T-Town Knitiot

Gifted... Part One

2011-12-21T23:58:00.003-05:00

In the spirit of the season, and an attempt to get into that season, I have been working on some hand-knitted gifts to exchange with my sister and her family this week. She and I decided that we wanted a simpler, less-commercial celebration of Christmas. a Tomorrow evening we are exchanging gifts and my contributions toward that end are displayed below.

A quiet evening of pizza, our four kids and the men with us is bound to be much more enjoyable than a wrapping paper ripping frenzy, which always seems to happen when the whole family gets together.

So, on to what I've made. For the boys, including my brother in law:

Family Ribbed Hats, from the book, More Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.

Red is for Aaron

These hats are stretchy and warm, and made of Lamb's Pride Bulky wool.

Blue is for Nicholas

Again, I used Lamb's Pride Bulky.

Black and Grey is for the Brother in law. He'll use it for shoveling, and the occasional trip out sledding.

This hat used Shepherd's Shades by Brown Sheep, which contains no mohair.

My sister wanted a totally different hat; one that would keep her warm while walking the big Golden Retreiver who shares their lives. She is receiving Thorpe, a wonderful earflap hat. Both of my kids also have this hat, courtesy of me.

Back to Lamb's Pride Bulky for this one. The trim is crochet, and their are long braids hanging down from the earflaps. Thorpe is a free pattern on Ravelry, if you are a registered user.

More on the topic of "Gifted" in the days to come, because I have been receiving some blessings from some special knitting friends!

Thankful

2011-12-01T17:31:00.007-05:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I have reminders still of all that I have to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for Family: There were 20 of us for Thanksgiving, and being at my younger sister's house meant we could all sit in the same room together. Here's the table before we all sat down.

I'm thankful we have enough to eat. Here's my mom and others getting the meal ready, with plenty of room to be together. Having plenty of food to eat and share is a blessing. And wine too. Can't forget the wine!

I'm thankful for the kids in my family. Mine, and others. Here's my Absent-Minded Professor (red shirt) playing with his favorite male cousins.

Mayhem playing pool with her 6 year old cousin, Hadley.

I'm thankful that my 10.5 year old Lab, Bruno, still likes to play. His health hasn't been great off and on lately, but today he was feeling good. He gutted his "baby" and was having great fun showing off.

I needed to vacuum anyway.

I'm thankful I finished the Rainbow Blankie. See? Knitting and my knitting friends are a blessing in my life.

I have woven in the ends since I took that photo!

Good thing it's finished, too, because the recipient arrived yesterday, November 30! Meet my newest great-niece, Ansley Rose. I'm thankful she arrived safely and is healthy! Congrats to my nephew Andy, his wife Rebecca, and big brother, AJ.

I'm thankful for the love and support of my family and friends.

On the Needles and Finished

2011-11-15T11:24:00.006-05:00

Yes, I'm still here, and still plugging away. It seems like the days are so long, and I'm up to my eyeballs in coping with grief and sadness and depression, and *poof!* before I know it, an entire week, or month, has passed.

Knitting is keeping me grounded in some ways, more so than just about anything else. Well, that and keeping my chin up for my kids when they are here with me. Mayhem is in choir and orchestra this year so she has twice as many concerts. Absent-Minded Professor has discovered girls and has an on again, off again relationship with the same girlfriend that sends his moods on a rollercoaster ride!

So, finished projects?

Easy Baby Cardigan, (ravelry link) by Diane Soucy. This is going to be a gift. A quick, easy knit. I used Mirasol Hacho, a DK weight yarn.

Elf Hat, (ravelry link) by Classic Elite yarns. This pattern sells for $6 alone on Ravelry, but if you can get to a yarn shop, you can buy the whole pattern booklet (Classic Elite Yarns Toboggan) for $9.50 and get SEVEN patterns! I used Toboggan yarn in Garnet and the Merino/Alpaca blend is yummy and warm.

I also finished a pair of plain vanilla socks from Colinette Jitterbug, but they are currently in the laundry and I will not fish them out to photograph them for you!

Nearing completion is what I have affectionately dubbed the Rainbow Blankie From Hell. This will be another baby gift, and I love the way it looks, but the yarn was a disappointment. Five of the 7 balls had defects in the ways of breaks, weak spots, knots to rejoin broken spots. I was sucked in by the gorgeous, deeply saturated colors, though. I ended up having to double the yarn in order to make sure that this wouldn't fall apart. Avoid Tonic by Jojoland.

This blankie is pretty much thought up on my own, but loosely based on a blanket I saw on the Purlbee blog. The light blue border was added because I decided the blankie wasn't wide enough and so the light blue represents the sky. The border is wider on the sides. It has made for good TV knitting, though.

Once that blankie is finished, I'm on to Christmas knitting... hats, mittens, some ornaments, an e-reader cover, slippers. Good thing I have a big stash of yarn!

It's also time to get ready for Thanksgiving. What are your plans? For the first time ever that I can remember, we are having the family here, instead of two hours away, in our hometown. We'll be at my younger sister's new house. There's a lot to do between now and then.

Oh! One last thing! Remember when you're out doing your holiday shopping that the Saturday after Thanksgiving is Small Business Saturday! Shop Main Street, not Wall Street. Drop in those small, independent stores and shop local.

Back In The Saddle... Sort Of

2011-08-26T15:43:00.005-04:00

Let's see if this thing still works. I know it's been a while, but I'm still here. Still sad, still grieving, but always knitting. You know the old saying "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on"? Well thank God for knitting, and my knitting friends. They really have been my lifeline the past three months. And Sunday it will be three months since Dad passed.

I plan to be with knitting friends in Chicago this weekend, being happy. One friend is celebrating a birthday, and another is having a baby shower. Another knitting friend and I are heading out early Saturday and driving together.

So, what is the lovely new babe receiving from his (it's a boy, by the way) from his honorary Auntie Karen?

His very own, preppy, sweater vest. This is the Owl Baby Vest (Ravelry Link), made from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. I know a fellow knitter can handle hand washing.

And here it is, all ready with a little white tee, and a special book. hehehehehe

The momma of this babe is a teen librarian so I managed to purchase an autographed copy of Go The F To Sleep by Adam Mansbach. You can hear Samuel L. Jackson read the book here Book reading. If you've ever been an exhausted parent, give a listen. ;-) Bill, my kids and I have all had a great giggle more than once with this book.

What else am I knitting? I joined a KAL for Stephen West's Mystery Shawl. Here is my progress so far:

This is my first attempt at intarsia, but each row only uses 3 colors at a time, so it isn't too bad. I love the yarn I chose, too - Madelinetosh Sport. Yummmy! Slow going for me, though. All the purling on the back side really slows me down.

I also finished a pair of socks, which were started three years ago!

My gauge had changed so much that I had to change needle size for the second sock. Three years ago, I started the first sock on size 2 (US) needles, and they were loosely knit. I had to cast on the 2nd sock on size 3 (US) needles to get the same gauge!

That's all for now. I hope to be here more regularly. Really. The kids start back to school Aug. 31./Sept 1.

Oh wait!!! Big news! Absent-Minded Professor had his braces taken off this week. He's looking totally different now!

What are you up to? What are you knitting?

Next for me, along with the shawl, and ever-present pair of socks is an afghan square for a swap in which I participate.

Good-Byes Aren't Easy

2011-07-04T05:30:00.010-04:00

When I last posted, I was helping one of my older sister's raise money for Race For The Cure, partly in celebration because she is winning her battle with breast cancer.

Sadly, my beloved Dad lost his battle with metastatic lung cancer on May 28, 2011. He fought bravely; stoically even, and always with the humor with which he raised us five kids. Dad never wanted to be a burden to anyone, or inconvenience anyone, even when his pain was at its' worst. He treasured his kids' accomplishments, loved his grandchildren and adored his great-grandchildren. Trust me - there are a bunch of them!

This was the text of my Dad's obituary:

Werner L. Schnieders, 77, of Mansfield, died Saturday, May 28, 2011 at MedCentral Mansfield. Born April 19, 1934 in Andrup, Germany, he was the son of Hermann and Rosa (Honigfort) Schnieders. Werner worked at the Ohio State Reformatory and retired from MANCI. Werner was a good man with a great sense of humor. He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, Council 4448 and Sons of Herman. Werner was a servant to the community ~ he was a Red Cross blood donor, taught Red Cross swimming for many years, taught kids to drive and was a grandfather figure to many neighborhood children. He enjoyed following the Cleveland Indians and The Ohio State football teams. Werner was very kind and generous to everyone he met and was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather who will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his wife, Ingeborg (Knopp) Schnieders whom he married February 12, 1955; a son, Rudolf Schnieders of Ashland; four daughters, Rosemarie (Charles) Elrod of Mansfield, Ursula (Jeffrey) Hunter of Fredericktown, Karen Yockey of Toledo and Christa (David) Puterbaugh of Toledo; grandchildren, Andrew (Rebecca) Elrod, Audrey Elrod, Lynn (Joshua) Leist, Lori (Jeremy) Hysell, Christopher and Anna Yockey, Nicholas and Aaron Puterbaugh, Justin Hunter and Anthony (Emily) Hunter; great grandchildren, Katelynn and Jacob Leist, Hadley Shuck, A.J. Elrod, Alex Milligan and Laken Hunter; three brothers, Herman (Margaret) Schnieders of Berlin Heights, Ohio, Franz Schnieders and Hubert (Marianne) Schnieders all of Germany; and a sister, Maria Berns of Germany. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Heinrich Schnieders and an infant sister, Hildegard.

Friends may call from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at the Diamond Street Home of Wappner Funeral Directors, 98 S. Diamond Street, Mansfield where Vigil services will be held at 7:30 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 2, 2011 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church by Father Nelson Beaver. Burial will be in Mansfield Catholic Cemetery at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church or the American Cancer Society.

My Dad was generous; a giver even when we didn't have much to give. Dad and I taught swimming lessons together. We loved to watch the Indians games together - even the night before he died we had the game on in his hospital room. (He was aware enough to be disgusted that the Tribe lost to Tampa Bay! LOL) Dad was thrilled that I got to go Scuba diving for the first time in February. He had been a long-time diver, doing searches and recoveries for drowing victims long before Sheriff departments had their own dive teams.

There are too many people to thank for helping me over the past five weeks. If you've held my hand, wiped my tears, listened, called, sent prayers, come to the funeral home or funeral, sent a card or flowers, or made a donation to the American Cancer Society, sent an email of support, posted condolences on FaceBook or Plurk... I thank you.

We all know you're still watching over us Dad. We've gotten the "angel nudges." And we know love never dies.

Now, Back To Knitting

2011-05-16T14:30:00.006-04:00

What's on your needles? What have you finished lately?

Yarn Cravin', my local yarn shop (LYS), has a sock club. This month we decided to start a shawl KAL for something different, and we chose Multnomah (Ravelry link) to knit. I'm using Destination Yarn in the National Cherry Blossom Festival colorway to knit mine. Below is a photo of my progress just starting out.

Jeanne, the dyer, did a trunk show at YC not too long ago, but I was a fan of her yarn long before that! She also dyed yarn for our sock club. (Right now her Etsy shop is empty because she's taking care of a newborn, but she'll be back soon!)

Anyway, I chose this colorway because on June 9, Bill and I leave with 50+ seventh graders again for Washington, D.C.! I thought yarn that celebrates the cherry blossoms of our nation's capitol would be good bus knitting. However, I might be finished with Multnomah before then. So what's a girl to do?

Join another KAL, that's what!

Wendy, of Wendy Knits fame, has started the Summer Mystery Shawlette KAL. Clues are given in installments with knitting time in between each one. Join in with me? I'm going to use Dream In Color in the Beach Fog colorway. Photos as soon as I wind the yarn!

I just mailed this baby sweater off today to a knitting friend who will be delivering a baby girl this summer. It is knit from Dream In Color Classy - a worsted weight superwash. Pardon the unfinished sweater. I snapped this photo before tucking all the ends. All the knitting was done, though.

Another knitting friend is expecting in September, so I have some secret knitting going on for her, too.

Are you hearing about the end of the world coming? While I don't believe it, I can't help but wonder because my Cleveland Indians remain in first place!! GO TRIBE! Finally, this year, I am not embarrassed to be an Indians fan. :-)

THANK YOU'S AND WINNERS!

2011-05-15T12:25:00.005-04:00

I have always said that knitters, well, fiber folks really, are the most generous, good-hearted people on the planet. My faith in the goodness of the fiber community remains unshaken, and I have to thank all of you who helped with the fundraising efforts for my sister Ursula's Race For The Cure.

Ursula walked yesterday, May 14, and sent this message last night, via email:

"Yay, Yay, Yay!!!!! Back home with blisters and swollen knees, but I'm in great spirits. The race was AMAZING and thanks to you and those crazy knitters, we raised $785.00! Pass it on, please, with great big thanks! Love, Usch"

Yes, she said $785!!! Some of that came from family and friends, but a HUGE chunk of it came from you, fiber friends, and I love you all for it.

Now, on to the prizes. Each name went into a bowl, and names were drawn in order for the prizes.

Here we go:

The Chewy Spaghetti goes to: SarahLou!!

The Claudia Handpaint goes to: Becca in Chicago! (I know how to reach you)

The Stitch Markers made by SarahLou go to: Michelle (sigh) in Virginia!

One Skein of Yarn of your choice from Yarn Cravin' goes to: Karen Wabeke!! (yay!)

And the Wollemeise goes to...(drumroll): Dale Ann, owner of Yarn Cravin'!!

Thanks again for your help and generosity. Any money donated to breast cancer research really does go to help ALL of us.

We Hate Cancer

2011-05-06T10:05:00.007-04:00

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know that my Dad is fighting Stage IV lung cancer that has metastasized to his bones. Read back a few years and you will find that one of my older sisters, Ursula, has also battled cancer - breast cancer - but I can happily report that so far she has remained cancer-free for 3.5 years since removal of that cancer and treatment.

On May 14, 2011, my sister is participating in Race For The Cure in Columbus, OH, to help raise funds for cancer research, but also to raise money for the ten county area in Central Ohio. The money raised stays in Central Ohio to fund mammograms and cancer treatment for people without insurance and those with financial hardships.

My guess is that you know someone who has had breast cancer, or your family has been affected by breast cancer in some way. One in EIGHT people will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. Look around Starbucks. Look around the grocery checkout line. Look down the pew at church. Glance around your office at your co-workers, or around the table at Sunday dinner. Who is next?

You can help! I'm asking if you're reading that you consider making a small, tax-deductible donation. You can make it honor of someone winning their battle. Make it memory of someone who fought a valiant fight. Make it for your children, so they can grow up in a world without cancer. No amount of money is too insignificant. Go without that $4.95 venti latte for one day.

So, as an incentive, readers, I'm offering up some yarn. Make a donation, leave a comment here, then email me at ttownknitiot at gmail dot com with verification of donation, and I will do a drawing on May 15, 2011. The link to donate is here: Ursula Hunter Donation Page

What are the prizes? I will draw these in order.

Prize #1
Chewy Spaghetti Sport weight yarn, colorway Alluring.

Prize #2
Claudia Handpaint, two skeins, enough for a pair of socks, colorway Strawberry Latte.

Prize #3 (hold on to your underwear!!)
WOLLEMEISE!!! colorway verzaubert (lovely dark blues and greens)

EDITING TO ADD:

PRIZE #4
A set of pink stitch markers made by my dear friend Sarah Lou!

PRIZE #5

One skein of yarn from Yarn Cravin' yarn shop, winner's choice!

Remember, to be entered into the drawing, you have to make a donation, leave a comment here, and email me. Have fun, and good luck!

Organizing

2011-05-03T15:26:00.003-04:00

A local furniture store is going out of business, so Bill and I decided that it was a good time to invest in a bigger bookcase for my knitting books and supplies. Once it was delivered, I spent an afternoon moving my books from the various places around the house (I'm still finding them!) and organizing them by topic. You know those free address labels that various charities send in the mail in hopes of receiving donations? I've found that those are great to stick inside your books for identification, especially if you are one who is willing to lend books to friends!

Anyway, here's how things are looking so far on that new bookcase. It didn't take long to fill it up!

The top shelf has some tall books and pattern binders. The basket has knitting magazines in it. That jar on the left is full of Claudia Handpaint sock yarn.

The glass terrarium jar, bought at the craft store for $9.00 is full of sock yarn leftovers. The pretty square Longaberger basket is my sewing basket, which my kids got me for Mother's Day years ago.

On the bottom shelf, more baskets. The first is full of knitting notions and spare project bags. The middle basket has spare spindles for my spinning wheels. Yes, I have more than one. It's an illness. The basket on the right is full of circular needles of all sizes, mostly Addi Turbos.

Since that photo was taken, I've added something new, and have a crummy cell phone photo to show you. What do you think of my new bookends?

Like I said, it's an illness.

Signs of Life

2011-05-02T17:40:00.006-04:00

Today I took a look around the yard and found plenty of signs of life, despite the cold, rainy spring we've had so far. April was the second rainiest we've had on record here in T-Town, with about 6.5" of rain! I still have my furnace turned on, set at about 66*, and it kicks on at night most nights.

This tulip, all by itself, is out in my yard, not in the flowerbeds! Note the fact that we're into May and it still hasn't bloomed.

Hostas and Lilies of the Valley in my shady corner of the front yard

My lilac bush... not quite ready to bloom. It will smell heavenly when it does, though.

The crabapple tree in the front yard will bloom any second now. I can tell that it's Mother's Day, or nearly, when this tree blooms.

Bill loves these tulips planted in front of the house.

And don't forget the daffodils! I don't remember anymore what variety these are, but they are so ruffly and pretty.

So where have I been? Mostly busy with family. My Dad became very sick after the holidays, and was hospitalized in early March. After an infection that nearly killed him, a major, life-changing operation, 7 weeks in the hospital and rehab center, he is finally back home. He still has stage IV cancer, of course, but is more stable and has less pain. Bill has been a lifesaver for me through it all, helping with the kids and the dogs and keeping me sane (mostly!).

My beloved knitting friends knit me a blanket, to comfort me, and wrap me in a hug. Anytime I leave home to stay at Mom & Dad's it goes with me.

The pattern is Barn Raising from the book Knitalong by Larissa Golden Brown. Each of those squares is knit from sock yarn!

Of course, I am still knitting. Most recently, I whipped up some preemie hats for donating.

And I made a baby sweater for a knitting friend who is expecting this summer.

I learned something new on that sweater; applied i-cord! It was fun, and made for such a nice, finished edge. Another friend is expecting, so I'm deciding what else to knit, along with working on finishing UFO's.

Silliness

2011-01-25T15:12:00.004-05:00

It's not just me that loves the snow!

I apologize for the crummy cell phone photo, but that's what I had on me at the time.

Right now we have about 3"-4" of snow here in NW Ohio. If you know me, you know I would love to have what the East Coast has been pummelled with this winter. So would Bruno and Coco! They sure don't act like they will be 10 years old in a couple of months.

Remember, winter and snow are temporary. Find the fun and silliness that come with them!

What's New?

2011-01-19T19:07:00.006-05:00

So, besides the New Year, what's new?

I have a few FO's I can show you!

Since 2011 started, I have completed the following projects already... Okay, I admit the first one is cheating, since I started this pair of mittens in mid-December. They were intended to be part of Mayhem's Christmas gifts.

Next up, a hat for Bill. I used the leftovers of Berocco Ultra Alpaca that I had from Dad's hat. It's soft and warm, and knit up quickly.

Sticking with the winter accessories, this next hat will be gifted to a friend next month. My pal Chris, whom I've known since junior high, currently lives in L.A., but remains loyal to Ohio State. He'll be back in Ohio in February, and requested a hat in (blech, phooey, gag!) OSU colors.

I've dubbed it the "Ugly-ass hat," and decided I'm a very good friend!

The kids and I think that Bruno is having an identity crisis, or has aspirations of being a sheep dog. He's taken to carrying around this:

and sleeping with it, too!

We're in the middle of a January deep-freeze, but had happy mail yesterday. Our new swim suits for the cruise arrived! Hooray for Lands' End Overstocks!
:-)

Believing in Christmas Wishes and Amazing Surprises

2010-12-27T07:42:00.006-05:00

There was only thing I wanted this Christmas. I admit there were days it was hard to keep the faith, but the week before Christmas, Santa came into the yarn shop, and reminded me to keep on believing!

Dad made it to Christmas and my wish was granted! His cancer is very aggressive, now in his liver along with the lung and bones. The day before my family gathered together, Mom told me his hair had begun to fall out, so I started a hat for him from Berocco Ultra Alpaca. (50% wool, 50% Alpaca). I finished it at the table while we visited that day. Dad immediately put it on!

We had the opportunity to take some photos of Mom & Dad together,

and Mom and Dad with all of us sibs... we don't look alike, do we?

I know these photos will be treasures and bring us comfort sometime very soon.

All the "little" cousins were enjoying having the "grown-up" table to themselves!

As for surprises, well this beautiful man below, the love of my life, gave me an amazing surprise this Christmas. Bill pulled off an incredible surprise, which is not easy to do because I am nosey and I have incredible hearing!

The gifts were all ready for when the kids woke up.

Here's a photo of all my critter together. :-)

The first gift I opened from Bill, was a plastic pail of sand with seashells and gift certificate to Margaritaville Key West, complete with palm tree bottle opener. "Cool," I thought, "I can order a shirt online," and Bill went and fetched two bottles of Land Shark from the fridge. At 8:3oAM.

Gift bag #2 had another plastic pail full of sand, with a shovel and shells... and I had to dig for treasure. A sealed metal spice canister held an incredible surprise... flight itinerary to Florida!!!!

Sand pail number three really blew me away... See? The treasure I unearthed in the sand in that bucket had the itinerary for a Caribbean Cruise!!!!! Miami to Key West to Cozumel!!

Bill even had an ornament made to commemorate the occasion.

Think about how hard it is to find beach toys in Toledo in December!!! <3

Bill even made sure my precious baby Bruno (and Coco, too!) will be taken care of while we are gone.

Once my kids left for their Dad's, we prepared for Christmas day with Bill's boys. My two big sons surprised me with a gift certificate to Yarn Cravin', my very favorite yarn shop. I sent the entire red velvet cake (made from scratch!) home with them.

Christmas miracles happen. You just have to believe.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...

2010-12-16T13:34:00.004-05:00

The tree is up, dear friends. See? Mayhem helped me assemble the tree last weekend, and we got it all decorated. It's mostly ornaments the kids made over the years, and ornaments that the kids received each year as they have grown up. When they leave home, they will take their ornaments with them.

I have been busy wrapping presents this week while the kids are at their dad's. See?

My kids, though, have been told they are getting nothing but coal for Christmas! hehehehe Other times I tell them all they are going to get is socks and underwear. ;-)

We've even been blessed with just enough snow to make the ground all white, and cold enough temperatures to keep the snow from melting. Okay, that's not quite true. It's been frigid here! Most of the country can comiserate, as below-average temps have plagued most of the fifty states. Thank goodness for my trusty wood-burning stove.

As for me? Well, the only thing I truly wanted this Christmas was for my dad to still be here for the holiday. He has fought valiantly and bravely against his cancer all fall, and I'm happy to say that I am getting my Christmas wish! This Sunday, my entire family is gathering to celebrate Christmas. Dad will have everyone with him; his kids, his grandkids, on down to each and every great-grandchild, and family from as far away as Alabama. I'm so excited for Sunday!

One last piece of good news from me... I had a job interview today. I hope to hear something by Christmas or shortly after. Send some good vibes, cross your fingers, say a prayer. Any or all of those would be greatly appreciated!

In the meantime, hug the people you love. Tell them you love them. And from me to you, have the merriest holiday ever!

Secret Knitting and Sacrifices

2010-12-11T21:45:00.007-05:00

A certain middle-schooler that lives at my house every other week is obsessed with purple. Her coat is purple. Her backpack is purple. Most of her clothes are purple. Are you seeing a trend here? So last week, when it was Dad Week, what did her dad get her? A white hat and white gloves. Ugh! This is a young one who, like her momma, has a love for the fluffy white stuff that falls from the sky. She plays in it, even when there's only a dusting on the ground. You know what that means; dirty gloves/mittens!

How do you keep white gloves clean on ground like that??? (And see Bruno? he's spotted a squirrel up on the lines above him! mmmmm squirrel!)

Being the type of mom that I am, and knowing that wool mittens are the best winter weather gear for playing in the snow, I've cast on a pair of, yep, you guessed it, purple woolen mittens. Even though my darling Mayhem is a cookie-cutter image of me, and we share the love of snow, we do not share the love for purple. More than once I have threatened to friends that I am going to stab my eyes out with my dpn's before finishing these mittens, and I fear I may not finish them in time for our Christmas celebration on the morning of December 24th... not because I can't, but because the purple is killing me!

Darling Mayhem knows nothing about these mittens at all. I have been working on them at night, or when she is at her dad's, or in the car while waiting to pick her and her brother up from school. I just reached the point of needing to put the thumb stitches on hold for mitten number one, so the hard part is done; keeping track of the gussett increases. I feel safe showing you a photo, because Mayhem would have commented here by now if she were a reader of this blog. (She is not one to keep quiet, trust me!)

Pardon the crummy cell phone photo, please. As you can see, I was in the car, but not driving, I promise.

I am using this pattern - Alex's Mittens (on Ravelry) which is a roomy pattern and well written. I knit it before, for Bill's younger son for Christmas a couple years ago.

So far this December we have had only a dusting of snow (.7 inches) which made the dogs ecstatic (me too!), but we are expecting 5" tomorrow afternoon and into Monday morning. *happy dance* That will be good knitting time for me for finishing up mitten one and getting number two knocked out of the way. Then it's on to another gift project. A dear friend of mine who lives in Los Angeles has requested a hat in OSU colors. GAH! More stabbing out of the eyes.
Sheesh. The sacrifices I make! ;-) GO BLUE!

Baby it's Cold Outside

2010-12-08T09:13:00.007-05:00

It's been really cold here lately, barely reaching 30 degrees most days for the past 10 days or so. You know, the kind of days where you don't want to go outside unless you really have to. Combine that with the gray skies and the early darkness that sets in, and you have a hibernating Karen.

So what have I been up to, you wonder? I did some Christmas shopping online (thank you, Amazon!) and then I spent 3 days sleeping off a cold/flu kind of thing. I used so many tissues that I thought the front of my face was going to peel off! eeeew We all have to be healthy for December 19. That's when my entire family is gathering at my parents' house to celebrate Christmas. With my dad being sick, we can't take any germs!! And ALL of us have to be there. Period.

When I wasn't sleeping I started re-reading the entire Harry Potter series. The kids and I had been to see Part 1 of The Deathly Hallows at the movie theater right after Thanksgiving. That inspired me, along with some friends doing a mini book club, to read the series again. The books are so much better than the movies!

I have also been doing more knitting since my shoulders are better! I can knit for longer periods of time and don't have pain, so I am actually finishing things. Not anything big yet, but my endurance is increasing, and it's so encouraging. I have been released from PT as well. Hooray! So, knitting? I am working on a secret project for Mayhem for Christmas involving very purple yarn to match her coat. I detest purple, but like all middle school girls, she looooooves purple. So purple it is. Bleah.

Last night I finished a hat for my Mom for Christmas. At Thanksgiving she was saying she would love a warm hat.

I'm almost done with Book 5 - see how the hat matches the book?

This hat took me two evenings, maybe a total of 3 hours (including the finishing) to knit. It's knit with Berocco Sundae, a bulky yarn on size 11 and size 13 needles. It's a pattern from my LYS, but if you search Button Band hat on Ravelry, you will find similar patterns.

Other than that, I am job hunting, Christmas shopping (frugally), and waiting, rather impatiently, for some snow to arrive here in T-Town. It seems that it has fallen all around us, and in places that don't normally get snow, but none here!

The kids are with me this week, so we are tidying up and getting the Christmas tree up by the end of the week.

Do you have snow? Is your holiday shopping done? Are you knitting gifts for the holidays?

One Step Forward...

2010-11-30T22:54:00.003-05:00

You know that old saying, "One step forward, two steps back"? That pretty much sums up the progress around here right now.

Example: My shoulder surgery has been a great success, thanks in HUGE part to the diligence and hard work of my physical therapist, Isaac. I tease him that PT stands for Pain and Torture. But really, yesterday I had my 2-week post op appt. with the surgeon and Dr. E was thrilled with my progress. He told me I get an A+ for having full range of motion back so quickly. I obviously had help getting there. The doc did say very few people get to this point in two weeks, and even fewer get here with having *both* shoulders done. I'm thrilled. Really! I don't have pain anymore! Even better, I have full range of motion back.

Two steps back? My poor old dog, Bruno. He's battled some nasty intestinal bug that has had him just mortified, nearly dehydrated, leaving accidents in the house (really icky ones!), and he's been really lethargic. It's not like a Lab to not want to play. After lots of tests and labwork and $$$$ and meds for his tummy and intestines, we found out it was a bug and not some parasite or worms. But we also found out that Bruno's thyroid is very, very, very low. Like .4 low. 1.0-4.0 is normal, and the vet wants him in the 2.5 range. Now he's on thyroid meds twice a day.I'm going to have to get creative really soon about how to pay for his meds *and* my own meds!

Something will work out, right? Right? How do you say no to face like that? I rescued him when he was 8 weeks old!

Family Reunions and Health Updates

2010-11-17T22:04:00.011-05:00

Last week, for the first time ever, I was introduced to part of Bill's family. I met his older half-sister Pat, who lives in Virginia, Pat's husband Gene, and their daughter Shelly (who is a couple years older than I am).

Pat was already 13 years old when Bill was born, so she was grown up and moving out by the time he started to become a person of school age. It's similar in my family; my two oldest sisters are 11 and 12 years older than I am. The difference is that my sibs and I all live close (within 2 hrs) and we all stay close. Bill and Pat didn't stay close after Bill's dad died. He was the glue, the bond they had in common. Of course, I have tried to encourage a reunion. None of us are getting any younger, although I have the advantage, it seems.

;-)

Last week Pat and her family were coming through T-Town on their way to Minnesota to see another daughter and we all agreed to meet for lunch. Bill's oldest, now in law school, had the day off school for Veteran's Day and joined us as well. It was a wonderful lunch with me meeting them, and they meeting me. Pat had some fun stories about when Bill was just a little kid that we hadn't ever heard.

I had decided that meeting Pat for the first time was an event worthy of a hand-knitted gift and I scrambled to put together a Ruffles and Ribs Scarf (Rav link) from Misti Alpaca chunky for Pat. After all, they were heading to Minnesota! As a quilter, I knew she would appreciate the handcraftmanship.

Bill and Big Sis Pat

Will, Bill, Pat, Big Gene, Shelly

Ruffles and Ribs Scarf in charcoal.

As for my shoulder issues, well...

Yesterday, Tuesday, I had my big shoulder procedure done. The doc told Bill it was just like ripping open the velcro on a toddler's pair of sneakers. Fun, huh? Only the ripping was being done to the scar tissue and adhesive capsulitis in both of my shoulders. I was thoroughly anaesthetised and didn't remember any of that but as soon as I was awake, I asked for ice for both shoulders. I should have remembered what the last round of corticosteroid shots did to me... but noooooooo. I had to learn the hard way all over again by being awake ALL night last night. I went to bed at 4:00AM and finally looked last at the clock at 4:30. I had to be up at 8:30 to get ready for PT. But if I'm a good girl and, do all my exercises, I should get back nearly all my range of motion. Honestly, I don't hurt on day two post-op, nearly as much as I thought I would. Maybe the pain I had before was so much worse?? I'm sure my favorite physical therapists will take care of that for me though. heheheh

Now I have some holiday knitting of my own to work on... I hope.

Which end is up?

2010-11-10T08:16:00.006-05:00

Some days I don't know which end is up, whether I'm coming or going, and now, with switching back to Standard Time, I don't know if it's day or night. Nothing seems normal anymore, and I had to get my trusty Nikon out for some photos to help me put things back into perspective.

This is normal. Bruno playing with his "flying squirrel." As you can see, he loves this toy. It flies, much like a frisbee, just not as far. The dog will fetch, and then "kill" by shaking it.

And after play comes a nap. It is good to use your human as a pillow.

Normal? This is probably the last tree on my street with leaves on the branches. I'm thrilled that it's outside my fence, by the street, since Bill worked so hard to get all of the leaves done and put out by the road. Pretty, huh? What's not normal is that it has been in the upper 60's, and might reach 70 this week.

Hey! Get off my lawn!

What's really not normal is the sudden loss of a dear friend this week. My age. Three kids and a wife. D.W. was a former co-worker who had the best smile and most infectious laugh. He could reach the most unreachable students, and would do anything to help out a friend. I wish peace and comfort to everyone who loves him. We lost someone very special here. D.W., my friend, my life is better for having had you in it, and your alter-ego, Maybelline, too, of course. You will be greatly missed.

Did you?

2010-11-02T20:24:00.004-04:00

Did you vote today?

Here's a crummy cell phone photo of the sticker I received after voting. It only took a few minutes of time, and I popped in and out of my polling place after visiting the dentist this morning.

I always make a point of voting, even on the "off years" or for mid-term elections. Ohio was voting for Governor, state senators, and the school district where my home is located had a very large levy on the ballot. In the past I may have voiced my opinion of those who make excuses for not voting. My parents grew up in Germany during WWII, and emigrated to The United States in the early 1950's. Neither has missed an opportunity to vote since receiving citizenship.

The right to vote is such a privilege!! I hope you exercised your right to vote today... otherwise, no griping, whining, or complaining.

They don't grow up...

2010-10-31T21:26:00.006-04:00

Meet Bruno. He's nine years ol...I mean young. Yeah. Nine years young. Slower than he used to be, but not out of the game yet, by any any means. Factor into the equation the fact that we weighs 112 lbs. and, well, lots of games are played by his rules.

Bruno's favorite game is tug. See him holding the knotted rope in his mouth?

He really wants Bill to play. Bill is MY favorite person. Bruno quickly learned that Bill is a "dog" person. You know, one of those people that loves dogs. You know who they are. And you know if you are or aren't one. Bruno can just tell that Bill loves animals of all kinds, including dogs. He's been known to carry on whole conversations with the two furry family members here at my house. (Shhhhh! they don't really know they are dogs!)

Of course, Bill obliges Bruno with a rousing game of tug! Bruno wrestles the rope away from Bill and runs away with it. Then he brings it back for more.

Once the game is done, Bruno decides he has to climb up in Bill's lap and give him hugs and kisses, too!

All of a sudden, there was a loud *SQUEEEEK!*

Bruno was wondering if Bill did that in his shorts, I think. ;-) hehehehe Bill tried to pull a fast one by inviting a squeaky ball to the party. Cut the innocent act, Bill. He's wise to you!

Interestingly enough, my female Lab, Coco, had no interest in playing their sophomoric games. Think I can teach her to knit??

Four Years

2010-10-28T16:04:00.006-04:00

A funny thing happened last night, while I couldn't sleep. I noticed, while looking at the sidebar of my little blog, that I have been writing here for four years now. Happy Blogiversary to me!

So much has happened in the past four years, but one thing has remained constant. Knitting. Even when I haven't been able to knit because of physical limitations, like right now with my shoulder issues, I think about knitting, or plan future knitting, or read knitting books. My corner of the couch is piled high with knitting books and magazines, and skeins of yarns to fondle. I even cheat and knit little projects like dishcloths, or afghan squares; albeit very slowly. Snails' pace slowly.

Some Ravelry friends and I are swapping 12" squares every other month. The goal is to eventually have enough squares to make afghans for ourselves. Being newer to this swap group, I have only received (and sent out) two squares so far, but others are getting close to having small blankets. Last night I started square #3, again, slowly because of pain. In less than a week the orthopaedic surgeon and I will decide if surgery is the best option for resolving this whole mess.

August/September square and goodies I received.

On my fridge I have a magnet that says, "I knit because I'm smarter than you." Really, knitting doesn't take a lot of smarts. If you can read, you can teach yourself to knit. (I did!) BUT, I credit knitting from keeping my brains from turning completely to mush while I'm job hunting. I'm smart enough to do something that exercises my brain and helps keep me mentally sharp. Gauge. Stitches per inch. Reading patterns. Meters vs. yards. It all keeps me from totally losing my mind these days.

Today I helped Absent-Minded Professor with his algebra homework. (Yes, he's in high school now... eeek!) After walking him through the challenge problem, the very last problem, he asked, "How do you know how to do this stuff?" My answer?

Knitting.

Public Service Announcement

2010-10-25T22:06:00.006-04:00

Today is October 25.

That means

CHRISTMAS IS EXACTLY TWO MONTHS FROM TODAY!!

Feel free to commence with the panic.

In other news, here's a great photo of the decadently delicious caramel apple rolled in nuts that I treated myself to during the kidnapping trip... It's definitely drool-worthy! The apple inside is a Granny Smith. mmmmmmm My favorite!

Do you have favorite fall treats? My kids love making S'Mores outside over a fire. I love Pumpkin Spice Latte's from Starbucks. What about all of you?

Kidnapped!

2010-10-24T20:38:00.004-04:00

The past couple of days I've been gone, because I was kidnapped by two of my dear friends on short notice. The fact that I am back at my computer writing this entry shows that I have been safely returned, so there's no need to worry. :-) I was told to pack a change of clothes and my toothbrush and prepare for some fun. Of course, for me, that meant I had to pack some knitting and bring along a bottle of wine, too.

What we ended up doing was winding our way from T-Town a little ways north into Michigan, then west to a winery near Jackson. The Sandhill Crane Winery had free wine tastings, but was off the beaten path. We had a great chuckle because most of the signs for it were right beside the directional signs for the local middle school! Much of our wine tasting time was spent debating whether the kids skipped out to the winery or the teachers! hehehehe

After consulting the GPS (me!), we found our way back to the highway and next headed to Howell, MI for some outlet mall shopping. When we ran out of daylight, and stores, we checked into a hotel (after bargaining for a better rate on the room) and went in search of some dinner. Have you ever been to eat at Tomato Brothers? The food was good, but the bread sticks were amazing!

Morning found us on the road again (cue the Willie Nelson music here) and headed even further north toward Birch Run Outlets which are literally on the other side of the highway from Frankenmuth. We shopped, and ate, and shopped some more. And guess what, when we finally headed home, we had to stop in Ann Arbor to hit Whole Foods and Trader Joe's as well!

So what did I buy? I bought some jeans for Absent-Minded Professor, who is growing like a weed. Mayhem is the recipient of some sweats from the Gap. Bill gets a shirt from Woolrich... a soft plaid flannel. I found a wool sweater with sheep on it for me. (pic from the Woolrich website)AND, I treated myself to the most enormous carmel apple rolled in chopped nuts drizzled with chocolate. YUM

After all of that, and being in and out of the car more times than I could count, my shoulder was complaining quite loudly. I was more than ready to be home, but I was sure glad The Diva's kidnapped me. True, loyal friends are a blessing!

FO Alert

2010-10-20T19:46:00.004-04:00

I actually have a Finished Object to show off today! The hat I started for Dad is complete, all the way down to weaving in the ends. My younger sister will deliver it to him on Saturday. Interesting... there's a pattern here. I knit for Dad, little sister delivers the hand knits to him, I see him with the gifted knits later. (Remember the socks??)

Anyway, here's the finished Utopia hat. Please excuse the crummy cell phone photo. I was excited and couldn't wait to get a photo uploaded from my trusty Nikon.

My nephew is out of the hospital and adjusting to life with diabetes. He's really taking it all in stride and is back at school. Thanks so much for the prayers and good wishes.

In knitting news, while sitting watching TV last night, I decided to teach myself something new. I dug out my little book of Magic Loop Knitting and a long circular needle and taught myself how to knit using one long circular needle. This is something that I have been meaning to learn for ages. With having a bum shoulder, I figure I need to exercise my brain. ;-)

All Over The Place

2010-10-16T20:56:00.004-04:00

The past few days I have been, quite literally, all over the place. Well, except for being on the internet, that is! My crazy life has continued to spiral out of control with the shit storm hitting my younger sister's house the worst this week. Her youngest son, age 8, was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes and is still in the hospital. I am not sure what else can rain down upon my family right now, but your continued prayers and positive energy are appreciated. Meanwhile, I spent part of this afternoon at the hospital with my dear little nephew and he is one of the bravest and most resilient little guys I know!

My dad has finished one week of radiation and will be starting chemo next week. He is in enormous pain, so much so that he has morphine at home. My kids have finally been fully apprised of their Opa's health situation, and Mayhem helped me choose yarn to knit hats. I started one today while working at the yarn shop. I thought that Utopia (Ravelry link) would look nice knitted up in the black Malabrigo Twist I have, so that's what I cast on today. Here's the progress so far:

One cable repeat done.

I have realized that knitting does indeed aggravate my shoulder issues, so I have to limit just how much knitting I do each day. (Boooooo!) It also hurts to use the computer unless I camp out on the couch or put the computer in my lap. (What the heck??) I also realized that I am looking forward to having some resolution to my shoulder issues, even if it means having to have surgery. Now you know I'm desperate! I certainly don't know what I would do without Bill right now. He helps me so much with the kids, the dogs, the house and the yardwork.

In the midst of all the craziness and uncertainty that is my life, my trusty Nikon still goes everywhere, and I am still taking the time to find the beauty that surrounds me every day.

I hope you're making time to enjoy Fall and your loved ones!

Perfect 10

2010-10-10T14:01:00.007-04:00

People all over the world are commenting on today's date: 10-10-10. Has today been a perfect 1o for you?

Here in the Midwest, the trees are trying to change colors, but temps are reaching the mid-80's. Yesterday we spent a great deal of time in the car, having decided to visit Mom and Dad for the day. There's a new addition at the old house where I grew up. It seems strange, but it's totally necessary, and I'm thankful for my brother-in-law, my niece's husband, and his father who gave up their Saturday to build the ramp.

The sky looked like this on the way home, and I had to take time to marvel in the beauty of the day. Farmers were busy harvesting with their giant combines, creating a hazy, dusty sky at times.

I spent part of the afternoon napping and knitting in a lounge chair in my sunny backyard today. Listening to Jimmy Buffett. In shorts. Barefoot. It's October, people!!! Really, though, with not a cloud in the sky, and an intermittent breeze, the day was one of those perfect 10 kind of days that you want to file away for revisiting later. With as dry as it has been, the wind through the leaves sounded almost like rain.

While my chocolate Lab and I soaked up the sun, my two "guys" retreated to the shade. Wimps! ;-)

Like a true Midwesterner, I know that this kind of Fall usually means something, and that "something" usually equals a big Winter. That doesn't scare me, but it does take some preparation. Do I look prepared?

I was kind of hoping that the firewood would reach ALL the way to the ceiling of the back porch. Oh well.

Birthday Bonanza

2010-10-08T20:22:00.005-04:00

This week has been birthday crazy around here. Four friends have had, or will have celebrated their birthdays by the time Sunday rolls around. Three of those four friends are knitters!

So, MARY, FEROL, DONNA & BECCA,

~*~* HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! ~*~*

I love you all bunches!

Anyone in the Chicago area better watch out. Becca's big bash is going on this weekend. I'm just sayin'

Thursdays are for TV!

2010-10-07T21:49:00.004-04:00

OK, humor me. Bones. Grey's Anatomy. The Mentalist. And every other week my children aren't here to interrupt the shows with their incessant talking and commentaries. ;-) I do let them watch Bones, though.

As I've teased the past couple of days, I have a completed sock to show you... but just one. It's pretty, though! A gorgeous green dyed Creme de Menthe - a custom colorway for our sock of the month club at Yarn Cravin' by Yarn Love.

Isn't it pretty? Sock 2 is on the needles. Who knows how long it will take. Shall we take bets?

Yesterday I had cortisone injections in BOTH shoulders - OWIE!!! Then, dummy me, didn't even think about the steriods, but I was up the entire night. Even with a sleeping pill, I didn't sleep. Anyone who has a kid on prednisone when their asthma is bad, knows what I mean about the steriod problems. Any surgical decisions will be decided the first week of November.

I did finish one novel, and read an entire other novel: "The Glass Walls," by Jeannette Wells, and the lastest Janet Evanovich speed-read, "Wicked Appetite." Finally between 5:30 and 6:00AM I fell alseep only to be woken with a blinding migraine at 8:00AM, requiring copious amounts of drugs in between bouts of having my head in the toilet.

Serendipity found me today, and I may have a lead on some knitting for money for a boutique here in town. Keep your fingers, legs and toes crossed, okay??

My love to those of you sending support!

Whoops!

2010-10-06T18:39:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was nutty, so I completely missed blogging. I don't think I even touched my computer, to be honest. By the time I got home from getting my shoulder MRI last night it was after 10:00PM, so there you have it.

Some people were wondering about my job situation. Yes, I am job hunting. I found out in mid-August that I wouldn't be returning to my job of 16 years. Nice, huh? Right now there's nothing out there. The county where I live has over 10% unemployment rate. One job I applied for had over 200 applicants, and the committee is still reviewing the applications. I have applied for 12 jobs and not received a single call back. On the bright side (is there one???) - no rejection letters, either. Do people still send rejection letters?

Today I saw the orthopedic surgeon about my shoulder(s). We are putting off making any decision about surgery for one month, and he put cortisone injections in both shoulders. It's a toss up between frozen shoulder and rotator cuff tear, but probably both in the right shoulder.

I did manage to finish another sock, and start on sock #2 of the pair - socks for me! Yay!

Later today, maybe, I will dump the camera photos and update the Insanknitty blog so you can see what's new at Yarn Cravin' too. I haven't forgotten that I promised to show you photos and give info about the afghan square swap.

Instead of...

2010-10-04T19:20:00.006-04:00

Instead of sitting through a political debate on television, I decided to leave the room to do my blogging for the day. Of course, now that I've left the room, I hear that Bill has changed the channel to a sit-com we regularly watch at 7:00PM. Go figure.

Dad's socks have been safely delivered to him and he loves them. He wasn't seeing them for the first time, mind you, but there's always a little (BIG!) thrill at receiving handknits. (I myself have only received two knitted items myself that I didn't make!) I worked on Dad's socks earlier in September when he was in the hospital having surgery, and he knew they were coming.

Instead of casting on a brand new pair of socks today, I dug out a pair that have been in progress for a while, and finished sock #1 of that pair early this evening. I really wanted to wind some yarn out of my stash and start a new pair! Remember back in January when I made the pledge to only work on UFO's this year? I have stuck to that! Other than Dad's socks, the shawl for my friend, and a couple of afghan squares for a swap I am participating in right now, I have not cast on new projects the entire year of 2010!

Instead of casting on new projects all year, I've worked on building my knitting book collection. I may have acquired another spinning wheel, too... a Schacht Ladybug.

Isn't she gorgeous?! Unfortunately, it hurts to spin right now.

Instead of going back to bed after physical therapy this morning, I applied for two more jobs, and did the paperwork for my appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on Wednesday.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll tell you about the afghan square swap.

The Proof

2010-10-03T20:08:00.006-04:00

I promised some photographic evidence of Mayhem in knitting action, and I have it for you today. She is getting faster, and more proficient. When her dad picked her up this evening for his week with the kids (we alternate weeks with our custody), she made sure to pack up her knitting and take it along. Perhaps she'll need to learn to purl in two weeks...

There's also an FO alert! Dad's socks are finished, and I dropped them off at my younger sister's house this afternoon. She will deliver them to Dad tomorrow. I'm particularly pleased that I was able to make the stripes match up.

These would have been done about a week sooner, but I decreased too many stitches at the gussett and didn't discover my mistake until I was nearly ready to start the toe decreases. UGH! I had to rip all the way back to the gussett. Absent-Minded Professor could get them on his feet today, so I'm pretty sure that they will fit Dad okay.

Tomorrow is Monday and it's back to PT and my wonderful torturers.

Productivity... sort of

2010-10-02T17:00:00.006-04:00

The high today has been 52 so far. We decided it was a pot-roast-in-the-oven kind of day. The roast is nearly done. The potatoes have been peeled and are on the stove cooking. My whole house smells delicious! I wonder if College Grad will drop in for dinner like he did the other night. He's busy with law school, but I think he smells when dinner is ready...

Along with cooking, Mayhem and I even managed a trip to Yarn Cravin' to check out what's new and knit for a bit. I picked up some soft yarn to knit a hat or two for Dad - a black skein of Malabrigo Twist and a blue skein of Berocco Ultra Alpaca, which Mayhem chose.

I am wishing now that I had thought to whip out my camera while we were at the yarn shop because the big news is that Mayhem is knitting!! I promise photographic evidence soon, though. She is working on a scarf, garter stitch for now. I'm so excited about her knitting, finally. Keep your fingers crossed that she sticks with it!

After dinner, it's back to Dad's socks. I'm hoping to have them done by Monday, when my sister heads down to our hometown to spend a couple of days with our parents.

Blogtoberfest!

2010-10-01T17:33:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone, long time no see! It would take me the entire month of October to update you on what has happened since I last blogged, but maybe that's what I should do during Blogtoberfest.
My goal during October is to blog every day.

I am still alive, as you can see by this photo taken in July... things kind of went to hell after that, though!

Computer time has been compromised lately because of shoulder issues and pain, and I've been going to physical therapy three times a week. Next week I get to have an MRI and see an orthopedic surgeon because my right shoulder, also my dominant side, is stuck. The PT thinks that it may be "frozen shoulder" or adhesive capsulitis. We'll see what the surgeon says. This pain, and reduced range of motion, has affected everything in my life - sleep, driving, dressing myself, showering, styling my hair, and even *gasp* knitting!

Rest assured, I am still knitting, albeit slowly. This is a shawl I knitted for a friend's birthday in August. If you haven't tried Malabrigo Twist yarn yet, get some!!! The pattern is Belmondo on Ravelry, and it's a free pattern.

I'm currently working on a pair of wool socks for my dad, who is seriously ill. If you're so inclined, some prayers and/or good thoughts for him would be greatly appreciated. He really needs them.

Now Appearing On Stage...

2010-04-06T07:45:00.010-04:00

Hey, is this thing on? Anyone out there? tap tap tap Ahem. Can you hear me?

After the 2nd snowiest winter on the record books, the northwest corner of Ohio has finally emerged from the grips of the snow that blanketed the earth for a good part January and February. It would take me too long to explain what had me in its grips all that time. Let me just say I was kind of buried, like my car.

Now, the sun is warming the earth, and life is springing forth. These crocuses are already finished blooming in my yard, and the daffodils are blooming. The trees have burst into new little green leaves, literally in the past three days, almost while watching them!

On President's Day, a holiday with no school, the kids and I ventured to the Toledo Zoo. We had to get out of the house, and they sported some hand-knits a la Mom. (There is still knitting happening!) Yes, my children are alive and well, and Absent-Minded Professor just recently let me know that he is as tall as I am! I promptly informed him I can still kick his rear end if need be!

In February, even without my thinking much of it, I added another year to my life's experiences. That called for a bit of a hair style change. I like it. Bill loves it. I think I'll keep it.

It's now spring break. Mayhem turned 11 years old on April Fools' Day. Yes, I tell her every year that the joke has been on ME ever since! As part of the celebration, we took the "little kids" (Bill's college boys are the "big kids") to The Henry Ford Museum. It was fantastic, and I wish I had thought to take Absent-Minded Professor when he was three or four and obsessed with Trains and Thomas the Tank Engine! We had to let Mayhem drive in this photo... it was her birthday, after all.

This week, even though the kids are with their dad, and I am on spring break, I have a crazy, busy week. Bill is finally moving in. We are cleaning, and rearranging. I am getting my taxes prepared. We're heading into the home stretch at school, which means I have to make sure all of my 12th graders have what they need to graduate!! Bill's oldest son will be graduating from college in mid-May and we are excited about that.

You wondering about my kniting, too? Yes, it's still happening. I have a whole 'nother post coming up about that. This year I decided at New Year's to dedicate the year to completing my UFO's... my Unfinished Objects. So far, since January One, I have not cast on for anything new! I know, I know, it's killing me. I certainly have not become a monogamous knitter, by any stretch of the imagination. I just can't stay with one knitting project only from start to end. All of the new patterns and designs and yarns coming out have been tempting and taunting me. Then there's fact that I have enough Dream in Color Classy in my stash to knit an entire February Lady Sweater!

If I have anyone that still peeks to see if I do blog, I have some posts lined up to show you what I have finished. I have a post to show you the eleventy-billion unfinished projects. Then I can show you what I've tossed into the time-out corner because of knitting errors that I made while adjusting to a crazy medication designed to help me with my migraines. It makes me incredibly scatter-brained. And before you make a smart-alecky comment, I'll say it for you: what's different about that from before?! hahahaha

The Day After The Day After

2009-12-28T18:50:00.005-05:00

It was the day after The Day After. You know, not The Day After Christmas, or Boxing Day; it was the next day, December 27. Mayhem and The Absent-Minded Professor, exhausted from THREE Christmases, declared it "Pajama Day."

December 24th the kids were with me, and we celebrated together. A little dog embarassment was in order. Poor Bruno.

"I got an X-Box!"

Christmas Day, the kids were with their dad and his side of the family, while I was with Bill and the College Guys. (Somewhere there's a photo of me in a turkey-induced coma, snoozing on Bill... Thanks, College Kid!) Buying for the College Guys was tricky this year, but I think they were happy and surprised with their gifts.

The Day After was spent with my side of the family; that meant 20 of us were together, spanning four generations, and that didn't even include everyone! For us, the day ended with a 2-hour drive home.

At Oma and Opa's

The rules for Pajama Day were simple:

1. Participants could sleep in as late as they wanted, and had to stay in their jammies all day. (Mayhem was the winner, staying in her bed until Noon!)

2. Movies, video games, new toys, knitting and general R-and-R were required.

3. Christmas cookies and treats had to be eaten all day if available.

Later in the afternoon, I laid in my favorite corner of the sectional sofa, in front of the fire, watching light snow fall outside. My knitting and a book were in my lap. One of the Labs snored and dreamed at my feet. The kids were happy and not fighting. It was one of those rare moments when you know how blessed you truly are. The kind of moment you file away to revisit and treasure later on a day that's not so good.

Here's hoping you had moments that pointed out your blessings to you, too!

Gratitude

2009-11-20T12:49:00.005-05:00

The other day I wrote that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and with it coming up next week, I wanted to take the time to make note of some of the things I am thankful for. Really, I am blessed and can't list everything, but it's good to think about it, you know?

Friends – you know who you are. My friends are the people who boost me up every day. They are the ones who challenge me to become a better person. I have found I surround myself with people, who, like me, see the glass as half full, and it’s something delicious with which to raise our glasses and make a toast! One never knows what life will bring, and there’s no point in spending time with negative people who bring you down.

Love – I am so fortunate to have found my soul mate. Bill is my best friend and the love of my life! We finish each others’ sentences, reach the same conclusions at the same time, and sometimes even buy the same greeting cards. Some of our most wonderful evenings are those we spend sitting at home knitting and reading together and not saying a word. When we’re apart, I feel as though a part of me is missing.

Family – I am so blessed to still have my parents and siblings here with me, despite some serious illness scares the past couple of years. We are close, and we are silly, and when we are all together we can be scary and a bit intimidating to outsiders. LOL I know how lucky I am, and I give thanks every day for my crazy family… all the way down to my parents’ great-grandchildren. On top of that, I am going to be step-mom to two wonderful college boys whom I love dearly. They, along with Mayhem and Absent-Minded Professor, keep me laughing and fill my heart with joy.

And then there are the daily things… coffee, knitting, sunshine, snow, my mom’s cooking, knitting, a warm house, snoring dogs, good wine, a job that pays the bills, knitting, my local yarn shop, modern medicine, knitting… the list goes on and on. Did I mention knitting?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Catching Up

2009-11-16T12:32:00.014-05:00

Hey! I'm still alive!

I don't know if I can begin to tell you all of the things that have happened since mid-July when I last blogged here, but I will try to catch you up.

Yes, I still knit. I still write the blog for Yarn Cravin'. I seem to be able to do that regularly. Go figure. I even find time to work there once in a while. I am constantly knitting, but don't seem to finish many projects. I'm working on that, really. I did finish some little socks and a sweater for my brand new great-nephew, whom I will meet at Thanksgiving. Yummmm... can't wait to smooch on that baby!

The kids are doing well. They have adjusted to our shared parenting arrangement of one week with dad, one week with me, and seem to be OK with that. School is going well for them and me, and life has settled into a routine of school/work in the mornings, study/play in the afternoons, knit/tv in the evenings. Life is quieter and peaceful now that we're all in a routine.

Mayhem is playing the viola, having just started orchestra this year. She is already making "real" music. Absent-Minded Professor is thrilled that he is nearly as tall as his dear momma... just one more inch to go! Next year he will join me at the high school. He got braces right before school started in August and we can see a huge improvement already. College Kid the Elder had swine flu in October and was brought home for several days to recuperate. (The younger kids and I get our vaccines this week - finally!) Bill and I can't believe the oldest will graduate in May! College Kid the Younger transferred to Ohio University this fall for his second year of college and is having a fabulous year with their debate team.

Right now Bill and I are getting ready for Thanksgiving; we have so much to be thankful for! This is my favorite time of year, and Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. To answer the big question: No, we aren't married yet. We are still working out the logistics of combining our families and households. I don't know when the wedding will be, or even how it will be. Right now we are deliriously happy just knowing it will be.

Someone stay on my case about blogging, OK?

Where I've Been...

2009-07-10T10:06:00.007-04:00

Have you been wondering about me? Here's what's going on! I have been to eleventy-billion softball games to watch Mayhem play. Her team is undefeated and just finished regular season play. Tournaments start next week! Not one single game was rained out.

The kids and I have been to The Toledo Zoo. The new children's area is beautiful, but geared toward little kids. My kids liked it, especially the "kids only" treehouse. We are really too grown-up for it, though.

Somehow, Mayhem was turned into a giraffe for a few moments.

One of my lifelong friends has the good fortune to finally be blessed with impending motherhood! I knitted a blanket for Linda's baby shower, and attended. We have known each other since Kindergarten, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Araucania pima cotton. All garter stitch.

The glowing Linda and a friend.

Bill and I again took a big group of 7th graders to Gettysburg andWashington, DC this year. Here's Bill and I at Mount Vernon. He's a big fan of President Washington. (I'm a Lincoln fan, myself.)
This year, my Absent-Minded Professor was old enough to go on the trip!

He was one of two students chosen to do the Wreath Laying Ceremony at The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier at Arlington.

My kid is wearing the red tie.

At the Lincoln Memorial, my favorite place in DC, all the kids ran up the steps, and Bill stopped me to have a very serious conversation. CJ took our photo afterward.

I said "yes"!!! I am the future Mrs. Bill. No date is set.

And the rollercoaster continues with pro baseball games and trips to Traverse City and swimming and swapping the kids back and forth with their dad...

Plans... Interrupted

2009-05-23T15:19:00.012-04:00

Saturday morning, today, dawned sunny and warm, and I had a plan. I was going to pull weeds like a madwoman and then sit outside and knit to my hearts' content until late afternoon. It's Memorial Day Weekend, after all.

The little people at my house, however had other plans. It started with the phone ringing non-stop and the words, "Mom can you take me to..." repeatedly. My plans went out the window and I proceeded to shower, put on clean clothes, and drive my children all over God's green earth. One packed up clothes, swimsuit and towel and was dropped off to spend the night at a friend's. The other was transported to a video game store to trade in one old game and buy a new game. Unfortunately, that store didn't have the needed new game, so off we went to a different part of town to find the "absolutely must have today, Mom!" game. You know, the kind that is so urgent that he would die if he didn't have it.

I had hoped to share neat flower bed with newly planted flowers with all of you. I can entertain you with this, however. It's the most unflattering photo of me ever taken, and I'm only sharing it for two reasons. First, it documents my career flexiblity and the fact that I may have the option of working as a clown if my illnesses cause me to be canned from my current job. Second, the hair is gonna go. Next Saturday I have an appointment to drastically change the hairdo. That hair has not been cut in two years. (Thanks, Mary, for the lovely portrait of me!) Put down any drink you may be consuming. I'm not responsible for your computer.

Here is proof that I am knitting still. Look! It's on two circulars, even! The pattern is Eleanor, and it's free on Ravelry. You just have to join. The yarn is a custom dye for our sock of the month club by Sarah at Perfect Day Yarns. (Look her up, I'm too lazy to link today. Sorry.)

Hope the knitting is good in your corner of the world.

MAKE TIME TO REMEMBER OUR VETERANS AND FLY THE FLAG THIS WEEKEND!!!

World War II Memorial, Washington, D.C. 2008

Bumpy Road Ahead

2009-05-17T18:41:00.010-04:00

Have you been to T-Town lately? Make sure your seatbelt is fastened securely because the roads are bumpier than most. We don't even need speed bumps. That's true of the road of my life, too, right now but there is a smoother road up ahead, and it's coming very, very soon. 18 days or less from today, not that I'm counting.

Mayhem is playing softball, you know, and her team continues to be undefeated. Yay, team! A week ago today she hurt her knee at practice, and it's still hurting. She voluntarily missed a game, tried to play the next game (against doctor's orders - long story) and had to be taken out. Today we didn't even attempt practice. Rest and ice. Ice and rest. I see an x-ray in our future.

During games, I knit. During practices, I knit. Does anyone else? Nope. I'm like a knitting alien. No one even asks about the knitting, or expresses an interest. Not one person brings anything else; not a book, not bills to pay, no other crafts. There's not multi-tasking even during practices. I don't get it.

Here's my latest project close to completion: Thuja socks, from last year's sock club. The yarn is from Chewy Spaghetti, in a custom color for our shop. Yum. Yum. (Yes, I was knitting during a softball game! *gasp*)

Bill's boys are home for the summer from college. Look what the oldest brought with him! Everyone is trying to decide on a name because according to Mayhem, "Blackie is a stupid name." I vote for Kat. My first thought was how in the world are we going to introduce her to my dogs??

And just for fun, I was playing with my zoom lens and took these photos from my car (while parked) waiting for Absent-Minded Professor to come out of school the other day.

That new lens is going to be great fun in Washington, D.C.!

Spring Happenings

2009-05-04T09:24:00.006-04:00

The crabapple trees are blooming here. My front yard has two trees, but some streets are lined with them, almost making a canopy of blooms as you drive down the road. A strong gust of wind sends the petals flying, making it look like snow. They're beautiful, and I had to share.

My entire weekend was spent sitting at softball fields. Mayhem had her Pre-Season Tournament. Friday night it was cold and rained off and on; her game wasn't until 7:00PM. Saturday she played at 2:00PM and it was sunny, but chilly. We all sat bundled in sweatshirts and blankets. Sunday morning, finally, it was warm. Why so many games? They kept winning!

Mayhem had a great weekend. She had several hits, and scored two runs this weekend. Here's a photo of her coming in to home plate. Score!

Mayhem's team won the Championship for this tournament. Regular season play starts this week.

And what do I do to stay sane at the games? I complete my UFO's! Look: My Monkey Socks from last year's sock club. ~blush~ Size 2 US needles. Yarn is Muddy Maumee (custom dyed) from Perfect Day Yarns for Yarn Cravin's Sock of The Month Club.

They have been worn and are warm and comfy. My sock skills are definitely improving, as these fit better than any socks I have made so far.

Escape from Reality

2009-04-30T09:29:00.007-04:00

Sometimes it's good to run away from everything. That's what I did last weekend. The Insanknitty Retreat was the perfect escape from the reality that is my life - medical tests, kids crazy schedules, refinancing, etc.

An overnight knit-fest with 40+ knitters, many of whom are dear friends, was just what the doctor ordered. We holed up at Widewater Retreat Center from 9:00AM Saturday until 5:00PM Sunday. I ate too much, had a fabulous massage, knitted as much as I wanted, sat in the sun...

There were eight people assigned to my room, including me, not that we did much sleeping! That full room was by choice, because we knew we would be up late being silly. I think we went to bed around 2:10AM, and finally fell asleep around 3:00AM. Much knitting and spinning was accomplished, though. Even more laughter was accomplished, and at times we laughed until we cried. Picture a big slumber party with your closest friends, away from home. Add in knitting and silliness... like Jello wrestling.

And musical entertainment.
I had time to spin... here I am pre-drafting some fiber.

We had some basic spinning lessons with drop spindles.

My friends in attendance weren't just local friends. Becca and Kristy and Beth came in from Chicago. Cary drove up from Tennessee. I love your faces!

Who could be stressed with beauty like this to see all weekend?

The retreat was well-organized and loosely structured enough to be relaxing. I missed my kids, but the time away with my knitter friends to re-charge my batteries was so worth it! Bill deserves a special thank you for the camp chair with attached foot-rest. It was so comfy all weekend for knitting, sitting outside and relaxing... my pregnant friend Heather also appreciated it! Thanks so much for another considerate gift, Luv.

Just Keep Swimming

2009-04-20T12:21:00.010-04:00

Without boring you with all the details, I've finished the round of medical tests related to my migraines. The MRI showed I do indeed have a brain in my head. The brain even fills the entire space! I was allowed to see some of the scans after asking the technician, and they were pretty awesome. While the tests are done, I don't have answers yet. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

My Dad just celebrated his 75th birthday and I knew I would be seeing the youngest of my great-nieces and great-nephews at his party. A.J. is not quite 18 mos. old and I wanted to give him something special. I decided to whip up an Oliphaunt. Here's my version:

This is knit with Brown Sheep Bulky on size 8 1/2 U.S. needles. I started it Saturday evening and finished it in the car Sunday on the way to Dad's party. Bill and the kids loved watching it take shape. By the way, Bill was driving.

My children were lovely for Dad's party, and Absent-Minded Professor agreed to wear something other than his usual black or grey t-shirt. My Mom was so pleased to see how nice he looked. I was stunned to see how grown he suddenly looks!

This weekend, my LYS is having a knitting retreat. 40 of us, maybe a few more, are heading off-site, overnight, to knit and be silly together. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous, and we will be together from 9 AM Saturday until 5 PM Sunday. I am taking 3-4 WIP's that I want to finish and also my spinning wheel.

If it's cold where you are, or you need a little hit of spring, this is for you. I took this photo on the way out of my hometown Sunday, after my Dad's party. The kids and I stopped to show Bill one of our favorite places, Kingwood Center.
Pink daffodils. I think I have to look for some of these to plant in the fall.

Photo Ops

2009-04-14T13:59:00.009-04:00

Easter weekend photos for you...

Mayhem with the knitted Wiener Dog, which has been named Pinky. Pinky goes everywhere with Mayhem. She loves, loves, loves it! Details? Encore Worsted, size 7 needles and the book Knitted Toys by Zoe Mellor.

Absent-Minded Professor during the Easter Egg Hunt at Uncle Rudi's farm. Hey, there are eggs in the tree!

Beloved Bill, who became fast friends with Louie during the Egg Hunt festivities.
My darling parents, out for a walk together. Aren't they cute? Dad will be 75 this week, and the entire family is gathering to celebrate.

Random musings... I have a knitting retreat coming up April 25-26 that I am greatly looking forward to! I am in the process of refinancing my house for a great rate, but so is half the country, it seems, so it is slow going. I would appreciate some good thoughts this week. I have an MRI and MRA (angiogram) later this week. The MRA is to check for aneurysms and weak blood vessels - related to my migraines. It's that time of year when Bill and I get into full gear for the Washington DC trip, too. This year my Absent-Minded Professor is in 7th grade and he's going on the trip. Mayhem is playing softball again, so we're also busy running her to practice three days a week. Busy, busy, busy...

Spooning With The Dog

2009-04-07T10:46:00.003-04:00

My two very large Labs have become accustomed to sleeping with me in my king sized bed, and since I still stay on "my side" of the bed it isn't a problem. Last night, plagued by insomnia, and struggling to get comfortable, I finally fell asleep well after 2:00 AM and woke around 4:30, warm, and snuggly; wondering who in the world I was spooning with at my house. I must have been dreaming and hadn't gotten fully awake yet. Yeah, that was it. I was dreaming I was spooning... Only when I opened my eyes, I found that I had snuggled up to Bruno, my huge yellow Lab, who just turned eight years old this week. Happy Birthday, Old Pal. (Coco turned eight, too... or at least we think she did. She came from the pound and we made her birthday the same day as Bruno's.)

Note to self: Get a life. Soon.

Mayhem turned 10 this past week, and I celebrated by giving her a wiener dog. She's been begging for ages for a dog of her own. Wasn't she surprised to see that her crafty momma knitted it for her! I used the Dotty Dog pattern from Knitted Toys by Zoe Mellor. The dog is pink and purple, and ever since I presented it to her, she hasn't stopped toting it around. It's been dubbed "Pinkie" and I've already had to knit an i-cord collar for the new pet. Here's a cell phone photo of Pinkie in progress... the stripes are the belly. Can you see the hole for stuffing?

As soon as the home computer is deloused (Absent-Minded Professor downloaded a virus... darn junior high kid!) I will show you the complete doggy, and happy kid.

Sock Club at Yarn Cravin' is in full swing and we have some new challenges. I'm working on socks on two circular needles (a big change for me - I'm totally a dpn girl) and trying the Chevy pattern from Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarn by Carol Sulcoski. This book is fabulous, and full of gorgeous patterns of all skill levels. Plus it explains how to avoid flashing and pooling that comes with using handpainted yarns. This photo shows my sock after just completing the set up rows.

The other day I posted that I had ordered The Knit Kit. Readers, it has arrived, and it is cool. "MacGyverish" is the best word I can think of to describe it. Really, everything you need is right there, in one little egg-shaped flat packet. It looks a bit like a birth-control packet, but performs beautifully! The thread cutter slices through yarn easily, allowing one to not even open the back to unfold the scissors. That prevents the spillage of the stitch markers. The tape measure works smoothly. The stitch counter works effortlessly, and with just enough pressure, plus also includes a lock for when you toss the whole kit back into your bag. I love that there's a little crochet hook included for picking up dropped stitches, although I probably would have tried to make it a bit finer for sock yarns. It's less than 1/2" thick, so this fits easily in any bag, even your purse. This is a great gift for other knitters, a treat for yourself is worth the $20, in my opinion.

Thank you, those of you that posted good thoughts about my health. The neuro appointment was long, but thorough. I have started a new med to prevent migraines. It has some strange side-effects, but I'm hanging in there. An EEG has already been done and I have more tests coming up. I will try to not bore you with details, but I'll keep you posted.

Is it Spring where you are? It's snowing here.

Miss Me?

2009-04-02T07:46:00.004-04:00

I know I have been M.I.A., and I apologize. There's been so much going on, but not that you would want to be bored with, I bet. (Some health issues for me, that I am sorting out with a neurologist and rheumatologist this month)

There's still knitting and fun with friends when I'm not totally incapacitated by pain or migraines.

Another dishcloth for at Bill's place.

Dinner and Knitting with Friends of P from Chicago... and a couple of brave men. ;-)

Green Cake and beer for St. Patrick's Day. (I saved you a bite!)

Want to see something cool I just bought? Knit Kit I ordered this from The Loopy Ewe, since I had a store credit - you know, being a frequent shopper will get you those! Once it arrives, a review on the performance will surely be in order.

BIG NEWS ALERT: My knitting friend Jeanne has just launched her own yarn line!! You can find her online shop and colorways here at Yarndeavors. I have bought some of this delicious, gorgeous yarn and let me tell you, this is one purchase you will NOT regret!!!

I will blog more, I promise. Rest assured, I am still alive. Just keeping my head above water.

This Too Shall Pass

2009-02-23T13:32:00.011-05:00

Last Friday I had a birthday. I only mention it, because it was such a mixture of happiness and trauma, and I learned a lot of things, that I want to share.

Turning 42 is nothing. Piece of cake. Just a number.

Losing a friend who is just your age, on your birthday, is tough. Tracy Pleva Hill was one of the most amazing women I ever knew. She and I nursed our babies at the same time, and she just lost an 8+ year battle with breast cancer. Here's a photo of us a few years ago in NYC - Tracy on the left, and me on the far right. Tracy reminded her friends to drive with the windows open, to live every day to the fullest and made the f-ing cancer fight for every inch it took. She was a warrior!

Having true-blue friends that get you knitting books, yummy lotion, and birthday cake to celebrate with after work can help you feel so much better.

Daffodils sent to you at work by a dear friend who lives in another state help also. (I love you, Evil Twin!)

Getting rear-ended in Friday traffic and having your car smashed front and back, with one of your kids in the car, is terrifying. Again, I am lucky. I was able to call my son and tell him we would be late, but we were fine. Even my car had minimal damage compared to the guy who hit me. (BTW, the Ford Freestyle is a tank. I highly recommend it!) I will still be without my car at some point, since both the front and rear bumpers will need to be completely replaced. The muscle soreness and pain I still have are a great reminder of the importance of seat belts and that they do work. Mayhem, who was safely buckled up in the back seat, was scared, but has no pain at all today.

I also learned, over this birthday, that Bill is an amazing secret keeper and brilliant gift giver. Once again, the gift he procured for my birthday surprised me, was something I wanted, and took my breath away! (It wasn't even jewelry.) So what is this amazing gift?

(image from bestbuy.com)
Yep, a new camera lens!!! A ZOOM lens for my digital camera. The one I've been lusting after. The kicker is that he's had it since Christmas, just waiting to give to me. Me? I wouldn't have been able to wait. When I have gifts that special, I give them. So kudos to you, Luv, on your patience and master gift giving. (And the torture factor added in by giving me the lens when I didn't have my camera with me? Nice one.) My birthday gift also included a bottle of wine from here. The image on the right of that webpage is on the bottle label. Leave it to my beloved Bill to find wine related to my fiber addiction!

The day was full of contradictions. Even though my friend finished her time here on Earth with us, I had a very physical, tangible reminder that my time isn't done. Wear your seatbelts. Tell the people you love that you love them every day. Put your kids in the backseat even if they beg to be up front. Go get your mammogram.

Drive with the windows open.

Busy, busy, busy

2009-02-16T18:02:00.005-05:00

The past week has been incredibly busy. This time of year, for secondary schools, is registration time for next years' classes. As a school counselor, right now I am making sure my 12th graders are going to graduate, and the next couple of weeks will be spent signing everyone else up for classes for next school year. Along with that, I have to make sure that every student assigned to me gets what he/she needs; be that honors classes, summer school, special education classes... and make sure that students repeat required classes they haven't passed. In addition, the other counselors and I are running to the junior high to give information to the 8th graders about 9th grade and what high school will be like! Add into that the college applications that are still pouring in to be sent out, and my work days are insane. Our principal moved some people out of cafeteria duty and put the counselors in the cafeteria, so now there's less time our offices to do the same job... but that's a whole different story.

Last week my very favorite yarn shop, Yarn Cravin', celebrated it's 2nd anniversary. Yes, Yarn Cravin' is TWO! That meant making some extra time in my week to be there a bit more than usual. Did I tell you that I took over maintaining the blog for the shop? Check out Insanknitty. I love blogging. Since I'm already there for knit night and sock club, I might as well take photos and update the blog, right? Anyway, last week there were extra activities at the shop, including surprising DaleAnn and Bobbie with a special gift from a whole bunch of knitters who chipped in together. Look!

Is that neon yarn ball awesome, or what?

Looks fabulous!

In knitting news, I've ripped back the cabled shawl to my error, re-knit, and am past where I was. Moving forward. Bill loves his felted coasters they are in use. I am thinking about making some more.

Where Does The White Go When The Snow Melts?

2009-02-08T21:14:00.006-05:00

Haven't you ever wondered that? Snow is white, and then it's gone. Where does the white go?
The temps have been in the mid-40's the last three days in a row now, and that means the 30.7" of snow that dumped on us in January is rapidly disappearing, prompting my silly question. I would love an answer, if anyone has one.

This morning I heard birds chirping in the crabapple trees outside my bedroom window and I (honest, I swear!) saw robins at the park today while Bill and I were there. Thanks to the newly bare ground, we also saw 15 or more deer on the move, happily grazing on whatever the melting snow revealed.

Ice floes were moving down Swan Creek and fortunately, no ice fishermen were stranded on these little pieces of ice. (This story was carried on the national news and also on The BBC.)

Patches of bare ground were visible today, and the sun was warm. I couldn't resist taking a picture of the little red schoolhouse at Wildwood Metropark. Even school looked cheery today. (Did I say that?!)

And look! More knitting! Growing tired of some drink coaster's at Bill's that don't absorb anything, I decided to stash dive and use up some aran weight wool that was just sitting around. I used size 11 needles, cast on 20 stitches, and knit 32 rows of garter stitch.

The coaster that is all orange is for on B's computer desk.

They're bright and cheery. Even better, they're absorbent and pretty much indestructible. Bill loves them because they are simple and practical. Oh, and he loves them because I made them just for him.

I still knit

2009-02-04T10:01:00.004-05:00

There's photographic evidence that I still knit. I even have proof that I manage, from time to time, to finish something, too. (A little applause right now would be nice, people.)

Some recent projects for your perusal, if you wish to look...

After making two Ruffles and Ribs scarves out the Misti Alpaca for others, I had to have one for myself. Honestly, these are a lot like potato chips. You can't stop at one.

A popular pattern going around Yarn Cravin is this button band hat. Mine is knit from Socos, a chunky yarn in the Pumpkin Green colorway. Big needles were used - 11's and 13's. I have enough yarn to make matching mittens or mitts, but I'm battling with the thumb and have have knit mitt number one 4x now.

This is the start of my cabled wrap, a rectangular shawl. The pattern is by Plymouth. I'm using Plymouth Royal Llama Silk and size 7 needles. It's deliciously soft and I can't wait to wear it. Last night I discovered I made a mistake somewhere, so I will be going back a few rows to fix it. *sigh*

Here on my desk is the beginnings of the sock for January/February Sock of Month at Yarn Cravin'. This was dyed for us by Yarn Love and it's called Creme de Menthe. We're using the Herringbone Rib pattern from Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarn.

Work is insanely busy. January was the 2nd snowiest on record here - 30.7" of snow fell, and it hasn't been melting. My children have kept me hopping and along with everything else, I decided I would help out my favorite LYS by taking over their blog. (It's fun, really!) All I can say is I'm having a whale of a winter!

Last Sunday I Ran Away From Home

2009-01-30T10:23:00.009-05:00

I ran away from home. For real.

Sunday morning, bright and early, I hopped into SarahLou's car with Mary and DaleAnn, and we drove to Chicago! We went to meet up with some knitter friends, and to swap a skein of yarn for Sarah so that she could make matching knee socks. (Her skeins were from different dye lots.)

Our destination was Dearborn Station, home of Loopy Yarns.

Once we found parking, we found our Friends of P and went to breakfast. Mary, DaleAnn, Erika and Becca.Erika, Becca, Kristy (way in back) and SarahLou.
I also made plans to meet my blogger friend Karen while I was in the Windy City. Thanks for joining us at Loopy!

Jen, Becca and Erika. Look how energized Jen is. She's always that way. Seriously. That blue striped sweater? That's Beth. Sorry Beth, for cutting you out of the photo.

FoP* Feet! Of course we all had our beautiful handknit socks.

*Friends of P

After an afternoon of knitting, cupcakes, side-splitting laughter, dinner at Bar Louie and a loooooong drive home, the Toledo bunch arrived back home at nearly midnight.

WOOF!

Happy

2009-01-14T18:53:00.003-05:00

My friend Eva recently tagged me on her blog to write about Six Things That Make Me Happy. What better time than right now, when I feel like the whole world is falling in on me? (It will pass, don't worry.)

1. Love. Love makes me happy. I am fortunate to have found the love of my life, my soul mate, my other half, the Yin to my Yang, the person who completes me. I know how rare that is, especially since this is not the person I spent 19 years married to already!

2. My kids, and their intelligence and their resilience and humor. (Is that one thing?) Really. My kids amaze me, even when I threaten to find out how much it would cost to ship them to Tibet in a refrigerator box with no air holes.

3. Knitting makes me happy. No matter how crappy my day has been, I can pick up needles and yarn and the soothing motion lulls me into a better mood. At the end, the symphony of sticks and string produce a beautiful fabric; durable, warm and useful. I have made the best friends through knitting, and found the best yarn shop too, Yarn Cravin'.

4. Technology makes me happy. The internet and sites like Ravelry for knitters and other fiber addicts, allow for sharing info and ideas, and make the world smaller.

5. Having a new President makes me happy! I'm so excited to be a part of this historic change in our country. In June I'm taking the 7th graders to Washington, D.C. again, and I'm more excited about this trip than any other.

6. Coffee. Seriously. Good coffee makes me happy. Strong, black, very hot coffee makes me delirously happy, particularly if it is delivered to me before I even have to get out of bed in the morning.

So, having read this, you're it. I won't tag specific people. Just go forth and blog about what makes you happy. Six things. And let the person you got it from know you have completed the mission.

Here was the original task:
Some suggestions:
Link to the person who gave you the award. If you want.
Post these suggestions on your blog.
List six things that make you happy.
Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
Let the person who awarded you know when your entry is up.

Where Did That Come From?!

2009-01-02T22:40:00.003-05:00

I woke up this week from a cookie-induced hangover and found out New Year's Eve had passed and the New Year 2009 had arrived. While I don't mind the old year being gone, I at least would have liked to have had the opportunity to give it a nice firm kick on the arse as it was on it's way out. Instead of grousing about the missed opportunity (my son and I were both sound asleep well before midnight being the pansies that we are...), I will instead share with you some of the holiday highlights.

This is the favorite ornament on my tree; this angel made of pipecleaner and glitter and coffee filters. My son made it in pre-school, and I know it was made before he turned four. He got glasses when he was four. He looks so darned angelic, and everyone who knew him then, and now, knows he's not. He's kind and sensitive, but not so angelic. This ornament is one of my treasures.

There's the 12 year old, "angel" who is so dear to my heart. He waited patiently for his sister to sort all the presents on Christmas because she wanted it to have a "system" for opening.

They were ecstatic when they opened iPod shuffles from their dad.

We had to pack up and drive to Oma and Opa's to celebrate with aunts,uncles and cousins, and Navi Dog. Miss Mayhem looks happy about that gift.

Absent Minded Professor is hoping to not get caught wearing Rudi-Clause's hat! No toucha da hat!

Oma was so busy knitting socks for all the little guys that she didn't expect anything to be knitted for her. Enjoy that alpaca scarf, Oma.

One more trip for me yet, after all of that. I had to drive back to T-Town to celebrate with Bill and the College Boys. Bill gave me a gorgeous and thoughtful gift. Back in the fall Ibought a sterling silver bracelet that was hand made. I had wished for a matching necklace. Bill, all on his own, contacted the jewelry maker and arranged to have a necklace for me to match the chain maille bracelet. It even looks gorgeous with my p.j.'s!!

I was stunned by the gift; not just by the beauty of it, but by the thought that went into finding something meaningful and special. Bill found a creative gift, a gift that shows he pays attention. That's a gift of love.

Here's to lots of love and happiness in 2009.

Oh Deer!

2008-12-22T13:26:00.006-05:00

Saturday morning I took a walk in the MetroPark nearest to my house. As I usually do, I lugged along my trusty Nikon. We had the ice storm, remember? Who knows what I would see! Temps were dropping into the single digits, but I walked four miles, and took many pictures, trying to capture the beauty of the ice storm. Instead, I found something much more beautiful.

Peek-a-boo. Look at the base of the tree.

See the other one at the back right of the photo?

This field was full of deer, at one point I counted 18 there all together. Counting the 5 in the clearing before this field, I saw 23 deer!!

Then, just before getting back to the car, (very, very cold) I found this chattery, chubby fellow near my car. He didn't look cold at all!

Wishing you, and those you love, peace and happiness!

A Little Ice Storm

2008-12-20T08:56:00.003-05:00

No words, just photos of what hit us Friday morning. We started our holiday break one day early!

Sunday I Saw A Camel

2008-12-18T21:45:00.005-05:00

Sunday afternoon, I was driving over to Buddy Bill's, and I nearly got into an accident because traffic was backed up for a camel. Yes, a camel. A real life, very large camel. Cars were stopped all over the place for people to get a look.

What, you may be asking, does a camel have to do with knitting?

I'm going to tell you. (You knew I was, right?)

That was December 14, and the camel was part of a living Nativity on the front lawn of a church that I pass on my way to work, my way to Buddy Bill's, my way to Costco... Anyway, it hit me. Only ten more days until Christmas Eve! Wow, I still had shopping to do. (I still do, but it's OK.)

I'm going to digress for a moment here. As far as living Nativities go, this was above and beyond. It has to be fairly simple to procure a couple of sheep, since, being in NW Ohio, we are located close to some pretty rural areas. Living Nativity scenes here include a sheep or two easily. But a camel? A living camel? People were petting the camel and touching it and taking photos. It really was amazing to see. Buddy Bill's comment when I sent him a text message about seeing the camel? "I'll take 2 bottles of whatever you've been drinking!"

Now, back to the knitting. I promised photos of the Ribs and Ruffles scarf I made for my mother. Because it was so simple, and fast, and because, like potato chips, you can't stop at one, I have also knitted another in the meantime. Oh, there's another reason. We're having a gift exchange at work tomorrow and I (silly me) thought it would make a great gift to swap. It's safe, since I know the one male counselor is not participating.

The dark scarf is for my mom. This pinky-red one goes into the gift exchange. Hopefully it will be loved.

Are you ready? Done knitting? Gifts wrapped?

Itty Bitty

2008-12-08T09:13:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was a lazy day. Buddy Bill and I went out to breakfast, napped, watched a James Bond DVD, stayed indoors and ate chili...

While watching the movie, I knitted a mitten ornament for Bill's little Christmas tree. The candy is included for scale. US size 1 needles were used for this itty bitty mitten, and some leftover sock yarn. Sorry for the cell phone photo. You can find the pattern by searching "mini mitten" on Ravelry (it's blocked to me at work!) or check out this link to pattern.

If you have some scrap yarn and 30-40 minutes, whip a couple of these up!

Holiday Knitting

2008-12-04T11:22:00.007-05:00

How many days until Christmas? Oh yes, twenty one. 21. Sorry, I don't mean to alarm you!

Not being good with deadlines, I made sure to not commit myself to making many gifts for the holidays. Instead, I planned only to knit two for sure, and any after that would be bonus gifts. I love giving hand-knitted gifts, but rather than putting pressure on myself with deadlines, I knit them all year and present them as I complete them.

The mittens I showed in progress last time are finished, and I can now show you the felted clog slippers that have been completed. Both of these items are for Bill's boys, and they are really the only planned knitting for Christmas gifts this year. College Kid (the older) loves his socks that I made earlier this year so much, that I know he'll love warm slippers to wear in his big old rental house off campus.

Since completion of the slippers, shown before felting and after, I have cast on a scarf for my mom, using some yummy Misti Alpaca yarn. The pattern is here, Ribs and Ruffles, and uses just one skein of chunky yarn. I'm using the baby alpaca called for in the pattern. I am halfway finished, and might, maybe, make a couple more, since it's so quick and easy.

Are you knitting madly or taking it easy?

Thankful

2008-11-25T07:56:00.003-05:00

There's so much to be thankful for, and I try hard all year to stop and acknowledge all I'm blessed with. Certainly friends and family, my steady job, health insurance and roof over my head make the list. Today I saw gasoline for $1.53, so that is making the list! I will be filling my tank before driving to my parents' for Thanksgiving on Thursday. Buddy Bill is joining my family this year, since my parents have invited him to participate in the family festivities. I'm thankful we'll get to spend Thanksgiving together!

Know what else I am thankful for? Knitting. When I am stressed or need to think, I can count on knitting to be there. The yarn sliding across the needles, the stitches slipping off the needles, the stitches forming a useful fabric, and the whole process calming me; soothing me. Knitting can be social, or solitary meditation. I can knit to pass a few spare minutes waiting in the car, or knit to pass hours in a waiting room.

Right now I am knitting for others; a few holiday gifts. Pardon the crummy cell phone photos, but these are holiday mittens for College Kid the Younger. Mitten number 2 is just at the point where I will put the thumb stitches on waste yarn and work on the hand of the mitt only.

Lamb's Pride Worsted from Brown Sheep is great mitten yarn!

I include all of you when I count my blessings! XOXOXO

Alive and Almost Well

2008-11-19T08:52:00.005-05:00

Hey, I'm still alive. The fatigue from the strep is taking a looooong time to go away, but I am recovering. I think this is why the doctor says, "Make sure to take ALL of the antibiotics. All 10 days of them." No kidding.

I am knitting. I am working on a pair of mittens for Bill's younger son for Christmas. Mitten one is done and mitten 2 has a cuff. I am getting ready to seam up a pair of felted clogs for College Kid for Christmas, and dash them into the washer for felting. Funny that the older one is College Kid, even though both of them are now in college. Hmmmm...

No knitting photos, but how about this? Boy and Dog:

Sidelined

2008-11-13T07:55:00.003-05:00

Long time no blog, eh? I promise to be back soon, but I have been temporarily sidelined with strep. Yep. As an adult. Ugh. The closest I comparision I come up with is to have you imagine being hit by a very large bus, but have no visible injuries. The body hurts everywhere. Sometimes I think even my hair hurts. I can't stay upright for more than a couple of hours.

I will blog about knitting and life... if I live... soon.

Just Do It

2008-11-04T12:43:00.001-05:00

VOTE!

If you haven't already done so, go get in line and vote, for pete's sake.

Please and thank you.

Last Night

2008-10-31T10:07:00.004-04:00

Have you ever read a book that moved you so deeply that you felt compelled to meet the author?

One such book for me is "Night" by Elie Wiesel. I did not read this as part of Oprah's book club, but read it long ago, more than once, partly because Buddy Bill also taught it to his students before he retired. Last night I was fortunate enough to be present when Elie Wiesel spoke to a crowd of over 1600 people at our local University. Even better, I was in the front row!

Buddy Bill, his younger son, and I arrived over an hour early and were near the front of the line, which grew quickly. While waiting, I knitted the cuff of monkey sock number two and we chatted with people in line. We saw people we knew, of course, with both of us being teachers. It was amazing to see the diversity of the crowd, and even more amazing to see the size of the crowd since Ralph Nader was also on campus at the same time, and former President Bill Clinton was in town speaking less than 3 miles away. Talk about tough competition!

Mr. Wiesel, a gentle, softspoken man, delivered a strong message about racism and religous fanatacism, tempered with humor. Best known for surviving the concentration camps during the holocaust, he made little mention of his time there. Instead, he spoke of his feeling shame when encountering the discrimination of black people in the southern states of America during the 1950's, and how amazing it is now to have an African-American candidate for President! A summary of his lecture can be read here. Afterward, given our close proximity to the stage, Bill, younger kid, and I were all able to get our books autographed by a very gracious Mr. Wiesel.

I found it hard to sleep last night, with his words bouncing around in my head, and decided that today would be a good day for my Absent-Minded Professor to read "Night." He has a day off because of teacher work day and is home from school. During the trip to Washington DC in June, we will be visiting the United States Holocaust Museum and the book will give him a good idea of what happened to the Jewish people during that time.

So tell me, what book(s) moves you? What author would you feel compelled to hear speak if he/she were coming close to your home?

Kids and Monkeys

2008-10-22T17:47:00.006-04:00

Is there really a difference between kids and monkeys? Most of the time I would say no. Today, however, the monkeys I'm referring to are these. Yes, the Cookie A. type of Monkeys. They were next up out of my pile of UFO's from the Sock of the Month Club.

These socks are more challenging that what I normally take on for socks, but I am enjoying stepping out of my comfort zone. Last night, at knit nite, I started the gussett and made good progress. The yarn is a custom colorway from Sarah at Perfect Day Yarns.

My child monkeys and I made a visit to a nearby pumpkin farm on Sunday and had a wonderful time together. This was a true working farm complete with animals of all kinds. I managed to get the kids to slow down long enough to snap a photo of each. (OK, I bribed them with a donut and cider!)

As for the love of sheep, well, that seems to be genetic. Both Mayhem and my Absent-Minded Professor ran directly to the sheep pen and this guy trotted right up to them at the fence.

They sure do look happy, don't they?

Something Blue

2008-10-19T10:37:00.004-04:00

I'm in a Sock of The Month Club at my LYS, Yarn Cravin'. It started in January of this year. Nearly each month we have a new sock pattern and new yarn introduced, and we have been challenged by new techniques, such a learning how to knit a sock from the toe up. It has been so much fun, but there were some months I never even got to start the sock for that month and I fell further and further behind, or I have one sock partially completed, and the second sock is nowhere in sight.

Case in point. Here is the yarn we received in January.

Beautiful, isn't it? Lovely yarn from Khris, of Chewy Sphaghetti. The colorway is "Haven" and it was dyed just for our sock club. The pattern is Right Twist Cable from the book Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd. (If you don't have this book in your library, don't wait any longer!)

One glance at the calendar will show that is now mid-October. My pair of socks is just now finished. Yes, the socks from January. They weren't hard to knit. (In fact, most of sock number two was knit during the three hours I supervised a one-on-one PSAT and ACT test administration for students who needed small group accommodations earlier this week.)

But, the socks are finished. All along the way, from January until now, I worked on other things, started other socks, even learned to spin! You all know that's on top of working full time, being a mom, running a house and dealing with a crazy mess of an ex.

I can also say I have one more UFO off the list.

It's Contagious

2008-10-13T08:26:00.003-04:00

Some people swear they are never going to knit socks. I was one of them. Using double pointed needles (DPN's) scared the bejesus out of me. How in the world was I going to manage keeping track of 4 or 5 little needles that, in my mind, were basically elongated toothpicks? I have gone to knit several pairs of socks, big and small, and find socks to be entertaining as well as wonderfully portable projects.

Recently a blogging friend has come to the "dark side" and is now a sock knitter as well. If you check out Knitting Confidential and scroll down to see the October 5 entry, you will find that he (yes, he) has finished a wonderful pair of socks. Way to go, Secret Knitter!

This weekend my parents were in town and Mom, who learned to knit as a child, is knitting again. Guess what she's knitting? Yep, socks. Without a pattern, no less! She needed my help with the heel - turning the heel and remembering how to do the gussett. What makes this incredible is that my mom is nearly blind from macular degeneration. She's knitting socks from memory, people.

The really neat thing is that after seeing me knit, and seeing Oma knit, now my nephew Nicholas wants to knit. Nicholas is 9 and in the 4th grade. He has asked me for a pair of mittens and we have set up a time for me to take over some bigger needles and worsted weight yarn and get him started knitting.

I'll keep you posted on everyone's progress.

Then and Now

2008-10-05T15:13:00.006-04:00

In the middle 1800's, women dressed like this:
And this:

Young girls dressed like this youngster, or in garb very close to what she is wearing.

While I can't picture myself covered head to toe, even fingertip, in all that fabric, and being limited in movement by the hoopskirts, hats and petticoats, the ladies of that time period and I do have something very much in common. By now, you've probably even guessed what that common thread might be. Yes, knitting.

The thought occurred to me as I sat on the sidelines of a Civil War Re-enactment yesterday. Bill and I took my kids to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center to watch a battle and tour the Presidential home. I sat on a paved path beside a shaded, grassy lawn, watching the drama unfold, all the while knitting on my latest project. Clad in jeans and a campaign t-shirt with an orange wool sweater over top, I watched these ladies parading by, some toting little costumed children, and realized that over 150 years ago, during the Civil War, they were knitting too. Even some of what we knit is still the same; socks, mittens, scarves. Things to keep our loved ones warm.

This skill, knitting, that has been around for centuries, provided those women with the same benefits it gives me. I'm sure they knitted to keep themselves busy when they were worried. I'm sure those women knitted to calm themselves, and help assure their families that all would be well. Even with this going on outside, all would be fine if Mama was sitting down with her knitting, right?

Even as my son posed in front of the gates that Pres. Hayes stole from the White House when he left office, I couldn't help but feel connected to the past... and grateful I don't have to wear those ridiculous dresses!

Musings

2008-09-30T08:57:00.009-04:00

Tomorrow is October already. Can you believe it? I know I can't. I certainly don't mind, though, since Autumn is my favorite time of year. The cooler temps have been taking their time getting here to Ohio, arriving just today. I love sweater weather, and have been looking forward to getting out my sweaters and sweatshirts and handknit socks.

Adjusting to my new my work schedule is taking me longer than I thought it would. The earlier mornings are tough for me, for some reason. My days are busy, which is a good thing. So far I haven't messed anything up in a big way, and I am keeping my head above water. Everyday I learn something new. Working in a counseling center with five other counselors and 3 secretaries means I have plenty of people to go to with my questions. Believe me, I have plenty of those! At lease I'm not bugging the same person all the time.

Something that has been really impressive to me is the way two of my student office workers (seniors) have taken a student with special needs under their wings. During one class period, a student with Down Syndrome, whom I've known since she was in 7th grade, comes to work in our office as part of her vocational training. Our senior students have befriended her and are treating her like any other kid. I love it! The district where I work has spent years practicing inclusion - an educational practice where students with disabilities are included in regular education and the special help comes to them. Seeing these three students interact daily is such a bright spot in my day. I shouldn't be so surprised since our special needs kids have been in the classrooms with typical kids for many years now... still, it's nice that they aren't ignoring her, or babying her.

The downside to the busy, busy days is that I have no knitting time at work. I don't even get to knit at lunch, because many days I don't even take lunch! Often my lunch consists of an apple at my desk while I return phone calls with my door closed.

I am knitting at home, though. Right now I'm finishing a pair of socks (from January! eek!). I'm continuing with the log cabin afghan. Eventually it will be bed-sized, but there's no deadline for that big blanket. Even with 4 or 5 pairs of socks on the needles, I desperately want to cast on for the February Lady Sweater. I have the yarn, but think I should finish a couple other things... maybe... sort of...

My latest Etsy treasure is something I must share with all of you! Uli makes the most wonderful chain maille bracelets. The bracelets made of stainless steel are lightweight, durable, very affordable, and great for daily wear. I own more than one, I must admit. She's also a knitter, and fellow Raveler. Check out her shop Creations by Uli! Tell her I sent you.

Thanks for the good wishes for my Absent-Minded Professor and his broken foot. He is mending quickly and didn't need a cast. My darling daughter Mayhem is being tested for Gifted services through school. I'm guessing she will be borderline, but she really does want to qualify.

Buddy Bill and I are planning the Washington, DC trip for the seventh graders again. Tomorrow the kids all get their information for the trip in June, start begging their parents and making financial arrangements. It's funny to me when I think that my own son is in this class! We have also been asked to arrange a trip for the 8th graders. That one is still in the planning stages and would occur right after the Washington trip - either New York City or Boston. June will be busy!

One last thing... A photo of some secret knitting. All will be revealed in time. My portion is finished, though.

Playing Catch Up

2008-09-24T19:45:00.006-04:00

Last week, just before I was supposed to leave for A Wool Gathering and Parents' Weekend at Wittenberg, my darling son had a small mishap. Absent-Minded Professor fell and broke his left foot! It happened Thursday evening and Friday was spent going to doctors and getting x-rays and getting fitted for crutches. The break is small and we're 90% sure that he won't need a cast on his foot at this point. I was worried Thursday night about my weekend plans, though!

Saturday morning dawned clear and beautiful. Bill and I set out early for Yellow Springs/Springfield. We knew the drive would take 2.5 to 3 hours, and we timed it so that we arrived just after the gates to A Wool Gathering opened. My first stop was Booth 85 where Dianne of Creatively Dyed fame had set up shop. All I can say is yum, yum, yum! I bought fiber, and yarn and on Sunday went back and bought more yarn! Dianne is fun and cheerful and she also had Ravelry buttons!

Creatively Dyed roving

Wool Gathering was loaded with sights and sounds and textures. We saw sheep, alpacas, and so many different types of fibers and people. There were people spinning and weaving and knitting and eating ice cream (yum!). Bill happily schlepped all my purchases.

These guys have the sweetest faces and are so gentle. Meh!

This guy was shearing sheep, and has won competetions all over the country. Now his sons compete against him.

This man and his dogs demonstrated herding. The dog usually herds sheep, but was OK with making the ducks do what she wanted.

After leaving Yellow Springs, we had a short drive up the road to Springfield and found our hotel. It was only a few miles away from College Kid's "mansion" that he is renting with four other friends. For Parents' Weekend the boys were having a cookout, and it was my chance to check out the "Animal House." Really, the place wasn't too bad, and it's only a block away from campus. In it's day, the house was probably amazing - an Arts and Crafts style home with great woodwork, fantastic wood floors, big bathrooms, a butler's bedroom and back stairway to the kitchen. The evening was fun, and we had the chance to eat, drink and be merry with the boys and their parents. They invited some sorority friends over and other guys with their parents. Fun.

And one last bit of fun for you...

Are you sure you're going the right way dear? That sign says you should go...

(That is known around here as a "Bill joke" I put it in just for you, Luv! xoxoxo)

I will have to show you my purchases later!

On a Roll

2008-09-18T10:46:00.005-04:00

I seem to be on a roll with completing WIP's and making them FO's right now. Here, for your viewing pleasure, is my Dream in Color Shrug. I finished it Tuesday evening at knit nite at Yarn Cravin' (the best yarn shop in town!)

I started this in mid-June, then put it aside to finish Bill's sweater. This is my first big lace project. It wasn't hard once I kept track of where I was in the pattern! (and yes, I know there are yarn ends sticking out, waiting to be woven in!)

This is finished just in time to wear to A Wool Gathering this weekend. I'm looking forward to going, and even better, Bill is going along! We're combining it with Parents' Weekend at Wittenberg University and a quick visit with College Kid.

I've started a hat, and a new knitting adventure. Stranded knitting. I'm knitting the Fake Isle Hat in brown and orange. Photos soon!

Now I need to concentrate on all those unfinished pairs of socks...

Wanna Win Wollmeise?

2008-09-14T11:07:00.003-04:00

Yes, I said WOLLMEISE!

My dear friend Kristy in Chicago is having a raffle to raise money for AIDS Awareness. She and her husband are participating in the AIDS run/walk and you can enter her raffle for yarn by making a donation to this worthwhile cause. As an added bonus, you can claim your donation on your income taxes.

How do you do this? you might be asking. Totally simple. Head over to KristyLand for all the details. You'll even see pictures of the yummy prizes!

Hey, if you don't donate, it just increases MY chances of winning! I'm just sayin'. You know I already put in my donation!

Cell Phone Pics and Finished Sweaters Don't Mix

2008-09-13T12:08:00.003-04:00

The photo really doesn't do it justice, but I couldn't wait to share it with you. I was so impatient to share it, that I had Buddy Bill try on the Cobblestone this morning while he was still in his p.j.'s and I shot the photo with my cell phone.

Remember, though, that:

1. It FITS!

2.. It's finished!!

3. This is my first adult-sized sweater ever.

4. Both sleeves match in length and width.

5. It's finished!!!

I bet you probably want to see it, crummy photo and all, huh?

I promise better photos soon. For so many reasons, I love this photo!!

Looking For Answers

2008-09-07T19:36:00.005-04:00

I have a treat for you today. Bill answers questions about knitting - my knitting in particular!

There's a meme going around asking significant others to answer a short interview list of questions. Here's what my dear, Buddy Bill has to say about it all. Questions are in boldtype. My comments, if I have any (hehehehe) will be in italics.

What is your favorite thing about my knitting? I like the fact that it is a great stress reliever and helps clear your mind of the daily clutter we are bombarded with. Are you saying my mind is cluttered??

What is your least favorite thing about my knitting? Absolutely nothing. See how smart Bill is!

What is something I have knitted, that you recall as good? Scarf, sweater, socks, and some of the things you have made for others. See? Bill has even noticed that I knit for others! One dishcloth I knit for him is hanging on his fridge as artwork. Too pretty to use, he says. LOL

Do you think knitters have an expensive hobby? Every hobby has an investment but compared to golf? He totally gets it. But then again, he has only seen MY stash. hehehehe

Any hobbies? Preparing fine foods, wine, reading, and travel. Travel! We are putting together a 9-day tour of London and Paris for June 2009. All-inclusive: airfare, hotel, meals, tours. Wanna go?? It will be right after Bill and I get back from Washington DC with the 7th graders. LOL I have already found a yarn shop in Paris.

Do you have a stash of any kind? No. Don't let him fool you. Clocks. And the man has a serious things for pens and sticky notes!!

Have I ever embarrassed you, knitting in public? No. It's not the knitting that's embarrassing.

Do you know my favorite kind of yarn? Hand delivered Scottish yarn? aaaaaahhhh, yes. The beautiful gift of yarn that Bill brought me all the way from Scotland. He took a group of golfers to St. Andrews three years ago and brought me hand-dyed silk and cashmere yarn. He also went to Di Gilpin's shop to buy it. But mostly I knit with wools. I love Malabrigo and hand-dyed sock yarns.

Can you name another blog? No Bill does read many political blogs online.

Do you mind my wanting to stop at knit shops wherever we go? Not at all. This is really true! This past Saturday Bill sat at the LYS with me while I knitted and he joked with the other knitters.

Do you understand the importance of a swatch? Swatch is a brand of watch. I prefer Timex. Knowing the time is of some importance. Bill hates to be late for anything! I've since coached Bill on knitting swatches and their importance.

Do you read my blog? Always. Yes, he does.

Have you ever left a comment? Yes If you read the comments, you will find Bill leaves an occasional comment. Or kisses.

Do you think the house would be cleaner if I didn't knit? No. Sad but true. It's not that my house is so clean, it can't get any cleaner. I have two kids, two frogs, two very BIG dogs, and work full-time. If I want time to knit, something's gotta give. If you're coming to see my house instead of me, well, then we probably aren't real friends.

Anything you’d like to add? A great hobby, good for mind and soul, and produces something of lasting value. I love that you know the value of something made by hand, Luv, and all the care and love that goes into a handmade, knitted garment.

Thanks for being a good sport and playing along for the blog today!

XOXOXOXO

Monkeyin' Around

2008-09-01T11:36:00.007-04:00

Holy Toledo! Where in the world has the time gone?

Work is keeping me insanely busy. School started with a rush of schedule changes, new enrollments and I spend the majority of my day at school on the computer fixing kids' schedules and making sure my Seniors have what they need to graduate. I go home with tired, aching wrists. Right now I am averaging seeing 19-21 kids per day, and fixing schedules for 17 of them. I can't tell you how many keystrokes that involves. High school is a whole new world. My 9th graders, whom I've known since 7th grade, have been happy to see me. I'm a familiar face in the big, crazy high school.

I got both my kids back to school without incident, and Buddy Bill got his boys off to college fairly smoothly. Maybe now life can settle down. Maybe. Have kids ranging from a junior in college down to fourth grade just doesn't make for a smooth life, you know? Especially with one in junior high right in the middle!

Bill's sweater is getting closer to completion, but it wasn't done by the end of the Olympics. Work got in the way. I just couldn't knit after being on the computer at work all day. Plain and simple. My old wrist braces have come back out to be worn at night. I am on the decrease rows at the top of the sweater, and I have a progress picture to show you, to prove that it's closer to becoming an FO. I haven't knitted on anything else, which is amazing because there are so many things I want to start, despite having many other WIP's to complete!

My much-loved sewing team, Jen and Wendy at Piddleloop, had another shop update not too long ago and I scored the sock monkeys on pogo sticks! Look - monkey butts! heheheheheh Check out the little banana bag tucked inside.

Buddy Bill just had a birthday and we spent this weekend celebrating. Good wine, good food and time together were just what we needed. My gift to him was time at a glass blowing studio to try his hand at making glass art; something he's always wanted to do. He went Friday morning and made a vase and a paperweight with a great artist he's admired for a long time. Happy Birthday, Luv!

Green Sleeves

2008-08-17T17:29:00.006-04:00

Knitting furiously on Saturday wielded me great results. No it wasn't a gold medal, like Michael Phelps, but I did manage to complete sleeve #2 of Buddy Bill's sweater.

Even better than that, after some concentration and studying, and quite a bit of courage, I gathered up my sense of adventure and sat down today to join the sleeves to the body! All aboard for the short rows and learning of wrap-and-turns. The yoke of this sweater is now commencing!

Absent-Minded Professor has been cheering me on. Yay, Mom! He won't learn to knit, but he's always interested to see how my projects come together.

Maybe there will be a Cobblestone sweater in his future.

UFOlympics

2008-08-14T10:08:00.008-04:00

If you're on Ravelry, you probably know all about the Ravelympics. I decided NOT to compete, because I have so many UFO's (unfinished objects). Instead, I joined the UFOlympics; an event in which one chooses one or more incomplete knitting projects and declares them as Olympic events. Basically, you pledge to complete them during the Olympic Games, starting at the opening and stopping your knitting when the torch is extinguished.

I entered just one single project/event.

Nearly a year ago, I started knitting a Cobblestone Sweater for Buddy Bill. Jared Flood's design is fabulous! Why, exactly, this wonderful sweater was set aside, I can't say for sure. I know at one point holiday knitting took over. Then College Kid's striped socks came along. Anyway, Bill's sweater will hopefully be completed, or be close to completion, by the end of the Summer Games. I vow that Bill will have his green sweater to wear this fall and winter!

Prior to the start of the Games, I had knit the body up to the armpits, and just cast on for one sleeve. Since the Games started, I have completed that sleeve up to the point where one stops to join it to the body. I am currently knitting the second sleeve.

Once the second sleeve is complete - tonight or tomorrow - I will join them to the body and begin knitting the yoke of the sweater. The yoke is garter stitch, like the cuffs and side panels. Wish me luck. I know the Olympic athletes are working harder than I am, and while my payoff won't be a gold medal, it will still be pretty darn satisfying.

Hello... Goodbye

2008-08-07T10:16:00.004-04:00

Hello August. Where in the hell did you come from?

You know what that means, right? Work. Yep. High school counselors go back to work much earlier than junior high counselors and I have already been at the high school learning the new student scheduling program and fixing student schedules. My senior and junior schedules are done. I started on the sophomores this morning. School doesn't even start until Aug. 27, but there's so much to do!

Along with saying goodbye to summer already, my knitting friends and I are saying goodbye to a fellow knitter who has become family to us. Jen arrived here in May to do an internship for college, just for the summer, and she's heading back to Tucson to finish school. We hope it's temporary. Like I said, she's become family to a bunch of us. I know her mom and dad and boyfriend can't wait to get her back, but we have talked about kidnapping her and keeping her hidden in a cornfield. Jen, I won't think of spinning, FOP Fest or giant zucchini without thinking of you!

My Dream in Color shrug is nearly complete and I have completed two cotton washcloths that I am also going to say goodbye to. My Knitters for Obama group on Ravelry is collecting items for homeless shelters that help U.S. Veterans. Specifically requested items are washcloths, hats and scarves. It took no time at all to make this one, and another in a different color. The pattern is called DW Dishcloth.

Lastly, I decided that I needed to organize some of my books, knitting and yarn. Off to Target I went and found the cubby shelves and fabric bins to put inside. I already had the Longaberger baskets. This really helped me pull knitting and books from different places around the house and make a more central place for my knitting supplies. This is by no means all of it, but the baskets and most of the books were previously stacked along the back of my sectional sofa.

What have you been up to?

Once Upon a Time

2008-07-29T16:53:00.004-04:00

Once upon a time, a bunch friends gathered together on Ravelry in appreciation of Piddleloop bags. The Friends of P decided one night that as many as possible should get together in T-Town, since a bunch of us live here already, to knit and cause general mayhem for a weekend. Friends came from Chicago, Indiana, Tennessee and Fostoria, Columbus and southern Ohio to join the Toledoans.

And so, FoP Fest was born.

Yarn Cravin' generously let us take over the porch.Jen K. was spinning some beautiful yarn with her drop spindle. She's heading back to Tucson in a couple of weeks. (waaaaaaah!)Bobbie and DaleAnn, owners of Yarn Cravin' talked to Piddleloop Jen and took great care of all of us.
Tired from the late nights, but happy we all got together, plans are already in the works for another get-together.

You Spin Me Right Round Baby

2008-07-21T16:33:00.003-04:00

Look! I made yarn!This is my very first yarn. I spun two singles, and then plied them together, all by myself, using Posh, which is what I have nicknamed my Louet Victoria wheel. The name was suggested by my friend Jacki who is a genius at dyeing yarns and fibers. (Remember Cider Moon? That Jacki!)

It's not the most even yarn you've ever seen. It's definitely bulky yarn. There are places where I still have way too much twist. That being said, I still love it. Seriously.

You know how when babies are born sometimes their faces are smooshed and their heads are shaped funny from being born? Being born is hard work and babies don't always come out looking all angelic and beautiful, except to their mommas. That's how this yarn is for me. It was hard work giving this yarn life, and I love it the way a new mom loves that smooshed, wrinkly, red baby. Just as babies change almost before your eyes, I could see my singles improve from Saturday to Sunday and then Tuesday. When I finished spinning the yarn on the following Sunday and plied it, I could see a big improvement; a transformation. That "newborn" look was going away already.

I treasure my first yarn, and I don't know yet if I will ever knit with that two-ply, or just bring it out to show people what my yarns looked like when they were babies.

Learning Curve

2008-07-16T21:02:00.004-04:00

Saturday and Sunday spinning:

Spinning from Tuesday evening:

I'm not saying anything else for fear I'll jinx myself!

What You've Been Waiting For... and My New Toy

2008-07-15T21:18:00.006-04:00

I was waiting for something special, and some of you have been waiting to see who won my blog contest.

First, Melissa and Kelli were the entrants in my little contest, and I love them both for playing along! Using my random method of drawing (my darling daughter, Mayhem), it has been determined that Melissa won the prize!! What did she win? This lovely sock yarn and little drawstring bag. It is hand-dyed, from Neighborhood Fiber Co. and was part of the Tour of D.C. Sock Club this past winter. Melissa, make sure you email your address to me.

What was I waiting for while you waited to hear who won? I was waiting on my new toy. For some time, I have had the desire to learn to spin. Much time was spent lurking on the Used Equipment and Tools board at Ravelry, along with the Spinner's Marketplace, watching for a spinning wheel with a good price. Finally, a deal I couldn't pass up came my way, and I entered negotiations with a fellow Raveler. My wheel arrived late last week! I am now the proud owner of a Louet Victoria.

This wheel was considered "used" but was still new in the box and had everything that a brand new wheel has when purchased. The only thing that was different was the price! Yay me! The only problem was that my only spinning experience was a little bit of time with a drop spindle. Once I knew for sure the wheel was indeed mine, I called a friend who spins.

Saturday I spent a good part of the day with Becky at Yarn Cravin' trying to learn to spin. You can read her account of the experience if you click on her name. Becky was quite the lively instructor and we gave the owners, Bobbie and Dale Ann so much entertainment! They were so good to us, letting us take over the front room of the shop. Honestly, we were better than a sitcom. At one point, Becky was on the floor sprawled out in exasperation!

Having spent some time practicing, and having adjusted the tension (I get too much twist!) I can say I am getting more proficient and more coordinated. One bobbin full...

Summer Homework

2008-07-09T01:23:00.007-04:00

Loved ones. Family. Children. Smiling faces. Adventurous day trips. Playing.

Family. Loved ones. Daytime adventures.

Playing. Fresh fruit.

Flowers in the rain.

A tiny knitted sock. Sunset at the river.

Kids swimming in the pool. Laughter. Telling bad jokes. Sock yarns.

The Photos That
Capture Your Summer

The tiny knitted sock your son helped with

The kids playing together... nicely!

Raindrops on the lilies.

Show me in pictures what has captured your summer moments. Put them on your blog. Then send me a link in the comments. I'll offer up a yarny prize, (maybe two) from my stash by using a random number drawing.

All comments with links to your photos must be posted by midnight EST Sunday July 13.

Now go capture your summer!

The Sweetest Thing

2008-07-06T21:25:00.006-04:00

Sometimes the simplest gestures mean the most - a phone call out of the blue, a card arriving via snail mail just because, a friend showing up with a fresh, hot cup of coffee. Those kinds of things mean more to me than extravagant gifts, particularly because often times gifts are given without much thought going into them. Something helpful related to knitting just about sends me over the moon, because I know then that whoever did that has really taken the time to know and care.

Friday afternoon, July 4, to be exact, Buddy Bill and I were sitting outside, enjoying the day. He was reading, I was knitting. It wasn't quite sundown, and the temps were cool for the 4th of July. We have this easy relationship that doesn't require words all of the time. A companionable silence is often fine; that quiet doesn't have to be filled up with chatter or other noise like it does with other people. After a while, I realized that my knitting was going along quite smoothly. I hadn't had to tug on the ball of yarn to get more yarn to work with in a while. Glancing sideways at B, I found that he had pulled out some of my ball of yarn, and was feeding yarn to me as I knit, all while continuing to read his book. Without saying a word.

*melt*

At that very moment, I just about turned into a human puddle in the backyard. (Is that possible?)

I've happened to come across some male knitters, but I honestly do not know other men who will patiently, all on their own, sit and hold the yarn and quietly unspool it as their loved one knits. My knitterly friends - females - all agreed that the guys generally stay away from their yarn. And of course, Bill has no idea why what he did is so special, which makes it even more special.

Girls, if I ever toss him back I'll give you advance warning!

PS. Bill? You're still going to bring me coffee, right?

Friends and Fiber

2008-07-04T16:40:00.003-04:00

This is why I am NOT buying any yarn in July. Seriously. Or anything else I don't need!

In June, my mail carrier was kept hopping. Dream In Color Classy arrived from The Loopy Ewe for another shrug. That's Beach Fog.

I'm loving the shrug I'm working on and I see myself making another one. My red one is about half done. See?

And then there's the yarn from Indie dyers from Etsy that arrived... My friends. People I know, and some I don't, but "do" through Ravelry and the blogosphere. I finally get to meet Melissa of Keegan Lane Yarns tomorrow! I bought her first yarn, and her 100th skein. She dyed that light blue sparkly yarn. Jeanne in Cleveland dyed the blue/white/bronze skein that stripes. Go check out Destination Yarn. The turquoise and brown is Dashing Dachs... the colorway is Weiner Dog. I bought the same skein for SarahLou to cheer her up. It worked. But maybe it was the George Washington false teeth magnet from Mount Vernon?? On the end is a skein of "Algae" from Sarah at Perfect Day Yarns. Sarah is so sweet in person! I just love her. (She just put new yarns in her shop, and I can't buy any!!!!)

My ninja skills were in top form when I scored my latest Piddleloop bag. This is "Groovy," my most favorite project bag from the dynamic duo, Jen and Wendy. There are a couple of bags in the shop still, but not like mine! hahahaha

Along with the tangible goods, there were plenty of meals out, and extra trips to Starbucks. I had a memorable lunch with The Divas, my two dear friends from work. We went to a little Italian place, which one insisted was a Greek place before we arrived, thus explaining why we all had trouble finding it. That was before the wine. Trattoria was the perfect place to relax, catch up, have some good food and wine, and laugh ourselves silly. I can't even tell you about after the wine.

Ahoy, Mates

2008-06-28T17:09:00.008-04:00

Ready for another field trip with me and the kids?

Between thunderstorms, which seem to be ever-present lately, we headed downtown to the Portside area bright and early today. Our destination was The Sandpiper for a morning Maumee River cruise. Mayhem and I packed a picnic brunch of bagels, blueberry muffins, fruit salad and juice. We picked up coffee, then Buddy Bill, and arrived at the dock as the crew finished readying the boat. Grey skies threatened more rain.

The sun did come out, though, and we had a beautiful, two-hour cruise, up the Maumee and back. UP the Maumee means inland, not out toward the lake, in case you didn't know, since the river flows toward Lake Erie. Buddy Bill managed to photograph the elusive T-Townknitiot, along with her Absent-Minded Professor.

There was knitting on-board as well.

I took along the Dream In Color shrug to work on. Guess what? The First Mate, Mary, is a knitter! She and I sat and talked about knitting in between her telling us passengers about the sights we were seeing along the way... Like Toledo's High Level Bridge, also known as The Anthony Wayne Bridge.

Shortly after docking, the sky got black and the clouds opened up once again. We had our picnic. I had a relaxing morning. Being out on the water, on that boat, was the most relaxed I had been in ages. I've always been a water person, and today reminded me that I need to make that a part of my life.

Destinations and Predictions

2008-06-26T21:09:00.004-04:00

Are you looking for new sock yarn? Something totally fresh? Yarn that tells the observer you've seen the world?

Jeanne has just opened her own etsy shop, Destination Yarn, and has gorgeous colorways based on different places around the world she's seen. I can tell you, they are stunning!! How do I know? Because I bought Paris Day, a self-striping yarn, and it is absolutely gorgeous.

Get it while you can, friends. I think she's gonna go big.

Back In Time

2008-06-23T18:52:00.004-04:00

Now that school is out, and summer is in full-swing, the kids and I have some day trips planned to see things close to home that we haven't visited yet. Our first outing was to Providence Metropark to take a ride on a real canal boat pulled along a towpath by mules. Ohioans traveled like this in the 1800's and it took 9 days to get from T-Town to Cincinnati, at the rate of 4 mph. Mayhem had the experience of doing laundry with a bar of lye soap and washboard while onboard The Volunteer. Afterward, she and Absent-Minded Professor played a game of checkers on the shady porch of the wood and grist mill. The slow, lazy ride would have been perfect for knitting, but I was busy taking photos!

Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone. They really do like each other!

Stay tuned to see where we go next. You might even see some knitting!

I've Survived Another One

2008-06-18T11:08:00.005-04:00

Yes, I have lived to tell the tale of another whirlwind tour of Washington, DC with a huge group of seventh graders. The weather was hot and beautiful. The kids were well-behaved and fun.

What a great experience it is to walk through Mount Vernon and, as we're climbing the stairs at the big house, hands on the banister, remind the kids that 200 years ago, George Washington's hands ran along that exact same smooth railing of wood. It's priceless to stand on the north steps of the White House, looking over the lawn as we exit, and remind the kids, "Hey guys, the President stand here to give speeches. Right here, on this spot." It brought tears to my eyes to watch "my kids" reverently, silently, run their hands along the thousands and thousands of names on the Vietnam Wall.

It's fun to put the kids in matching shirts and be able to turn them loose to run up the steps at the Lincoln Memorial, and know I can still see them all.

Buddy Bill did the wreath laying ceremony at Arlington this year. This year was Bill's 25th time running this trip for the students, and so many things fell into place for him doing the wreath laying (OK, helped along by me), which he has always wanted to do, but never had the opportunity to do. Making the trip about the kids has always been the priority. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event for Bill, just as it has been for so many students over the years.

And knitting? I cast on for the Dream In Color Shrug in Lipstick Lava once we hit the road. That sparked conversation with one of the mom chaperones on the bus, who also happens to be a knitter. Know what else? Her mom is one of the ladies I knit with on Tuesday nights at my LYS! Hi Heather and Annette! Knitters are everywhere. I didn't get as much knitting done as I had hoped because I wasn't feeling well for a good portion of the trip, but I'm making some progress now.

It's good to be home.

Told ya'!

2008-06-07T17:09:00.006-04:00

Back in January 2007, via this blog, I said that Barack Obama was someone to watch. I'm so excited that he has secured the Democratic nomination and will be on the ballot in November when we vote for President! If you recall, I was also able to see Senator Obama speak in person in February when he visited T-Town. That's a day I'll never forget; sitting with Buddy Bill, The College Kid, and my police officer friend, in a crowd of 9,000 that was more diverse than our group.

In just a few short days, Buddy Bill and I will be taking ninety (yes, 90!!) 7th graders to Washington, DC to see our nation's capital. We'll see some touristy sites, but the students will also see (and tour!!!) The White House, The U.S. Capitol, Mount Vernon (George Washington's estate), Arlington National Cemetery, The Vietnam War Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, The U.S. Naval Academy, Gettysburg Battlefield, The National Archives... Our itinerary is packed. Coming home, the kids are tired, but they have a new appreciation for what Americans have been able to accomplish in just a couple hundred years. The United States.

Really, when we look at the big picture of world history, America is still in its infancy. Look at what we've done together since George Washington first took office! There are women and African American people right now who never dreamed that either would be able to run for President, much less actually be on the ballot, in their lifetimes. (There was a time when neither could vote!) Yet here it is. A brand new chapter is being written right before our eyes. It's history in the making.

Take the time to write some of it down. Save news articles in a scrapbook for your future grandchildren. Just as the current generation sees MP3 players and cell phones as a part of everyday life and has no clue about life without them, future generations will take all of this for granted as well.

Lucky, lucky them.

My Future's So Bright

2008-06-04T20:34:00.004-04:00

Almost twelve years ago, I was expecting my first child. That baby, who wasn't due until early November, decided to arrive in July instead. He's been in a rush ever since. He does everything at top speed, which at school, is not always a good thing.

Today, however, was a joyous occasion. Absent-Minded Professor, my super bouncy ball, celebrated the end the 6th grade and the end of elementary school.

Congratulations, Kiddo! I love you to the moon... and back.

PS. There's a reason I'm moving to the high school!

In The Knitting Bag

2008-05-28T20:10:00.006-04:00

I thought today I would show you what's in my knitting bag. Well, heheheheh, what's in ONE knitting bag. This one. My very green Namaste Malibu knitting bag.

First up, there's a little monkeyin' around. Those are my very first pair of Monkey socks! I'm enjoying the pattern more than I thought I would. The yarn, Muddy Maumee, is one of our sock club yarns dyed by Sarah at Perfect Day Yarns. I'm really enjoying the yarn. And the bag? One of my Piddly bags from Jen and Wendy at Piddleloop on Etsy. (But you'll have to wait if you want one because everything is sold out right now.)

Next up are my lovely blue, nearly complete Right Twist socks. These are another sock club selection from my LYS. Check out the book Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd for this quick pattern. If you guessed that's another Piddleloop bag, you're right!

And look! More Piddleloop! Aren't the knitting skulls awesome? This bag was a custom order and is holding some yarn right now that is waiting to become socks. If I remember correctly, it's Austermann Step and two skeins of Claudia Handpainted.

What else is in the bag? Two notions bags with needles and stitch markers and chibis. One tub of Arbonne almond cream. Two books; one knitting (see above), one fiction. Sticky notes. A notebook. Three pens. A partial ball of kitchen cotton. Crochet hook.

There's a method to this madness. Really. The big bag holds the small bags. Anywhere I go, I have multiple projects to avoid boredom. At any place and time, if the big bag is too cumbersome, all I have to do is grab any one of the smaller bags and dash into where I am going. Ta-da! I'm ready to knit. It worked perfectly today while waiting to have blood drawn at the lab, and while waiting for the kids to come out of school.

Now, I really need to get moving and finish something!

In Memory

2008-05-25T22:05:00.010-04:00

This long weekend, here in The UNITED States, is dedicated to honoring our Veterans. The countless men and women who have served so selflessly in our military, protecting this great country, and the freedoms of all who live here.

If you have never been, I urge you go go to Washington, DC and visit Arlington National Cemetery. See the Changing of Guard at The Tomb of The Unknown Soldiers, where the dedicated soldiers march in honor 24 hours a day, leaving a path on the cement.

Watch the Wreath Laying Ceremony that is performed over and over throughout each day. Participate.

Walk among the endless rows of white stones in Arlington, and see who is remembered, and how many more are not.

And be thankful. For ALL of them, be thankful.

When The Going Gets Tough

2008-05-21T21:24:00.005-04:00

The Tough Go Shopping!

I've been a bit stressed lately. The end of the school year is always hectic. I should know better to think that getting rid of achivement tests would help slow things down. Now I'm making sure everyone has their schedule made for 9th grade. AND, in the past 3 weeks, with only 6 weeks of school left, we've had nearly a dozen new kids move into our building. Who in the world does that?? How can moving not wait until June? Buddy Bill and I are gearing up for the annual trip to Washington DC with the seventh graders... shirts, emergency forms, payments, etc. AND... Like last year, I'm packing up my office. Again. I'm moving buildings again; this time to the high school. Unlike last year, however, it's my choice to transfer this time.

In a few days, I will be spending some time at the high school, learning the ropes a little bit. After 18 years in junior high, 15 years as a counselor in junior high, The Big House will be quite different. The upside is that I'll be in a counseling center with 5 other people, instead of on my own. The downside? I'm pretty used to working on my own.

Mayhem's softball schedule is a bit stressful, but mostly because the price of gas is getting so high. Today it hit $3.99, an all time high here. I managed to gas up for $3.73 before all the stations jumped, but never in my life did I imagine that $3.73 a gallon would be a bargain! We are running here and there and everywhere for games.

Knitting is keeping me sort of sane, and I'm doing more of it. Mostly I'm working on completing UFO's like my Log Cabin afghan, and incomplete pairs of socks. At softball games, I knit the entire time, and the other moms still look at me like an alien. Moms on both sides of the field, not just Mayhem's team. I mean, here we are with two hours of time twice a week (and that's just games!) where we are seated, with idle hands. Perfect knitting time. But not one single one of them brings anything else to do. Zip. Nada. Zilch. One of the dads was impressed that I could follow the game and continue to knit (hey, it was just garter stitch), but no one else has even done more than give me funny looks.

When some people are stressed, they sleep. Some overeat. Me? I shop. To keep myself honest, and hopefully keep myself from getting out of control, I'll share here.

OK, so here we have Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock in Blue Smoke and two different yarns from Lotus Yarns on Etsy. The blue is Catch Hell Blues and the green is Blitzkrieg Bop.

And here, well, the first is another indie dyer from Etsy - Damselfly Yarns. This is our June yarn for Sock of the Month at the LYS and it's called "Got Mud?" in honor of The Toledo MudHens.

Last, but not least, is the Sock Monkey Kit. Yes, THE Sock Monkey Kit. The one that's all over Ravelry. The one The Yarn Harlot knit at sock camp. Scroll down to April 17. I have the pattern and the yarn for my own Sock Monkey!
Bwahahahahaha!

Now the softball moms can really look at me like an alien!! I'll knit a psychedelic sock monkey at the games!

In the Midst of the Insanity

2008-05-19T21:04:00.001-04:00

One finds old-fashioned simplicity.

Wish you could smell them.

Love you!

Cell Phones and Washing Machines

2008-05-16T16:15:00.005-04:00

Don't mix.

I'm just sayin'.

I had the misfortune of finding out the hard way that a very clean cell phone is not necessarily a good thing. A trip through the washer pretty much cleans out everything. Every phone number. Every photo. Having insurance on the cell phone is a very good thing. Waiting for a new phone to be shipped overnight after making the insurance claim is a drag. I didn't realize until this week how much I have come to rely on the storage of my cell phone for all my important numbers - doctors, pharmacy, travel, friends, family - I have very few backed up on paper anymore. It's going to take me some time to rebuild.

If you have my cell number in your phone, send me a text or call me so I can restore my phone list. Or email me. Please. (Becky, Sarah Lou, Other Karen, K2, Mary, Mom, Sibs...)

Take Me Out To the Port A Pot

2008-05-14T21:09:00.003-04:00

It's still softball season. At every ball field, a Port A Pot has been set up for the fans and players who just gotta go. At our home field, it happens to sit almost directly behind home plate. You'll see it in just a moment, since any photo I take of Mayhem batting or running home has that big, blasted, blue Port A Pot in the shot!
Hellllloooooo? Anybody in there?Batting the ball. C'mon batter, swing!

Mayhem is having a great time playing. I'm getting some knitting done. The log cabin afghan has grown by several logs since softball started. Buddy Bill has been gifted a second dishcloth, which has joined the first one adorning his fridge. *sigh* I do have to tell you though, none of the other parents are out there knitting. I haven't seen any knitters with the opposing teams, either. They look at me like I'm an alien, and I look at them and wonder, "what is wrong with you people that you don't knit or something while you're out here?!?!" The girls are getting the game, but there are times when we are literally watching the grass grow.

Running toward home... Run, Forrest, I mean Mayhem, Run!

Oh, sorry, I got off track there. Mayhem's team is now 6-2 if the tournament games are counted. Otherwise, her team is 3-0! She's happy and having fun and that's important. That fact that mom is freezing most of the time is totally irrelevant. Remember the moment, as a kid, when you knew you were going for ice cream after the game? Imagine 13 little girls all squealing with glee at the same time. We could bottle it and sell it to the government as a secret weapon.

And look. She scored another run. I'd get sentimental and weepy-eyed, but she would probably beat me up.

Flowers for Everyone

2008-05-10T09:58:00.006-04:00

Even if you aren't a mom, you've probably "mothered" someone along the way. These flowers are for you!

Happy Mother's Day!

FO Alert

2008-05-07T21:26:00.006-04:00

Have you been wondering where I've been?

I've been trying to finish things I've started.

Buddy Bill received a kitchen dishcloth I started for him a while back. Funny thing is, he says it's too pretty to use. He has it hanging on his refrigerator as artwork, much like someone would hang pictures their kids did at school. Magnets at the corners and all. One day I'll just go over and use it for dishes as it is intended to be used, and that will be that.

Pattern: Chinese Waves - from Maggies Rags

Size 7 US needles

College Kid arrived home for the summer and was greeted by his red and green striped socks, which he immediately unwrapped, tried on, walked around the apartment wearing, and declared "just right, a perfect fit!" Another FO. Smack me if Mr. Size 12 1/2 asks for more socks, OK?

I also had a trip to my hometown planned in order to meet up with some high school friends. One dear friend, who seems to be the glue that binds us all together, was home from California, and he rallied the troops. We gathered at the regular watering hole for the evening, and when they shut it down in the wee hours of the morning, I drove a group of us to the greasy diner for a long breakfast and then shuttled the guys home. It's interesting to see how the dynamics can change among people from 1985 to now. The guys who used to chase cheerleaders aren't chasing them anymore. The cheerleaders aren't cheerleaders anymore. Some of us still manage to be out until 3:00 AM without too many ill effects! That hasn't changed about us! It was strange to see the children of people two classes ahead of us in the same bar, though, old enough to legally drink. EEEK!

Mayhem is playing softball and that's the best place to work on my Log Cabin Afghan! Her team is 4-2 so far and she has scored in every game. Not bad for a first year player! And I might actually finish this afghan. :-) She's almost as tall as her coach, you see?

New Goodies

2008-04-25T21:13:00.012-04:00

A few goodies have arrived at my house recently and I took the time yesterday to snap a couple photos for you.

On the right (front) is "Yes We Can" by Mama E. I won that yarn in a raffle at the Knitter's for Obama board on Ravelry... after buying one skein of my own! Go figure. Behind that, is a skein of Loopy Legends, and a skein of Numma Numma (Cinnamon and Brown Sugar).

The photo at the top left is my latest Etsy treasure. That's my cell phone case and boyfriend wallet from Blissful. I had been looking for a wallet small enough to fit in my pocket for the trip to Washington, DC. Go check out Etsy if haven't been there. Handmade treasures galore!

Below is a test shot of my Log Cabin afghan in progress. Last night was Mayhem's spring program at school and I took the afghan along to work on as my mindless knitting. That was taken on my lap in a dimly lit gymnasium. Can I just say I love my new Nikon?!

Have a great weekend!