Knitting Forever, Housework Whenever

Unfortunately, I have no pictures. I have been knitting and spinning pretty steadily, but my husband(M) has commandeered the camera. The Senior PGA tour is here this week, and he and his stepdad have been snapping pictures relentlessly. M's not a big golf guy, but his stepdad is, and he didn't want to go by himself. M's idea of good golf is trying not to get too drunk to drive the golf cart and laughing at his buddies from the rough on the opposite side of the fairway. Not quite the hush-hush kind of golf you find at a Sr. PGA event.

My adult ADD is kicking in again. I have yet to finish my tank top, or my bunny, or crumpets, and yet I've started new objects. I've made a pair of UGLY socks out of clearance $1/ skein yarn. Evil Red Heart yarn. Something I would never normally use, but I've been trying to make socks for this person for ages, and I can't get the size right. And the ones I made are still too big in the ankles. Plus, (she says) she is allergic to wool. And she keeps picking out worsted weight yarn. And I just don't want to do it. Wah! Anyways, I think I've found the pattern, and I'll just knit the ankle on smaller needles, and change to bigger ones at the heel.

I've also started a new tank. I got some british knitting mags at Barnes and Noble and found a cute lace tank. I don't have the right yarn, so it's a bit more lacey than it should be, but pretty good so far.

The spinning front is so-so. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, since my yarns don't look like a big ball of twisted shit anymore. But I found out that I have been missing a huge step- the wetting and drying and setting the twist. I guess that's why it probably would have been helpful to get a book or something first. Although it probably wouldn't have helped because... I don't follow dirctions. I do, but I don't read through them completely before I follow them. Doesn't work so good that way. Well, life is all about learning from your mistakes, right?

Housework? Oh yeah. I have this thing with my back- don't worry, no complaining- and it has been driving me bonkers lately. It's a pinched nerve, or something. Well, I finally went to te doctor, and I finally have a dr. who listens, and he sent me to PT. The therapist was going over all the usual stuff when he asks if there's anything I like to do but can't anymore. I must have looked like WTF, cause he said, "like vaccuuming?". I'm sure he got a bigger WTF look. Who likes to vaccuum? I said, "well, I don't generally vaccuum very much". WTF? Anyways, I hope his ambition for me doesn't have anything to do with vaccuuming.

M swears he's going to divorce me over my housekeeping. I think it's fair to say he's bluffing.

Enough, Steff

Adventures in School Shopping

So I'm about to be the mom of a kindergartener. Wow! It's hard to believe he's that old already. Makes me feel old. Well, I don't feel old, but I feel old. Time to get pierced or something. Or maybe just take my man out and liquor him up for a fun night to remind us of those days in the frontseat of his Datsun. Ah, the memories.

Anyways, school supplies... I went online to the school's website to get a copy of his supply list, like a good mommy. Man! He needed 4 packages of crayons, 3 sets of markers, 3 bottles of glue, 3 watercolor paint sets, 8 glue sticks, and multiples of much else. I've only got one kid in this class, why does he need so many of everything? It must be because we live in a broke-ass school district with people that just keep whining about how they can't afford any more taxes. "Oh, I don't have kids in school, what do I care?" Don't you care about property values? Don't you realize this is the "community" it takes to raise a child? Who paid, or will pay, for your kids? Don't get me wrong, I know it's not entirley your stingy ass that has caused this problem, and I really don't mind buying all those school supplies, I just can't stand to see the ignorance of people. My own grandma is one of those "my kids are all done with school" people and it drives me batty. Because our levy failed, our district is now in fiscal emergency and the state has sent an oversite committee. Yeah, that's gonna fix the problem. What, no levy? Let's cut busing. Let's tear down the building that housed all of the special needs kids in one place so the poor speech pathologist and physical therapist (there's only one of each for the entire district) have to run all over town and ultimately have less time with the kids. But don't cut sports! Keep those extra-curriculars! God knows we wouldn't want those kids at home any more than they have to be. Then they might be making sex tapes with 12, 15 & 17 year olds- a story for another time. Ugh, I'm just a fustrated parent that honestly doesn't know what to do. Sometimes it makes me actually consider private school, even though it almost makes my skin crawl at the thought of my poor innocent children being brainwashed by the religion-mongers that are our private schools around here. (Not that public schools here are much different. We "pledged allegience, under God", had prayers at graduation, Young Life [aka, Christians with an Attitude], and had to change "Damn Yankees" to "Darn Yankees") The joys of middle america.

Well, no knitting. Just spewing about local issues. I did get the pattern for crumpets and cast on for that. I'm down about two inches on the bodice and am pretty happy about it. I know, I think I have adult ADD. Or maybe that's just an excuse to try and score some ritalin (joke!). I promise more knitting and less ranting.

C-ya!

Add-on: I volunteered to help at the polling station during our next voting day, but I'm afraid I won't be able to keep my mouth shut. Not to mention all the old ladies thought I was CRAZY because I'm under 60 and volunteering for such a job. Hey, maybe they'll let me take my knitting. I would definitely need to take a sock- for my mouth, ha, ha!

Ears!

I've got so many FOs, they're coming out of my ears! Not really. But isn't it funny how you'll feel like you're not getting anything d-o-n-e, done, and then suddenly, boom, boom boom. One after another, they start falling in to place and you're cooking with gas.* Anyway, I finished a baby sweater & hat that I had started, like, 6 months ago. I made it for my co-worker's first grandson. I know, all these people having 1st grands, I work with some old fogies. (Kidding, I kid!) Here it is. . . . . . .

Man, this whole picture thing is kinda aggravating. It never turns out the size or in the place that I think it will. Of course I am very un-computer literate (or is it computer il-literate) and am lucky I'm getting this good of a job done. Oh well....

The sweater was made with Bernat cotton-tots, 100% cotton baby yarn. Normally, I hate cotton yarn. And I hate cheap cotton yarn even more, but this wasn't so bad. Plus, she can throw it in the wash, although I cringe at the thought of putting anything I knit in the washing machine- felting was a traumatic experience for me. Anyhoo, I'm done and I found some yarn for my tank top so I'll be knitting on that for awhile. Oh, and I finally found a tape measure, even though I had to look for like an hour. And I own 40 jillion. I should own stock in Dritz with as many of those stupid things (and pins, and needles, and gadgets that I will never use, all because they are "notions", and everyone wants "notions", and they were half price! You gotta spend money to save money...) I have bought. I have this fear that all my lost tapes and onesie dpns are going to return to haunt my dying days. Curses!

C-ya!

*A torturous saying my grandmother would yell out at our high school softball games, and always at the wrong time. No, I can't possibly hit the ball, I'm too embarrassed by the woman jumping up and down talking about flatulence : !! Ah, those were the years...

Alas, he measured well.

Oh dear tape measure, how I mourn the loss of thee. To the field of endless inches ye have gone, to be seen nevermore. Many of your brothers have gone before in vain. How many more? How many until the gods of length and width and heighth are appeased? We shall see...


I can't find my frickin' tape measue! Frickin' kids- oh, I mean, wonderful angels that never mess in mommy's stuff.

My glamorous alter-ego, Queen Meniziba 

On FOs and UFOs...

So, I have a finished object! It's the blue sweater with the funky arms. I eased them in and they look decent. I need to do a little more blocking to get rid of any bunching from the easing and find the right buttons- toggle, I think- and finish the one arm seam, but I'd call it done! The original pattern actually had stripes, but who needs 'em when you have some great self-striping yarn. It feels really yummy- 50% merino/50% microfiber. I can't wait for cooler weather.

The tank top is coming right along too. I've got the front done and it actually looks right- the armhole shaping seems good and I think it might actually fit, although a little loose. I ran out of yarn and my LYS is closed for vacation until Monday, so I'm on hold involuntarily. My munchkins have decided they want to knit. Actually, the little one has been begging for a while, but she's only 3 1/2. I got one of those crazy knitting looms today, and she's doing pretty good. I wrap the yarn around the pegs and she pushes it off with this dental pick looking thing. It's a little scary looking, but I'm always right next to her. She gets bored though. About one row is all she can handle before she wants a break. I think that once she actually gets far enough that it's looking like something, she'll be more interested. But she is only 3 1/2.


Here's a nugget of wisdom that my hubby found on e-bay. It is full of useful info for the traveller, like "How to cross a piranah-infested river" and "How to control a runaway camel". Of course my favorite is "How to foil a UFO abduction". Note the illustration to the right.
Click on it to make it bigger and read the great caption. The worst thing is that I'm sure he bought the book for exactly this part. Yeah, my big, bad hubby's worried about aliens, although not so much as he used to be. I think now it's mostly a sub-conscious thing. If he just pretends it's funny, it won't be scary. Okay, I hope he doesn't read that.

Well time to go rescue the dog from my evil 5 year old. I've decided all the odd numbered years are bad. Terrible twos? Yeah right, think about 3, 5, 11, 13, 15, and, OH NO, 17!

C-ya!

Ugh....

It's one thing to willingly go 15 mph under the speed limit. It's quite another to do it in the fast lane on the highway.

Get the fuck over.

C-ya!

Go Away

Well, I can't complain too much about my job beacause it is not terribly bad. I get to do what I want most of the time in between customers and I make decent money. I sell sewing machines and summer is pretty darn slow. Usually I can get quite a bit knitting done this time of year, but apparently it bugs my boss. I would be okay with that, but she's allowed to do it!! So, in order to throw trouble into my pot o'plans, she makes up crazy things for me to do when she's not around. See, I work at a couple of different locations and when I'm at the one that is her home base, she always wants me to do the grunt work- paperwork, samples, etc. (Today she told machines needed lightbulbs when they were all glowing brightly!) Again, this would be fine if she was actually doing the true "manager" thing, but the only thing she does managerial is make the schedule. Sorry, had to let that out. At least she's not aware of the blog- yet. Oh well, maybe it would give me an excuse to quit being a slave to the retail :p crap that I hate.

That was an awfully vague and long rambling to explain why there's not a lot of new knitting. Of course, I shouldn't blame it only on that. I got stuck on the shaping for my too big tank top and had to frog it a little bit. Plus I haven't come to terms with the whole arm problem on my cardi. So what's a girl to do? Buy more yarn and start a new project naturally. Come on now, you know you've all done it before! I went to my local yarn shop (Yarnsmith's) and she had the cutest kits. It came with these patterns, all the yarn you need and stuffing. I'm getting a new niece in August and I just couldn't resist. The fluffy little ball is actually the belly of the bunny. I'm using Alpaca held together with a fluffy, furry yarn called Whisper. I think I will have enough left to make a bear, too. I've used one ball of the alpaca and I only have one arm left to do. The yarn for the sweaters is actually handpainted sock yarn. I love this sock yarn. It is superwash and beautiful. She gets her handpainted yarns from Danette Taylor and I love them. Okay, enough with the gushing.

I have also been spinning! This is a big deal for me because I got my wheel for Christmas and this is the first I've done! I couldn't get the idea from the tiny little picture they sent with my wheel, plus the roving they sent me was awful. It was all sticky and smelled a lot like lanolin. I ordered some roving off e-bay and my other yarn lady helped me get the motion down. This is my fourth try and it is actually pretty even. I was starting to get worried because I told my hubby I wanted this thing, and he, being good to me, bought it and I thought I was never going to get it. Plus I was getting fustrated and I thought I actually hated it. What a fool I was. It's great once you get the feel. I still keep wanting to make it too thick, but I'm getting better. I just keep telling myself, ply it baby. We'll see. I've ordered some more roving. Now I just need the nerve to knit it up!! Yep, I'm a wimp.

Well, kid number 1 is asleep, but that onery kid number 2 just won't stop sneaking in here to give me kisses. Guess it's time for lights out.

C-ya! ;)

Sleep

So how do you get a three year old to stay in her own bed? I have no clue! At least 75% of the time she snuggles her squirmy little butt in my bed at around 5:00am and proceeds to crowd me until 7:30. I know the story about putting her back in her own bed right away, but she's been doing it for so long, and I'm so sleep deprived, that I don't wake up when she gets in bed anymore. (She could actually be getting in bed earlier and I'm sure I wouldn't know.) The fustrating thing is that I know she understands what she is doing, and that she shouldn't do it! A few weeks ago, I was s-i-c-k and my husband was out of town so I asked her to please not come to bed. She didn't. She knows. Oh well, what's a mom to do.

Anyhoo, on the knitty front, I have pictures of a Finished Object!!! It is a baby sweater that I made for one of the ladies at work. She is getting her first grand-daughter on Monday and she had asked me to make one for her. She asked that it be pink and soft. The yarn I used was a pima cotton/tencel blend. It was very soft and had a nice drape, but it was a pain to knit. It kept splitting and I was covered in fuzz when I was done. But she was thrilled with the results, and I have to say, 'Damn, did I make that?'. The pattern is from Sirdar and was not too hard to follow, although I like raglan sleeves better. One of these days I will figure out how to convert set in sleeves to raglan sleeves, maybe. Here's a close up of the openwork rib pattern.

Well, I must be off to the mines now.


C-ya!

Panic

What have I done? I've made this blog thing and now I'm going to have to write on it- on a regular basis!!! NOOOOOOO- maybe I have a teeny fear of commitment.

Well, knitting news is that I have been working on a sweater for myself that is turning out way too big. It will probably end up for my sis. The kicker is that it is completely knitted and now I'm to the finishing, a normally fun part cause the end is in sight. But for some reason the arm holes are like 2 INCHES bigger than the sleeves. What!?!? How the hell did that happen? I think that I'll be able to salvage it by easing the sleeves in place, or maybe I'll let my scissors do the walking.

In light of this set back, I've decided to start a new project. (And by the way, my finished projects are F.O.s, but I don't call my unfinished projects U.F.O.s, they are S.O.s- started objects. It just sounds so much more finish-able than unfinished objects.) I'm using some
knit one, crochet too second time cotton to make a seed stitch border tank- of my own design. Scary! If I can't get a pattern to fit me (of course, I did do a larger size on purpose, silly me), why do I think I can make my own to fit me? Well, it doesn't. Surprise, NOT! Looks like this will go to mom.

Enough for today. I need to set up my picture thingy so I can actually post some photos, since we all know that's the fun part in blogs.

C-YA

omigosh!

Omigosh, I have a blog!! I can't believe I'm baring my soul to total strangers- even if there are only two of you. Well, I'm new to this whole process, but there will be more info, ramblings, pictures, projects, etc. ad nauseum soon!!