Five in the sand...

Why is that important things fall out my brain but totally inane things remain forever? If you must know my current earworm is Elmo singing about five. And the sand? Dude. I was doing laundry yesterday and I cleaned like half a cup of sand out of my washer. Yes, I live in Florida, but I live like 40 minutes from the beach for goodness sake.

Five sweaters. I have five sweaters on the needles. Four of them are nearly done. Not to confused with nearly dead. I'm trying to finish the Sandy Cardigan before the end of year (yes in 15 hours) but of course it won't happen. But if I keep working on it I can wear it this winter.

So you wanna hear my crazy (new) ambitious goal?

I wanna finish four sweaters in January!

I said it was crazy.

Sandy Cardigan - halfway through side 2, needs sleeve 2, collar and edging.

Mr. Greenjeans - needs sleeves and ribbing

Tomato - needs about 3 inches on the bottom and sleeve ribbing

Juliet - needs about six repeats of the lace pattern

I honestly think this is doable, plus it would make me feel way better about my pile of wips.

Oh wait. You want an update on the goals I made less than a week ago? You're silly.

Fuzzy Feet still need a bath
Celtic Tote is completely knitted. Needs seaming (no biggie) and embroidery (which is sucking the life out of me!)
Splash Scarf is no more.
Block 6 of the MQW is done and the bag o'yarn is back with Kathe and off my wip list for the near future.
Sooper Seekrit had to be frogged. Not enough yarn for the pattern I chose.

So there you have it. I'm working on stuff, and I haven't cast on anything new. My official wip count is fourteen. By the end of January I should be down to eight, not counting if I cast on. Which is just awesome. In theory anyway.

Second verse, same as the first.

Yes I know I just did a wip list. But this is a more detailed wip list. With notes and such. For a good purpose.



Yes I know you are laughing. I'll wait. Ok, I'll wait some more while you clean the beverage of your choice off your keyboard. I'm sorry I made you spit.

I realize of course that even if I knit 24/7 for this last week of the year and gave up sleeping, eating, and potty breaks I *still* would not finish all of these projects. But I can make it better, no? And I can institute firm rules that will get me down to something manageable.

Since our last fireside chat, I have finished a few things. Hold your applause until all of our FO's have been announced.

Two very pretty ornaments, only one of which I have a picture of. These knit up in no time at all.


One Tam, view C.


Swirling Snow, the December washcloth for the Knitwitz Washcloth Club.


Foliage from Knitty



Original Knitting Basket Ornament (#12)


The Misty Hat (#7)


The Big Ole Baby Blanket (#5)


Are you still here? Wow. So I've finished 8 things in the last month. All of which were tiny. Only 3 of which were on my most recent list. Which is why (shudder) my list has actually gone up an item. I'm now at 20. Yes, I'm hanging my head in shame.

1. Daniel Socks - Not ready for these. Only done a smidge. Will take off the needles and wait for later.
2. Modern Quilt Wrap - I have decided to treat this as 72 mini wips. Each block being a project. I will not "count" the wip unless it is unfinished. Right now I am in the middle of my third block so it's OTN.
3. Oblique - Doing ok on this one, but it's not close enough to finished to merit end of the year attention.
4. #19 - Pass.
5. Endpaper Mitts - Also low on the priority list.
6. Ice Queen - This might be a contender.
7. Vintage Velvet - Also might be a 2007 winner.
8. Upstream Socks - These fit nicely but I hate the funky way they look off my feet. Does that make any sense? I think these will be purse knitting and not considered an active wip. I plan on making a different architecture for it's mate.
9. Via Diagonale - I would love to have this purse. Need to fit this in soon.
10. Mr. Greenjeans - Guess when the diet starts? This will be a first project to finish in 2008.
11. Scotch Thistle Stole - Also 2008.
12. Sooper Seekrit - Needs to be frogged and redone easier. Not enough yarn for the intended pattern. This is a one movie knit though. Definitely this year.
13. Sandy Cardigan - This will be my 2007 sweater. I'm on sleeve one again finally.
14. Celtic Tote - Back and front done, half of side/bottom combo done. But I ran out of wound yarn. Oh the tragedy. This will be a 2007 knit though too!
15. Juliet - Not sure about this one. Probably spring 2008 for wear in the proper season.
16. Splash Scarf
17. Maximize Socks - Nearly done, but I'm taking these off the official list because I have to have a pair in progress for my class.
18. Tomato - I would like to finish this, but the truth is that it's a spring sweater and too small right now. 2008.
19. Icarus - Have I mentioned that this is 85% done? I will not cast on for any more lace until I finish it.
20. Fuzzy Feet - I swear upon everything holy that I will felt these tomorrow. Yes, I have finishing issues.

Ok. Things I will finish in 2007 for sure:
Fuzzy Feet
Celtic Tote
Sooper Seekrit
The current Modern Quilt Wrap square
Sandy Cardigan
Splash Scarf (the oldest wip)

Things I am officially removing:
Upstream Socks
Maximize Socks
Daniel Socks

At the end of 2007 I will be down to 11 wips. Eleven. That's my pledge and goal. And I will have a veritable plethora of FOs to show you. Heck I might even handwind some yarn.

Ok, probably not the last bit. But the rest for serious.

P.S. Merry Christmas!

Every so often...

I fall into the hole. The too many wips hole. Too many wips, too many ufos.

I think I might have some knitting issues.

Poor planning knitting issues. I start things that I never finish. Why is that? Many of the things I seem to never want to finish. You might wanna click away now. Go somewhere happy, that has pictures of puppies or ducklings.

Because I'm gonna make a list.

1. Icarus - still the same old place. Maybe I could finish this for Daniel's big party and buy a matching dress!
2. Tomato - fair isle too tight on boobies. So sad. Must lose weight.
3. Maximize Socks - these don't count because they are my sock class socks, right?
4. Splash Scarf - oh sweet niblets! Someone please take that thing out of my house!
5. Big Ole Baby Blanket - finish for December 8th baby shower!
6. Juliet - about half done with the lace. So fast, so easy, so forgotten.
7. Misty Hat - have about five inches. Need about seven before decreases.
8. Sandy Cardigan - would be nice since there have been chilly days. I'm such a slacker.
9. Sooper Seekrit - don't ask!
10. Mr. Greenjeans - stupid belly. See #2.
11. Scotch Thistle Stole - half done. Not dressy enough for party. Not high priority.
12. Basket Ornament - I. Hate. Bobbles.
13. Via Diagonale - anybody want this?
14. Upstream Socks - bored now.
15. #19 - For the love of all that is holy I will conquer this one!
16. Celtic Tote - Half done with back. Will be cute. Need to do.
17. Endpaper Mitts - fun in theory. Need motivation in reality.
18. Vintage Velvet - the love of the minute. I've worked nearly one ball of Touch Me. That stuff is sooooo nice.

19. Daniel Socks - Below is the picture of the yarn barf I pulled out looking for the freaking end of the trekking.


Just got an IM from my LYSO. The Riverstone is on the way. Caroline is slated up next. Must. Finish. Something.

I'm so pathetic.

Don't do the math!

When will I ever learn? I've been working on Mr. Greenjeans for less than 2 weeks. I'm making fantastic progress although I've slowed a bit due to insane busy-ness. But then I did the math.

Check the clock. 10:27. Work one row. What time is it? 10:38. You want sixteen inches of body at 6.5 rows per inch and each row takes you how long???? Expletives are the appropriate response here. All told if I trust the math I have 20 hours plus still of work on this baby. Suck-tastic.

But look how pretty it looks....

C'mon get happy!

And that's an order! And just to share my particular ear-worm with you....


So my good friend GirlWithNeedles tagged me as someone who makes her smile. Actually I think a good lot of my friends get smiles and giggles from my stories of the stupid things that happen to me, but hey, I am spreading joy in the world, no?

So here is my top ten list of bloggers who make me smile!



1. GirlWithNeedles of course! Her stitching makes me yearn for another hobby that I have no time for and she's the one that will keep you in stitches at knit-in!

2. KnitKimberKnit - She and I have been known to stand at the swift convulsed in the giggles and she's quick with the smiles and the hugs!

3. The Yarntender - Sometimes it seems like she and I share some brain material because we get all of each other's jokes. I feel sorry for her! ;)

4. TrishTheDish - Ahh... when we were five. And no, we didn't grow up together. We just have a tendency to act like complete children in each other's company. Remember Norway?

5. Fiber Freak - She's cooler than me. Well most people are, but she's really cool. Plus right now I am coveting her hand-dyed yarn. Or her dye-ing skills. Or both.

6. CrazyMexicanGirl - This one always makes me smile. There's something about her that tells me if I ever get over to that side of the country we would have the best time.

7. The Domestic Overlord - This one has the power. Her quick wit and current band names on the Knittyboard always makes me smile.

8. Batty - Every time I hit her blog, I hear the Count singing in my head. Good for a smile anyday!

9. Lolly Knits - I always love reading her entries and her photography is so gorgeous.

10. Poor Miss Finch - Her kids are so cute! And she is another one of those people that you get the feeling you would be fast friends with.

And just for your enjoyment, a story of something stupid that happened to me. Yes, you can laugh. My leg is all better now.

Are those ants in your pants or are you just happy to see me?

Saturday night I was cleaning out my car and getting ready to go to midnight knitting. I had backed the car up to the garage so I was actually standing in the mulch next to the deck. I was wearing jeans and suddenly I felt a sting on the back of my thigh. I didn't think much of it until I felt the 2nd sting and then a 3rd really make ya holler sting. I thought "I have (fire)ants in my pants." Seriously. The fire ants around here will just crawl right up your leg and start biting you like woah. So I ran madly into the house assuming some fireants had crawled up my pants, screaming the whole way because I was really getting stung/bit badly and each one hurt ten times worse than the last one. Rufus (the wonder beagle) is freaking out with me and starts to howl and bark at me. But then I I couldn't get my pants off because I forgot to take my shoes off first. So I'm hopping around my bedroom screaming, the dog is howling, and my pants are trapped on by my shoes. That's when I spot the yellowjacket. Yeah, I spot the yellowjacket still in my pants, next to my flesh. Did I mention I couldn't get my pants off? There shoulda been a hidden camera. Finally I get my pants off and start whaling on the yellowjacket with my shoe. "Die! Die! Die!"

I'm telling you. This sort of thing only happens to me.

Ode to the humble hot dog!

Tonight it was pigs in a blanket. And the ketchup was served like this:



The pigs were crazy easy. Two cups of heartsmart bisquick, 1/2 cup of skim milk. Mix together and roll out into a 12x12" square. Cut into 12 4x3" rectangles and wrap around 12 hotdogs. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes. Tada! Betcha didn't know I was such a culinary genius, huh?

Gimme a break. I'm tired. The party was a smashing success except for all the leftovers. Seriously. RSVP. Répondez s'il vous plaît. Sometimes I feel very old when I feel the need to critique people's manners. But I'm trying to give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they honestly don't know what it means. Maybe they think they only have to call if they are coming. But here's my Miss Manners lesson for the day. Even if you are not coming, it is still expected (and gracious) to rsvp. That way the host/ess knows that they don't have to plan food or whatever for you. In this day and age so many people don't rsvp that you almost *have* to plan for the non-responders. Ask me about the birthday party where I didn't. Well actually I did, but I didn't plan for the sheer number of people who showed up without rsvp'ing. Legendary disaster.

But really. If you are invited to a party, cut the hostess a break. Call or e-mail and tell her you can't make it (or can). It really does make life that much easier for her. That way a poor girl like me doesn't end up with 100 cans of various soda and 50 hot dogs leftover. Yeah, I'm not kidding. Apparently my slime punch was a raging success and that's all people drank. Ok. I'm done ranting. Really.

In knitting news I picked back up my endpaper mitts. They just weren't gonna fit over my gorilla hands with a 56 st cast-on on size 0 needles. (Yes, I have gorilla hands. I'm 5'10", whaddya want?) So I tweaked the pattern slightly for 60 sts and I'm finally to the fair-isle portion. Ribbing is evil, of this I am sure.

The Grudge 35

I've had 35 years of holding grudges. No, seriously. I am the queen of grudge-holders and bridge-burners. There are always flames leaping behind me because I never stop burning bridges. Never.

Sometimes I give people too many chances, sometimes too few. Many times I wonder what the hell is wrong with people who seem to be gluttons for punishment. You know, those people that keep going back and back to allow the same person to hurt them over and over again. I did that once. Well I mean I did that with one person. I guess it was due to the fact that once I had kids I felt like I should do anything to preserve my family. It didn't work of course. He was never my family.

Sometimes I wonder why I am so quick to cut people off. Is it because of the butthead? Not sure. Very few of the people I've cut loose could ever have that much of an impact on my life. Mostly it's just the random, I don't need this crap kind of cut-offs. But I'm damned good at it.

Ah, introspection. A Saturday afternoon nap will do that to you. You'll have odd dreams and heavy thoughts will hang in your head as you search for a strong enough source of caffeine to clear out all the cobwebs. Mostly my head is filled with one thought. If I sucked it up and invited my sister (and my beloved nephew) to our Halloween party would she suck it up enough to come? I mean I'm still incredibly angry at her and I miss him the most, but still.

I think it's time for a Starbucks run.

Cheez o Petes

I have no idea what that means. But it's a good pseudo curse word. Lil dude has been saying "Oh for the love of Uncle Pete". Uncle Pete is my stepbrother. I didn't grow up with him though, and the boys barely have seen him. But he is forever implanted in their brains because he is a rock star. Actually for real. He has a really great band. The boys wanna be rock stars (and spies and firemen) but I don't think their "uncle" would appreciate their High School Musical rock star aspirations.

By the way, those movies are like kiddy crack. Every kid I know, boy, girl, whatever loves those movies. Poor Kim had to sit through one the other night. I think it made her develop a tic.

Why am I awake at midnight when the alarm will ring at 6am? Because I am stupid. That is why. I am re-working Statistics homework so that I can get points that I missed the first time around. I'm trying to convince myself that it's worth it. This whole college thing. The more I hear about public schools the more unsure I become. I'm supposed to do field experience this semester. I've been assigned to an algebra class in what can only be described as an "inner-city" high school. Well as inner-city as Jacksonville gets. But the teacher hasn't called me back yet to arrange times. Sometimes I feel like I should take a step back and just do elementary teaching. Other days I'm convinced I need my master's so I can teach college. I'm nothing if not consistently indecisive.

And while I'm having a midnight whinefest (although sadly without wine or Irish cream) I might as well complain about my spring schedule. I wanted to leave a couple of days a week open to substitute teach. You know... experience, dollars, blah, blah, blah. But my Calc three class is at an odd time and it's impossible for me to schedule around with having to pay to put the boys in morning or after care.

Wait. Did you say you were here for the knitting? Silly me. What am I working on?

1. Juliet in double-stranded sage Cotton Fleece
2. Upstream Architecture Socks in a red/orange/fair isle Meilenweit
3. A simple baby blanket in Muench Big Baby

Things I'm not working on:

1. The Dead Bride. Guess it's not her year.
2. Katherine Hepburn - I screwed it up and haven't started over yet
3. Sandy Cardigan - And it's gonna get slightly chilly soon....
And more other things than I can possibly count. Might be time for WIP control again.

Tilting the duster...

Dusting the tilter... It's such a cute name for a sweater coat, the tilted duster. I feel like I should wear it with a drink in both hands. As you can see my duster is hanging out in the yarnstore (near the malabrigo and the IK) until it gets cool enough to wear it here. All in all, I must say, I *adore* this sweater!



Notes about this project:
If you knit it in malabrigo (or a similiar kettle dyed or hand dyed yarn) do some looking before you start. In hindsight I wish I had purposely chosen which two balls to use for my sleeves. One sleeve has a lot more of the lighter pink in it than the other. But rather than rip, I decided to "embrace" the kettle dyed qualities.

I was afraid I was going to run out of yarn, so I knit the fronts, the back, the sleeves, and then the collar. That way if I ran short I could just shorten the skirt. Turns out I was fine. I used way less than 6 balls of the red mahogany malabrigo on size 10 needles for the 40" size. It came out a bit bigger than 40" because my gauge was off, but I had planned for that.

Regardless of the yarn issue, I think knitting the skirt last was a good idea. The skirt is long and tough to get through, but it's nice to know that you're done at that point.

I had saved my original swatch so I tested out steam iron blocking it. It worked fine and didn't hurt the precious yarn so that's how I got the curl out of the stockinette portions of the skirt.

I must say, this is one of my favorite projects ever!

My life in pictures.

No, I didn't get a new camera yet. But I did get the old one to squeak out a few more pictures. Here's what I've been doing lately...

Taking the boys to school...


Knitting the tilted duster...


Knitting the tilted duster (someone force me to finish this danged thing, I'm down to bindoff and set in sleeves and my motivation went to Brooklyn or something).


Knitting Cat Bordhi's sample socks....


Making ABCD stitch markers for Cat Bordhi's sample socks...

Why yes, yes it was.

I am exhausted. No really. All weekend I cleaned. And then yesterday we partied. The cupcakes turned out delicious. The pizza came on time. I forgot to put spoons in the dips. I forgot to give the kids balloons. There was some serious brain farting going on.

But the end result really was happiness. The boys were happy and had tremendous amounts of fun. The spy mission (scavenger hunt) was a hit. The boys wrote their own clues and the end result was a can of silly string for each kid. They then attacked the D.A.D.'s (the Destructive Anarchy Droids) in the backyard. So awesome. And the dads were such good sports.

The little guy got so excited over a Harlem Globetrotters basketball that I thought he was gonna pass out. We are fully outfitted in spy gear and spider-man gear and gift cards. The boys are are ready to go shopping. Right now at ten til nine in the morning.

Oh and someone learned to knit. I was crazed but a couple of my friends found her yarn and needles in my stash and got her started. (Thank you so very much for that!!!) I predict that soon she will be fully addicted just like the rest of us!

Would you like to see some pictures of all of the fun? Yeah. My digital camera decided to crap out on me. Fortunately I had some camera happy friends so soon I will have some pics. I really need a new camera. Like yesterday.

Oh and today? Today I am doing nothing. Ok, not nothing. When does a woman ever really do nothing? Today I am knitting, catching up on laundry, knitting, doing my homework, and knitting. Three hats done, five to go.

Seeing Red.

My husband has been home on vacation on all week, while I've been working at the yarnstore. Somethings are hard to find.

Like camera batteries. And all of my comfy undies. This is *not* because he's done something odd with them. (I hope). This is because he has decided to be helpful and put things away for me.

I started my tilted duster in the red mahogany malabrigo. I have a very cute picture of strongman modeling the now-seamed back and fronts. I can't upload it due to lack o' batteries. Same with the picture of the red yarn I kool-aid dyed this evening.

Strange thing, this kool-aid business. I've done it before. And the package per ounce thing worked fine. I dyed 100g or roughly 3.5 ounces of yarn. I used SEVEN packets of red kool-aid. There are *still* unsaturated places. I started with 3 packets and added 4 more. I can't stomach the idea of going back to Publix yet again.

My cherry red Katherine Hepburn cardigan is stalled. I made some mistakes in the sleeve increases. So I kind of need a do-over. And I haven't the heart to rip it out. Yet.

I also spiffed up a totally cute hat in some pink lemonade colored poems. Only seven more hats to go. Yes, seven. Don't ask.

Sometimes the wrong side is so right!

Ahhh... colorwork. I've only tried intarsia once in the past, to quite disastrous results. But I decided to give it another go. With the Tomato. I cast on last week, and that sweater is fast like whoa. But I digress. I have beautiful pictures to show you:


It is not a Tomato, it is a chocolate covered pecan. Cocoa and Butter Pecan Main Line from Knitpicks. Overall, I don't *love* KP yarn, but this one is very nice. It's a true worsted cotton/merino blend and it's round and sproingy. But wait, look at the wrong side:



I am so proud of myself. My floats are all even and happy. And since I taught myself continental the weekend before last, I was able to do it two-handed. It worked so nicely. Now I want my next project to be fair isle. That or a malabrigo tilted duster.... (A girl can dream).

What you get for the money

Yesterday I had on a severe case of cast-on-itis. Which might interfere horribly with the whole "less than ten" master plan. But then Kim reminded me that crochet projects don't count. Of course I finished the crochet hotpad in a couple of hours, but still. So here is what I did yesterday....


50 grams of mainline worked into the first five inches of a Tomato, which is a free pattern if you sign up for Knitting Daily. Personally speaking, I HATE it when they name designs after colors. Or things that have a definite color associated with them. What am I supposed to call this, a chocolate covered tomato? A rotten and festering tomato? I mean honestly. And then the bright orange hotpad. They call it a dishcloth, but it's really not big enough and the crochet makes it too thick in my opinion. Dude, I'm full of opinions today, aren't I?

And then we have the beauty projects.


Six inches of the right sleeve of the Katherine Hepburn Cardigan. This sweater is gonna be so lovely. And 2.5 repeats of #19, aka the dead bride. The lace has become a bit of a sore spot with me. I'm just bound and determined to beat this one. And I've never found a finished one online anywhere. It will be the club of me.

In other news, if I used to comment on your blog and stopped, please post a comment. For some reason gator purged ALL of my subscriptions. Which was half of my knitting blog-friends. I have the other half on bloglines. I need to go back and look through comments, but truth be told, I'm busy AND I'm lazy. A deadly combination if there ever was one.

Oh and if you're counting, I'm still only up to nine.

Eight is great!

Pictures of eight works in progress. The only eight I own.



The Sandy Cardigan looks way more finished than it is. I have to rip out the sleeve and the side panel on the left, and re-measure myself and do the math again.

And here is a shot of the beautiful #19, which I swear I will wear to my husband's fancy Christmas party this year. Probably with something red.



After some very sophisticated math with my carbiner calculator, I have figured out which project will be the quickest to finish. And the answer is Via Diagonale. And for some reason, that just ain't calling my name. The 2nd quickest, Icarus, is likewise not calling my name. The Scotch Thistle stole will take twice as long as Via Diagonale to finish and I think that's what I wanna do. I don't know. But I'm down to eight. And I feel pretty darned good about that number.

Fe, Fi, FO, done!

And then, there were nine. Which is decidely less than ten. Less than ten people!!!

I now officially only have ten projects on the go. I just wove in ends on the fuzzy feet. And tomorrow morning I will throw them in the new washer and see how it goes. St. Andrew's Cross Blue for my Scottish husband.

And now, it's listy time! Because it makes me happy.

OTN:

1. Lillian's Tank - front & back done, needs ruffles & straps.
2. Scotch Thistle Stole - nearly half done.
3. Icarus - 86% done according the shawl calculator.
4. Wren - got 1.5 sleeves done, so pathetic.
5. CK Sweater - nearly done with the yoke.
6. Sandy Cardigan - basically only the diagonal panels are done as I need to rip out the sides.
7. VK Fall 2005 #19 - only 2/12 repeats done, and will need border and collar.
8. Via Diagonale - about half done.
9. Embossed Leaves Repair - need to rework about 40% of the pair.

I think I'm gonna make myself finish another before I cast on. Or two. Hmmm... which would be the quickest two to finish? I guess the sock repair and the Lillian (Monica) tank? The Scotch Thistle Stole goes very fast if I actually work on it. Decisions, decisions.

In other news, I got an A in film class. This is very good news, because when I took film class back in the day I blew it off. Which equals an F. On my freaking transcript. So an A in the "grade forgiveness" category is a beautiful thing!

Picture Pages...

Do you remember picture pages? What show was that a part of? Bill Cosby and the magical marker. “Time to let Bill Cosby do a picture page with you!” And the magical marker would make wonderful sounds as it traced the lines. Dude. I’m old.

But I did finally squeak at least one picture out of ole Carmen the Camera. Yes, I’ve named her. This is so she won’t die on me before I can get a replacement.

What you see before you is a fit of finishing, nestled in with some of my Secret Sox Box Swap swag and topped off with the “newest” thing.



We have four washcloths. The round one on the left, the blue bunny in front, the making waves one under the needles, and the secret yellow & white one under that. Those penguin needles are my official washcloth needles. The secret one is the August pattern for the washcloth club so I can’t unveil it yet. The purple under there is another secret, but not a washcloth. More on that later. In front we have the blooms bracelet from pick up sticks and perdita. On the top right is my gilligan hat from Knit.1 done in cream cotton fleece. Yes, I know you need a modeled shot.

The red case on the left is the motherload of all notion holders. My Secret Sox Box Swap partner sent it to me, along with the Tofutsies and that completely precious sock bag.

The cherry red yarns is Louet Gems Sportweight. For my Katherine Hepburn cardigan from Lace Style. Now if I could make some decent 1x1 ribbing to get that puppy started, we’d be cooking with gas.

My list is doing ok. I started and finished the Knitting Daily Summer Shawlette in Berrocco Ultra Alpaca Light. It’s a model for the lace class that the owner is giving at the yarn store. It’s beautiful and is blocking as I type.

So I have seven projects on hold and four technically on the needles. I think I might give up on the mystery stole. Truth be told I just don’t love the yarn I ordered. And I started with beads, so I sort of have to keep doing them. And dude, those beads slow you down, down, down. I don’t know. So I have eleven projects. Which is so much better than before. But as usually I have itchy fingers. I wonder if they make a cream for that.

I blame her.

She knows who she is.

I gave up on the silk/mohair scarf. Everything I was doing with that yarn combo was craptastic. Seriously bad. So for those of you keeping track, I would be down to four active projects.

I tried to cast on today for something else. It's her fault. She sent me home with a skein of SWTC bamboo. And when I googled it, I was reminded of the lovely Silk Corset pattern I have. Unfortunately the serendipity bamboo is not meant for that pattern. Or maybe that's a fortunate thing. I don't know. All I know is that the swatch on my needles ain't going nowhere. Although I am now tempted to see if it will work in Knitty's Convertible.

But right now my fingers are itching. She was the one who helped me figure out that the new Berrocco Ultra Alpaca Light will probably be perfect for the Summer Shawlette on Knitting Daily. So now I want to make it. And how.

But I have a paper to write. And some birthday Carolan's to drink (thanks to her!) and so I will not cast on for anything new. At least not tonight.

The answer.

It's simple really. The reason I don't finish any projects is because I never stick with anything. Even now. I only have six projects that I'm actively involved in. (I frogged the July washcloth - something was off about it). But even with only six, I flit from project to project. From day to day, I never focus on the same thing. I could finish stuff I wasn't so willy nilly about the whole business.

I've decided to put the Maximize socks on hold. I will have another Magic Loop class in August and it will be good to have those to work on during class. Plus I can get them to same point the class is at for the 2nd class, which is the short row heel portion. So now we have five.

And I shall prioritize.

1. Silk & Mohair Scarf
2. Mystery Stole - try to keep up!
3. Lillian's Tank
4. Fuzzy Feet
5. Scotch Thistle Stole

Are you tiring of my lists yet? Be glad you're not on my livejournal friends list. When I was moving, everyday I posted annoying lists. Hopefully soon I will find the battery charger, (which my husband swears is in the garage!) and I will be able to post some nice FO pics.

Now wip it... into shape!

Whenever I think of wips, I think of Devo. I'm sorry, I'm an 80's child. I would love to show you pictures of my finished projects. Or of my Super Sox Box Swap swag. But alas, the fates are against me. I finally found my camera (under all the stuff on my desk) but the batteries and the charger are somewhere in a box.

So we’ll give you happy lists instead:
1. Lillian's Monica Tank – Now 65% done!
2. Silk & Mohair Scarf -- Finish ASAP
3. Fuzzy Feet -- Finish ASAP
4. Maximize Socks -- Now 70% done!
5. Scotch Thistle Stole -- Finish ASAP

I have seven projects on hold – Icarus, Wren, CK Sweater, Sandy Cardigan, VK Fall 2005 #19, Via Diagonale, and Embossed Leaves Sock Repair – which brings me to twelve. The French Silk Socks are coming off the list, because my friendly LYS owner assures me that an unstarted second sock does *not* count on your wip list. And then I cast on for two things: the July Washcloth, and Mystery Stole 3. So…. I’m down to 14 projects total. Which is way better than the original 25 I came up with when I had too much Irish Cream the other night. Dude, I couldn’t even read my handwriting for part of that list!

I got an awesome box of stuff from my Sox Box partner. Tofutsies yarn, two beautiful lace sock patterns, a whole set of traveling notions, a beautifully embroidered sock project bag, and some yummy flavored coffees. I organized all my yarn today, so I separated stuff – I think that was the whole shebang. The traveling notions set is awesome. Everything you could possibly need for knitting on the go. Everyone should have one.

In the last bit of news, having a birthday on the luckiest day of the year is not turning out so lucky for me. All three of my guys are being buttheads. So I am off to the store to buy ingredients for one of my favorite cakes and/or some more Irish Cream. Happy seven-seven-seven to you!

Don't Let Me Teach Your Children

I kept saying "less than ten" in that last post, over and over. But clearly the math would give me exactly ten. And I wanna be a math teacher. Geez. And it gets worse. There aren’t 22 projects in that list. There are 21. Seriously folks. Someone pass me a calculator.

But here's the good news. I've finished three projects. And frogged four more. So the list of 21 is now down to 14. Which is good news for my itchy fingers. I have seven that are on “pause” and seven that need to be finished.

I love the number seven.

July Goal: Less than ten.

I would like to have less than ten projects going. Right now I have 22. And I am itching, nearly dying, to cast on for two more. Make that three.

What's calling my name? Mystery Stole Three. I have all the supplies. It would already be in the wip count if I hadn't screwed it up like five times yesterday. The second project is Tomato, available for free download at Knitting Daily. Yes, I have the yarn for that as well. A beautiful cocoa color with a nice tan for the stripe. The third project would be the July washcloth pattern. I'm in the KnitWitz washcloth club and the July pattern is on its way.

So.... although I really dream of less than five, I'm shooting for less than ten. So how do I get there? I have 22 projects. I have to get rid of 15 of them to allow myself to cast on for three more to equal ten. Ok. I can do this.

Here's the list of 22 and what I plan to do with them - the ones that say "Finish ASAP" are in the basic order I plan to finish them in:

Perdita -- Finish ASAP
Blooms Bracelet -- Finish ASAP
Bunny Washcloth -- Finish ASAP
Pie Crust Cloth -- Finish ASAP
Lacy Baby Bonnet -- Finish ASAP
Lillian's Tank -- Finish ASAP
Silk & Mohair Scarf -- Finish ASAP
Fuzzy Feet -- Finish ASAP
Maximize Socks -- Finish ASAP
French Silk Socks -- Finish ASAP
Scotch Thistle Stole -- Finish ASAP
Baby Boy Socks -- Frog
Sarcelle -- Frong
Splash Scarf -- Frog

And the remaining seven:
Icarus
Wren
CK Sweater
Sandy Cardigan
VK Fall 2005 #19
Via Diagonale
Embossed Leaves

Tell me I can do this?

Can't post. Must pack.

There's been precious little knitting. Hell, there's been precious little showering. Saturday is moving day! Got the keys from the owner today. Yay and wahoo!

Seven.

Seven is a good number for me. Particularly this year. On the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh year of 2000, I will turn an age that is a multiple of seven. And actually, I'm not into numbers. No, really.

So when V tagged me for seven things... how could I say no?

1. My hair started going gray when I was 18. Nowadays if I let it go, it would easily be more than half gray. Of course in periods of high stress (like this move) I tend to let the roots go. It's always very sobering.

2. I have a not so secret affinity for all things Scooby. I actually have a good sized box of items packed up that is all Scooby stuff. Magnets, toys, stuffed animals, stickers... I even have a bumper sticker that says "What would Scooby Doo?"

3. I have a fundamental aversion to cleaning. It just seems there are so many better things to do. Of course I am regretting this aversion now, with six days til moving day and a bunch of people coming to my apartment, but oh well. Sleep is overrated.

4. I have a bunch of port wine stains on the bottom of my feet. When I was pregnant I was terrified that the babies would end up with them on their faces. I always feel self conscious about them when I get a pedicure.

5. I think I am addicted to diet pepsi. No really. I know the chemical cocktail is not good for me, but I've tried to quit (subbing in other caffeine) and I'm more afraid to quit than I am of drinking it.

6. Back when I was thin (before the boys) and pseudo-single, I had very long hair. I dressed up as Pocahontas for the Halloween street party and braided it. I got so much attention that I wore the same costume the next year. Best costume ever.

7. I was a National Merit Scholar and blew a full ride my first time at college by basically just not going to classes my 2nd year. Not my finest hour.

I am the anti-tag. But if you haven't done this one, you should. It was fun!

The biggest socks...

So I've been working on these jitterbug socks. And I was hella worried that the socks would be super short. Because, you know, less than 300 yards? And what with me and the boat-like footies?

So I cast on toe-up. And I kept them in stockinette except for a simple faux cable motif running up the sides. The finished sock is gorgeous. I only cast on 60 stitches on size 2 addis. Did I mention the gorgeous?

But here's the thing. I've used less than half of my skein -- 54/112 grams. And the sock is the longest sock I've ever made. It's almost taller than my sock blocker.

So I'm kind of scratching my head on this one. Here I was being all careful not to use too much yarn and well... Of course I could be speaking too soon. It could be that the remaining 58 grams are somehow different and the 2nd sock will turn out much shorter. I mean I guess. I don't know.

Anyhow. It's dark and rainy here and my sock is wet on the blocker hanging in the bathroom. Not the best photo opportunity. So we will take pictures tomorrow. And post the pattern.

Super Sox Box Swap Questionnaire

1.What are your favorite colors? What colors make you cringe? No yellow! Other than that I like just about everything. I'm partial to purples, deep jewel tones, browns.

2.Are you a new sock knitter? How long have you been knitting socks? Not a newbie. Been doing it for a couple of years. I've never done colorwork in socks though, but I'm not sure I want to.

3.Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? Semi-solid? My favorites are those ones with variations on the same colors.

4.What fibers do you prefer in sock yarn? Superwash wool blends. Although I've never knit with silk blends, and I'm sure they are nice.

5.Where do you usually knit socks? In carline, waiting for the boys to get off of school.

6.How do you usually carry/store small projects? I have a few small bags.

7.What are your favorite sock knitting patterns? Any favorite designers? I'm a big Nancy Bush fan, and have two of her books - Knitting Vintage Socks and Traveling Socks. My favorite socks that I've done so far have been the Embossed Leaves patterns in Favorite Socks.

8.What are your favorite sock knitting techniques? I love lace socks. Makes them a bit more wearable in Florida.

9.What new techniques would you like to try? Hmmm... don't know.

10.Do you prefer circulars or dpns for sock knitting? I mostly do magic loop, but sometimes dpns.

11.What are some of your favorite yarns? Jitterbug is dreamy, and I love Lorna's Laces. I've not tried any of the indy sock yarns though.

12.What yarn do you adore and yearn for? What yarn makes you happiest? That's a toughie.

13.Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object? There isn't a particular sock pattern on my dream list.

14.Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? I love addi turbos, but I'm all set in my 40 inchers.

If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? I think I would be Lorna's Laces nearly solids. Pretty consistent but with interest.

Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? Sweet or salty? I'm a chocolate girl. My favorite is Ritter Sport Butter Biscuit. But I don't know how mail-able that is.

Do you collect anything? Anything Scooby Doo!

What is your favorite scent? I like fruit scents. Florals are nice but they make me sneeze.

Will you be celebrating a birthday, anniversary, etc. between now and the close of the swap? Nope!

What’s your favorite animal? I love butterflies?

Do you have pets? What are their species/names/ages? Rufus is a rescue beagle. We don't know how old he is, but pretty young. He's my sweetie!

Tell me the best quote you’ve ever heard or read. My favorite is from Clue, "And monkey brains, although popular in Cantonese cuisine, are not often to be found in Washington D.C."

What is your motto in life? Life is too short to have regrets.

Do you have a wishlist? (ie: Amazon, B&N, a LYS, online store, etc.) Please list link here. Nope. I guess I should make one of those. :)

Anything else you’d like to share with your Sox Box pal? Nah.

Any allergies to be aware of for this swap? Just the cat thing.

Coffee, Tea? I like flavored coffees.

Anything Else? I think I'm good!

Round up!

Pictures of my beautiful package from my secret pal.


I especially love how my backdrop holder is peeping over the top. There was so much stuff. 8 skeins of KP alpaca cloud in two different colors. Those gorgeous silk scarves. And the opal shelridge farm? To die for! So much beautiful stuff. If you are very lucky, the sweet llamabean will be your SP next time, cause she has this SP stuff down!

Well, cleaning and purging and "pre-packing" has made me take stock of my wips. I did not count how many skeins of sock and lace yarns I have before I packed that box. But it's a good size box. Dang.

Recently Touched WIPs
1. Jitterbug Socks - my own pattern, 1 sock 65% done
2. Scotch Thistle Stole in Schaefer Anne
3. Sarcelle in Alpaca With A Twist's Fino
4. Icarus in Misti Alpaca Laceweight
5. Happy Trekking Sock - 1 done, but it needs adjustments
6. Monica in Cotton-Ease - about 40% done
7. Blooms Bracelet - Just needs stringing
8. Silk & Kid Merino Scarf - my own pattern

Very Neglected WIPs
1. The Revived Dead Bride
2. Via Diagonale
3. Perdita
4. Cozy
5. The Man's Fuzzy Feet
6. Embossed Leaves Socks that need repairs
7. Sandy Cardigan

15. Fifteen. Oh my. Oh my, my, my. The scary thing is, I typed this list out to justify casting on for the little beauty below. Surely my WIP pile wasn't that bad. Right? Fifteen says I'm wrong. Very wrong. Dead wrong.

What happened to my camera.

Um, yeah. I took *none* of these pictures.

Sock Block

Nope, not sock blockers or sock blocking. Sock Block. One might compare it to writer's block.

I have too much sock yarn. Some of which I will never knit, like the umpteen balls of sockotta. But right now I need a pair of socks for my carry around project. So I did the entire cuff of a Friday Harbor Sock in my beloved Copper Beach Collinette Jitterbug. Wrong needles (too big) and wrong cast-on number (too small). I feel like Goldilocks here. I can't find just right for this yarn. And just for fun, let us not forget that the jitterbug is a little stingy with the yardage. And I have big feet. Shaddup. I'm 5'10", if I didn't have big feet I would constantly be falling over.

But wait. There is temptation in the house. Two skeins of this beautiful heathered Shelridge Farm sock yarn. Turquoise & smoky purple heathered. Beyond gorgeous. My wonderful secret pal Llamabean sent it to me. (Yes, I know. You want pictures. Tell my camera that. I think she ran away and joined the circus.) But seriously, it's so beautiful. And the only reason I'm not knitting that right this minute is that it's in skeins and I don't have a ballwinder.

Other things I should be doing instead of looking for a pattern for my jitterbug include: final review for my American History Exam, packing, packing, doing laundry, and possibly scratching all my skeeter bites from this weekend camping.

I have good news!

I worked on my Icarus shawl last night for awhile. I went from 80% done to 86% done. Which means I could totally finish it up this Friday! Of course I need to prioritize a few other things. But it's alright.

If the sun comes out today, I swear I will take some pictures. Maybe even interesting ones.

The tentacles of bad luck....

The tentacles of bad luck reached out and grabbed me. Yesterday, was of course, Friday the 13th. I don't believe in that nonsense. And I got through the day just fine, thank you.

Until I went hunting for my camera (which I found) and the last bag of knitting stuff I took to the store yesterday (which I did NOT find).

I threw a bag of knitting stuff away. My vera bradley notions case is gone. Along with some very precious notions and presents. And I can't remember all of the projects I took the the yarn store yesterday, but I'm pretty sure I threw away a couple of projects.

My husband is really good about taking the trash out. So that bag has already hit the dumpster. For a 13 building, 300+ unit complex. A dumpster that compacts everything very regularly.

Did I mention I live in building 13?

Fridays are for finishing?

Yesterday I made a plan. The early hours at the yarnstore seem to be slow, so I was on a finishing mission. You know, all those projects that are "nearly done"? Not to be confused with nearly dead.

So I finished stuff. I finished the daffodil, by putting some stitches in the petals for some artful arrangement. Now all it needs is a vase. I finished the first of my joyful socks. And then I finished my ballband washcloth.

Yes, I know you want pictures. I'll get to it. As soon as I can put on some pants (they are in the dryer) and go down to my car.

I also did ALL of the knitting for the blooms bracelets. Who knew knitted bobble balls like that could be so much fun? They are felted, and now all I have to do is add the decorative stitching. It's gonna be very cute.

So do you think next Friday I could finish up Icarus? Time to pull out the old shawl percentage calculator and see how bad off I am.

Issues. I got 'em. Oh yeah.

I seem to have cast-on-itis. I know that isn't a word. Saturday I cast on for the pick up sticks daffodil kit. I also got the blooms bracelet kit. I finished the daffodil and would show you a lovely picture, but I left it at my LYS.

I did finish the 1st Fancy Silk Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks. It's really pretty. It's also at the LYS.

I cast on this morning for a Monica from knitty out of some long-held cotton ease. It's going really quickly. Especially since cotton-ease knits up at 4 spi.

Did I mention that I have issues? I'm absolutely dying to cast on for the blooms bracelet. Dying I tell you.

I'm a few repeats away from finishing my version of the Happy socks. Well, only the first one. I seem to have contracted a BAD case of SSS (Second Sock Syndrome). Bad.

Things I'm insanely close to finishing:

Baby Cardigan - only needs buttons
Perdita - only needs buttons
Ball Band Dishcloth - needs like one more repeat

I really need to get my knitting ducks in a row. Quack.

Secret Goodness

More later. Too pooped to blog.

Lack of natural light..

It's too late to take a picture of my beautiful fancy silk socks. I modified the pattern to 72 stitches and I lined things up better. They are coming out awesome.

In other news, I was denied admission to a knitalong. I went back to the yahoo page to see if I had missed something. You know, how some groups will have very specific things they want you to do when you try to join. Didn't see anything. The page doesn't say anything about it being "invite only" or "not accepting new members". In fact, 20 new members were accepted this week.

I'm perplexed. Did I do or say something to offend someone? Maybe. Although in general I try to be rather non-offensive. Or is it unoffensive? Maybe the fact that I don't know the difference has pissed someone off. Maybe it was a mistake? The e-mail said the decision was final. Although I must admit, I'd really like to know why. Even if someone just e-mailed me back to say f*ck off, it would be nice to know. So hey, if you're reading this and you know why I was denied admission to the "Vintage Socks Knitalong" drop me a line. Throw me a bone.

I think the general pissy-ness that I'm feeling regarding this means it's a very good time to back away from the computer. Midol anyone?

Is feral the right word?

My husband has been gone less than six hours. The kitchen is um, littered with empty grocery bags. It's a quarter to seven and I have no idea what's for dinner. I have 70 plastic envelopes that need 20-30 worksheets counted out into them for tomorrow at 8am. And I have a 2 page paper on St. Martin & the Beggar due, along with a presentation for tomorrow. The envelopes and the papers should have been prepared days ago. The rest of it, I think, is the fact that without the man around, the boys and I are quite likely to just live like wild people.

And dagnabbit, I already have a chip in my manicure. That I got yesterday.

I had about 3-4 inches of Nancy Bush's fancy silk sock from Knitting Vintage Socks, but I had to rip it out. It would not go over my heel. Lorna's Laces doesn't really work on bigger needles, so I've modified the pattern. As soon as I have a few repeats in, I'll have a picture.

Not a picture of the kitchen of course, a picture of the sock progress.

MIA: Knitting Mojo, Mine

So today I took the boys to the park for a playdate with a bunch of other kids. We had a fantastic time. I packed my toe-up sock. You know, the one I'm working on for the class I'm teaching? Oh wait. Did I tell you about that? I finished one session of a toe-up sock class last Saturday. I need to have the heel flap finished by the next on April 7th.

I gave the sock away.

Let me repeat that.

I gave the sock away. The in progress sock. The Lorna's Laces Baltic Sea Shepherd Sport yarn on a size three 40" brand effing new addi needle.

I gave the sock away. Fortunately the person is gonna give it back. But the person is on the other side of town. I put the sock in a ziploc this morning, and put the ziploc in a paper grocery sack with handles. The sack that was full of scrapping supplies I had offered up on freecycle. I thought I had put it in the other sack. I was wrong.

So now my mojo is all confuzzled. I have that tank top for the shop to work on. I really need to whip that puppy out. But instead of working on that tonight, I scoured the internets for the perfect pattern for some long-neglected yarn. The beautiful terracotta Misti pima silk. I didn't find the perfect pattern. And now my neck hurts from sitting at the computer too long.

I think it's time to go to bed before something else bad happens knitting wise.

A little harsh...

This is boring life stuff, no knitting stuff. Forewarned is forearmed.

"I kinda hope she doesn't call back."

I typed that. Yesterday. And here is why.

In January of 2003 my divorce was final. A couple of months later a group of work-friends in Ohio had a girls only divorce party for me at my house. The ex-friend was the "ringleader". I started dating. The EF cheered me on. On Saturday, December 6th, I spent the day at EF's house scrapbooking. The man, who had watched the boys all day, picked me up, drove us downtown to the ginormous Christmas tree, and proposed. The EF was happy for me.

In the next month or so the friendship fell apart. I was in an extremely stressful position at work, and planning a wedding. All of the sudden I realized that I wasn't wanted in the group. I probably had missed it for awhile. I was totally overwhelmed. But when I called EF on it, the explanation I received was vague. The only part I remember is something about me complaining about my work when everyone on my project was getting all sorts of perks. Perks like pizza when you had to work til midnight for no OT. Like I said it was strange and vague. Some of it was about the man and the fact that I wasn't around anymore. But mostly I wasn't around because I was working in a separate building and never got to take lunch. And lunch was the biggest part of when we spent time together as a group.

The man and I got married. Only one in the group offered congratulations. Not the EF. Come April the man got the job offer here in Florida. About a week before we left I stopped in and talked the EF. We didn't speak of whatever had happened. I'd been close to the EF since 1998 when she threw my baby shower. So we had a final lunch and said goodbye on semi good terms. Since we moved here I've called every couple of months. She would always talk and chat, but never called me. I was lonely for such a long time here that I never noticed that.

When we went to OH in November of last year I called her beforehand. We were gonna do lunch. When I arrived in OH I called again and suddenly she had no time to see me. I offered a couple of days, but she was "busy". I understand busy. But no time I offered was good, and she made no effort to suggest a time. We went to the office, saw her in passing. The boys hugged her but she just looked at me like I was a stranger. I finally got the message.

So yesterday she calls. Nearly 4 months later. And this is why "I kinda hope she doesn't call back."

And the beat goes on...

I think I might be getting sick. But for the love of all that is holy, I hope not. I have a cold sore and I'm losing my voice. I've missed nearly three weeks of classes. I'm still not sure how that will all pan out. Calculus I'm auditing, so I'll just catch up as fast as I can. Programming I'm golden so far, even though I've missed three weeks of lectures, I've gotten 100's on my last three programming assignments. But then there are the histories... Art & American. Art I might be able to still squeak out an A with extra credit. Vigorous extra credit. But I think I'm pretty well screwed in American History. It's so not my strong point, and I've already missed so many points. *sigh* I might have to drop it. But life goes on and so must I.

In other news, March seems to be "out of the woodwork" month. My ex-SIL who I used to be best friends with, but lost touch with for reasons other than divorcing her brother sent us her wedding announcement. And called. And then another ex-friend called today. The last I saw her was in Ohio when she didn't have time to even hug me hello. I wasn't home for the ex-friend. Which is good. I kinda hope she doesn't call back.

I must share that the women at my LYS are my lifelines lately. Whenever life is kicking my ass, all I have to do is pop in there to feel welcome and happy. And they are all so vibrant and happy and funny - oh man, it is one funny group of girls. The very worst part about considering this move to TX/NM is the fact that I would lose these people. It takes me so long to make friends. Oh well. Such is life.

February Lemonaide

Life has been handing me lemons. Broken arms, 105 (!!!!!) degree temperatures, flus, coughs, colds.... Lemme just tell you, the OTC cold and pain medicine folks are making a fortune off of me. Fastman is getting a motrin/tylenol rotation every three fricking hours to stave off the fever. I'm missing classes at an alarming rate. But life goes on.

Fortunately, there is some sugar. My secret pal has been spoiling me rotten. Two wonderful packages already and a steady stream of e-cards. Such a nice respite from the hell that has been February.

Despite the fact that my boys have been sick and broken, they are always joys. Right now strongman is digging out supplies to dress up like Zorro. And at the emergency room this morning, Fastman snuggled up and patted my arm like I was the one who was sick.

But that doesn't mean that I'm not counting the days til March comes.

Fellers and idiots...

A very cute and very British man arrived at my door today. But instead of getting all worked up about the UPS guy, let's see what he brought!!!!

Time for reinforcements. My professional present openers. And yes, they will open your presents for you as well. Of course this is fastman with the huge red cast. "Mommy! Your favorite! Yarn!"

Next we see zombie eyed strongman. Fighting off the flu and a fever. With a book I've been dying to read. Thank you SP!

This is the entire amazing loot. A subscription to Vegetarian Times. Um, how did my SP know I let my subscription lapse? The Tenth Circle. Some anti-bacterial handsoap (presumably to keep away the flu germies!). Trekking XXL. An adorable little notebook purse. A purple argyle (!!!) journal. And a chibi. Oh wait. The idiot part of my title. Hanging off the book is a gorgeous handmade bookmark that I couldn't get a pic of because it's dark and the flash reflected off of it. I thought it was a necklace. And spent 15 minutes trying to figure it out. Then I read the note. So glad you referenced the bookmark. Otherwise... well the idiot would still be chasing her tail.

Trekking up close and personal....

The bigman had his own idiot moment last week. After making a big deal about V-day and after I bought him stuff, I got only stuff from the boys. But look... pretty peach roses last night!

And then we have fellers. As in fellers cakes. Cakes that no woman can aid in the creation of. For the Cub Scout blue & gold banquet. Bigman & fastman made this beach scene complete with fruit rollup surfboards. (Everything has to be edible!)

Bigman and strongman made these tiki heads carved out of poundcake, iced and flocked with graham cracker crumbs. They won judges choice.

This weekend it's off to the Northeast Florida Highland Games. That is, if strongman gets better. Otherwise just bigman (dh) and fastman will go. Send healing vibes our way!

What makes the world go round?

Well, I got an awesome little package from my SP with nummy treats for me and Rufus. I took pictures, but they all turned out *really* bad. And that's saying something, because most of my pics are sub-par!


This is Rufus, complete with happy tail-wagging action because he's about to get an SP treat. That is the ONLY pic that is even viable. Oh well.

In other news, fastman broke his arm again. Actually he didn't break it, a girl in his class broke it for him. But this mama bear is trying to practice forgiveness. Um, yeah. Fortunately it looks like he won't need surgery this time around. We see the orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday morning to confirm.

Tonight is the blue & gold banquet for cub scouts. Hopefully the pics of the boys with their feller cakes will turn out. Basically they make cakes for a contest with no mama help. My kitchen may never recover. DH helped fastman make a beach scene complete with surfboards, and strongman made a set of tiki heads. It's hard for me not to help because I used to make cakes semi-professionally and sell them. But they really did a very good job. Oh, did I mention the banquet has a luau theme? Yep, should be fun.

Valentine's Day was a bit of a letdown. The man made a big point of asking what I wanted. Said he wanted to celebrate this and our anniversary (leapday) big this year. Ok. So I bought him some Glenlivet, among other things. He took the boys shopping and got me some Scooby candy. ????? I mean I love Scooby, but this was not quite what I expected. I didn't even get a card. And this is a man who usually is crazy happy with the cards. *sigh* Maybe we're just settling in. Thank goodness I bought myself a Michael Buble CD - gotta love that man.

In knitting knews, I have yarn to knit up a sample for the yarn shop.

Artyarns Regal Silk and Crystal Palace Kid Merino - only one skein each. Now this tank may never grace my figure but it looks fun to knit!