my children. God, being a knitting mom is awesome. A normal mom can just embarrass them the normal ways. We have SO MUCH MORE AMMUNITION. bwaa haa ha haaaa. But I digress, did I say how amazing this sweater is to me?

You know what? The whole seaming thing wasn't that bad. SSSShhhhhhh. I actually enjoyed that part. The whole set-in sleeve thing? not so much. But, I totally flashed back to my sewing days in jr. high home-ec where apparently my dislike for sleeves began. Flashed back to a VIBRANTLY colored cotton fitted dress with a full circle skirt, fitted bodice and SLEEVES FROM HELL that somehow became a SLEEVELESS dress. Imagine that. I'd totally forgotten until I was easing in the stupid sleeves into their stupid holes on this sweater. The sleeve hatred must have started when I was 13 years old.

SO, what did your children do on spring break? A cruise? Skiing? Rock Climbing? Mine were lucky enough to get a shovel and a hose. This is the three day "pond" experiment. A mom that dances around the house with her knitting, singing at the top of her lungs AND a hole in the ground? MAN don't you wish you could be my kids too? I'd better record these moments so when their therapists blame me for their issues in their mid-forties I can remind them of just how great it really was.


Sweater Details:
Pattern: Laced-Front Sweater in Lingerie Knits book by Joan McGowan Michael
Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers (OH how I love Cascade 220, yeah, I sing about that, too)
Needles: sz 6 circs
Icord: sz 6 Three Stitch i-cord 60 inches
Worked exactly to pattern specs, only complaint was that the ribbing pattern didn't match up just right at the side seams.

mattress stitch, here I come...

I apologize for the lame picture of the sweater parts below, dark blue doesn't take well with my cruddy old digital camera. This will probably be the last sweater I ever make in pieces. I really like the whole cast off, sew in a few ends, and be DONE with it joy of finishing an in-the-round sweater. Do you know how many seams I've got to sew? A buttload. Wish me luck.



Oh, I also got about 5-6 inches chopped off my hair. So far I'm loving it. I feel like I look more like a normal woman instead of the biker-chic frizzed out nappy looking thing I usually resemble at the end of each day. This flippy, shorter version holds up to my life much better.


Hope the easter bunny brings yarn for you all! I know he will for me as I helped him shop. I'm guessing Jeff will get beef jerky, but am not quite sure yet. We'd better get our baskets out and ready. Cadbury eggs make me as happy as wollmeise yarn. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I don't honestly know which I'd rather have.

One week to knit, five months to sew on some damn hooks & eyes.

Finished! Boy, I can knit fast, I just can't finish to save my butt. I did a little photographing in the company bathroom ala Crazy Aunt Purl. Ok, I just noticed you can actually see part of a toilet in the background. Sorry, everybody, that's just the kind of high-class blogging entertainment we provide here at the Knitting Virgin. Wore this today with a black skirt, black tank underneath and I think it's a keeper. I was so inspired by our big Sunflower Knitters' Guild turnout last night I went home and pulled out all my needing-a-little-something-projects and got to work. My accidentally felted picovoli has been hacked up and sewn up and generally tortured and will soon be felted a bit more into a unique felted bag. Pictures soon. I also unpicked and reknit the edging on my red sizzle sweater's armholes that were strangling my armpits. Yes, I have worn it anyway many, many times because I'm JUST that lazy.


I also was going through my new work clothes finds at the consignment shop nearby. I went stash-diving, damn I love stash-diving. Pulled out some green that just might work. I think I've made enough picovoli's for now, so I may just Zimmerman myself up a cap-sleeved summery top to wear underneath this one out of the *gasp* acrylic yarn there. It's not an exact match, but I think it'll work out. The design on the needles now is a start of a sweater that's not meant to be. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying acrylic is the devil or anything, in fact this stuff is pretty sweet for non-wool fiber. It just seems so wrong to me not to be using wool as the last, um, four or five summery patterns I've done have been out of pretty darn warm merinos and alpacas. I LOVE them as I can wear them all fall with no sleeves and be just warm enough but not to be so hot that I burst into flames as I often do in full wool sweaters. BUT I live in Kansas City, where it's at least 4000 degrees and often humid as hell so these won't make it for my summer under-jacket work attire. Yes, my office is cold as heck but I have to make it from the house into the truck and across the parking lot without melting entirely. So, cotton mixes and acrylics are on my to-do list.

I've also frogged the start to my wedding present socks for the hubby to be. They were working up too damn small. I did only have a few inches in before I decided it just wouldnt' work. I really knew it at about 2 inches, but kept going with the whole "this MAY just work....." crap. Back to the needles for those. If I could have found a thicker yarn than the trekking handpaints I bought that even looked remotely like deep sea waters I'd have bought it up.

Coming soon....the story of how nature boy was working on cleaning up the camper, damaged the boyfriend sweater, and fixed it himself. Oh lordy. It involves bleach and a sharpie marker. One that's supposed to be red, but looks much more lot hot pink. He was so proud, "look baby, you can't even tell!" yeah. I'd need about 6 more mike's hard limeades to not be able to tell. Just wear it backwards, ok?


Oh how I'm loving this camper. I know it won't entirely keep me away from the great outdoors, but it should sure make the great outdoors much more attractive as it's viewed through a layer of screen! PLUS it has airconditioning! Yeah, I'm so not going to get to use that, but it's there. Anything that puts another layer between the bugs and the dirt and me, I'm a big fan. This camper is so much bigger and cooler than the one my family had as kids. The side that has all the kitchen stuff and table even pushes out sideways with the two ends with the beds on each side. I'm thinking our outdoor adventures will be MUCH easier to take. Damn, I know I just totally jinxed myself.

Local woman injured in freak knit blogging accident...family walks away rolling eyes and showing no sympathy whatsoever...

OK, so I'm back to the matchy-matchy. (The shirt is actually more teal than the shot, it got bleached out by the flash.) Hey, there's not many perks to the whole losing all my knitting time going back to work in the corporate world, but getting to match my knitted socks to my shirts is one of the favorite parts of my days. Yes, I know I need to get out more. Back to the story... I am coordinated enough to take my own picture. And coordinated enough to hold my foot in front of my body. Apparently I'm not coordinated enough to do both of these actions at the same time. Notice that the picture above is taken with me sitting on the ground. WHY didn't I think of that first? I think the orange action photo the other day was a freak occurance, as when I tried this yesterday I fell over. ALL the way over. To the ground. Loudly.

Heard at my house yesterday afternoon...
"ooof, grunt, oops, AAAAAAAAUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH, BOOM, grooooooaaaannnn"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" stomp, stomp, stomp, (continue for a bunch of running up stairs, we live in the Weasley many-leveled split-level house, remember) stomp, stomp, stomp.... *Children and hubby-to-be arrive in a big crowd*

"Are you OK? What the heck happened? Why are you on the floor twisted up like that?"

"What? Oh, I just fell over." (hiding camera behind self)

"O....K...." *wanders off with the kids, everyone shanking their heads*

The scary thing? No one questions the fact that a grown woman just falls over in a big noisy explosion. I'm apparently so graceful that this seems like just another normal day around the Weasley house.

ANYWAY, I know I'm not the only one who does this kind of stuff (Matching my socks, not falling over in the attempt). I saw Grumperina showing photos not too long ago and there's enough of us 80's children that still have some glow-in-the-dark fingernail polish wearing, Modonna-look-alike or preppy collars and matching socks in our pasts, so fess up. Take a picture (much, much safer while sitting on the ground) or have a loved one take a picture and share.

And the shoes? Target for $29.99. Comfy and shows just a hint of crazy knitterly matching goodness at the end of long, boring black pants. They make me happy.


Cranked out some wrist warmers for my too-cool-to-wear-gloves preteen diva. She now wears the el capitan hat I made, her scarf of malabrigo she made on that crank-handled plastic knitting machine and these wristers. They qualified as "cool". Notice the sleeves are PUSHED up to the elbows? The sacrifices we make to be cool. Yarn: malabrigo, Needles: sz 6's, Pattern: wrist warmers in Last Minute Knitted Gifts, the man's pattern less 4 stitches. They worked up in just a couple of hours.

Introducing Picovoli the Third

OK, so let's hope that third time really IS the charm here. I truly LOVE the first picovoli I made which met with an unfortunate felting/shrinking episode that I've still not had the heart to chop and turn into something else. The second one? Well, that was the leaky boob sweater, shown on the sidebar as the cover pic for the fuglies. MAN, that is one funky looking sweater. ANYWAY, introducing the new and improved NOT GOING TO FELT THIS FUXXER Picovoli.....

Pattern: Picovoli by Grumperina
Yarn: 3 balls charcoal Lavish 100% superfine alpaca in light worsted, 1 ball indigo Lavish light worsted
This yarn? A divine, luscious, soft, loverly thing to work with. If the grey wasn't just a little bit hairy I'd have licked it. So, ok, I did actually lick it when I was doing the spit splicing, so there you go. Bought at MisKnits. LOVE this stuff. Once I find the two lost balls, I may need to get some more and figure out a striped hat or something.
Needles: size 6 I think, I've already lost my memory. Yes, I just took it off the needles a couple of days ago, but *poof* it's gone.

Can you see the itty bitty purple stripe at the bottom just above the garter bottom edge? I actually had 4 skeins of the charcoal in my stash. I know this because I'd originally entered it into ravelry like a good little organized knitter. Then I proceeded to take out one ball of charcoal and one of the purple to swatch for something and *poof* who the heck knows where they are now. The stashmonster has outgrown his pretty cedar chest. And the four drawers of my dresser. And the plastic tubs under the bed. I do know they're somewhere in the house. I'd normally never have put these two colors together, but it's growing on me. There's not enough of a contrast and I was really wanting something warm but soft and knitterly to wear under my boring black jacket at work. This pattern is my all-time favorite thing to knit. Entirely knit in the round with NOT ONE BIT of finishing other than weaving in ends. How much does that rock? I'll probably add a little crocheted slipstitch or single crocheted edge in purple along the top edge and armholes if I ever find that other ball of purple. If not, I think it's entirely wearable and lovable as is.

OK, so that "quiet little simple ceremony" I was thinking of for April 19th? Well, it's quickly morphed into a big-arse blowout party. We're in need of some ideas of how to keep approximately 25-30 kids entertained. I'm thinking one of those rented blow up jumping things you see at school carnivals. Jeff thought a clown. Nope. Not after poltergeist. Not gonna happen. They freak me out. Do any kids actually LIKE clowns? Kids that don't grow up to be serial killers, that is? ANYWAY, if you've got any ideas for mid-April in Kansas, which means there could be snow, there could be rain, or there could be beautiful sunshine and happiness. We're going to rent a tent, for cripes sake. It's gone HUGE. Ah well. I'm not walking down any damn aisles and I'm not being escorted. Not. Gonna. Happen. I've been there, done that and so has Jeff.

Ah well. I'm sure it will get thrown together in time. The current plan is for my two brothers and Jeff's brother-in-law to bring over their grills and to be in charge of hotdogs and hamburgers. Yes, HOTDOGS and HAMBURGERS. We're going high class here. No dressing up, people will be in casual party mode. Jeff will wear a hawaiian shirt and his wedding socks (as long as those get done in time) and I will wear a fabulous sundress (thank you Teri for helping me find a damn pattern!) with an absolutely stunning knitted shawl (thank you Chery!) that will make me look like a million bucks but will not make it SEEM like I'm trying to look like a million bucks. I will be that magical 15 lbs lighter. What dream world? It could all happen. In less than six weeks. While I'm learning a new job. And doing the supermom run-around crap that we all have to do. sure. It could happen.

Did I mention this sweater was made with luscious yarn for under $20? $4.80/skein and I used almost all of 4 skeins for the size S but added about 3 inches in length. Seriously, how much does that rock? Go on and make you one.

At least I have a rockin' new sweater, huh? OH, and the whole promising no more pitt shots while I learn to use the timer function on my camera? Did anyone actually think that would happen? Yeah. That's the risk you take reading this blog. There. May. Be. Pitts. But there'll be lots of yummy yarn to equalize the whole ick factor.

Mini post....I have news!

Ok, so started and finished another picovoli sweater out of luscious alpaca that I got at MisKnits. Pictures soon.....

But I HAVE AN ACTUAL WEDDING DATE NOW!!! AND honeymoon dates. AND the plane tickets are purchased. The marriage license is applied for. All systems are GO, people! This damn wedding and trip has been set up and cancelled for one reason or another at least four freaking times. Now, it's legit. ....too legit...too legit to quit....too legit....too legit to quit...heeeeeyyyyyyy How sad is it that I'm still stuck in 80's music mode for every major life decision? It's like my life has a little sound track. Remember Ally McBeal? or whatever that show was? She had little dancing babies and Al Green's voiceovers in her head. I'm not quite to that point yet. not quite.

More details later, I promise. We're getting married in a little bitty ceremony here in KC and the week later heading for the Bahamas! Wedding date is April 19th. Guess I'd better get my butt moving on knitting up those wedding socks for the groom, huh?

You know they're good socks when they give you flashbacks

First, the cute stuff. Free pattern: Capitan by Rosie G.. Yarn: Galway chunky 100% wool. Needles: 10's. I made three of these puppies. I saw them on Tiennie's blog and fell in love with this pattern. Lizzie thinks it's a keeper. The other two are going to her cousins. The pattern has this cute little tab across the brim with two big buttons on it, but being that a) I'm lazy; and b) I want INSTANT gratification; theses were made sans cute tab.

Yes, I do realize those don't quite match my shirt. But I like them anyway. This pair of socks has really got me thinking. Remembering. I haven't matched my socks to my outfits since the mid 80's and early 90's. I wouldn't just match my socks to the polo shirt I wore, with collar flipped up, of course. Oh no, I'd match TWO pairs of socks one folded "just so" on top of the other one so they both showed with my penny loafers and denim mini to the TWO polo shirts I wore on top of the other with the collars flipped up to show both in all their matchingness glory.

This little trip down memory lane took me to the day when orange became my personal superpower color. My aunt took me for the weekend. We'd had our colors done (very 80's, no?) and it turned out this bright, obnoxious orange color was my "personal best" shade. I thought I would barf. Then my aunt found a little shop in Prairie Village that sold clothes based on your colors, or seasons or whatever the heck it was. So, three hours later I was the proud owner of 5 new outfits, one of whom I detested. It was an obnoxiously bright orange cotton short sleeved cabled sweater with a white full cotton skirt with an orange print of some kind. It appeared to be a package deal, the orange monstrosity and the other cool clothes or nothing at all. So, the orange outfit came home with me.

I'd be reminded to pull it out for special events. I'd put it on grudgingly, but then it turned out that whenever I wore it, good things happened. I'd get an A in the presentation I had to do at school. I'd beat my arch-enemy/rival for the flute first chair challenge. I'd get asked out by whatever boy I dreamed was the coolest that week. Because I believed I was unstoppable in that damn sweater, I really was. I think I wore it to shreds. I think this is why my subconscious went insane and decided to order orange and green glasses a few months ago. Seriously? Who gets ORANGE glasses? I know, they look "coppery" on me in just the right light. They're still orange. I finally realized THAT's why I lost my mind that day. It was the sweater all over again. They must not have inherited the super powers as I was wearing them when I backed into the neighbor's car last month. Damn prius. Just wrote a check for $925 to get that fixed.

Then, when knitting with my dear friend Chery, she mentioned that she had some bright orange cascade 220 that just wasn't working out in the sweater she'd planned and did I think I'd want it? Oh yeah. Come to me orange yarn, come to me!

OK, so last flashback now, I promise. I remembered how I could stand on one foot and lift the other foot behind my head. I thought hey, how cute of a picture would it be to hold my foot up in front of my shirt? Yeah. Well, I'm a few months of 40 now, and it almost killed me to get my foot to my damn waist.

So the real world hasn't killed me yet...

Survived my first official day on the new job. Temporary job, but new job. Good people, good work, hope it lasts a while longer. What better way to reward myself than a trip to the local yarn shop? Oh, and a call to another yarn shop? HEY, that's what I do.

First, some progress on yet another pair of socks. I'm re-falling in love with my socks that rock sock club yarn from last year. Yes, this is the first skein that's actually been knit, I'm working on it. I have totally lost my freaking sock knitting ability. I've screwed up the last 3 socks I've made and then while knitting along on the 2nd sock, making sure to decrease to the same screwed-up number as I did on the first sock of the pair, somehow decided to start a heel flap. Not a problem, except I'd ALREADY TURNED THE DAMN HEEL on this sock about half an inch before. Don't you think I'd notice something like TWO HEELS on a sock? OK, I did notice, but it took me about 6 rows into the heel flap before thinking, hmmmmmm something doesn't seem quite right here. Nice knitting, dumbass.

Did you know they now give a burgandy tote when you buy $100 at Knit Wit? Wanna know how I know that? Like I said, rewarding myself. I picked up a cool pattern booklet, an amazingly adorable knitted sheep pattern, 5 skeins of heaven, 2 skeins of Cascade 220 in a light grey to do some colorwork on a few hats. Yes, COLORWORK. When discussing this new idea with the Jo's (Jo Minor and Jo Major), it turns out that when they last brought up the idea to me long ago I had a yelling hissy fit over the futility of me ever, ever, EVER knitting with more than one color at one time. I remembered it as more of a quiet reluctance, but ah well. I'm swatching and practicing and it hasn't killed me yet. Pictures soon.

The 5 skeins of heaven? Only the most amazingly cool stuff I picked up today. It looks a bit like natural silk and feels as close to heaven as I think cotton can ever aspire to. Artesanal yarns from Aslan Trends. 40% cotton, 30% alpaca and 30% polyamid. Each skein has 218 yards and works up at 4 stitches/inch on 8-10 US needles. Oh my holy hell. When I fondled the swatch, I HAD to have it. It doesn't look nearly as amazing as it is in person, just take my word for it. It will become some form of a lacy tank for summer.


OH and the call was to MisKnits for a cone of wool to make up a sweater. It's a lighter version of navy blue and it's going to have to let me know which of 4 sweaters it's wanting to become. Much swatching ahead. While there a few weeks ago as a reward for getting the job I picked up some reaaaaaaaaaaaly pretty sock yarn. Apparently I am the queen of rationalization....yarn reward for getting a job....yarn reward for going to the job....I'm afraid I see yarn reward for when the job is over coming as well. Trekking Hand Art in beautiful blues and deep dark colors. I think they'll become a pair of wedding socks for my hubby-to-be. I can't see him actually WEARING the wool socks on the boat in Abaco (Bahamas) but I figure they look like how he's described the colors of the ocean once you get out to the really deep parts. Looks like the wedding on the boat thing is getting closer to actually happening! We've narrowed it down to the end of April. Anyone else freaking out that it's only 2 months until I'd be wearing a bikini and TAKING PICTURES???? No? Well, I'm freaking out for the both of us. Not working-out-constantly-and-dieting freaking out, but still-eating-brownies-for-breakfast-occasionally and freaking out in my head. Maybe I'll just make sure everyone knows that pictures will be from the waist up. Or I could be in the water (with the sharks and lion fish and barracudas) the whole time. Giving up the brownies might be less painful.

Who needs chocolates and roses?

Jeff called and said he hoped I wasn't expecting a dinner out and flowers (I wasn't since we've got his boys and my two kids and NO ONE'S getting anything romantic with all that going on), because he's got a special Valentine's Day present for me....

OK, so this is a picture of another version of our new (very used and slightly smelly) 1998 Starcraft Venture. Ours is sitting in storage down in the Ozarks. Pictures of ours will come in the spring when this bad boy gets put on the road. See how the name is SOOOOOOOOOO much cooler than the actual object? I'm totally going to say "Make it SO, Number One" and "Engage!" every freaking time we leave town with this thing. (Yes, I'm a total Star Trek dork) Besides, I'm marrying a man who is, in fact, NATURE MAN and this piece of metal and canvas puts that one more layer between me and all that great outdoors crap. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it. The last few times we went camping we survived horrid winds, floods and bug infestations. I can be a couple of steps ABOVE the dirt and creepy crawlies in this thing. I like the great outdoors, I just really, REALLY like coming back INSIDE from it as well.

In my mind I'll be Elizabeth Zimmermanningly knitting as we camp our way across the USA (or across parts of Kansas and Missouri anyway). Yes, I know she spent her camping jaunts with a piece of canvas and cooking on a fire on a rock. This is about as nature-girl as I get. Since we're getting closer to buying our land in the middle of tick-hell country, this will allow me to stay in something where the thousands of critters trying to eat me alive will have a little more obstacles to get through while we stay over on the weekends working on our land. I'd buy stock in a bug spray company soon, people. The sales are going to SKYROCKET.

I've totally lost my sock knitting ability. NOT ONLY did I knit one smooshy sock on 64 stitches in my normal pattern but then knit the 2nd one on 60 stitches and only realized this AFTER turning the heel, but I totally screwed up the sock I picked up to make myself feel better about the first screw up. Cripes! I knit socks as my "when the world is getting too hard and I need something to knit without thinking" projects. Now I can't even think my way through them? Nice. So, it's nothing any NORMAL knitter would worry about. Just us entirely-too-anal ones. Yes, I KNOW the smooshy pair are only one rib off (K3,P1) but it makes my brain bleed to see how big the size difference is. I'm going to frog the 2nd one and reknit it. Put it away for later, picked up the fun and bright and cheery STR yarn and cranked out a sock on 64 stitches in 3X1 rib, just like usual. Then apparently, I forgot that half of 64 is actually 32 stitches, knit the entire foot with 32 pattern 3X1 rib top and 36 stockinette stitches on the bottom. Then knit most of the toe as if I knew how to count, saw I somehow had 4 stitches more on the top than the bottom. Frogged it back to the starts of the decreases thinking surely I must have over-decreased on the top EVEN THOUGH the pretty line of decreases looked just right and KNIT IT AGAIN and ended up with 4 extra stitches. At least this time I figured it out while trying to get the stitches lined up back on the needles. I frogged back a little farther, reorganized the stitches so they're evenly placed around and knit up the toe. It looks just fine and fits loverly. I've even written down notes to tell me when to do the "pattern element" aka "screw-up-fixer" so the 2nd one matches the first.

I think I'm going to get going on a colorwork hat. Maybe something complicated will be easier than my usually easy stuff.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

PS--I avoided all barf, Joey got better very quickly and I even sat down next to Jeff's ex at one of the basketball games last weekend and explained that, shoot, with having to get a real job now I just won't be able to take care of her sick boys every time she needs to dump them and run let us spend extra quality time with them. Shoot. I think I was blunt enough that she got the picture. I have no problem with helping out, but it was getting a bit much.

You know what? I'm totally excited about my V-Day present. I'm gonna ROCK the camping out thing now.

Dodging the barf

First of all, the knitting news. I have been cranking along on my laced-front ribbed sweater. It's very pretty. I just noticed as I laid it out that I've very smartly made mirrored increases and decreases and all the like, but TOTALLY FUXXED UP the bind off shoulder edge on one of the fronts. damn. Ah well, I've already frogged this damn thing back 3 times to screw with the non-mirrored-looking neckline so what's one more time? At least it's just about 6 rows on not much stitches. I've got to make up the sleeves, put it all together and hold my breath to see if it actually fits. NOW I'm seeing why I'm such a fan of in-the-round knitting. You can try it on as you go. Ah well, if it's too small it'll go to my daughter.

You know those cutesy little games at baby showers where they ask you to give a piece of advice to the new mom-to-be? I used to say something stupid like take a nap when your baby naps. Yeah, from now on, I'm giving her a barf bucket with the following instructions...Keep this barf bucket within easy reach next to your bed at all times. Do not get comfortable thinking your children are in 2nd grade (or 5th grade) and can make it to the bathroom and take care of themselves. ALWAYS have a barf bucket ready to grab and run and thrust in front of a child's face in a matter of seconds. A small plastic trash can works best. BUT not to be used as a trash can, that slows down the whole getting-it-into position. Put TWO plastic grocery bags inside. Trust me, use both. You don't wanna be cleaning up anything that may soak through one bag. Then put in a couple of paper towels. DO THIS. I used to do this. I even kept a barf bucket handy until about a year ago but then got lazy. Let me tell you, the things that come out of children over the age of 8 stain a lot worse than things that come out of little babies.

SO, back to the barf dodging. Earlier in the week, Jeff's ex was leaving their oldest boy home from school with a "low fever" of around 102-103. I'd hate to see what a high fever is. I said, OK, bring him over. I quarantined him in an area with the tv remote and seven-up. He got picked up later that day and apparently barfed the night away. I cloroxed the crap out of the house and hoped for the best. Then had to go visit the new job's office and got the OTHER stepson dropped off also with "just a low fever" but he began barfing upon entering the house. Nice. I LITERALLY had to jump out of the way of flying nastiness in order to make it to the new job without wearing puke. Nothing like a nice, calm entry back into the business world, huh? Well, guess what? The little barfing bug is working its way through the family. Joey's school called and he's got the barfs too. Damn. At least my kids and I've gotten the flu shot each year, so when Jeff's boys bring it over (just like twice last year and once already this year) it hits my kids with usually just one night of ickiness instead of the 2-3 days of crap his boys get. I keep trying to point out to his ex that if they got the flu shots, they may not be getting this crap in the first place, let alone bringing it into my house. She just said, "OK, Thanks, Christine, got to get to work now, bye" when her youngest starting heaving the other morning THIRTY SECONDS after they opened the door. After coordinating with Jeff on caring for these sickies I pointed out that since I'm no longer going to be working from home, this kind of stuff needs to find another way of working itself out. Man, if you hear the words "my stomach..." don't wait for the rest of the "hurts", it'll be too late and you'll be out buying carpet cleaner. Trust me.

ICK! I'm off to re-wash my hands and frog the top of the right front piece of my sweater. And prepare more barf buckets.

Able to yell again

Well, last time we talked, I had lost my job, backed into the neighbor's car and set myself on fire. Good times. Since then things have settled down a bit. I lost my voice, got a temporary job that could maybe turn into something longer, got my voice back, lost my voice again and found out that something is munching away in my sock drawer.

I was so stressed out last week that I didn't even KNIT for three whole days. I don't think I've gone three days without knitting since back in 2004 when I learned how. It amazed me. Three days. Then I started thinking, wow, is that NORMAL? Do you guys knit that much? I don't mean all day, every day, but a little in the evenings or when waiting for kids at basketball practice and as a little break after the day at work is over? Do you guys have the local yarn shops saved on your cell phones too? Or is it just me?

I'm normally a pretty shiny, happy kind of a person. Life doesn't often get me down. But when stress gets too much for me, my body just kind of picks some strange thing to do and goes crazy with it. Bad divorce and sick baby? Hives from head to toe that WON'T GO AWAY, tons of allergy meds, steriods, and relaxation techniques. Crazy white-van-with-no-windows-driving Stalker Man? Hair fell out in clumps and put on 40 lbs in 2 months. Lose comfy job and have to go back to the real world? Throat closes the hell up. I couldn't hardly breathe. I finally was able to massage my muscles and give myself a talking to and relax things enough to breathe and swallow again, but my voice was gone. Whisper with an occasional croak. Whenever the heart rate got pumping and that freakout feeling came back I'd have to stop to rub my throat to be able to just breathe normally. Seriously freaked me out as this lasted for almost a week.

That's when I got the call back and had to do some negotiating for the temporary independent contractor gig. Yup, I sounded like a damn frog that was going through puberty. Long story short, I got the job. I've got funds coming in soon and I'll just see where this takes me. The BEST part is that I've got a little flexibility and can still be home in the afternoons with the kids most of the time. sweet. This will help me get through to the spring (hopefully) and then I'll figure out what to do for the summer and beyond.

I also survived a weekend with all four children with NO VOICE. I always knew I was a yelling mom. I don't yell often, but when I do, it's LOUD and it WORKS. I'm fine with that. The only problem is I yell a LOT more when we've got all four here. Sometimes this house is so freaking loud that a good HEY! is about all that will cut through the noise to get anyone's attention. I needed an air horn. Next time I freak out and can't talk I'm getting me an air horn.

The voice was just starting to come to a low whisper level when I took 3 of the 4 monsters out for a day at Shawnee Mission Park last Sunday. It was so beautiful outdoors, in the upper 40's and low 50's that it felt like summer after that week of temps in the teens. Jeff had taken his youngest boy to ski up near Weston, MO so it was just me and the rest of the gang. David (Jeff's oldest) asked if he and Joey could hike down from the playground to see the ice on the lake and I said "Yes, but make sure you look out for Joey." It was a good LONG way down to the lake. I went off to get our picnic lunch carried down from the truck and was setting it up in the shelter. Elizabeth yelled out, "MOM, I think you'd better come see this!" I go running over to the top of the hill and the two boys are in the MIDDLE OF THE FREAKING LAKE ON THE ICE! OH my holy hell. I had NO VOICE. (and apparently no mind working to tell me to have Elizabeth yell for me). I scream-whispered GET OFF THE ICE! NOW! GET OFF THE ICE! It was this freaky horror movie sound effect thing that echoed through the hills. The boys looked up and saw me and apparently the mom-eye works from afar as they boogied themselves to the edge of the ice again. When Elizabeth and I hiked down there (a big-ass brush and tree covered hill) I asked David what part of "look out for Joey" didn't he understand. He said, "What? We had sticks." Yes, they were tapping the ice with the sticks. Then came a lesson in what happens when little boys are in the middle of the ice over a 30 foot deep lake by themselves with only a stick and the temperatures are WARMING UP. We all promised that none of us would go out onto frozen ice without a grown up with them to help pull them out and get help should something happen. cripes almighty. I did let the kids slide around for about another half hour but made everyone stay within 10 feet of the shore. Voice was officially gone once again. I also learned that I need to be a bit more detailed than "look out for Joey" to include "don't place my boy in mortal danger please." kids. Yes, I've TOTALLY gone sliding around on a frozen lake with a few cousins and no parents involved when I was a kid too, but it's a whole lot different from the mom-side of things.

Also in the last week I've now found holes in FOUR of my knitted socks. Of course, it's one sock each from FOUR PAIR of socks. grrrrrrrrr.... Now, being a woman who takes care of her feet, I'm thinking it's not just a coincidence that each of these socks suddenly sprang new holes. damn damn damn. I've microwaved all my socks and am finding a new place to keep them to see if I can quit feeding the yarn munching bastards, whatever they may be.

I'm back to knitting and even decided it was safe to crank out on a sweater again and give the freaky sock knitting a break. Ok, I'm still knitting socks, just not with every moment of my time. I finished the back and half the right front on the ribbed lace-front sweater from that Lingerie Style book in cascade 220 heathery blue. I'm LOVING this yarn. It's turning out spot on for gauge, but sure looks long and skinny. really skinny. I keep stretching it out and holding it up to me and it seems to look ok, but damn this thing will be form-fitting. I made one of the larger sizes and it's still really skinny. Guess this is why I should be knitting it in the damn round so I could be trying it on. Yeah. I know. Good thing I'm a process knitter and love the getting-there and don't mind frogging big projects, huh? I'm interested to see how this one turns out.

boy, it's a good thing I'm supermom, huh?

"Hey mom, you know that hero report I did? Yeah? Well we have to dress up like our hero tomorrow morning." nice. What ever happened to the "Mom, I have to bring cookies to school" crap? With the hero being Christa McAuliffe (the first teacher to go into space when the space shuttle exploded back in the 80's), you can't just pick up a space suit from the HyVee bakery department. I think I did pretty damn good for the evening before. I also had offered to cover a bowl in aluminum foil as a space helmet, but being an 11 year old fashionista, my daughter passed on that one. You don't EVEN want to know where my brain was going when Lizzie said her teacher said to "be creative" and do a before and after the heroic event costume. Um, yeah. Maybe that would have worked better with someone like Laura Ingalls Wilder, little girl on the prairie, grown up author. Um, before=teacher/astronaut. after=boom. Yeah, I thought the sweatshirt and sticky-backed felt was a better idea there. I told her to carry a stack of books like she's a teacher, then an astronaut and just skip the whole acting out the ending business. I did make her do most of the work on cutting out the letters and fitting it on there, so it was good old bonding mom & daughter craft time.

More socks done. Finished these up with a teensy bit of yarn left over for future darning if necessary. Wollmeise yarn, color Gewitterhimmel (stormy heavens), needles 1.5 hiya-hiya metal dpns. LOVE those needles. The yarn had enough for a pair for mom and one for Joey. I'm also almost ready for the heel on my smooshy socks from birthday yarn. Since it's all of 12 degrees outside, I'm sure these socks should get some good wear before long.




So, you've all heard about how cotton burns and wool smolders but stops immediately when the fire source is removed, right? Well, it's true. Ask me how I know. Go ahead, ASK ME! Well, I'm glad you asked. See the smoldering log on the left in the fireplace insert? See it sitting nicely INSIDE the firebox? That was AFTER a bit of fireworks in the house. Ever heard of burning hedge wood? It's that unbelievably hard, dense wood that early farmers used as fence posts hundreds of years ago and they're still standing. The wood is almost petrified. Well, when that wood starts to burn and then fresh air gets in, it sparks like the 4th of July. No, not quite like the 4th of July because those sparks are IN THE SKY. These were IN MY FACE and apparently a few settled on my arm. The mild-mannered log on the left decided to try to roll out in the midst of the fun. I couldn't get it shoved in there enough to shut the damn doors and the sparks were just getting thicker and crazier. EVERYWHERE. I see this FLASH of flame. ON MY FREAKING ARM. The whole stop, drop and roll just somehow didn't stick in my brain. My sleeve was ON FREAKING FIRE. I went more with the flail arm about wildly (fanning the flame), curse loudly and jump around until I grabbed the edge of the big Zimmermanish vest thing I was wearing (made from yarn from Joanna, bless her fire-putting-out stash) which smothered the flames, used superhuman strength and shoved the damn log back into the firebox, slammed the door and sat down panting. I looked at my sleeve and the cotton edge of the sleeve was charred black, apparently cotton shirts make quite the fire starter. I should email survivorman, wonder if he knows that. The Zimmerman vest? Not even a scratch. I even pulled out a tiny chunk of sparked wood that was still smoldering from the thick wooly stitches and dropped it in the pot of water on top of the stove. No burns, no horrible stuff. Just an even bigger love of all things wooly and natural and Zimmermanny. Usually Jeff takes stove duty. We pretty much heat the whole Weasley house with firewood since we're able to come by it free. Since Jeff had been traveling a great deal lately, I'd become NATURE GIRL, almost enjoying the clear mind that comes to you while "wood chuckin'" (carrying wood in from the pile by the side of the house to the garage) and was getting quite cocky in my Nautre Girl abilities. I've officially turned all things fire-related back over to Nature Boy himself. Most of the problem was that after burning wood for almost a week at a pretty steady rate left this big angle of ashes and the logs want to roll right out at you if you don't do the shoveling ashes thing. Nature Girl will chuck wood, but she could find 45 other chores she'd rather do than shovel ashes.

Later while knitting I kept getting this smell of steaks. Grilled steaks. At first I thought the neighbors were grilling. Then I realized it was 1 degree outside and almost 11pm. Then I smelled my arm. Yup. Somehow I'd got the stink of singed meat without actually burning myself. cripes. Washed and slathered my arm in lotion and went back to knitting, but I can totally still smell it.

OH and the month-old fudge? It rocked.

I am a very good driver.....

I AM a very good driver, I am just NOT a very good backer-upper. SO, what have I been up to these last couple of days? Working on the resume? Finding local colleges to complete those damn few hours left for the official degree? Snuggling up in bed watching the Walton's while knitting and sucking down hot chocolate and hiding from reality Making life plans for the future for where this career opportunity is taking me? kinda.

Also BACKING INTO THE NEIGHBOR'S FREAKING CAR. nice, huh? They always park this little white honda RIGHT where any car backing out of our driveway almost hits. Jeff even told me he's almost crunched it at least a dozen times. Only thing is, ALMOST doesn't help me here. Good use of my savings, huh? damn. damn damn damn. Car is being appraised and at least the neighbor is letting us use Jeff's brother-in-law's body shop. damn damn damn. Pictures tomorrow. I was entirely too depressed and it was entirely too cold to try to snap a pic tonight. At least the damn thing's still drivable, it just has to have the entire front freaking end replaced since it's a itty bitty toyota and is only made out of about 4 pieces. damn damn damn Only good thing is that the truck didn't even get a scratch.

One smart thing I've done is put down the sweater knitting and back away slowly (without running into anyone) and stick with sock knitting. A lot of freaking sock knitting. The gorgeous wollmeise I got a while back became mom's first pair of knitted socks. Size 11 knitted socks. There was still enough left (hopefully) to make Joey a pair as well. My camera was in Germany with Jeff when mom's socks were delivered, so I've only got pics of Joey's socks in progress. In the last few days, I've knitted the heel and foot of mom's sock and one and a half sz 3 kids' socks. I'll probably finish the other one tonight. I'm actually working most of the day and hardly knitting until night. It's been freaky. These fingers be flyin'. When stressful things occur in your life, your tension WILL change and you will be even more pissed off if your sweater suddenly gets much, much tighter for a while, so do us all a favor and PUT THE GOOD KNITTING DOWN when life gets too hairy. Socks are much more forgiving.

Oh, and the best thing about today? While digging through my cabinet where I keep the extra vitamin bottles and lotions and such, looking for some vitamin C as my throat is killing me, head hurting, stress must be wiping me out and I don't want to get sick......GUESS what I found? CHOCOLATE!!! During a trip to Crown Center right before Xmas Joey and I wandered into that shop that makes its own fudge, mmmmmmmmmmm, and watched them make some. SOoooooo, I ended up bringing home a boatload of it. Ate about half of it, stuffed it into the cabinet and FORGOT about it. I'm thinking the m&m's are good. Anyone think I'll get sick eating month old fudge? Does it go bad? Cause it smells sooooooo good. I'm thinking to be safe I'll eat just a little bitty bit. and see what happens. Yeah, you know I'm eating more than an itty bitty bit. These are TWO slices of inch and a half thick KC homemade fudge. One's chocolate peanut butter and one's pure chocolate heaven. Screw the m&m's. I want FUDGE! Wish my belly luck.


Thanks for the good thoughts, guys. It means a lot. It really does. And Teri, I'll bust a move with you ANYTIME lady. Parking lots full of ice in the freezing cold are no match for a couple of 80's flashbacking almost 40-yr old girls like us. MAN that felt good. Nothing finishes off a night of good old' knitting guild official business like that. You know what to do, now bust a move....

Good night Jim Bob, Good night Elizabeth. do dah ........do dahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (come on you KNOW the last notes of the Waltons always leave you wishing you were there too! And yes, I can totally sing/hum the entire freaking song.

Knock, Knock...

R: Knock, Knock
Me: Who's there?
R: REALITY, turn around, please.
Me: Reality, who? *turns around obediently*
R: Reality THIS! Bwa ha HAAAAAAA *CHOMP! *biting me right in the ass*

Well, it's been nice. Really, really nice. Working from home as a consultant. So very, very nice. Ah well. It's all over. My yarny, happy world has crumbled around me. Good thing I've been budgeting lately, huh? DAMN!

In the last 48 hours I've been told of the "great opportunity" for my future. My company is being sold. My job is going bye bye. Very, very quickly. GREAT opportunity, huh? Ah well. Because I do have a good man as a boss, who talked up my abilities and skills, I also had an interview to work temporarily with the new company. There is actually the potential to have full time employment with a good growing company and work about 5 minutes from home.

I know, I know. Everyone ELSE works in the real world. I've had it good. I know it. I'm just a little bit absolutely freaking out about entering the real world work force again. Big shiny buildings make my innerds all funky. It's not pretty. I only cursed a little bit under my breath while walking into corporation-world central for the meeting. Turning around I heard a man chuckle at me. With how my life usually works, I figured it was the guy set up to interview me, but you know what? I got lucky and he got out on another floor. *whew*

Best interview advice had to come from Teri...I said I was feeling as lost and confused as a newly divorced single momma out in the dating world again. Then I said, oh, yeah, I was REALLY good at dating, so maybe that's not a good example. Teri said, That's it! Just think of it like a date. Then she looked at me, realization set in and she said, um, yeah. Maybe NOT think of it like one of YOUR dates EXACTLY, you know..... a few snorts of laughter later, we figured I'd better just think of it as an interview after all. Instead of lucky panties I wore my lucky socks. I have superhero powers while wearing my mountain colors barefoot socks. 60% superwash wool, 25% mohair, 15% nylon, 48% superabilities. I know the numbers don't add up right, but who'm I to question such amazing sock yarn? I'm a believer, baby.

THANK GOD for good friends and family. You guys rock. You kept me mostly sane and helped me pull my act together pretty damn quick from full freakout mode to interview-ready in a matter of hours. Best part of the day? The fact that the monster sized goiter zit on my chin broke out about 2 hours AFTER the interview. Nothing says competent, professional business woman like a goiter zit on a middle-aged woman's chin, huh? nice.

The hardest part of this whole situation was my nature boy was in GERMANY. (He'll be home by the time you read this for any crazy stalker-people out there.) Across an OCEAN, for cripes sakes. I gotta hand it to the man. I tried to hold out until the end of his big training trip so I didn't ruin his fun, but he could tell something was wrong. When he asked what was bothering me I dumped it all on him in about 5 minutes straight in full crazy-speed-talk-mode. He calmed me down, then called me and left some amazing messages on the answering machine for me throughout the day today. Basically he said that I've always supported him through any troubles and he'd do the same for me....we can get through anything together...he knew I'd be spectacular in the interview, not to worry a bit...and mostly that he loved and believed in me. You know, the man may drive me up the wall sometimes, but THIS is why I love him so. This and the fact that he wears my socks and sweaters with pride.

OH and the police thing? That's now TWICE I've attracted attention from the men in black here while knitting in the car. I think it's because I've switched to metal hiya-hiya double point needles. All that silver flashing or something. Maybe I need wooden needles for car knitting. Hiya-hiya's should come with a warning label.....WARNING: May attract police or impale knitters if held in lap while driving. Yeah, I totally poked myself with one the other day as well. Hard enough to leave a little red dot. That's how crazy good karma's stabbing me in the tummy kicking me in the ass this week.

Thank God it's Friday. This week sucked. I'm ready for a break. I'm gonna curl up in bed and knit and hide for a while. ok?

Yes, sir. No, sir. Only on the red lights, sir.

SO, sitting in the left-turn lane at a red light. Minding my own business. Knitting on a sock. A quick WHOOP WHOOP of a police siren next to me got my attention. Mr. Policeman has an intent look on his face and his window's rolled down. I roll mine down and say, "yes, sir, is there a problem?" He gets out of his car, with the lights going. nice. Apparently, when I held the knitting up close to see whether I needed to decrease on this round or the next on the heel gusset, it made the man a titch uncomfortable seeing a driver wielding metal implements of doom double pointed sock needles instead of having both hands on the steering wheel. After explaining what I was doing, "yes, sir." And promising that I never, EVER knit while driving, "Oh, no, sir!" that the knitting goes in the lap as soon as the light turns green he seemed to be ready to let me get on with it. (That really long stretch of very straight, very deserted highway last summer and a stockinette sock in progress don't count here.) Also, Mr. PM didn't agree that sock knitting is, in fact, why God made red lights, no chuckle at all. That's the beginning of the "yes, sir....no, sir" business began. Apparently I'm not nearly as funny in real life as I sometimes think I am in my head. Knitting humor and policemen don't mix well. Thank God it's not a ticketing offense to knit a sock at the wheel.

What, MORE run-ins with public servants? Yes, please. Saturday afternoon Jeff's burning off a pile of brush and apparently had a few too many wet smoldery leaves in the chiminea. Ok, in the big metal barrel that was cut in half and serves as our outdoor firepit. There was a column of smoke so thick and rolling that the local firemen that were heading back from a grocery store stop decided to come and check things out. After admiring the screened-in back porch Jeff made and talking twigs, leaves and all things fire and smoke, they said we weren't in trouble since the fire was technically in a chiminea, but should put this smoke-fest out so the neighbors would calm down. While they were there we must have had 4 old men come running thinking the house was burning down. I do love our neighbors.

Knitted objects in action. We bundled up and packed snacks and such and spent Sunday afternoon playing in the park. Football, hide-n-seek tag, lava tag, hiking around the paths, throwing sticks on the frozen ice, generally having a good time. Thank God for warm wool. And long underwear. Good times had by all.

Well Darn it!

Guess what new knitting skill I get to learn now? I wasn't actually saying "darn it" when I found the hole. I was saying "it" but I used a little more descriptive word in front of it. I always thought, Oh, I won't ever darn socks. I'll just wear them until they start to give out, realize they've done their job and that'll be the end of them. But these are my MONKEY socks. My very, very favorite pair of socks. Darn it.

Skating party at 4:00 today, gotta get the hanging with the kids thing done while they still think it's cool that their mom likes to roller skate too. I'm sure I'll be a social pyranha soon enough.

How can I say no to toes as prettily dressed as these? Guess I'll have to do some surfing around to find directions of darning. Anyone with points can sure send me info if they'd like.

Well, so much for stash-diving

OK, so I said I never said I wasn't going to buy new yarn. I just said I was going to try to make it on the budget. In my defense, if this yarn works up like I hope it will, it's a hell of a shopping triumph. $12. TWELVE DOLLARS! It feels fabulous, has good squooshability, smells good. 75% superwash wool 25% nylon with Aloe Vera. One skein is supposed to be enough for one pair of men's boot socks. Since Jeff seems to like the thicker yarn for socks and I'm sporting bags full of sock weight yarn, what's a girl to do? I'll probably actually swatch this stuff up. I don't think I've ever swatched for a sock. Ever. I just either frog it in process and reknit, or find someone to fit the sock I made, or usually my socks just magically fit. Of course, that's usually with sock weight yarns that I can usually guesstimate pretty well what size needles and how many to cast on, etc. What? MEASURE a foot? Swatch it? *sigh* I'm crossing over to the dark side of knitting, where you do things that make sense. I haven't decided if I'll make these toe up, which would make the most sense of all, since I'm not sure how long of cuffs to make, but that's really pushing it for me. We'll see. Twelve dollars plus sales tax? Absolutley the cheapest I've ever gotten out of a yarn shop.

Isn't this pretty yarn? Damn, I love Cascade 220. This is from the heathers line. I got 7 skeins on the day-after-Christmas sale at Knit Wit in Olathe. Shopping pre-budget, you know. It's going to become the Laced-Front Sweater from Knitting Lingerie Style. A butt-load of ribbing, but it is so pretty I can't help myself. The dreamweaver link of this book has good pics of the book's projects. The one I'm making is the grey laced-up sweater leaning against a yellow background.



Does it totally cancel out the goodness of drinking the slim-fast ultimate no-hunger stuff if you have to mix a couple massive squirts of hershey's chocolate syrup in there? Is there any flavor that doesn't taste like fake-chocolate-flavored dog barf? I'm not going crazy with the whole weight loss thing this time around, I'm just trying to whittle down those thighs if I'm going to be getting married on a boat and wearing a bikini for a honeymoon. I figure if I can drink that crap in the morning and eat normal food at night I should be ok. Of course, that means avoiding those damn Crispy Creme donuts at the Knitting meetings. Oh and those damn chocolate chip cookies. Maybe I'll bring a veggie tray instead of McDs' next time. It looks like the official date is moving from February to late-April or early-May. We're still trying to work out the legalities of getting married in the Bahamas on Jeff's uncle's boat.