Long Time No See...

Wow, it's been 2 months since I last posted. Things have changed so much. My good friend moved away. We've started another year of Girls Scouts, and this year both girls are active (I'm leading the younger girls Daisy Troop). The younger girl is in the school Christmas production, so I volunteered to help with costuming. This Holiday weekend, I will spend my time sewing poodle skirts for her class participation in the show, and accessories for the other kids. Pretty busy.

Work is still there, but greatly reduced. Just after I last posted in August, my company went through a major downsizing (work force cut in half). Now last Thursday, they further cut the ranks when they decided to close a division that was loosing money. Now we number 12. Where my job wasn't very demanding this time last year, it has bulked up considerably. Although today is somewhat quiet, I haven't been completely handed the reins of the customer service job which I will inherit going forward. I feel so bad, right now I am looking for things to do to stay busy, and just the other day we laid off several good people who had lots to do, but we had to let go to secure company funding. I know this is just the lull before the storm, and next week will be somewhat crazy. It's just very quiet here.

ENOUGH DOOM AND GLOOM!

You can see from the picture above, I have been a little busy knitting. Here is the Jack-O-Lantern, waiting for his head to be attached. I am having a little trouble with the face. When I first did the head, it looked too small to have a face added to it. I made a taller head, that to look at, looks like a nice pumpkin, but when you place that pumpkin on the body, it's way too big. So I struggle with the idea of adding the facial features, and attaching to body.

You might notice I am in the process of working one of the Holiday Gnomes - red body, white hat. I couldn't find the yarn recommended for the beard, so I got another novelty yarn, bit not sue I like it. DH thinks it's great. This guy now has his arms, but is waiting for me to finish his legs. I actually have one in white with blue hat/mittens/boots, and another one green with grey hat/one mitten/no boots yet. They are kind of fun to knit, and DD2 loves to play with them (she's named them already). I will try to squeeze these in a little this weekend, as we need to finish to send out to to their new homes. I will make a few for our home too, just they can wait a little before need to work on those. I have other things more preasing....like lots of poodle skirts. Why did I think this wold be a fun project to take on? What was I thinking?

Wish me luck.

Hello, My Friend, Hello.

Clue one done.

You can't really see it but there are beads on this piece. I tried not to get caught up in this craze, but more and more of the shawls out there are incorporating them into the design...so I finally gave in and decided to give it a try.

I do think the beading part is a little fussy, but I think it would go alot easier if I would just break down and spend the $2 to get the beading needles....

I am still pluggng away on the summer lace sampler from BadCat designs... no picutre right at the moment, but will post something soon.

On The Needles

This is a summer project I found on the net. I was trying to get to this project sooner, but better late then never. This is a lace sampler from BadCat Designs. I was browsing around and happened upon the project. Here you can see all of clue 1 and 3/4 of clue 2. Since this picture was taken, I have finished clue 3 and , oh, about 2/3 of the way through clue 3. I like this project. It's not real wide, but depending on how it blocks, I may end up using this as a scarf instead of a wrap/stole. The color is listed as Aloe, but I would call it a soft apple. A little color without being too powerful. dark enough to add a little color, but light enough to over dye if it's not quite right.


I had also strated the Mystic Meadow Stole, almost on time with everyone... but life has a way of getting on the way of things. It is wallowing, waiting for me to commence clue 2. You can't see as much detail as this pattern has. It's a lovely pattern, challanging yet not frustrating. I really like it. I want to get onto clue 2....maybe this weekend.

I have missed my knitting. I need that creative outlet, and for the last month this has been kind of put on the back burner. My company had to move out of it's building, and we didn't have as mcuh notice as most companies need. It was a lot of work for 2-3 weeks before the move, and 2-3 weeks after the move as well. Now with things kind of quieting down at work, I am hoping to get back to some knitting. I know I do have some sewing to take care of first (back to school is right around the corner). But soon.

Pony, Pony Everywhere, But Not A One to Ride

DD2 loves to take pictures, and what better subject then her ponies.



I never know what I'll find on the digital camera after it's sat out for a few days...



Careful of the rough-housing there... plenty of room for everyone...


Now hold still...say cheese!


Let's see, is this thing working?




Sparkle



Sparkle-Sparkle.




Sparkle-Sparkle at play....

DD2 at play.

Once A Month, Ready Or Not

Wow, it's already been a month since I last posted. The time has gotten away from me - with end of the school year, end of the (girl)scouting year, company moving, and the downpouring of KALs.... Something had to give, and unfortunately it was this. I don't even have lots of great pictures to show for it!

This is a little over half of the swatch for the Mystic Meadows stole swatch. It was a smaller piece of the yarn I wanted to use, and from the little bit I did, I think I'm going to really like this choice. i will cast on tonight for a little bit.

My back is acting up right now, so it's hard to do anything but sit and knit...not that I mind. I did want to start work on a dress for my younger daugther- a yellow dress for "Wear Yellow To School Day" (Wednesday). Since it's Monday now, I don't have much time, but the pattern isn't too complicated. I should be able to crawl on the floor and cut out the dress, and maybe even start some of the sewing as well. I have some yellow ginham in the stash that would work wonderfully for this project (I think I better hurry and use up some of this material...both girls are starting to get a bit big for the gingham look...if you know what I mean.

After the yellow dress, I need to think about the older daugther. We have a pirate fair we want to go to this weekend, and she's outgrown her outfit from last year. DD2 is all set with something from the costume bin, and husband just needed some pants. I have a new bodice I'm finishing (need to put grommets in),and some bloomers/bottoms(haven't decided just what yet). DD1 needs new bodice, new skirt, new shift...she just keeps growing. I guess this is what happenes when you feed them :oP

After the pirate fair, she'll be needing clothes anyway. Like I keep saying - she 's a growing kid. She wants to learn to sew, so I will enlist her help to sew some of the things (with proper supervision). She should be able to help with shorts/pants and simple shirts. At least to start out with. She helped some this last Sunday with pants for DH. they were a very simple design and she helped to sew much of them up. I'm hoping for a good summer.

May Day...May Day...

Things have been kind of up-side down for me the last few weeks. Nothing tragic, just screwy. to cope, I knit. I have been able to finish the monkey socks (shown here in progress) started around the time of the wedding back in March. I haven't worn these yet, I need to finish tucking in the loose ends.



I made my "Incrdible Hulk Business Socks". A shorter, sportier sock. Picture doesn't do justice to the great green color. I haven't worn these either, just haven't had the occassion.


I have been working on swatches for another KAL I want to participate in, but I'm not happy with first swatch. The gauage is a little big, and I knit loosely , so this might not be a good thing.


Here's the Swatch-In-Progress. The color doesn't show, but it is a soft apple green (I think the vendor called it Aloe Vera or something like that). I like the color. Soft enough to be almost nuetral, but still a little color...light enough to oveerdye if the color isn't quite what you want.



What's In Your Wallet?

Here's my bag that I carry my STUFF in everyday. I throw my knitting supplies I take to work with me. It makes me laugh to think about all the knitting "crap" I have in there.

Here's my bag that I carry my STUFF in everyday. I throw my knitting supplies I take to work with me. It makes me laugh to think about all the knitting "crap" I have in there. Yarn (about 8 balls of yarn), knitting nnedles (1/2 doz sets of Dbl pt needles, and several circulars), plus knitting/Lace book...all sorts of stuff. the good thing about it being knitting stuff, it ain't too heavy. Yarn is far more bulky then weighty.

Now as I look at the picture, I find it almost embarrassing to show the picture of the inside of my bag....dope!

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

BIGGER Happy Face!

I did it! I finally finished the Galveston Shawl. FINALLY! Now I need to block. I didn't have time this weekend to get there, but I hope to get it done tonight / tomorrow. I am so glad to finally have this off the needles. I laugh at it a little now, at the color choice. I had used cream colored yarn, as it was what I had in my stash, but I was wanting to maybe dye it a french blue. Now that it's done, I'm not sure I want to dye it, but not sure I like the cream color either. For now I will block it and see what I think.

On another note, I did finally rceive the wool/yarn I ordered at the end of February, thinking I would use for one of the many KALs I've sign-up for. Now I don't remember which I was going to use for what. In most cases, I found something else to use for the project because the box was taking so long from Canada. No worries though, cause we all know something else will come along that this will work for.

Happy Knitting

Happy Faces

In the morning when I arrive at work, I see a bunch of the flowers looking like this.. not too Happy.












By the time I go home, they looking something like this! Much Happier!


I can hardly wait for the Morning Glories to come into their own! One of my favorite things in the morning is to look out the back window and see a wall of Morning Glory...in all it's "Glory".






And here, you see the Galveston Shawl so close to being done. One small problem...the stitch count came out wrong. I am short by 2 stitches. I need to go back and look at the last edge and see if I can figure out where I "Oops" up. I know there were a few times I kind of zoned out while knitting the edge on, so I may be able to tink back some and correct the problem. Think good thoughts of it only being a small problem to fix ( not too muck tinking to correct).


Have a good weekend!

100 Rows of KnittingTo Go, 100 Rows Of Knitting...

We'll knit the row

turn it around

and do the same again.






You know how it is when you are so close to the end you start to get SOOOO tired of the project? SOOOooo close you can see the end, and yet it's seems to go on FOREVER.
I am trying to finish this project first. I have started a pair of socks, but I am pushing to get this in to FO pile. I'll figure out where to block when I get to that stage.



On another topic, I can't believe how much more mature my youngest seems these last few weeks. It's like it's sunk into her that she's graduating pre-school in a month, and soon she'll be starting elementary school. the change is subtle, but it's there. I can't quite put my finger on what's different, there's something in the way she talks, or retells her adventure (and mis-adventures) of her day, the way she interacts with her sister and the cats.... something in the way she moves. I guess turning 5 was a good thing for her.

Rounding Third

I've rounded the third corner, and heading for the fourth. I can see progress ( well, actually I don't see progess as much as I feel the needle holding all the stitches getting lighter). This will be a big shawl when done. Pretty AND big. I can't wait until I block the bugger.




And, of course I was bad. I started another side (smaller) project. Something portable to take easily in my purse. Just a sock - fat free snack for when I hunger for something to do and I can't take the shawl 'cause it's too big to lug around much. It's a Monkey sock.

I want to purfect my socking skills, so I thought I would try out some yarn that I Navajo plied to get the thickness I thought I needed. It seems to be working out well for me. I'll know better once the sock is done. I tried this yarn just doubled up, but the resulting sock was/is too thin. The yarn was labeled as sock yarn ( must have meant for sock knitting machine), I use it mostly for shawls. I do like how it's turning out. I am hopeful this will be a keeper.

The blue ball next to it, was some handspun I did last year. I was looking for sock yarn in my stash and found this. I think it will be ok as well. I found another pattern I want try using this with. I actually tried a sock with it last year ( soon after I spun it), but I didn't like how it was turning out. So I am trying again, but with a different pattern and a different needle size. I am such a loose knitter, that I am using a size 2.0mm/US 0, and the gauge is looking good. funny how natural these needles feel in my hands, and size 2.5mm/#2 feel huge. Amazing what you get use to in a short amount of time.

Just A Ducky Day

Don't ask what made me think nothing says "Happy Birthday" like little rubber ducks...a moment of weakness... couldn't pass up a bargain... don't know. I saw them on the Easter Clearance table and couldn't resist.

Judging the girls response to the ducks when I got home, I knew I was onto something. They pounced on them and played with all the ducks(and not just in a row). There's something kind of odd going on when you see 2 dozen little rubber ducks milling around on the floor.

The Birthday girl was very excited about the idea of taking all the rubber ducks for her classmates(see picture below, w/ third day of Birthday crown. She's milking this for all she can). I thought I was being clever with the idea of blue icing and rubber ducks ( ok, it sounded like a cool idea until my husband heard the idea and just kind of rolled his eyes. he didn't say "No', or 'Nay", or anything negative. He just rolled his eyes. 'Nough said). Not real elegant, but I thought it would be lots of fun...for the kids. The school is open, but they are in springbreak (which means school is open for the kids who's parents can't afford to take the time off for a proper vacation, so they send their kids to school), so this was something a little different from their everyday fare.

On the "knitting side of life", I have finished the first edge of the Galveston Shawl, and about a quarter of the way across the second edge. Making swimming progress. Hopefully I won't lose too much momentum this weekend working in the yard/garden. I need to weed the planters to prepare for the spring crop of tomatoes.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby

5 years ago, yesterday......

We had a wonderful time at Chuck E Cheese to celebrate her special day. I'm sure she would have liked a little more...like a party with 100 of her closest friend. Unfortunately, we spent a little too much over the weekend to attend a wedding for my nephew, down in San Diego. The airfare, hotel rates, and car rental (not to mention the wedding dress supplies needed to make the dress for the bride) all took a hefty chunk out of the old piggy bank.

Continuing on my perfect record, I still have to complete a knitting project this calander year. At least I was able to finish the wedding dress(the bride was beautiful), I just wish I had a picture of it. I had taken my camera with me with the express desire to get a picture, but it was left at the hotel while I ran out to help the bride get dressed for the big event. I am trying to find out if any of the family (I had lots of family there) managed to get a picture. I think someone said the photographer was going to post the pictures to his website, and we would be able to order copies from him...so I will check this rumor our. I would like to get a copy just so I have something to remember the episode by (I mean besides all the scraps of white fabric strewn about my sewing room, the small bouquets of roses bought and discarded-again around the sewing room, to adorn the skirt).

On a brighter note, I have started the knitted edge of the Galveston Shawl. I am almost...almost done with the first edge. Then, just 3 more to go. It's only taken me months the get this far! It's looking real good, and will be a fairly large size. I was thinking of dying it frecnh blue, but now I'm not so sure. I just want to be done with it.

I better go, I have cupcakes to make for DD2's class to celebrate her birthday. I need eggs to get the dirty deed done. Happy Birthday, baby! I sure do love you!

Oh MY!

You Are 68% Creative

You are beyond creative. You are a true artist - even if it's not in the conventional sense of the word. You love creating for its own sake, and you find yourself quite inspired at times.

How Creative Are You?

I was a little curious when I saw this quiz on a blog. Once I started reading the questions my curiosity soon turned to worry, and I didn't feel my answers were too ....carefree?....indicative of me?.....creative? This wasn't as bad as I feared, but not as good as I hoped. I use to be so creative, so "head in the clouds"... now I feel grounded with 2 loving DDs and a husband, 2 cats, a mortgage, a full time job, and all the trappings that can come with life sometimes.

On a good note, I am almost done with the wedding dress for my Nephew's Fiancee. The wedding is at Easter, so it's not too soon. I hope to finish it before this weekend ( I mostly need to hem the skirt).

I have been doing some knitting (mostly during slow times at work). I have finished clue 3 on Secret of The Stole II. I started into clue 4 before I relized it wasn't the same on both edges anuymore, so I need to frog about 10 rows. Not trageic, just slowdown. On the Spring Shawl Surprise, I have finshed clue 4, and over half way through clue 5. I really like this project. Very challenging. As for the other projects, they just don't hold my interest. I feel too much pressure over the wedding dress to really concentrate on anything else. I want to finish the Galveston Shawl ( I only have 4 rows of clue 6 before we commence the outter border. The end is in sight, so I get excited, but the outer edge takes something like half and hour a round, so it seems to take forever). I still need to finish the Mystery Shawl 6(never mind #7 has started, but I am waiting for the yarn to arrive for this project), it mocks me from it's position in the lving room, near my favorite spot to sit and knit. I see it everyday when I sit down, calling to me, begging to be completed. I guess April will be the time of resurrection as I try to breath life into may projects that need to be completed.

Here it is March, and I can't think of one project I've completed yet in the new year. I can think of half a dozen started, but none completed. I guess you could say it's a perfect record......a perfect ZERO!

Well 2 months gone, 10 more to improve my track record.

Ketch-up

Kind of a ketch-up sort of color, don't you think?

Here's my clue 3 from the Spring Shawl Surprise. I actually finished this last week sometime, and plunged into clue 4. I was hoping to get it done last weekend, but hardly even picked it up. Not for lack of desire, just something more pressing took my attention. I am almost done with clue 4, and if work goes as it's been, I will finish it before the end of the week. Now that I am past clue 2, things are going so much better. It was really kicking my butt, and I have come to terms with it's victory and doubled my efforts to achieve some sense of accomplishment. The group has just issued clue 8, so I am only sort of behind. I can still catch the group if I progress as I have over the last few weeks, and put my head down and just keep pedaling ( I'll be at the top of the hill in no time...if it doesn't kill me first).

BTW, the night out with my Sweetie was WONDERFUL! We went out to dinner and a movie, without kids in tow. My husband is already planning on a repeat in a month or so for our anniversary. It will be fun.

Happy Valentine's Day

From my Sweetie.

I actually received them yesterday, and any time you get flowers from your sweetie, well to quote someone famous " It's a good thing!"

I have them at work so I can enjoy them all day ( and besides, so far I was the only one to get flowers at work. OK girls, eat you heart out!!!).

We will be going out for dinner on Sunday, just the 2 of us, so I am getting kind of excited about tghe idea. It's been a long time since we've been able to go out without the girls coming too.

happy Valentine's Day everyone, now go out and hug someone.

I May Need To Re-think This

I know New Year's resolutions are made to be broken, so I try, as a rule, to not mke them. This year, I decided there were a few things I needed to change so I made "Promises to do better".

1. Be better at paying the bills on time- it's not so much that I don't have the money (although there have been things have been pretty darn tight). Just lazy at sitting down with the bills AND the checkbook at the same time.

2. Post more regularly. Keep better tabs on where I'm at, and what I'm up to.

3. Try to reduce the stash. Any stash. This is my year to de-clutter. Oh sure, I did buy more yarn in January, but it doesn't count (any knitting fiend will atest to that!). But, in general, I want to start eliminating some of the piles I have built up around me, and find better homes for the stuff I am not using, haven't used inyears, and won't use in the foreseeable future.

4. Try to finish what I start. This kind of works in conjunction with #2. If I can finish some of the projects I've started, I could use up some of the stuff I have in my stash, waiting for my attention.

5. Not jump on every boat with the intials K-A-L. I am addicted to them. I have signed up for too many this spring, and now some of them are really kicking my butt!

A - The Spring Shawl Surprise is the first to come to mind. Althought this started at the beginning of January, I am only half way through clue2. I have had to re-start this a few times, them stop in progress to go back and fix things. It's a grewat pattern, but I refuse to let it get the best of me! I keep trying to move along ( just slower to hopefully reduce the mistakes).

B - The Secret of the Stole II -Clue 2 shown above. This one knits up nice. I like this one. Here I have just finished clue 2, and will embark on clue 3. The group has released Clue 3 and will release clue 4 on Friday (tomorrow). The good thing is once I start working on this, it knits up nicely. Fun to knit.

C - Dem-Fischer-sin-fru This one just started up 2 weeks ago, and I am only just casting on ( I was waiting for yarn to arrive). I'm not sure about the hshape, but I like the challange of the pattern none-the-less.

D - Mystery Shawl#6 - half way through clue 4 (so much for posting the completed clue anytime soon). In my last post I showed a picture through clue 3, and it's looking pretty good. I should just concentrate on finishing this off, but I have other things that need to take precedence. This might get shifted to the UFO drawer until later in the spring (at least until after Easter).

E - Galveston Shawl. Yes, I'm still plugging away on this. I am on around row 20 of 34 for clue 6 ( before starting the knit on border). This thing is hugh - before blocking. It will be larger then large once blocked. Although the idea does kind of excite me and makes me want to finish it. i can almost see an end in sight... the thought of completeing something has me kind of giddy. I can't think of any project I'v finished yet since the New Year....started many, completed few.

What is the New Year anyway, but another date on the calander. See if these were resolutions, I would not be making too much progress, but sice they are simply Promises, I feel like I am keeping my own or slowly making progress.

Clue One Done

Here's the first clue done. It's kind of hard to tell from the photo, but this is a purplish navy, not the "True Navy" it was labeled. I really like it. Since the yarn was very tin, I used it doubled, on a US 2. I started with straight needles, and quickly switched to a circular needle. I am not too far behind on this one. I have started the 2nd clue already, and the third clue doesn't come out until Friday. There's hope...

On the green winter Mystery Shawl, I'm still on clue 4. It's slow going. I am excited to get it done, just lost a little momentum. I really am so close, and all the pictures I've seen of the finished project is beautiful.

I said I would, so here goes

I managed to finish clue 3 of the Mystery Shawl#6. I actually finished Friday night, but couldn't get to the computer due to DH and DD. They tend to hog the computer for their on-line games. It's looking good. I am just about to start clue 4, and hope to finish that clue by the end of this week. I have already signed up for the next Mystery Shawl that starts in March(? I think. It could be February).

I went to Reno this last weekend to visit Family, and took along my Spring Shawl Surprise. I thought I had everything sorted out and was progressing nicely(after ripping out several rows last week), but noticed something is messed up (again along the right side of the middle design. I tried to un-knit a small portion but had to stop, as it looked like I was messing it up further. I wanted to wait until I had better light and less distraction before picking that up again.

On the good news side, I also took along my Galveston Shawl, and was able to finish clue 5, and start on clue 6 (which seems to knit faster). The sides are getting big, so knitting a round seems to take quite a bit of time. I am getting excited about finishing this off(even though if I stop to think about it, I have about 30 rows of clue 6 to do, then the border around this piece, so we are still talking about a lot of knitting on this project, but an end is insight). As I work on this, I often dream about what color I would have liked to have done this in. Right now it is a vanilla color, but I am thinking of dying it a Wedgwood/french blue when done. We'll see.

I am loving the knitting. It's good to be clicking the needles again after a dry (knitting project wise) holiday. Now after several hours of knitting, I am slowed bu aching hands, bummer, but to be expected ( we're talking 4-5 hours of knitting). I guess one doesn't live on knitting along.....

Better Late Then Never

I feel like I haven't done much lately, but I do have Clue 2 for the Mystery Shawl#6 to show. I am almost done with clue 3, I hope to post pictures by the end of this week. I am very please with how this is coming along.

I also have clue #1 of the Spring Shawl Surprise done. I had about half of clue 2 done when I found I had a problem that really needed to be frogged back and corrected. Since this meant time and concentration, I had put it aside for about a week. Unfortunately these things done fix themselves (I kept hoping the knitting elves would make a secrete appearance, but to no avail). Finally I bit the bullet and proceeded to fix my problem on the piece. I ended up un-knitting 12 rows of the piece. While i was re-rolling the yarn back on the spool, I managed to knock over my fresh cup of coffee...all over everything on the desk(at least this time I missed my keyboard, unlike last week).

And ii finally found my Galveston Shawl, and slowly am working on this as well. I had it before Christmas, but then couldn't find it for several weeks there ( I had put it one of the Xmas ornament boxes, so it was put back in the garage for the whole holiday period. I was so frustrated, because I had seen it one day, and not the next, and had a vague image of me putting somewhere that made sense at the time (dope. I can't even blame the well-meaning-but-often-clueless-when-it-comes-to- knitting guy. Nope, I'm pretty sure it was me). At least i have it now. I have 4-5 rows to go on clue 5, then 6 and 7 to finish. It is making progress, albeit slow.

As much as I love the holidays, and this year was good-relaxing and fun, I sure am glad it's over and things are sort of back to normal. kids are back to school, and work is going. I am a little worried about work, but I'll either have a job or I wont. You keep hearing stories about the economy going bad, and we sort of see it, but by-and-large, we don't quite yet. I sometimes panic about losing my job then trying to make the end smeet with the kids tuition and the house payment. I just have to calm myself down, and remind myself, we have a little nest egg for just such emergencies. things will work themselves out...one way or another.

Back to the needles for now. I do fine if I take life, one stitch at a time.

Keep Smiling.