Crafty Momma

New Day Dawning

2008-04-15T09:57:00.002-04:00

The weather is warming up, the days are getting longer, and life seems to be getting a tad bit easier. The views on this rock are so beautiful! This was a sunset from our porch. We don't have a water view but it can be beautiful nonetheless.

These are the next socks in the Cat Bordhi book Pthaways for sockknitters. I like them, they are cute, but they are definitely not for me. The cuff is too tall, I am not much on a fold down cuff, and I am not in love with the Lorna's Laces colorway.....loved it on the skein, but not so much knitted up. I loved knitting the socks though......not boring at all!!!

This is the new time thief in my life! Holy Camolee, this thing will kick your Booty, hand it to you in a zip lock bag, and then kick it again just because it can!! I love it though, it is a game train, so when John uses it he plays black jack, the other day he was huffing and puffing and practically dead, and I said why don't you call it a day....? Be...pff cause pff...you pfff......have .........pff pff to pff pff peddle pff pff to play pfff.... :) Me ? I listen to my knitting podcasts and just finished the Valerie Bertinelli Book on CD If you like her, or are battling any demons (ie: alcohol, food, drugs, marriage etc....) I highly recommend it. She reads it herself and it is witty and enlightening.....I myself had quite a few lightbulb moments. I put it on the Ipod and plowed through it very quickly.

Overwhelmed and Exhausted

2008-04-10T20:21:00.002-04:00

Pictureless Thursday couldn't come at a better time!!! OMgood gravy. So the past alost 2 weeks has been a roller coaster. My mom has been sick and treated for various illnesses (infections) and to make a long story very very short (just ask her after 7 days in the hospital) she had a staff infection in her port. She is Ok now but it was quite serious and quite scarey for all those who care bout her. I know she is a tough lady, but my god......I just got my greys blended with blond hihlights cut me a break will ya!!!

Then Bud........oh he is gonna be a hard case to stay on top of! First he has been 2 weeks with no accident!! WOOHOO!!!! How proud am I???? Over the moon. This little boy had his tongue snipped in November. Until then he couldn't move his tongue.....for those of you who follow this blog you know all about it, for those who are new to it bo to the Nov. archives and you will see the details. ANY way........he had a hard time talking swallowing etc......well the changes have been INCREDIBLE!!!!! but now I am getting some pressure to turn his records over to the schools speech therapist........he is 3......3 years old........I am being paranoid, but I feel like they are looking forward to find thier next SPED children......we have a teeny school and they get a lot of funding for the SPED end of the school......which is getting sparse right now.......I refused, flat out.....said no will not happen, he has a full nother year of preschool and his pediatrician is not concerned, and we had him independantly evaluated and they said he is well with in the normal limits. As parents, we (his daddy and I) feel such a range of emotions, protection, fear of doing the wrong thing, anger that he is being singled out, labled, and put in a category at 3, frustration, and many others to go with it! I pray we are making the right decision for our little boy, and in our fight to protect him from being labled at 3 years old, we are not hindering him. I would hope with the early childhood education I have under my belt and the many hands on experiences with children I would be capable of recognizing anything in my own children. If his father and I thought there really was something wrong, we would jump on it. Why do I allow them to make me doubt my decision and my passion in parenting my child?

Happy Easter (a wee late)

2008-03-31T08:36:00.005-04:00

The Easter Bunny made it to our house for another year of Easter Egg Hunting!!! He sure dropped a load at our house. Hope he left some for other kids! The boys got these cool coloring books that you use a marker filled with water to color, and then when they dry you can do it all over again!! NO muss no fuss. Shy got a Girls only password journal...... and they all 3 got the Martian matter kit with 2 refills. I have to say this stuff is pretty cool.............there is a play doh like stuff you make a mold out of , you pour this liquid goop in top it off with a playdough cookie and then in about 3-5 minutes you have this slimy little martian. Cut him open and he oozes slime or just play with him........now the liquid stuff does not harden if you drip it on the table.....very odd!!
Bud barely awake but finding eggs!!!!
Bret found an egg right outside of his bedroom door. I am not sure he really knows what is going on!
Shyanne givin Bret a lift up, to find the egg he found!
the Easter Bunny also somehow knew shyanne LOVES to read and LOVES Hannah Montana
Looks suspiciously like SOMEONE got into the chocolate before 8am!!! Is that not what Easter is about for kidlings?

A great end to a beautiful Easter Sunday!

Pictureless Thursday

2008-03-27T19:44:00.002-04:00

So I have completed yet another pair of booties and have cast on a pair of socks from the book. This is the first knitting book I have ever had that I have literally knit from the beginning..and plan to knit to the end. It is full of wonderful information.

I am going to run my April "Things I hope to Accomplish" List.
1) Knit the Body of the NIF Aran.
2) Knit 2 angels
3) Finish a full size pair of socks from Pathways.
4)Knit a Baby Surprise Jacket
5) Knit a hat of some sort
6)Work on a Mitten Design for the Island Institute Shop.
7) Leave comments on 30 new blogs! People we in the blog world live for comments....I started this blog thinking it was just for me......but I love getting comments. So if you read a blog entry on the net and it makes you grin.......let em' know!

Sounds like a lot right? Well actually if I am honest with ya'll the NIF Aran is almost to the bottom of the sleeve holes anyway and is a fairly quick knit, when it is not in time out. The BSJ is a mindless knit now that I have 3 under my belt and they are soooooooooooooo cute, it is good to have a couple in the wings for those baby showers, and I have a feeling in the next year or so I will have my fair share of them to attend!

As for my March Hit List
March Goals-
Finish Celtic Bag- OH Yeah baby and it came out AWESOME!!!
Finish Jay walkers (if I find them)- I am so psyched about my first homespun yarn project!!!
Knit 3 more chemo caps-Only ended up knitting one because the yarn was soooooo yucky!
2 angels- I have them knit they just need to be starched.....and I will I have a few more days!
log 20 hours of walking or some form of a$$ moving-Umm NO, I was so sick I woulda rather been dead. the only moving that happened was the vibrating bed from my fever induced shivering!
not kill my kids!!!!- Well as of 7:55 pm Thursday March 27 they are still living, breathing, splahing me while they are in the tub, throwing more food than they eat, picking on one another little cretins!

So I don't think I did too bad for March.

NO I am not pregnant!!!!!! Don't even go there!! :)

2008-03-26T20:37:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to make that clear from the get go!!!! I am however, enamored with this book! I am a fairly good knitter, not to toot my own horn or anything, but aside from color work I can pretty much jump into most any pattern unscathed! This book is TEACHING me things. Mostly to think outside of the box when it comes to socks. The BEST part of the book (or at least I think) is that each section starts with a baby sock or bootie. So if you read the pattern and don't think you "get it" or are not sure you like it, you can knit a baby bootie before you commit to a whole sock!!!! I didn't think I liked the first ones...the red and purple but upon knitting them realized they are really really really cute!! Cat Bordhi has an amazing mind! She and Elizabeth Zimmermann are my knitting heroes!

You will see many more wee little socks from this book! As I plan to knit a pair of each and then start picking my way through the adult sized socks!!!

What is better than TGIF!!!!!

2008-03-20T22:44:00.004-04:00

TGI>>>>>>>>FINISHED!!!!!!! Yeah I have a pair of Jaywalkers in my very own handspun!! You can not imagine how excited I am!!!!!

SOCKS SOCKS and more Socks`

2008-03-19T13:10:00.003-04:00

So I am still in love with the Jaywalker pattern. Most patterns I knit once and have had enough of, very few will I turn to again and again and again....call it knitting ADD....I don't know. But I love the way the pattern effortlessly turns into zigzags. This pair is really very special......and had sort of taken a back burner, for chemo caps, and awareness angels for a bit. This is the first project that I have knit with my own hand spun yarn.......I must say it has been fun.......I know what it is, I am positive there are no knots anywhere in my cake cause I did it......from start to finish.....
I have gotten a lot of comments on the colors, and a few have asked where they can get the yarn.....and all are SHOCKED when I say it is MY handspun. "YOURS, I thought you JUST taught yourself how to spin this summer" as if to say I shoudl not be any good yet......well I attribute that to my OCD :) I have this perfection complex and I try to limit it to my crafts at this point in my life!

Back to the socks......they are awesome.....I am loving the end results, I am doing 2 at once on circulars, I have turned the heels, and only have 2 more gusset decreases before it is just straight brainless knitting till the toe. These socks are for me....and I may not wear them, I may frame them and just gaze adoringly at them from time to time. :)

The sweater in the previous post.......the NAUGHTY sweater in the previous post......look very closely at that picture in the previous post.....do you see anything odd, or off in that picture? Look closely, well really you don't have to look that closely unless
you are blinded by the fact that it is knitting up very quickly and looking quite lovely with the all natural sheen......until you hold it up to natural light to gave upon it's beauty.......and notice that the top 3 inches in not see through and the rest is......then upon closer inspection you notice there is even a difference in color (please note that I did NOT use the words:slight, or little or any variation on those words) in the top 2 or 3 inches. Go ahead go look I will wait for you to return.......................................................................
See told you.........blah, what happened? Yeah well So I had 9 skeins of the yarn that I myself grabbed.......well I thought they were all Bulky weight....ummmmmmm well apparently the first 2 I used were not Bulky they were worsted weight....the other 7.....ummm yeah they were Bulky!!!! ARGH.....so I ripped out the offending skein of yarn and off I went to return the Bulky in exchange for some Worsted......the whole thing is in time out for a bit!!!!!

My birthday..... it was great. My hubby bought me a new walking outfit......not that you need special clothes to walk, BUT this stuff is the moisture wicking stuff, and I must say it works well enough to short out a battery powered St. Patty's Day Button,......(long uninteresting story, involves, sweat, moisturewicking clothes and a button pinned to the shirt....nuff said) The kids bought my a new Rachel Ray cookbook (I love that woman!!! Watch her everyday, peeved that my magazine subscription ran out and I can't justify $20.00 on the subscription) My parents bought me my favorite perfume oil and body spray (I have worn The Body Shops White Musk since I was 15....that is over half my life at this point, I have tried other perfumes and none compare....this is just me, it is light and clean.....I absolutely Love it and have stopped looking for others to use) they also gave me a singing bear that plays an elvis tune. My friend gave me a beautiful necklace that she had her mom make right in front of me.....sneaky sneaky It is Dichroic Glass, and her mom is going to teach a class in it here on island.....it is beautiful! Lets see......John cooked dinner, and then he and shy made a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.....from scratch! It was yummy! The best gift though I must say is that a person I love very much made the move to be in contact again. It has been a source of heart ache for a while now, it may take a bit of time for all the wounds to heal, but we will take it one step at a time, and as long as we are moving forward we will get there!

I have blabbed long enough for one post!! Hopefully within the next few days I will have the socks done and framed!! Just Kidding (or at least I think I am!!!)

Progress and fighting startitis

2008-03-15T23:31:00.004-04:00

Progress has been made on the NIF Aran. This is working up very quickly and so far I have had no problems working it up in the round. The directions as I stated before are written in pieces but I HATE piecing things together a the end. I have 2 more diamonds to repeat and then I am at the arm holes where i will have to work the front and back seperately.....don't even try to talk me into to steeks.......yeah I know I have read all about them and how you can continue working in the round just by adding a few extra stitches yaddayadda yadda, no thanks, I am not ready to take a pair of scissors to my knitting!!! I just won't do it. Do you know how long it took me to feel OK felting my knitting.......quite a while......the hats looked pretty silly sitting there waiting to be felted....they were big enough for 3 heads without felting them! I will work in the round until I get to the armhole decreases and then it is back and forth....by then you are so close to having the body done that it is fast work anyway!! Then it is the sleeves!!! Argh sleeves.......

I am fighting a serious bout of startitis!! I have an awesome lace stole pattern I want to do, I have another sweater waiting in the wings, Socks socks and more socks.........but I wil knit my 2 angels for the month. I am only doing just the one chemo cap cause the other yarn was awful!! And then there is the chicken viking hat, and some baby ribbon hats, and then while I was on ravelry I saw the CUTEST lobster Bouy hats OMG these would sell like hot cakes in the summer. But in all fairness I don't have the right colors. I am also on the prowl for another bag pattern. I liked knitting that one up so much I am ready to do another!! Only this one I want to be in love with myself. I like the bottom of the Celtic bag.....I like that it uses the plastic canvas to give it some substance....perhaps this is common of bag patterns....what do I know????

Have some green beer for me on monday. I will be turning 32!! We had our ham dinner tonight and I will say it was delish, even though ham is not a favorite of mine this one was awesome, not to salty and it was on sale when I bought it!!! I probably will not post again till after the big day so, Hope everyone finds the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and kiss a leprechaun for me if you see one!!! Happy Saint Patty's Day everyone!

FO'S and new projects!!

2008-03-11T21:16:00.003-04:00

Ok so here is the Celtic bag from Interweave Magazine,. I decided I wanted to knit it simply because I had the yarns called for and it was a bag, and I have never made a bag. It still needs a button, it was very easy, EXCEPT taking the darker colors and going around the edges.....that was not fun. I think for a button I will try and find an oblong wooden type button.....I like it but still ave no idea what I am going to do with it!!!!

This is Holly's chemo cap without beads. I COULD not figure out how to thread beads on this particular yarn. It is very split, and not so squishy, so to thread a needle with beads and this yarn you couldn't get the beads over the area below the needle eye where the yarn doubles over n itself........I fought and fought and fought with it before I gave up. I tried the crochet hook method, and this yarn is like 10 strands of thread lightly twisted...so the crochet hook would grab 2 or 3 strings and that was it......I was so upset I couldn't get it to do what I wanted it to but I will deal with imperfect.

I feel a case of start-itis coming upn me. Which is realy OK, the only old project I have on the needles are the jaywalker socks. And I will finish those. My newest cast on, is a North Island Farm Aran. Designed by Jean Baker-White who is an amazingly talented lady, most well known for her quilts which have been in many publications! The yarn is from locally grown sheep which is sheered here and she faarms the fleece out here in Maine and has it processed into this fabu. yarn. I choose to use a bulky version for theis sweater, but the worsted weight is quite lovely too! The pattern is written in pieces but I am trying to knit it in the round, less sewing together in the end. I am quite easily confused translating patterns though, so we shall see how it goes!!!! I plan to start a Chicken Viking hat soon as well. This is another one of those projects I sw on line and really just want to do it. I think they are hysterically funny. Little viking hats with chicken legs sticking out of them :) TOOO mUCH

Well we are all still healing up from the respiratory flu. John coughed so hard he screwed up his intestines and had to have a shot of valium mixed with something else. I can say I was JEALOUS. The Dr. drove him home and he slept peacefully for almost 8 hours!!!!!! :) Not that he didn't need it...but he was completely oblivious to the fact that the 4 of us were downstaris shivering shaking and battling the crud too......I told the Dr. as much too when I sw him......he said and I qoute "sounds like he owes you one.....the next time you have stomach pains look me up, I'll take good care of you!!!" I laughed as did he. I was JUST joking....well I will admit when I watched him sleeping so soundly the thought crossed my mind to yell FIRE just to see what he would do.......MUAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. But we are all on the mend officially now (I THINK) just still feeling tired and worn out.

I worked today and was KIP'ing (Knitting in Public) and this really nice lady whom I have talked to several times was out working with the pre-school kiddies. She says she is a new knitters but I remember on eof the first time we spoke I was knitting the butterfly shawl and she said she was knitting a civil war shawl. New knitter project.......I don't think so!!!! I have seen these shawls and covet the day I have enough time to knit one. She then explained that she was still learning new techniques....she was working on socks, and things like that. AHAHA now I understand!! She is a newbie like I was.....tackle the ough stuff and the easy stuff scares the poop out of you!!! Got it!!! Color Work still intimidates me! BAH....cables all over the place, double pointed needles don't make me faint, lace work WOOHOOO bring it on....but you hane me a pattern with more than one color and FORGET IT, I am a puddle of mush! She brought up another good point too....reading patterns. I don't know how I learned how to read patterns.......I think I picked out a simple one with help and just went from there.

Freaky Flu phlem flying friday

2008-03-07T20:58:00.005-05:00

So ever just had one of those days, turn into one of those weeks, which turns into one of those months, and appears to be turning into one of those years? Well my life is one of those Sienfield episodes, you know the ones, where verything and nothing happens all at once to one person and you can totally relate????? So Sunday I was minding my own business walking at the gym and

my hubby came streaking across the lot to tell me one of the ladies at the ticket office had come off sick and I needed to go work for her. OK, so I had walked for all of 10 minutes woohoo.....oh well. So I get my gear ready and head out the door. I walk into the office and my co worker, who is a great lady to work with says.....she thinks she was getting the flu, I disinfected EVERYTHING...the phone the knobs the desks, the arms of the chairs EERYTHING she touched!!!!

Good I said and we went about our day. chatted listened to music, knitted played Homeland Security...the usual. Went home and was fine, Monday was Ok all day and then in the evening I started getting this tickled in my throat......went to bed woke up with a fever of 102.4......which for me is like 104.2 as my normal temp is 96.6. yeehaw I had it all shakes, shimmys, quakes, bone aches, muscle cramps, charlie horses and halucinactions.....Tuesday morning my coworker ( the one I worked with on Sunday) called to find out if I could work for her cause hse had gotten the flu........so we comiserated for a minute or 2 and then went to bed. I had a fever for 3 straight days and was sicker than I was when my appendix burst. But niether hee nor there, John took very good care of me, AND then HE got the fever
O YAY, poor guy, knew I was no where near being up to doing anything so he went about doing and dealing while also boiling from the inside out......then yesterday morningall 3 of the kids had it, and apparently Shyanne brought home this nasty little stomach bug to go along with it!!!! Coughing razor blades, with an elephant on our chests while trying not to mess our depends :) It has been a bowl full of fun games here at our house. Then last night while Bud was having a fever siezure and we were alternating doses of Children's Motrin and Tylenol we realized we didn't have much left. So I being the only one who hadn't had a fever in a while said I would go to the mainland and replace our supply...we also were out of toilet paper, and a few other unimportant odds and ends.....now bear in mind in all I lost 13 pounds from Monday to last night so I feel like flattened road ,
like butt punches, like dead skunk, pecked by crows in 100 degree heat......all I want to do is pause everyone around me, crawl into my bed in the fetal position for a few days till it all blows over, but when you have kids and they are sick.....sometimes that is not an option.......period!

A new day dawning

2008-02-28T18:51:00.002-05:00

Ok so I apologize for my end rant. But I do have cute kids right?????? I have been feeling a bit like my best isn't near good enough lately. Not anything earth shattering. Thank you for the commment......I needed the hug!

Ok so it is a new day, and while I am bit down in the gulley still it is ok. I want to take inventory on this month. My goals were to do 2 angels....I did 4 this month. To do the sleeves from the sweater from he!!, I finshed the sweater It is fineto!!. I did not however turn the heel on the jaywalkers.....I in fact don't even know where the jaywalkers are to be honest......I think they are in hubby's car somewhere.......his car resembles the front yard on the Sanford and Son show. He is a born pack rat....drives me nuts cause I am the oppostie unless we are talking yarn....but that is TOTALLY different (right ladies?). So that is that. But in addition to those projects, I knit 2 chemo hats for a friend with breast cancer, 1 Odessa hat for my daughter, and a knitters basket that I have no idea what I will do with!!! And I am about 5/8 done the Celtic bag from interweave.
My friend has sent me 3 skeins of yarn and would like a few more chemo hats which I am happy to oblige her with...more than happy actually!

March Goals
Finish Celtic Bag
Finish Jay walkers (if I find them)
Knit 3 more chemo caps
2 angels
log 20 hours of walking or some form of a$$ moving
not kill my kids!!!!

That's it for march, aside from becoming another year older too! Blah......I was a green baby! Drink some green beer for me!!!

More FO'S and kids galore OMGosh R we from Mars??? And ramblings about sadness.

2008-02-24T22:20:00.004-05:00

This is Shyanne's hat, she fell in love with the chemo caps I made for Holly. It looks really cute on her I must say!

THese are the angels I made for another friend and her sister, one will have a children with diabetes support ribbon in it's hands, her daughter is 3 and in Bud's class, and she has diabetes. She is a wicked trooper UNBELIEVABLE actually and her parents handle it amazingly well too. THey have 3 other children as well. THe other angel is for the mother's sister who is in a relationship with someone with a 7 year old son who is battling leukemia! YIKES!!!!

This is the FO of the Inishman that almost kicked my tush!!!!

All in all it came out well!!!

This is the second chemo cap for my friend. The pic of Shy is AWFUL but she would not relax!!

THis is what I fought to get what I got!! :) She is sch a dork!

Bud as himself!!

Bret as Shy's dress up doll!!

Ummmm BUD-dina

Shy and Bud played in Shyannes room all morning one morning quietly it was great..........dad was a wee bit less than impressed with the results :)

Bretty spaghetti

Shy Fry Godiva

Bud-dina doing the macerena.

Curtsy curtsy

Now for the ramblings...........just because I give up, unwillingly, but I give up. I have to for my sanity.

My family, I love my family and everyone in it. I am going through an episode with one of my family members. She used to read the blog, I don't know if she still does or not. At this point it does not matter because everything I do makes things worse, no matter if it is directed at her or not. I am an adult. I am saddened because she will not confront me with her anger. What happened??? Well she is away going to school, she left some odd away messages on her IM and when I spoke with her several times on the phone and on the IM, as well as playing online cards with her she was off. I asked her DIRECTLY what was up and she continually just said nothing, it is stress or whatever......some of what she was saying had to do with what I considered to be possible health problems.....I stewed on it for a week or better, while continually trying to get info out of her with no luck. Then one day I was cleaning at the center and MY NIECE who also happens to be her friend came in and I helped her carry some boxes into the class room and then I asked her how she thought this person was doing......we started talking MUTUALLY about things we were worried about, I left that conversation feeling a bit better and like perhaps I was looking too deeply, but still concerened. Well from there all I can do is guess what happened, I think my niece went and told my family member everything that was discussed on both parts but made the whole convo seem like it came from me. Anyhow I thought NOTHING more of this conversation until my family member (let's call her F1) started giving me the cold shoulder, ignoring my family and just being really really OFF. Anyway this bugged me, every once in a while a glimpse of normalcy would come through and I would think it was all my mind.....then I had a convo with a mutual friend who reluctantly told me something was up so I wrote F1 a long letter apologizing for WHATEVER I had done, and asking for her to confront me, scream, yell whatever.....and saying no matter what I love her, but I can't with 3 kids dwell on it so for the time being she would get what she gives, meaning if she ignores me I will ignore her etc.......so apparently that made it much worse.......but whatever.....I took her off my IM list because I couln't handle seeing her around. Well I put her back on a week or so ago, hoping that she might speak while she was on vaca. We went away the other day and hinted we needed a dog sitter, because I was hoping a friend would return a favor (which she offered but we had found a better solution.......my nephews watched the dogs) it had NOTHING with her. Came back home yesterday after a good night away with the kids altho Bret was in a head on collision but that is a whole nother story. So while I was on concussion watch I did laundry and cleaned the house and left a msg saying something about the dogs doing well with the new sitter cause the boys are on my IM list.......I had thanked them and told them to look at my away msg...they thought it was cool . Well this AM she is pissed because she thought it was a stab at her. I lov ethe kid to death but she obviously thinks the world revolves around her. I am at a stand still. I am comfortqable with where I left things....but she obviosly has a chip on her shoulder. I am going to take her back off my list so that I no longer see her msgs first thing in the am and she can no longer see my msgs, cause obviously thinks my msgs all pertain to her, and I am tired of causing more damage to a toxic situation. I am a good person, I did nothing to intentionally hurt her and I still am not sure why she is so pissed. If you are reading this I love you, and am a phone call, a drop by or an e-mail away. I truley do wish you would clear the air, even if it is just to say FU I don't ever want to speak to you again. Get it out there and friggin own it. Instead of doing what you are doing now............this is stupid! What I have learned from this situation.....I am not allowed to talk to friends or family about mutual friends or family when I am concened, I am not supposed to clear the air, and as much as you THINK you know someone you don't. Did I miss anything?

Help ME PLEASE!!!! I am mystified!

2008-02-10T21:08:00.000-05:00

Ok so here is the success! Here is the tri fold moebius basket. I am not as happy with this one as I am with the first one which you will see in a future picture. I knit this simply to teach a few ladies how to do the cast on, which is easy but different, and tricky at the same time.

Now here is the 20 question time.....please send me some traffic, or the right answer!!! This sweater I knit for my gorgeous daughter, is now too small........:( It needs lengthening. I know it is possible but I really just can't figure out how to do it so it looks best. I know I have posed this question more than once. BUt I am finishing up my Inishman and this is the next thing I am going to tackle!! HELP Send me some knitters!!

As you can see it is a fairly simple pattern.......I am going to swatch the cable and then see if I can reverse it....I don't think it will look right I think there will be a jog in the pattern......the other thing I was wondering if was possible was to take out the ribbing and then knit like 6 inches of the ribbing and pattern and then kitchener it on???? Graft it on...si there a difference?

Here is the Inishman!! As you can see front ad back is done, and sleeves are being worked 2 at once and the increases are done....I have about 4 inches of sleeve and then the saddle shoulders....I am realy getting there WOOHOO!!!!

This is the true color.

This shows the patterns better!

Pictures Later

2008-02-05T07:02:00.000-05:00

Ok so I have no pics to show today......why? Cause I am lazy!!! Cause I have 3 kids and I am busy working too many jobs.

But I am knitting! I am now on to the sleeves of the Inishman! It is beautiful, but my goodness it feels like I have been working on it FOREVER!!! I have a second knitters basket completed, and I am knitting on a pair of jaywalker socks in my space dyed handspun!

Goals for this the short month???

To get the sleeves done.

To get to the turning of the heel on the Jaywalkers.

To knit 2 angels

That's it.........it may not seem like alot BUT DUDES you MUST remember I have a 7 year old, a 3 year old and an 18 month old. I have 6 jobs......LITERALLY, this is not an exxaggeration. I would like to actually accomplish my goals this month!!

Oh yeah and I would like to post once a week!

Welcome to the Funny Farm, Come on in!

2008-01-28T13:31:00.001-05:00

Ok so sometimes my kids are funny, and then there are times when they are out of control. Last week I have to say they were out of control funny.

Bud has been a long time advocate of hats....everything has hat potential, but he is particualarly fond of underwear or pullups as hats.

He is trying to bring his little brother over to the odd side too :) The other day, he handed Bret a pair of underwear and said, "If you put these on your head we can be a family." Bret proceeded to nod, take the underwear and place them on his head!! I had to get pictures of the "family" Too Cute!

This on the other hand is inexplicable really. I was in a sort of "woke up on the wrong side" and was busy trying to do 5000 things all at once when Shyanne said "Hey, mom, look what I can do..." I turned and dropped what I was doing cause what I saw put me into hysterics.....mood over.......but what posses her?????? I may never know, and it is probably better that way!

Again with the underwear. Only Bud says, "hey ma, this pair make me look like a pirate" Hmmmm mom thinks.....must be something they add to that brand??? Specifically???? WHolly how can you not laugh!

Even Panda tries to get in on the comedy. Watch out dog I have been known to eat fried tongue.

Aside from wearing his brothers underwear on his head, Bret has taken the gangster approach to diaper wearing. You put a diaper on him and he immediately shoves his thumbs in the back and shoves em' down, just far enough so the crack of his plumbers smile shows. So figured I would share his pretty smile with y'all.

He is gonna kill me when I show his first girl friend this site :)

Here is the sinister eye of no return! Ok so apparently someone in the house decided to see if they could melt the wood stove and burn the house down........I won't mind so long as I have warning enough to get all my yarn, scrapbooks, kids (duh), animals, and clothes....well basically let me move out first ok!!!!!

We thought it looked really cool.......it was however extraordinarily HOT, and look at where our super smart black lab parked herself.
This is not an unusual spot to find her, she loves to be hot....she soaks it up and then pants her way out, plunks down in the middle of the floor and goes back for more heat.

So I have a friend who at the age of 33 has breast cancer. Found out right before Christmas, had her breast removed 2 days afterward, and a week later a port put in, and started chemo last week. 33 years old. She is 2 years older than I am. What do you do when you want to help but there is nothing you can really do? Well me, I knit....like a fiend actually. This is an Odessa Hat. I knit it in the recommended yarn and put some cheap walmart pearls on it. Shy really liked it, but she can't have it. It is the first chemo cap for my friend, who will also have to have radiation after the chemo is done.

Shyanne actually looked really cute in it, although she wouldn't let me take an un-posed ic of her in it. she kept giving me the wierd eyes every time I would go to take a picture.

I also knit up an angel for my friend, hers is holding the pink ribbon. I think she is actually one of the best ones I have done so far. The other is for my uncle who has cancer as well. Man someone really needs to find the cure.......and quickly!

These angels are time consuming. But the whole I knit them I was thinking about who I was knitting them for and why. So a whole lot of love, blood (I pricked my finger umpteen million times while I was putting them together) and tears for what they are going through. Man o Man.

They are on my computer keyboard to give you an idea of how tiny they are.

This is the yarn for the 2nd chemo cap, and the beads that my friend picked out herself. It is already done but I have to sew the ends in. I had my doubts about the colors together, but they came out really cute!

So another friend's hubby wants a skull hat, liked the hello yarns, we call them pirates pattern but wanted it bigger and a bit more menacing........so this is my first attempt at designing......I actually enjoyed it.....learned a few things, but all in all it was a good experience. Now I can get knititng it :)

So how is your padded cell today?

Mommy's First Day of School Blues AND KNITTING

2008-01-11T22:04:00.000-05:00

So have you ever had the feeling that you were only needed for laundry, food, a kissed boo boo now and again, and to change dirty Dipies???? Well today was Bretty's first day of "school" it is sort of a pre- pre school.....or playgroup if you will. Now the ticket office is across the road so I have seen several basket cases come out....on kids first day, you know that type......"wanna go play" mom asks....the kid IMMEDIATELY starts screaming and crying and clininging to mom......now with Shy, we dropped her off and
pretty much summed it up in a look, the look was one cast over her shoulder along with a shrug that said......"what in the he## are you 2 still here for??? Get lost" Seriously she could say that and more with just a look.......diminish us to dust on the floor. Bud on his first day kissed us both and ran off to play giving us a wave. And then when he could talk, before we even got through the door he was telling us goodbye, while we watched other kids months older than him melt in puddles at thier parents feet BEGGING and pleading with them not to leave them in this place alone WAAAAAAAAA! Not our kids. I think I secretly hoped that my youngest would have SOME sort of seperation anxiety, a tear or at least a sad Mommmmma. Nope the little poop kinda looked at us wee bit skeptical gave us kisses and ran off to the toys. POOP.......When we went to pick him up he was crying his eyes out, quietly in my head I said...ha see he does love me.......I asked the teacher how long he had been crying and she said, "oh not long he slipped on a piece of paper poor thing, he had a blast.....never even asked for you!!! To which my heart again fell..........but then he saw me tears dried up and mommy made him better! I looked at the teacher and asked what are we doing right? Why don't our kids have issues with us leaving? She looked at me like I was nuts but then thought about it and said, they know you are coming back, they are secure in your love. AWWWWWW Ok I feel better now! So now I have one in school all day, one in school for 4 hours Mon-Thurs. and one in school for 3 hours on Friday. Freedom is getting closer I can smell it!!! :) Wouldn't trade it for a million bucks........
I am getting out of my funk and knitting for the sake of knitting again. I have had my S>O>S> done just not blocked for a while now. Bocked it tonight. I really need blocking wires as there are not SUPPOSED to be all those points on the edges, but i had to do what i had to do. no place to get those wires around here :(

I think it came out really nice. Not sure what I will do with it as I really have no cause to wear a shawl. Any ideas?

It is fairly long I would say almost 6 feet. It is a shame to just have it collect dust!!

I am back to the Aran. I have a bit done on the back......as you can see the front is all done.

On the knitting front, I finished and gifted 2 more BSJ's Oh how I love them. I did one in a superwash wool......I would not recommend the brand. Although it DOES soften with washing and blocking while you are knitting with it, it feels like acrylic, it squeaks and is just gross. :P I also have done 3 pairs of thrummed mittens.

I have a friend who is getting ready to start chemo for breast cancer and I am thinking about doing a chemo cap for her out of the Odessa pattern
what do you guys and gals think? Will the beads be irratating? She is young (33) so I wanted something a bit fresh and a little hip..........I also need to know what a suitable yarn for it would be......ANYONE have any suggestions? I thought about cotton but am not sure cotton will keep its shape. Bare in mind my hubby still is not full time employed and we are squeaking by.......so I can't go in for cashmere..........but needs something just as loveably soft!!

Pictureful Post

2008-01-07T08:58:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving YUMMM-o

Time for a FAKE nap......

Mom I am chewing ....good grief!

Fun in the first snow storm of the season.....this is the the christmas card we never sent!

Hey cool I can push snow with my trucks.....

Help....I have fallen lost my mitten and I can't get up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phew am I tired!

School Winter Concert! They were volcanoes.......don't ask I am still seething......Shy is 7 and I have yet to hear her or her class mates sing a carol......last year they were astronauts.

Our churches Christmas tree befre the program

The Christmas Program FINALLY she sings :)

Santa and the librarian dance! She is also a Sunday School Teacher.

Shy tells Santa all her wishes for Christmas.....

Bud has a few of his own and then fills him in on what Bret wants cause Bret is scared ti death of the man in the red suit!!

Christmas Morning....Bret peeks out of his room and just said Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Stockings were a hit.....Santa always knows just what to put in there!

You mean I get to really rip things and I don't get in trouble????? HUh whatta concept!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO this is coooooooooooooool

..

Oh boy a thomas tent just what i always wanted!

Still Alive...................

2007-12-27T12:52:00.000-05:00

With tons to be thankful for this holiday season. But Well....now that is debateable!

So it has been a very long time since I posted and this is going to be a pictureless Thursday for the simple reason I can not find my camera cable. I have tons of pics to share of my adorable kids but I have to be able to dump my camera on to this picture eating machine I currently type on.

Thanksgiving was good we had it at my parents house and the meal was delish. Mom did th mass majority of the work, the rest of us made the mess. Christmas preparations were daunting at the least in the beginning. Wth no money an no way to "help" Santa out John and I were just not sure how this year was going to go. It was looing more and more like a sock and underware kinda year to say the least. Someone ( a nameless family member THANK YOU!!) heard our silent prayers and we recieved a very nice note in the mail with a gift card for walmart. We were able to help Santa make the kids wishes come true. and then some. It was a christmas just for kids. I was sad not to be able to do for John, as was he for me, but we know in our heart of hearts that it is more important to celebrate the magic of our family, and keeping things alive for the kids was much more important to us this year. So after we got the goodies we could feel good abot putting the tree and decorations up. Usually it is a few days after Turkey day for us.....this year it was a week before Christmas. I feel bad for my kids but it was a good christmas.....we made salt ornaments and they came out REALLY good. So good in fact I am going to start making a few small batches here and there and decorate them all year long for gifts and to sell at the bazaar. These things were adorable and EASY! and we had fun I invited a friend and her 2 daughters over and shy and I all sat down and painted our hearts out.

The family is we sick but all in all well. Bud's vocab is growing by leaps and bounds. He literally recovered from the surgery in a day and was talking so much better in just a matter of 2 or 3 days, all we had to o was sort of remind him that now his tongue moves and he CAN say things the right way. There are only 2 bad sides effects of the surgery........actually 3, *Bud is sooooooo much louder now, * he talks non STOP and * he has now bitten his tongue 100 times which is all new to him and he still has a bit of a hard time understanding how to keep it from happening...:) All things that we certainly can deal with. I am so incredibly glad we did it, and that the Dr. agreed to do it!

Shy is doing amazing in school. We are having a bit of a hard time with her at home. She is 7 with the brain of a much older child, but the social skills of a 7 year old, and the attitude of a 16 year old. It is very frustrating to love this little part of me, but at the same time dislike her so much. ARGH. And everyone says it will pass..........this has literally been going on since this little girl was11 months old and learned the saying "whatever" in just the right tone pushed all of mom and dads buttons all at once!!

Bret is still our ham head. This kid is the comsdian of the family and knows JUST when to act his part. With the three of them hamming it up it is hard not to know why we are here.

Thank you to all that have hit me on Ravelry, I just wanted to evaporate for a while. Things are going to look up soon. I know they will!

On the knitting front.......I have knit 2 pair of kid stuffed mittens, and a baby pair and am getting ready to cast on a second baby pair for a friend wh just had a baby, she will be recieving the 2 Baby Surprise Jackets and a air of baby stuffed mits for her wee one. I have also knit 8 of the little angels and 1 tree topper. 3 were gifts, 1 for our angel who saved christmas, 1 for our surrogate mom/grandma, and one for another helper who sent us some money to help with bills and such. I have one more to make to send out to another angel who heped us out as well and then I will knit some for next years christmas bazare. The only thing I dislaike about them is the cotton dries my hands out horribly.

Well thanks to all who inquired. I will try to stay in reality for awhile.

Peace

Buddy Boy, My Brave Little Man

2007-11-13T20:24:00.001-05:00

So today at 4 am I was up fretting about my middle child. John Venner-Mark, aka Bud has a lot to live up to. John is his daddy's name, as well as his daddy's daddy's name. I never had the pleasure of meeting John's dad, but I have heard that he was one hell of a man. As for my husband John, well he is as perfect as they come. Venner was my grandfather, whom EVERYONE, who was anyone called Bud. He also was one hell of a man, who would fight to the end for his family. He is no longer with us, and was taken suddenly, and tragically, and Bud probably has very little memory of his great grandfather
but he really is a mini him! Mark is my dad's name and he mixed with a good portion of thier daddy is exactly what I would like for my sons to be. I think Bud is becoming quite an awesome combo of these men in my life.

Today was Bud's surgery day. For me yesterday never really had an end. I didn't sleep all night. I laid and listened to my husband snore, and my son breath (and talk) in his sleep. I tossed and turned, and then I got up and turned the TV on and knit.

Finally after a few repeats of that procedure, I got up and quietly (we were at John's sister's house on the mainland) got myself ready and then waited some more. At 6:30 we were checking Bud in. I felt like the owrst mom ever. He was soo happy and charming the nurses. They had toys for him to play with. Then at about 7:15 they gave him 1/4 tsp of some magic potion that literally made him drunk......he was sooo cute, giggly, droopy eyed and silly. I felt like I was leading him into the lions den blindly!
At 7:30 they wheeled him away from us....I sat
and knit for 30 minutes when at 8:01 the Dr.
came in and told us all went well, but that when he got in and started poking around, he realized just how little mvement Bd had in his tongue. He almost couldn't lift it or stretch it enough to make the first snip but did manage to get things just so....he had the more invasive procedure which involves stitches.

All in all, it went well and we were released with our groggy, drunk little boy at 9:10 am. He stayed in sort of a drunk or hung over stupor til around 5 ish. It is amazing to see him with his new released tongue. So far he seems to be much LOUDER!!! hmmmmm......but he seems to feel a bit odd with his new mouth buddy, almost like it feels too big. I watched him run his tongue over his lips this evening to get a stray drip of ice cream....he has NEVER been able to do that before. I am sure over the next few days as he gets used to the feel of the
and the movement, and range of motion, he will readjust the way he talks.

The nurses at the hospital were great and he really charmed a few of them.

Someone should tell dad that stretching isn't going to make him invisible. This is the very drunk Bud, in the recovery room, getting ready to be wheeled to his room...he wanted Daddy to ride with him.

All is wel and I thingk I will go get some sleep now!

Pictureless Thursday

2007-11-08T11:50:00.000-05:00

Ok so here I am again.....I did sooo well for a few days running. Posted consecutively, formulated entries and pics in my head for the next entry....and then WHAM life gets in the way all over again!

Knitting goodies.....Ok so I am well on my way for November and achieving my goals. I cast on my socks I was supposed to plan for next month as one of my goals.....I am using my hand spun, I am doing 2 at once on circulars. Size 1 addis, it is the jaywalker pattern. I love this space dyed stuff it was so much fun to spin, and just as much fun to knit. There is some variance in thickness and twist but so far the ribbing looks very nice.

I am 1/3 done the back of the aran from heck.

I am thinking about casting on the felted mittens......thinking about it..........hmmmmmm..........

Yesterday I even cleaned......my dining room is now a kid free zone......cleared all the corners, moved things around a bit......got all the TOYS (teeny tiny trains that when stepped on pierce the skin and end up almost in your hip bones) de scuzzed the wood floor, vaccumed and dusted, then started on the living room. I think I have decided to just stay in the dining room....the kids can have the living room....EXCEPT on Grey's night, Private Practice Night and Desperate Housewives niight. Then I just need enough room for me, and my knitting in a prime spot aimed directly at the TV, and god help the kid/animal/ manchild that gets between me and my TV on those time slots!! I will be armed with needles and wool, and I think I can figure out how to knit a straight jacket in record time with some sort of device for suspending you from the ceiling fan to get you out of my way and torture you at the same time!!!!!

Things are temporarily looking up on the job front.....not the same kind f money.....John is helping clear trees (on the property that he applied for the full time caretaking job, that would have meant living closer to mom and dad, and in a NICE BIG house with a 2 car garage and full apartment over head....ladies READ YARN HIDEAWAY...........) he did not get the job, BUT he will be filling on the weekend because the guy that DID get hired is not from here and has 2 daughters in MA that he will go home to every weekend....hmmmm go figure.....WTF. But anyway we are keeping our foot in the door anyhow. He is helping with the new school project part time and then he has the maintanence man job, and is currently working on his Bus Drivers License. Our bus driver decided to go to a 10th grade sponsered dance for all aged kids the Sat. before Halloween and she had been drinking....hmmmmm.......again WTF????? Go figure.

Well It is kind of a dark blah day....I think I am having company for the afternoon and it feels like a coffee and cribbage kinda day. She doesn't knit, and I am not sure she wants to learn.........keep poking her about it though...........lol!!

Happy Belated Halloween!!

2007-11-03T21:22:00.000-04:00

Halloween is my favorite Holiday! An excuse to be someone else, and escape realiy for a day!! WOohoo. But I have to say having 3 kidlings and getting them all geared up for the big day is interesting. Shyanne had an afterschool party of Friday afternoon, a dance on Saturday evening and then on Wednesday had a party at school, and then of course trick or treating......4 times to perfect the routine......ONLY she wanted to be different each time.....phew. Bud had a school thing Weds. Am and then trick or treating.

I love the expression on Bud's face in this one! LMBO too cute!

So this is Shyanne's class.....minus 1 little girl. Well actually this is grade 1 &2 the 3 boys are 1st grade and the 2 girls are 2nd. There is one other girl in the 2nd grade.

This is my dear hubby. Bless him it was actually a very warm day and he was soaked by the time he took his gear off. The kids LOVED it though. Who doesn't love a fire fighter. I know I do!

This is a whole school picture........well everyone who is dressed......and the background is our new 6.7 million dollar school......hmmmm, did I mention this was pretty much the whole school in this picture......and that the new school is costing 6.7 MILLION dollars? YIKES!!!!

Spider man is spying on someone!!

Buddy was looking pretty bored!!

This is the kindergarden class for this year, next year and the year after...Bud's actual class is the kitty from the back step, the tree, the cheer leaders (twins) the good witch (between twin one and the bride), and Batman. 2 others are missing.

John figured he would scare Bret with this mask....it has a little pump and it oooozes blood between the layers......

Bret Laughed at him..........John was so disappointed!!! :) Our kids are pretty nutty that way!

Oct. Goals revisited and Nov. goals

2007-11-02T10:06:00.001-04:00

Recap of Oct. Knitting list.

1. Finish Baby Surprise Jacket Done in fact I completed 2. One pink and brown and if you lookback a black and red one!

2. Finish front of Aran. Check!!! Woohoo

3. Knit the first 3 clues of the Secret Stole (starts on the 5th woohoo) YAHOOO I am starting hint #5

4. Make a pair of mittens..... ummmmm OK, well do I get credit for picking the yarn and roving ???? See pic

5. Try Color work again (possible in the form of said #4's mittens??) Check, only I did 2 Hats!! A pik ad black pirate, and a navy and light blue pirate hat YEEHAW!

6. Finish the bobbin of lace weight and start on a second. Umm OK so I really have to work on this.....I sat down for maybe 30 minutes at my wheel.......we actually may have to sell it.. :(

November Challenge to myself!

1. A pair of Mittens.

2. Half of the back of Aran

3. Clues 5-7 of SotS

4. Socks planned.

I am keeping Nov. light as I have a pretty stressful month ahead.

Bud has his surgery on the 12th. Dad has a possible surgery at the end of the month, Mom has started a new regime, and we are waiting to see if this knocks her into a holding pattern, or HOPEFULLY knocks her numbers down! She maxxed out on the other regime and it has sort of fizzled, with her numbers going up fairly reliabley towards the end.

All this probably means I will knit more than I have said here, BUT who knows..........

Take a peek at all the goodies.

I have yarn porn too. My LYS had thier end of season sale as I said in the last post.....I will post pics.

This stole is turning out beautifully.

This is not true to color. YUCK!!! the next one is truer to color.

BSJ #2

2007-11-01T17:01:00.001-04:00

Ok so I am addicted......these things are soooooo darn cute. and easy, and odd, and ....and and. Elizabeth Zimmermann was a genius. I need her book Knitting without Tears and then the individaul paterns from Spun out Designs
and I will have (I think) all of Ez's printed goodies..... man to have money.....but when you think about it $40.00 for 40 patterns.....not a bad deal.....ad I don't need the BSJ so....... I REALLLLLLY want to knit the Adult Surprise Jacket. I ahve seen it knit up on a few blogs and it impresses me. It looks like a nice cozy sweater to wear around the house.

This sweater is madeout of Lamb's Pride worsted weiht brown and bulky pink.......I didn't notice I had picked up bulky till I ad started knitting and that was the only pink she had.....

At the year end sale at my LYS, I got some goodies.......I had her save my last paycheck, and then she gave me a huge discount on the yarn and then topped it all with 40% off.......I love her! But she knows we are in a rough spot and that this is literally my therapy/sanity saver. I can now d Ez's Bohus which will be my first color attempt on a sweater.

Hope all is well. I will update my Oct. Goals and then post my November goals tomorrow!

SotS Clue #3 Done and kinda bummed

2007-10-24T13:34:00.001-04:00

So I completed SotS Clue #3 and I am still thinking the answers are 1) Royalty 2) Princess (but could be Queen) 3) England. This Friday will be the 4th clue and we will be half way through :(. This has been my first KAL of anykind, and it has been fun. I jumped in head first and have been writing the charts out to a written pattern with 3 other ladies and it has slowed me down, but I feel good about helping non-chart readers out, as that was me just a bit ago! I think it is beautiful. You can't see the twinkle of the beads in the full shot.

I actually finished it 2 days ago, but now it has become a bit monotonous pinning it out each time so I couldn't bring myself to do it to get a picture, and without pinning it just looks like a purple blob. This morning when I got up and rolled across my flannel sheets and ended up with my pj bottoms wrapped 3 times around myself, I thought hmmmm I bet I could lay it on them and it would stick! Sure enough!!!!! WOOHOO, the dang cable needles are a beeeeotch to fight with though, I am not a fan of CP needles anymore after using KnitPicks! LOVE LOVE LOVE EM!
If you click to enlarge this photo you can JUST make out the bead in the center of the design. I love it in person. They are subtle but just lend that little extra somthin somthin!

It is finally hitting home that the bills are a struggle to pay, and Christmas is right around the corner. The kids have so many I wants, and there just is no way. John went from a full time job, were on island we were JUST keping our heads above water, to a 12-16 hour a week job......it just isn't doing it. I don't know what is going to happen, but here I am again in the dumps. Spent most of yesterday crying, and wracking my brain. This is not the way it is supposed to be. We are good people, all we have ever done is help those around us when they need help, and now when we need help in return it is no where. And it isn't like we want something for nothing either. John just needs a regular job....even just 2 or 3 days a week. We have a gap to bridge. I just don't know. We have started talking about selling stuff that we scrimped to save up to buy, when he was working, things like my spinning wheel, our digital camera, an ipod. We got them all at huge discounts, or second hand....I don't know. Life right now stinks, but at the same time I am lucky enough to have 3 beautiful kids, a hubby who loves me and my parents still with me as well as my Mother in law. It ain't all bad, just feels like it right now.

Awards!!!!!

2007-10-22T13:10:00.001-04:00

I got a blog review on my awesome knitting friend Mrs. H's brand spanking shiny new pod cast. You should check out her blog at I like Yarn
and then go take a listen to her podcast, I likeyarnpodcast
She rocks, as does her blog and her podcast. Thank you Cuz!

I am about done my 3rd clue on the SotS, and when I get it done I will block her up and post pics. I finished my second BSJ for a shower and it is blocking and I am knitting on the ARAN from he77, attempting some booties.....I shoulda taken pics of my failures, but then you'd a known I ain't perfect......I will tell you the story though!!! I knit up these booties with the thought I would felt them.....they would have been too big for my 3 year old, and I was hoping thhey would felt down to somewhere around the 6-12 month range.....ummmmmm it was not a felting pattern so needless to say it shrink width wize but not length wize!! Talk about Gun boats!!! Yikes.
What are you still doing here? Go check out the blog and podcast!!! Shooooo off with you go, go. NOW

Knitting and Dirt Cheap Kid Entertainment!

2007-10-15T20:18:00.001-04:00

So yet another F.O. I finished my triple twist moeibeus knitters bowl.. I LOVE IT!!! It took 2 skeins of the main color, and one for the pockets and then a little bit of peace fleece for the applied i-cord trim. Unfelted this mammoth could swallow 3 adult heads whole! Felted it will comfortably hold 3 or 4 project skeins, and then all the extras you can imagine. This was a fun knit. I highly recommend The second treasury of Magical Knitting by Cat Bordhi to one and all!

Look at this thing! WOWSERS it was humongous!

Welcome to the Zoo! The boys found the case lot diaper box and had a blast playing with it while sissy had a bath. Bud pushed Bret around,

Bud pushed Bret over, in this photo he seems to be saying "if we box him up can we send him back?" :)

WHO US, terrors? Mom you have to be joking right? We are too darn cute to be terrors!

Miss Shy had to get in on the action......DADDDDDD, HEY DADDDDD COme HERE NOW!!!!! To which Dad turned deaf ears.....finally the scream became deafening, and I gave him the "GO SEE WHAT HER PROBLEM IS" elbow to the gut! And this is what she was up to!!

Bret getting even by pushing BUd over! LMBO!

SotS clue #2 and FO"s

2007-10-14T12:26:00.001-04:00

Ok so I am now addicted to Moebius Knitting. I have Cat Bordhi's Second Treasury of Magical knitting and I have had it for quite some time actually and could never figure out the set up! I had always assumed the twist in the knitting occured by twisting before starting in the round.....oh no.....so needless to say I needed some mindless kniting and had hauled all of my knitting books to my local SnB for everyone to peruse through and was reminded of how many cool projects there are in this book. So I set my mind to figure it out and I did. This was moebius #1, see the twist in the handle. I blocked this
over a downy dispensing ball to show you how small it is.

F.O. #2 my Emily hat. I love the way it came out. And here is one of my goals for Oct. Color work WOOHOO!!! Yeah! Now for mittens and the dreaded sweater!

I think Emily will really like it, and now Shyanne wants one too! If it means she will wear a winter hat I will knit her one without complaint!

This odd looking thing is Moebius project #2. It is a trifold, meaning there are 3 twists in the moebius. This thing is HUGE. It is a knitters basket. It will be felted, see the black lines? Not the trim around the top but there are 20 stitch dashes on scrap yarn that I have now ripped out and put pockets in. Once felted this is supposed to be just big enough for a cake or 2 of yarn in the middle held snug so it doesn't escape to roam around the floor of cat, dog, and human hair, along with kiddie crumbs. I am having a hard time imagining it felting that small. We shall see. I am currently knitting the flower-esque petals for the top enclosure. This thing reminds me of the gremlin baby pods from the movie Gremlins. You know how the babies hatched out of the pod like things that were all slimey. and when they popped out the top kind of opened............you will see better after it is felted.
This is clue #2 finished from SotS ! I love this pattern. It is beautiful. The beads don't really show up but they are there, they match but are lined with silver to lend a bit of glitter in person.

There was some discussion about speed of knitting in the forums. I am a fairly quick knitter, but the person implied that by knitting fast we are not enjoying. I enjoy the knitting very much! I am always looking at how it is unfolding. I can't wait for the next segment, meanwhile I will work on the godforesaken sweater, and the gremlin egg :)

Knit On!!!!!

2007-10-11T21:39:00.001-04:00

Waiting, finishing, waiting, finishing and more waiting!

2007-10-11T21:22:00.000-04:00

Ok so it is Pictureless Thursday! :) Currently I am waiting for the 2nd Secret of the Stole Clue!! I am in charge of writing the chart out, so those who can't read charts can still participate. I am so looking forward to knitting the clue is the only problem. If I am charting I can't be knitting it!

So I cast on for a hat for my special sitter.......and I finished it the next day. The problem is, I blocked it, and it WILL NOT dry! It has been damp and rainy for 4 days now! BAH, I blocked the hat and the BSJ and man oh man do they look good!

Did I mention I am loving the SOS KAL and I am looking forward to clue #2!

I cast on yesterday for a felted moebius bowl and finshed it and it is felting now. After I finsihed that, I cast on a Trifold Knitters Bowl. Which is also a moebius but it has 3 crossings. It is interesting looking in progress. I will post pics eventually.

Oh yeah Hurry up midnight so I can get a look at clue #2!! :)

Ok I will not bore you with my tales any longer-

Secret of the Stole and BSJ!

2007-10-07T13:17:00.000-04:00

So I finished Clue #1 of the Secret of the Stole.......the 3rd to the last row darn near killed me and made me throw in the towel! I had to frog it back 4 times before I FINALLY got it right.......it is full of YO, K2tog, SSK, and K3tog as well as a few S1K2togpassSover.....BAH. Anyhow I got it and am glad I didn't fudge it liek I contemplated! It will be well worth it in the end!

The pattern is interesting and I have never done a beaded piece but it has given me ideas for future projects. These pics don't show the beads at all as they match but add a bit of sparkle. the centers of the beads are silver so there is a glint they add

Just a close up of the 2nd point. Hey question for you......does anyone else read patterns from the right to left? I don't know why but I always have. It seems I am of a minority, although there are a few others, it seems that they are left handed and do it out of necessity rather just habit>>>> Anyone else a little off like me out there?

Look at this odd looking blob. As you are knitting Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket for the first time, you have NO idea what you are knitting.....could this be the sleeve? or is it the side edge? hmmmmm I wish I knew so that I knew where I was putting the stripes. I thought at the time it mattered. This thing came out soooo cute, and it doesn't matter one bit where you put the color changes.

Once you get it off the needles the ONLY seaming is from the cuff to the neck......everything else is done with increases and decreases. I have to say that this lady is GENIUS!!!! Oh my goodness she is a genious!

Add some buttons and VOILA! It is adorable! I have already planned to do a turqouise and brown one, and a pink and brown one! THey are awesomely easy and so interesting. A really quick knit too.

Here is a hot of the back. It is FINITO! And I am excited. Now I am working on a slouch hat for a babysitter. She bailed me out of a few binds and was happy with whatever she got paid. Which is abnormal here on the island. The going rate is $7.00 per child....which is $21.00 an hour for us, and I only make 10.55 an hour, hmmmmm math doesn't work right.....RIGHT. So she usually took $5.00 an hour for all 3 which usually was only 2 and was happy with it! She enjoys the kids and they enjoy her! It was beautiful, plus she is 20 and cleans up after the kids too! WOOHOOO! So I am creating a gothesque pink and black slouch hat with skulls on it! I thiink it will be cute if I can figure it out! :)

October Knit List

2007-10-03T13:23:00.000-04:00

Hmmmm Ok I have seen this idea of keeping track of knitting goals on other blogs and I have attempted to do it before and I am going to attempt again!!

1. Finish Baby Surprise Jacket

2. Finish front of Aran.

3. Knit the first 3 clues of the Secret Stole (starts on the 5th woohoo)

4. Make a pair of mittens.....

5. Try Color work again (possible in the form of said #4's mittens??)

6. Finish the bobbin of lace weight and start on a second.

Let's se how that goes. I think it is accomplishable for sure. But the 3 kids and 50zillion jobs have a way of getting in the way.

Tuesday's Show Off day

2007-10-02T21:53:00.001-04:00

I am doing the EZ knitter's almanac knit along, it was featured in the knit picks catalog, and the podcast as well as in several other places....only here's the thing I am sort of lurking as I don't really have the required yarn for the projects last month or this month but I am knitting EZ's Baby surprise jacket and I have to say this thing is REALLY wild.....I am still not sure how it will come together, but all the seaming you do is from the neck to the edge of the sleeve.......2 seams. I am amazed at how ODD it looks but am loving how quickly it is knitting up....it is teeny tiny.

The Aran I have been working on is coming along......I love it but needed a break so I started the EZ BSJ. But as you can see in comparison to the last pic of it, it has come along way. See the chair....we got it from the transfer station. I love it, it rocks, it swivels and it is sooooooo comfy for knitting in....I need to find a new cushion for it, as this one I belive is just an old lawn chair cushion someone improvised with.

Oh my goodness isn't this kid a goof!?! Bret is such an entertainer. He was showing his little friend his tool bench. SHowing her the ropes....he would jibber jabber and look at her and nod and then push a button and she would smile and then he would tell her a bit about the saw......I love the tool bench the boys have a blast at it.

An FO for me of the non knitting kind. The boys now have all 3 kids now have John Deere Fleece PJ's. They are alot of fun to make in reality. They make a royal mess of the sewing maching with all the fuzz!! But the kids love them. And I have to say they are so soft and squishy all I want to do when they are in them is cuddle them up!

Bret was soooo over tired, and Shy was not impressed with having her pictures taken PERIOD that it was a struggle to get these ones!!! And Bud, look at him, he looks like he is in pain.......but truley he is saying CHEEEEEEEEEEESE. The poor boy, whenever you break out a camera he gets all over dramatic. Honestly he is adorable, but EVERY picture I have of the little bugger his face is all squished and contorted!!! :) Gotta love him!

Figured I would preface my knitting bit with the source of all of our yarny goodness!

These were part of our apple picking, cider pressing field trip that I will talk more about in a future issue of this blog.

He looks like he is poseing! Just stood there begging for a single shot!

That is Bud with his girlfriends little sister in the back ground and in the foreground is his girlfriend and another little girl. He loved the sheep and the chickens and the apples and all the kids......it was fun to watch him interact!

This is what I have been spinning forever now! It is a silk and merino blend in a beautiful aqua color. I am spinning it thin and thinking about 2 plying it, but also the thought of a 3 ply is calling to me.......I really want it a lace weight though and I think a 3 ply will make it to thick!...

2007-09-27T13:41:00.000-04:00

No picture Thursday!! Is there such a club?? I think there should be. You see I have pictures, they are just still in the camera. I have wonderful pictures, but I am lacking the gumption to get off my arse, march through the dinning room and into the kitchen, grab the camera and then go on the hunt for the dang cord. So this is Pictureless Wednesday and I think I will make a point to keep that up. I have things to say but no pics to go with them, so I will save all that stuff for Thursday!

I am thinking (can you smell me?) about a few different projects, and I would love love love your input. I wish I could do a contest but I still have not mailed out the last prize......(I have NOT forgotten you, really I have not, it is just the situation at the moment!) but perhaps things will change and I will be able to do something. I do not forget these things so pass this post on I want lots of input and it isn't just knitting stuff!

Projects I need help with!

1) Dyeing!!!! You know that kauni rainbow yarn.......man it is purdy. It is also expensive and I happen to have a few bare skeins of knit picks that I was going to try Wilton Cake Dyeing. I have done the whole Kool-Aid dyeing which is fun and I loved the results but was told the cake icing paste results in more intense colors. I want to immulate the kauni yarn in that I will do a rainbow dealie. Questions I have are. How long (as in inches, yards whatever) are the kauni repeats? And some successful techniques from those who have done it...... any tips, tricks or things to watch for.

2) I would like to do some canning with my kids but know NOTHING and I mean NOTHING at all about canning. I would like to take some of the apples and pears I am seeing ripen on the trees and makes some jellys or jams. Applesauce perhaps and do them up for christmas. Do I need a pressure cooker, and really good basic websites that I should turn to and any personal advice would be good too.

3) I am thinking about asking for a raise at one of my jobs.......now this is a position that I work from home, use my internet, but I really don't put in all that many hours........so I feel kind of odd asking about a raise...........I think I am going to talk with the vice president who WAS the president until Aug about it. She knows what is going on and Perhaps she will take this under her wings. I don't need help but I just sort of guess I need some prodding. I also have my name in on another on island at home job. We shall see!

Oh dear goodness

2007-09-25T16:50:00.000-04:00

So I have not been blogging much lately. I try to pop in and out....and as excited as I am about Ravelry, I just can't seem to find the time to get in there. All in all I am not all that excited by anything. I am a good fake, I paste a smile on and pretend all is well, when in reality things pretty much suck.

Don't get me wrong things COULD be worse. John got a job at the school as the maintenance man. It is part time 10-20 hours a week. It is a start. There is rumor that the people who have been doing UPS on island are getting done, so he called about that, he may have gotten some wee little jobs for an older lady who lives on the mainland but has a house here. Things aren't AS grim as they were. But here we sit with a thousand a month mortgage amoung the other normal bills, and I am scared $h!tl&$$! The next month will tell.

Meanwhile life goes on. The people who have the job now and thier family talk to us as though they did nothing wrong, when as it turns out they knew 2 weeks before we did they were going to can John.

OH FREAKING WELL. See this is why I haven't been blogging lately. BAH!!

On craft news. I have been kniting, but I hav also been sewing!! These are jammies I am making for the boys. I am getting a pair for both Bud and Bret out of each fabric! They are too cute!

I had forgotten how much I liked sewing! I really enjoy the whole process. I just have no place to leave it set up......sewing machines and curious little fingers are bad news!

Bret is slowly discovering that temper tantrums get him NO WHERE! In fact I find them quite funny!! John captured this one. He shut the gate between the kitchen and the dining room and Bret got his nose QUITE out of joint!

And he just kept on a crying!

Look at those eyes......this is the "hey wait a second I have an audience.....better put the pleadingly cute face on" still didn't magically open the gate for him!

Beam me up Scotty

2007-09-20T21:56:00.000-04:00

I am (not so) patiently awaiting the SOS KAL to start. I absolutely love knitting lace and this will be the first knit along I have ever done, it will also be the first knitting that I have ever done with beads. I am excited for something new.

I have no pictures today.....did get some cute ones of thelittle guy and a little girl I have been watching. They are too cute, she is 9 months old and the same size comparitively to the wee one. She is a big baby! Wicked cute though. I do not publish pics of other peoples children on my blog.

I have been puttering away at the cabled aran fron firsherman's aran by Alice Starmore. I like the pattern but have to rely heavily on the book for the center cable as it is quite complicated.

On the non-knitting front, I have been sewing up a storm. I used to enjoy sewing, I custom made some very pretty clothes for myself that actually fit WELL! This go round I have been maiking adjustable WARM jammies for the kids. Shyanne got pink camo John Deere jammies, Bud got John deere field scene jammies, and Bret got teddy bears and puppies on a blue background. The best thing about the boys, was unbeknownst to me I bought enough to get a pair of each for each of the boys. SO now I have a pair of John Deere jams cut out for Bret and teddy and puppy's cut out for Bud.

On the work front.....I dunno.......no news is supposed to be good news right? Bah, it certainly is scary! And "those" people hired a couple who just had a baby 8 weeks early, he has been caught growing illegals on public property and the whole island knows he doesn't last all that long in jobs............but he will work out great cause his mommy and auntie are in "those" people's back pocket's. Now we know for sure that this was one of those cases where they were in the back door before we were out the front door completely. BITTER?????? Nah, not much.

Coveted tools

2007-09-17T18:22:00.000-04:00

Oh how I love Knit picks, I love their yarn, I love their options needles, and man oh man dare I say I love the looks of these needles!! They are wood too and so unique. I am secretly coveting them. I so want to be rich right now, and I am rich, in love and friendship, but I mean MOOLAH. ot that these needles are expensive, because that is the best part about them......they are sooooooo reasonable. and I do already have the cables.....so all I need is the tips! BUT......you see, there is the spend $45 and get free shipping thing that gets me every time..........and with DH not working that would certainly be a frivolous expenditure. So for right now I will just post the picture to my blog and drool!!!

Things are the same here....still no sign of work. Ads posted in our newspaper and in the neighboring islands newspaper. I will have ulcers before this is all over. I am a financial worrier (as I think most women are ) and to know that there is only 1 more paycheck, and the bills will continue to come in is scaring the crap out of me to say the least!

My child is a genius! :)

2007-09-15T20:30:00.001-04:00

Ok so a few posts (probably 12 or so) ago I ranted about, among other things how Big B flunked his pre-school screening. You can read the details if you like, but long story short, the tests are for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 year olds and (Ok so who cares if I use his real name!) Bud just turned 3 in August. He got a 10 and if a 3 and a half year old got a 12 they would retest. So one tester lady said eh, no biggie he is still a little guy, and the other woman said no he needs to be retested.....she threw words like learning disabilities, special services, and even autism around, very casually. I am sorry but I don't take these things casually. I have been around a variety of children in my 31 years, and in fact one of my first kids ( you know I took care of these twins since they were teeny tiny and now they are 16) were twin preemies who had a very rough start, the girl has no real lasting affects but the boy has autism, mild cp, as well as a mirad of other disabilities. I love love love love love these kids. I tool care of them like they were mine. This all leads to the fact, that I truly hope that if my child had a disability such as one of those, I would be able to recognize it. I studied autism in college for a few papers because "my kid" intirigued me sooo much and in fact I was part of the pushing factor for tracing his autism to aspergers syndrome. You have never met a more loving, SUPER SUPER intelligent in your life, but socially inept with kids his age. Adults? No problem. ANYHOW these screeners as well as some other people around me throw these words around like they are nothing............while I know they are not life ending, I certainly think they are something. And I never considered for once that he may have any of these things. BUT when you are sent for more testing, it does (or so I realized when I burst into tears after the finish of the testing) eat at you, and cause some doubt. So Thursday we went to the testing center and we spent an hour playing...........Buddy did awesome!! The ladies said they stopped when he reached the 4 to the 4 1/2 age level, even though he was still going strong. He did fine across the board. The one thing the speech lady did see was that he has a slight problem with s's, z's and sch sounds. She had him stick his tongue out..........he couldn't.......she said you know what? Has anyone ever told you he is tongue tied? to which I replied, HUH? His tongue is attached to his bottom jaw all the way to the very tip.........she says she is sending us some fun excercises and silly sounds to se if we can improve through that. She says he physically may not be able to make those sounds. and we may have to have that thing clipped a bit which she assures me is no big thing. But she couldn't believe what people were putting us through, and said I want to see you in 6 months JUST to review his speech.........just for those sounds, at which point I suspect I may recommend he get clipped, but I never want to see you in this office for a rescreening ever again. Your son is an extrememly bright exceptional child. Meanwhile he had charmed the other lady into helping him make his choo choo......he had her attach two pop up tunnels and then had taken disks that had one hole in them and threaded them onto a "noodle" and put them under the tunnels..........they had never had a child do that before, much less con them into "helping" He looked at the woman and said pwease pick up the choo choo, so I can stick these under? You can never fully realize how relieved I was, it wasn't until it was all over that I realized how worried I was.

Huh.......imagine that Bud is exceptional. Tell me something I didn't know people!!! I love my kids!

Ok here they are in no particular order

2007-09-14T21:10:00.001-04:00

The baby blanket of doom!! Do you see that wee little bit of blue sticking out? Well belive it or not.....there is a full sized towel under that baby, and that is all you can see, you wanna know why that is all you can see? Cause the stitching has come undone and that is part of the fold. This blankie is as wide as a full size bath towel is long, and it is a little bit longer than a bath towel is wide. Now is anyone else on the same page? Is this not the wrongest dimensions for a baby blankie???

I like the pattern, but if there is a next time there will be fewer repeats and it wil be longer. Yhe hearts came out purdy though. Now this a sage green, I think it is actually Dusty Sage. It is cotton Fleece, which is put out by Brown Sheep. There are 7 skeins in that puppy!

This is my SOS Kal swatch. The swatch has beads in it but was not required to have them in it. I have never knit with beads so I wanted to play a bit. Now I thought I would use the matte beads on the top cause they are matte and varying shades that compliment the yarn color. BUT the bottom beads are the same shade as the yarn but the inside is silver so it picks up the shine nicely. I am baffled, I have no idea which to go with! HELP!!!

We had our first round of Monarchs. I think we had 8 of them and when we set them free they lingered a while. Last year right around this time we had a beloved member of our island family lose her life way to early and the monarchs were astonishing, she was always taken with monarchs and said if she couldn't come back as a mermaid than she would be a butterfly. So Monarchs have new meaning for me.

My wee one looking manly in hus "spenders"

He has become quite the ham. His lip is slightly fat still from his face plant on his pacifier last week that split the inside. This is the second time he has done it......pacifiers are gone except in his bed!!!

Here are the before shots....... My curly boy.....oh so uncontrollable. He came to me today and said. Momma.....I wan haia (no r's on the end we are from Maine people) like my daddy's pwease.

To which I replied very tentively, are you sure honey?

Yes mamma I dooooooooo pwease mamma.

Ok, are you going to be scared of the buzz clippers?

Nope mamma I won. I pwomise mamma.

Meanwhile I am thinking that I have nvere cut curly little boy hair, and am not quite sure where to start. I am more than a little bit afraid of the buzz clippers in my middle babes hair myself. I like his blonde curls, even when they are at thier "fro-iest"

What will he look like with no unruly waves hovering, halo-esque on top of his beautiful face? I am not sure I want to see that.

"Hey Big B, are you sure you want mommy to cut your hair?"

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Mamma, CUT IT NOW PWEASE!!!

Ok so he is still very handsome, and the curl certainly has not left, there is plenty of wave left in those locks! Sorry for the blur he movedin closer as I was snapping the picture. Man he looks adorable!

He now looks like a boy in control of his locks, instead of a boy controlled by his locks!!! I have 3 beautiful offspring! They certainly do give me something to get up for in the morning!

This Blog Post says it all+

2007-09-14T08:29:00.000-04:00

Honestly....This is one of the blogs I read regularly, and I think the blogess and I share the same............psychosis, if you will! I plan to post later today with pictures of my finished objects...they are blocking right now. I am not happy with them..........

The baby blanket..........now pardon me, I am of the mind that a blankie should be longer than it is wide...or posibly even square....but wider than long UMMMMMM NO. But indeed it is.......it is in the pattern measurements too......grrrrrr why didn't I loo at that? Possibly because I was in love with the (neatly folded so you could not see that that size is ALLLLLLLL freaking wrong!!) picture and didn't figure anyone would be screwing with the laws of baby blankets!! Now why didn't I notice that the blanket was off?? Good question but one I can certainly explain........2 reasons actually, I knit this on a too small circular.......20 inches to be exactly SIZE 2's BAHHHHHH, so it was all scrunched up at the top and squished in general............and 2 I was too dang dumb to look at the freaking deminsions!!!! GRRR freaking grr.....but it is a gift and generally speaking it does not look like cat puke sooooooo she is getting it and she will cover her bay with and and she wil like it!

The other item is my secret stole swatch. I have never knitted with beads, thereore I have never bought beads to knit with. Generally speaking this whole project is going out on a limb for me! I swatched ad I threw in 2 different kinds of beads, thinking it would help me clarify my decision on which beads to go with.....ummmmmm NO in fact the beads I was pretty sure I would use I am not un-in love with and the other beads I am sort of EH aboout! So be ready to help me make up my mind...........please.

Hump Day

2007-09-12T12:52:00.000-04:00

What a title huh? I am not feeling imaginative, or creative, or anything else for that matter. I am in a funk. My kids have been sick, and they brought it home to me so as I started a 5 day stint working for the state I also began a miserable sinus infection that was accompanied by its friend the chest cold. This is the kind of thing that takes you out at the knees......you can't breathe, because there is an elephant on your chest and your eyes feel like they are goingt oexplode.....oh yeah what a joyful time I had! WOOHOO and the humidty for the past week has been horrendous.

Dear hubby has not found work, we have not heard about the caretaking job and are losing hope. He has applied for a very part time job at the school as a maintenance man type thing, but we haven't heard anything there either! It is extremely disheartening. Dear Hubby did get our 2nd car running and now we just have to get a title for it so we can make it legal beagle.

I will soon have pics of a finished baby blanket thank god! It is beautiful but I will never knit another one!

Things that make you go hmmmm

2007-09-01T22:19:00.000-04:00

Ok so I work at my local yarn shop, and as most of you know my hubby has been "let go" from his job, and we are somewhat mystified and a whole lot peeved......anyway.......I am greeting people as they come in and a large group comes in and I am in themiddle of my welcome blah blah blah and there is an art gallery upstairs blah blah when the last person comes in and is looking in the opposite direction...hears my voice and sort of turns her head, makes semi- eye contact and then her whole body follows her head clear around and right back out the same door she had JUST stepped in through and down over the stairs she went........any ideas who she was??????

Yeppers, the head poopster! I laughed inside, cause I just kept smiling and talking very nicely with the other customers.......she can't face me, and I think it is rather telling...........if my hubby truley deserved to be fired, she shoudl be holding her head up high.....but she can't face me!

On a better note....hubster got hired for a small....very very very small caretaking job, actually it is a key holding job......the money isn't much but the man is a sweet heart and as things come up hubb ubb can bill hourly for work. He has his name in on another and I sent the "Big" job a note just thanking them for sitting down with the hub and apologizing for not being able to get there with him, and it reitterated that we living in the house is a NON issue. I am pondering what to send next week if we still have not heard anything.........I have read and people have told me to make sure you express your interest once a week, so they can't forget your name! Keeping crossing your fingers for us PLEASE!!!!

Karma? Fate? hmm one wonders!

2007-08-29T19:19:00.001-04:00

So a quick satisfying, funny post. No knitting though!

Ok so My Dad has been a painter (of houses, rooms etc, amoung his other famous skills) he started when he was a teenager, working for his grandfather. Bottom line he knows his chit! He stopped advertising about 3 and a half years ago cause he had enough to last him his life time and mine too :)

Phone Rings at my parents house this morning

Mom- Hello
Person on phone- Hi is M.C. (will not use names sorry) there?
Mom-Yes may I ask who is calling?
Person on phone- This is "the poopy head that your daughter's husband worked for)
Mom- Covers phone tells dad it is "poopy head that SIL worked for"
Dad-Hello.....
Poopy head- Hi, I have some painting I'd like you to do, could you come down and take a lookat it?
Dad- After the way you treated J.W. (my dear hubby) who is my son in law, I wouldn't do anything for you! CLICK
Poopy Head- *This is what happened in my imagined play* Whhhhhhat was that...holy chit man what the hellhave we done?

You see We knew the first person on thier list too, who happens to be someone my hubby worked for way back and is still very good friends with and he talked to him too, and he decided he didn't want anything to do with the job either.....hmmmm karma, or revenge? Either way it is pretty sweet. I am very proud of my dear papa ( I did not say OLD either MOM!!)

Other ways this could have played out...

Dad - sure I will come down and look at it.
Dad goes down and walks it with them and says to poopy head..gosh someone has already started the painting and they have done a darn good job......who was it?
Poopy Head-Oh J.W....our old caretakes
Dad-Oh wait you are the poopy heads who hired him? Oh in that case, go take a suck pill.........

Dad- Oh Poopy head? hmm Oh right I know who you are......you are a know it all know nothing, worthless peice of chit. I'd rather have dog doo on my shoe than talk to you, go get a colonic you poopy head!

Ok so maybe the last scenario is a bit far fetched.....but man...oh there is also one with a bit of blood and gore too! No I don't wish anything ill on them (well maybe a couple bouts of the stomach flu, or a chronic sinus infection, reoccuring hiccups accompanied by an uncontrollabel eye twitch maybe???) umm anyway where was I? Yeah right nothing ill happening to them.....uh huh I don't really I don't! Stop looking at me like that I don't!!! I am not like that! All I want at this point is for the powers that be to sort it all out. These people kick a good family when they are down. And they know what it is lie to be down.....the "head" has leukemia for putts sake. We spent more time worrying about her well being than our own apparently. Anyway That's it for now!

Life goes on.........

2007-08-28T13:35:00.000-04:00

.......even though right now life is a shit sandwich and every day is a bigger bite, the world still spins, and everyone contiues to live life around us.

I have finished the Rasta Hat, and I think it came out pretty cute. Miss S was less than impressed to model it. Big B was much more compliant.

Big B went to his preschool screening, and just when we think he is catching up......they want him to go to a speech and occupational therapist. Hmmm, Ok so the tests were built for 4 year olds and HE JUST turned 3 Aug. 3rd.....and he has only REALLY been talking for like 9 months, and now it comes out in long sentences...Momma I wanna jump on the twampoline with sissy. Ummmmm hello, this is the kid who wouldn't say juice please 6 months ago.......and he wouldn't stand on one foot without hanging on to something..........Ohhhhhhhhh man, I just wanted to sob.......I know he lingers back on the relaxed side, and is in no rush to compete with kids his age.....but in 10 minutes they decide he has problems that need to be firther investigated...but they are probably nothing. Don't get me wrong.....if there is something we can do to help him out I do want to know...but why now? Why on top of everything else do we have to wait for an appointemnt to open up and the spend time (and money) on the mainland to get him tested......why now...why not 6 months ago, when "how the bills are going to get paid" wasn't an issue.......
The Blaket grows......quite quickly now because I have to stay busy. I am a stress knitter. So LimenViolet keeps me smiling and knitting keeps me sane. And in times like these I need a whole lot of both! Overall I like the pattern and it is beautiful! BUT OMG poke me in the eye with KP Options (for those of you non knitters, they are VERY sharp metal knitting needles, I am in love with em")

So Big B is Very serious about potty training.....can you tell? He was showing off for his brother.

And at the end of the day the sun still sets. This is the biggest reason I do not want to leave The rock I live on......where else on the planet can you find beauty like this?

My hubby took this picture 3 nights ago from the ferry dock, it overlooks the casino......I think he may have sed the flash which is why there is a light spot in the casino window.....man it is breath taking!

20 things I am thankful for.

2007-08-25T21:06:00.000-04:00

SO it is decided. While things seem bleak right now I have lots to be thankful for.

1. My husband, he truely is my other half. Without him I am not whole. He is my rock, and the bright spot in my every day. J, I love you, and you are an amazing man.

2. Miss S. a strong, know what I want beautiful young girl to butt heads with. You keep me on my toes for certain. I find myself struggling to stay one step ahead of you.

3. Big B man you changed my world. Laid back little guy, but you have found your voice and are becoming quite assertive!

4. Little B what can I say. You are my entertainer. Keep dancing, miracle boy so we can all keep smiling.

5. My health.

6. The ability to work.

7. My mom. She has beaten the odds more times than I care to count, and she fights for every day. I am thankful for every day.

8. My Dad, again he has beaten the odds, and will continue to do so.

9. My talents and craftiness. Without them I don't think I would make it through the trying times. (God help me if I run out of yarn in the next few weeks)

10. My home. I do have a roof over my head, it may be old, but it is mine and it doesn't leak.

11. The beautiful sunrise that greets me in the morning.

12. The incredible sunsets that ends each day with storybook charm.

13. This island with all it's beauty and peacefullness.

14. My cousin A. who is about the only family member who gives a rats a$$. (oops I will try not to be bitter)

15. For finding my voice and being able to stand up for what I believe in.

16. The the troops who have and continue to fight for our freedom and all our rights that go along with that freedom.

17. Wonderful Internet Friends to lift me up with cyber hugs.

18. My MIL who helps when and where she can.

19. The air that I breathe, clean ocean air.

20. Life.

Things have got to get better. J interviewed for a job this morning. He worked for the guy when we first got together and had for quite some time, he was a caretakers assistant. The caretaker got sick and they hired a new younger guy and John got a new regular job. If he were to get this job, we would have to move into thier house....which is 5 bedrooms 3 bathrooms and beautiful! It would mean slightly higher pay.....possibly renting our home....although not sure how that works with insurance and such....., it would mean a 2 car garage with a full apartment over the top of it.......a huge yard, not being right in town on the roads........I am trying not to think about it because there were many other candidates.......and we were one of the late comers...........if you believe in the power of postive thought or prayer.....we could use all the help we can get..........I feel like I have an elephant on my chest.........we should have an answer in the next few weeks.

Warning: Explosive Rant!

2007-08-24T15:01:00.000-04:00

I have to be careful because certain muggles have this blog address, so no names will be mentioned! My dear husband was "let go" today from a job he has had since Miss S was 2, so 5 years. He has given his heart and his soul to try and return the property to what it was when the late owners were alive. Unfortunately the previous caretaker left the place in complete disarray, and had been using thier equipment to do business of his own and really overworked it all! The houses were in bad need of paint and had leaks everywhere. They always had a contractor come in and do carpentry and painting but when my hubby took over it all became his responsibility, along with keeping everything mowed (60 acres) and cut back and all that good stuff. And then there was no one really in charge. His second year they gave him a check list of things that needed to be done every spring and fall. And then said that windows needed to get done,,,,well this past winter he had windows out and would have had themm all done were it not for the wife of one of sons telling him that the electric bill was too high and that needed to stop. This is how it always goes down there........There is one "head" and she is aging and of mildy ill health, and so she passed the buck on to her son, who hasn't even been here for 2 years, her other daughter comes and goes and actually did some work on the house with her boyfriend and his crew. But she has not been around for a while. The sons wife tho,,,,,,,,let me tell you, she is good at causing hate and discontent. She told us this winter she was taking over the finances......sooooo we sent her recipts that we were originally sending to the "head" as originally requested. Well all of a sudden we were getting not so nice e-mails about missing recipts and bouncing checks........(well the missing reciepts were for a grand total of like $60.00, and at the time of that deduction the account had a balance of a 5 digit figure NOT INCLUDING THE CHANGE!) So we thought we had that straightened out but I now have a sneaking suspicion that she has been stabbing us in the back since the beginning and that time it just got a bit bigger than she intended. I am sure they all think we were lieing.....but WHY would we keep the reciepts?????? HMMMMMMMMMM no maka no sense to me???? HOWZ BOUT YOU?

So here we sit 3 kids and I am already working more jobs than I can keep tract of and was thinking about eleminating one or 2 in th next few weeks.......guess not. I am sure it will all even out, but for right now, I am in charge of picking up the pieces that were up until this afternoon, my husband. He is devastated and feels like he has let us down, them down, and himself down. I don't know how to tell him, that it is not him..........they are a bunch of.......of.............of.............well hmm.................POOPY HEADS to quote my 3 year old son and I hae to say that is a lot nicer than I want to be!

Now I am sorry this seems inapropriate and it certainly is not crafty, but I too, just like my husband am shattered. We certainly have been waiting for the other shoe to drop, but NOT like this.

MMMMM GOOD!! FO's and hand spun -------> See it?? Over there ----------->

2007-08-20T13:38:00.000-04:00

I up loaded a flicker thingy to my page, woohoooooo. I love love love love love the way the space dyed merino pencil rovings turned out......see why I am itching to get things finished so I can knit me up some socks...........it is delisheeeeosoo! Yumm yummm

This is a baby blanket I am knitting out of Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece. It is a very sagey color and feels sooooo nice. It is going to be warm and washer friendly!

The pattern at this point is kind of boring but I can still manage to forget if it is k2tbl or just a k2tog row........

This is the hat I cast on, on Saturday. I plan on closing it up today weaving in the ends washing and blocking it....but we shall see. Then the focus will be on the blankie, and the other hat I cast on weeks ago......

Remember these ladies? You saw them in pieces a few posts back. I think it was one of the contest posts. I asked if you knew what they were.........they were the starched drying pieces of these 2 beautiful girls. Does anyone know where you can get miniture things from? I would love to have one of them holding a baby but they are only 3.5 inches tall!!!!! But look at the one on the right doesn't she look like she is gazing adoringly into a abaies eyes???? LOL Perhaps it is just me??????? The other one looks like she is destined to be holding a skein of yarn for someone! That is an easy one!

Pictureless Post

2007-08-18T13:48:00.000-04:00

OH my goodness! I have a case of startitis. I need the cure for that, and then will someone give me a case of finishitis? I was taking stock of what I currently have on the needles and thinking that I needed to get things done, so what do I do????? I cast on yet another project.... BLAH!!!!

Currently I have on the needles:
* A pair of toe up jaywalkers done 2 at once on circs.
* A lovely sage baby blanket done on SIZE 3's!!!!!
* A beautiful aran done in cashmerino
* A Rasta style baggy beret
* my angel ornaments
* a scrap yarn blanket which is always on the needles as I just add leftover yarn to it as it comes.

Now I know this doesn't sound like much BUT I also have
* Fiber that needs to be spun (just finished this AWESOME space dyed limey violetey turquise yummy merino stuff) That I have set and drying and I CAN NOT WAIT to knit it up into some yummmmmmmmo socks! I also have the fuschia all skeined up for miss S's winter hat.
* A hooked rug idea......u wait. I have the beautiful sunset pic as my profile pic on ravelry (i am craftymomma if you care to add me) and I want to blow it up and match the oranges and blacks and do a 3x6 area rug. I have the monks cloth I just need to get the yarns. I plan to sell it, and then make myself one.....they are expensive to make but we sell them at the LYS and there are 3x5's that are selling for $890.00 YOWSERS!!!!!!!!!!!
* and don't forget about the jobs.....remember those, that is where you actually make money, but it interferes with the knitting and crafting time (DANG it all to heck!!)
* oh yeah and last but certainly not least the kids..... and there are 3 of them, they have ways of interfering with craft time too!!!! Drooling little curtain climbers they are. But dang it they are cute........me thinks god makes em' that way so we don't eat them at birth! :)
* Oh yeah and then there are the PILES of pictures waiting for spare moments to put in scarpbooks! HMMMMMMMMMMM FOCUS FOCUS!!!

So for right now I am going ot focus on

1) The blanket, friend is due in OCtober and these are size 1 needles. PAttern right now is afairly simple on as I am past the scalloped lacey bottom edge........so for 23 1/2 inches it is seed stitch 5 stitches, k4, *yo k2tog, k7* repeat till last 9 stitches k 4, seed st. 5. P 1 row then the pattern is the same except it is k2tbl, yo. That be it.....pretty boring right now.
2) The hat cause there are too many naked heads in the shop right now and they wierd me out!!! PLus it should end fairly quickly as it it is an easy knit!

Them are my priorities....oh and the kids, can't foget the kids can I???!?!!!

AND the winner is!!!!!

2007-08-13T09:37:00.000-04:00

hmmmmm I think I will keep you in suspense and get on with some knitting goodness!!! HAHAHAHAHA, You are at my mercy!!! :) Just kidding!

This is the beutiful aran I am knitting out of cashmerino! I love the way it is working up!

Do you see what I see? F.O.'s. 3 of them to be exact! WOoohhooooo these are absolutely adorable. I knit up a newborn, a 3-6 month and a 6-9 month. Easy Peasy pattern!!

See little B over there....poor guy was falling asleep in his food!

And as if I don't have enough on the needles!!!!! I cast on for a baby blanket. A friend is having a baby in Oct. and I am tryign to get it started. This is not my usual baby pattern and I have attempted this pattern before and stopped because it was a difficult pattern to interpret! I am knitting it in a sagey green cotton fleece. So it will be appropiate for both girls and boys. And since they are some of "those" annoying people (just kidding, but seriously come on!!) that don't find out what they are having, I had to come up with something other than YELLOW (UGH!!!)

The oattern is coming out beautifully this time!!!!! I can now read patterns easily!

AND so the winner is blogless SONJA she got it all!!!!!! Here is the picture of the Blue Guitar. And it was George and Barbara Bush for our famous couple.

My first purchase at the LOOPY EWE WOOOOOOOHOOO I love it I love it Ilove it!!

I am gonna get to try CHERRY TREE HILL YAHOOOO

Kauni EL for a well I dunno any sugestions!

I have Kauni Ek too but the post didn't allow me to post that picture too it is yellows and greens!!!

Progress )Contest, Knitting and Spinning)

2007-08-10T19:04:00.001-04:00

OK so Sonja (who I have no way of contacting as her guess did not link back to her blog, so please let me know how to contact you) is HALF right, that indeed is Eric Claptons Yacht Blue Guitar, and she is soooo close on her guess of the famous political couple! It was not George and Laura Bush, but you are on fire you are soooo close!

Come on more guesses!!! WOOHOOOO took long enough for someone to give it a whir!

So I have been spinning! I love it! I love love love it. I am spinning some fuschia merino right now for a hat for Miss S. I just love the whole process. I want to find some raw fleece and try it from the start! Although it sounds like a lot of work!

These are my toe up jaywalkers only now I have turned the heel and am working on the cuff!

The picture spacing on blogger has gone wonky so as I am typing this it is completely seperate from the rest of the post we will see what it looks loke in real time.

Here is my first hooked project. I think it turned out really nice!

This will be a cabled sweater. It is knit in Cashmerino and it is a complete dream to work with YUMMMMMO.

Well just figured I would pop in and update things are wonky here so gotta run!

Waiting and more waiting!!

2007-08-07T17:35:00.000-04:00

What does one do when they have all the time in the world on thier hands to do nothing but wait!!!! KNIT KNIT KNIT!!! I got the heels turned on my socks. I have no pictures because I am on a cheap OLD Mac and I don't have a camera.

Dad's surgery was this morning! It went well. They had an issue with bleeding but it was no big deal. He went in for an oil change (tumor removal) and got a free transmition too (they fixed his deviated septum, that he has had like forever!) This was something that wasn't discussed and that dad had been told couldn't be done because of his blood circulation. WOOHOO he will be able to now breathe through both nostrils!!!!

I got a lot accomplished on my toe up 2 at once socks that I adapted from the jaywalker patterns! I will post pictures at some point this week!

On to clues.....I am so sad that NO ONE has guessed on my contest! Well we got warm when we went political. It is the couple that is political. As for the yacht he is a famous musician......and there is a clue in the name of the yacht. It is a 2 word name. If you can figure out the name of the boat and type it into a google search it pops the artist up!!!! That is all you are going to get out of me!!!

Flickr

2007-08-05T22:41:00.001-04:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

* CONTEST* Trivia type anyone can enter!!

2007-08-05T21:55:00.000-04:00

Ok so If you are reading this and you are from a tiny island in Maine please do not ruin this for others.....I here by disqualify you from this here contest!!!!!

For all others.......we had 3 famous/well known/some not necessarily well liked BUT nonetheless special visitors to/around our small island and I want you to name them.......I will give you some back ground........1 of them belongs to this yacht!!!

The other 2 are married, and required 2 Black "Official" looking SUV's to get Priority Reserves on our ferry boat. Each had 1 driver and no passenger. Now bear in mind Prioritys are hard to come by.......you as a person have to be dying, just operated on or dead and coming home to be buried, to get one....unless you are the town and need to get demo or trash dumpsters out to and off island, or you are the state and you are sweeping the roads or doing repair on the ferry stuff!!! Come on and pass the word. The first to name
all 3 people will get a handmade goody!

And do you know what these might be in the near future????

A letter to my birthday boy!

2007-08-04T07:59:00.000-04:00

The little Guys Birthday was actually yesterday (sorry for any confusion!)

Dear Bud,
It is hard to believe it has been 3 years since you came into my life! What a fun filled trip it has been thus far. You came into the world in record speed and caused mommy some grief in the process, but I have long since forgiven you for that, never shall I forget, and you will probably be reminded of it several times before I die!!!!! You were a relaxed go with the flow baby, you never crawled, you rolled where you wanted to go, and it got you there surprisingly fast. You walked late (your sister pretty much catered to you so why should you walk, or talk for that matter!!!) but you took off running. You tend to sit back and relaly get things figured out in your head before attempting to try it. But once you get it all figured out you really get it figured out...there were no stumbly, drunken sailor first steps, it was all confidence and easy strides. You had others worried, by your lack of drive, and they were not afraid to express thier concern to your dad and I. I just let everyone know that this was your personality. You could not be compared to your
sister as you are 2 different people with 2 very different personalities. I am privledged to have been allowed to watch you grow this far. we had a rough start to our relationship.....just as you were getting to really know your nutty family (you were about 4 months old) mommy got sick and had to have surgery and you stayed with Daddy and I in the hospital, and slept in the same bed you did when you were a newborn.....man you looked huge in it! We spent 10 days in house which included Christmas Morning. We were released that day but couldn't go home as there were no
boats. I apologize for the lack of pictures of your first Christmas, and when I look through your scrapbook, the void makes me sad but I am lucky to be here today and thank my stars that Dr. Paine jumped on board when he did and took charge!
You are a trooper, always up for an adventure and causing quite a few yourself. You had your first ambulance and plane ride at 18 months. You scared us to death, with your blue lips. Mommy had just found out you were going to be a big brother, and in the sight of you hooked up to tubes and moniters was
too much for me and I passed out. We made it through it, your daddy flew over with you while the Dr's here patched me up and then I caught the last boat and flew in the car to the hospital to hold my little man. You were soooo sick. They got you up on your feet in a couple of days though. It was R.S.V. and (knock on wood) you have had no return bouts of it.
It has been a pleasure to spend the last three years with you, and this last year you have grown by leaps and bounds. In the last couple of months you started really talking. Up
till then it was just mumbled words and pointing. Now you talk as plain as can be and definitely get your point across quite plainly!

My hopes and dreams for you are bigger than the moon and stars itself. I hope you are always happy, and that become the person you are destined to be, and by far the most important thing for you to remember is that you remember that you are loved more than any words on a computer screen can explain. I love you so much it hurts!!

--Love Always and Forever
Your Mommy

Giggles, Grins, Knitting, Spinning and Hooking!!!

2007-07-27T23:05:00.000-04:00

Ok so does this look like a proud little boy???? He is walking NOW!!! Oh my goodness is he ever happy with himself. We laugh non stop, he is a dancing fool! Hard to take pictures of that though!! Oh goodnessjust when I think I have 3 too many kidlings, they all do something sweet and make me smile and melt my heart.......this was that moment today........without too many details it was a horribly LOOOOOOOOOOONG day. Nothing serious, just kids being kids at thier most interestingly, worst!

So my therapies have been as such! Spinnnnnnn Spinnnnnn Spinning!!! This is some Merino that Miss S wants a hat or mittens out of. I plan to 2 ply this when I am done the singles! Notice the other full bobbin on the lazy susan!! WOOOHOOO......BUT yet I hav a whole nother ball of it!!

See how much more even they look. I love it! I can feel my technique evolving! Even without a guiding hand! Although if anyone has any
advice I would be happy to hear it!

This is the finished hat. I am not exactly happy with it. I am going to be done with it, cause it is kinda yummy but I think it needds to be deeper or something. It is just not how I sort of saw it as I was planning it. I could rip it back but I just really don't feel like it!!

This is what I am starting. I sw one of these in real life and they are TOOOOOOOOOOOO cute and I have to say I think it is going to be easy peasy!

Ok so wednesday night I was told that I am a natural hooker!!! Hmmmm now since when is that a compliment to be proud of?????? Well when you are talking about rug hooking of course. I have so many ideas! This is done with wool and the finished priduct is hierloom quality. They say it will last 100 years. I absolutely love it! And it is easy!!!! This is a 10inch round pillow and I am ALMOST done/........More so than this picture shows!

This is another hat to be. It is bound to make me unhappy. I am never happy with anything I create on my own, but I guess we al have to start somewhere!

This is a pair of toe up jaywalkers! I am adjusting the pattern so they can be knit on size 5's and toe up so it is a bit different but so far they look pretty good!

Can you tell I have a bit of start-itis? It's all good though cause eventually it will lead to finish-itis when I get overwhelemed with how many projects I have going at once!!!!

Does anyone read blogs anymore? Since Ravelry I find myself in a blog rut!!!

SOOOOOO much fun I am still loving it!

2007-07-23T22:12:00.000-04:00

OHHHHHH LALA. I got my hands on some Lorna's Laces. I love this colorway, it is bold and beautiful. She had another called confetti that was delish too. We went on an impromptu mini family getaway. Took 2 days to regroup and replinish. It was nice. Thursday the boys had an appointment on the mainland and then we headed out to Stockton Springs to the Purple Fleece
Which is where I got the Lornas Laes and also treated myself to some roving.

This is my second and third attempt at spinning, and my first attempt at plying. This was just some roving I had laying around that I use for fleece stuffed mittens occasionally. I don't think it looks to bad you can see the stuff in the middle was some of the first off the spools and then the stuff to the right was some of the last. I have it relaxing or setting the twist now. and then will skein it and see what I can make with it.

This is the bag of merino I bought. Yummy stuf so soft!!!

This is some space dyed merino top. I loved the look of the colors, it is more vibrant than this picture portrays it.

This is some merino silk mix..........oh man this stuff is soooooooooooooooo soft!!! I love it!

These were 2 balls Miss S pciked out becuase she wants new mittens. And thought this color would be beautiful!!!!

Little B apparently got a headache from all the yarny goodness......poor guy. He has a long road to hoe!!!

He is just so cute, he is edible!!!!!! This is such a cute age, but I knwo the stages that lurk just around the corner!!!! ARGH!!!

New Toys!!! Lova at first sight!

2007-07-17T23:45:00.000-04:00

Ok so I have been painfully yearning for a spinning wheel for quite a while now. I have been researching them and trying to figure them out. What I have found is that spinners really don't know exactly what to tell you. Experienced spinners just now that they like what they like. The science of it seems to escape everyone. I did alot of questioning at Ravelry (which kicks booty) and finally struck upon some worthy advice. Most people feel that you should try them before you buy them but then people said that like a Harley, when you drive a wheel off the lot, it doesn't depreciate. So if after you gain some
experance you decide that there is a better fit, then sell this one and buy a new one.
This thing is beautiful. The grain of the wood etc. I think if I didn't have little ones I would like to have a bigger one that looks more......well......"traditional" but for now this one is teensy and can be tucked away and she is fairly purdy! Now if I can just play with her.

With my limited experience I would DEFINITELY say get it PRE ASSEMBLED!!!!! These things are odd to put together. There are no worded directions. Just these funny drawings with exclamation points and lightening bolts, and pictures of candles, and bottles of oil.

Ain't she sexy???? Now I am going to go put some buns in the oven......( cinnamon buns....where's your head!!!) and maybe see what I can spin up......my fingers.....my hair....the dog.......a kid?????

Contest Winners :)

2007-07-16T13:39:00.000-04:00

Hey all I just drew the names for my Anniversary idea contest........The overall idea winner was
Tales from the Den of Chaos- not a new idea to me but it needed to be drawn from the cesspools of my brain!
My names in the hat drawing which Miss S drew was I like yarn.....but I felt like it felt kinda rigged so I drew another name to add to the first 2!!!
The second was trek I have posted to each of your blogs and am awaiting your address info!!! Thank you to all who participated!! I look forward to doing another in the future!

--ME :)

Happy Birthday Hubby O' mine and knitting stuff

2007-07-15T13:16:00.001-04:00

They it's your birthday........daaanaanaanaana.....

So Dear Hubby turns the big 40 today. I got up and made Blueberry pancakes for breakfast and then we let the kids run wild with the chalk.

My favorite cousin stopped by, for a good verbal beating!!! We pick on this beautiful thing so hard. Simply because we love her. She looks a wee bit tired huh? Wonder why......put yourself back in your almost 20 year old shoes and you could probably figure it out!!!

Little Miss having a wee bit o' fun!!! Crayola has some really good chalk products! We have the rake and the small package of tools and these HUGE chalks!!!

This is out doooooofy puppy Angel. She really is cute, but man I have had some dogs in my 31 years and this one is not the brightest. I am hoping that in another 6 months when she turns 2, that maybe the gerbil in her head will fgure out how to run the wheel..........is that asking too much?

Little B crawled around the parking lot, and walked around pushing his push toy and the he walked in his walker too chasing sissy and the dog and his brother.

Hey sissy lemme see can I fix that??????

This is the hat I am working on. I am unventing it as I go. To paraphrase E.Z. It is very pretty. I have gotten even with the turn up on the inside. Hmm hard to make sense of that......the total piece is actually doubble what you see here as it flips up and there is ribbing inside. I am getting ready to begin the pattern again on the top of the hat!!

These are the stitch markers I created for the YS if the lady is interested. I am awaiting her e-mail. Otherwise I have other ideas for these!!!!

Yet another FO and an O.R.E.O.

2007-07-13T21:58:00.000-04:00

I finished my merino Lace socks from the Interweave magazine, I beleie the fall of 2003.
The yarn is Knit Picks Sock Weight Bare Yarn dyed by me and Miss S in Pink Lemonade and Fruit Punch! I love them, they are sooo soft, but it is way too hot for them now!!!
Litttle B had his first backwards Oreo the other day and these were the results!!

Have I said before how much I love my camera????? Look at the awesome details!
I think he enjoyed the cookies more than the birthday cake! On to figure out my next project which shall be a project of my own creation (Ithink!!)

2007-07-11T22:12:00.000-04:00

I find this way to humorous!!! Apparently I have said hurt 3x and gun 1x LOL

I think this is really cute. You enter your blog site in the website and they scan it and come up with a rating.....I like it!!! Still preoccupied with ravelry and trying to get all caught up on everything! My mom took the boys for a nap this afternoon and I got alot done!!!!! WOOHOO.

On the knitting front have turned the heel of the second sock. WIll post pics later!!

Fineeto, WOOHOO I think it is bee-u-t-full!!!!

2007-07-10T21:32:00.000-04:00

It is done and it is beautiful! I love love love it! This is an awesome lace pattern and it is simply beautiful!!!
Couldn't get any human volunteers so my teddy did it for me!!!!!! Don't forget to click on the contest button and join the fun. 2 people will be chosen on the 16th of July. It is simple people and everyone can enter, you don't have to be married!!!

Awards and RAVELRY!!!!

2007-07-09T14:34:00.000-04:00

Ok so I was awarded this title a few weeks back by my cousin over at I LIKE YARN. Now I need to pass on the pestigous award to 5 rockinggirl bloggers that I feel worthy of the title.

This has been a tough call. I have wayyyyyy more than 5 blogs I read quite regularly but I will figure out how to mae them feel special too!

Oh yes and you are supposed to tag 5 people that you consider Rockin Girl Bloggers, if I have tagged you!!!

1) Susan at Knitting as fast as I can. Why, because I am in awe of her patterns, and her spinning. She has beautiful Stuff! Check it out!!

2)Caseey at Floofle check out her recycled flip flop pattern!!! Oh my goodness I just sat there with my mouth hanging. It is PURE GENIOUS!!!!!

3) Shelley at Kitten Knits Yarn This woman does an incredible amount of goodness! She was my first commenter on my blog, it really is all about the comments!! Shelley you ock too!!!

4) Diane at Brit Knitter. This lady is incredibley nice!!!! And talented too. She was my secret Pal so Iam just getting able to read her blog but she rocks!!!!!

5) Anyone who is reading this, you deserve one too!! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE

Oh yes and RAVELRY ROCKS!!!!!!! Oh my goodness, I just got my invite 2 days ago, and I think I am on my way to having everything upladed but I LOVE IT!!!!

Reluctant Model

2007-07-06T20:37:00.000-04:00

I amlovig this pattern and currently I have just 1 and a half more repeats before I get tothe bottom edge......which is actually on the needles. I asked him if he would be my handsome model and he said yeah mom until I went to put it on his head. He FREAKED out...uhoh momma it gonna stick me, hurt, make owees!!! I convinced him I wouldn't let it and so he reluctantly posed for me. Then he decided Mom was silly..........yo know what this littl stinker has taken to doing now? Bare in mind this is the kid who takes everything in and is ABSOLUTELY sure of himself BEFORE he attempts anything, he never crawled, didnt walk til he was 18 months or better, just within the last month or so really started talking.....but when he walked he never fell, and now that he is talking he surprises us all the time........he was trying to get Daddy's attention.......so it was, dad, .......daddy........DADDDDDDDDDY, and when that didn't work it was DADDY DUKIS!!!!!!! Cracked me up. Then tonight he tried one on me....OK so you expect it to be cute right????? HMMMMMMM Me think not so much.
"mom, .....momma.........Mommy..........MOOOOMMMMMMY,
HEY BABES!!!" Ok so after I almost pee'dmy pants laughing so hard my sides hurt, I had to decide....... be a good parent of the 21st century and explain that, that is sexist an inapropriate, or let it slide and hope like hell he doesn't decide to come out wth this in public....I choose the latter road. I figured I had already let the twerp see me and his dad laugh until we hurt so what was te point in making a big deal out of it. So far he hasn't come out with it again. I carumba!

So this is the Lily of the Valley Smoke Ring from Susan over at http://knittingasfastasican.com gorgeous fun thing to knit. Doesn't Big look cute in it????

My Secret Pal Rocks!! And a Contest :)

2007-07-03T06:16:00.001-04:00

So Do you detect a theme here?

First things first, my SP10 rocks. She sent me this awesome package and I am sooooooo excited,I now own a yarn winder!! WOOHOO. I think my hubby was just as excited as I was, in fact he wound the first skein, he also sent me to Joanns to get the umbrella swift to go with the ball winder (WOOOOHOOOOOO) There is also a keychain sock blocker kit which I have been eyeing for a while, 4 skeins of Knit Picks memories sock yarn in 2 different lovely colors, 2 bags of chocolate (which hubby had the first pieces from both bags!!! She sent me a touching card, a note book and a magnetic pad of paper. The big reveal also came in this package. My SP10 is non other than Dianne from Brit Knitter . Thank you for making my first SP experience an awesome one. I will definitely not hesitate to join the next one!

These are the socks that I was referring to in the last post. They have been sitting untouched for about 4 months. I ran out of yarn and it is of my creation so I had to get more base yarn from knitpicks and then dye it.....NOW I can use my ball skeiner to skein it, I may even wait till my swift arrives and use them together. I am still knitting away at th lily of the valley smoke ring. It is lovely, I am on the 6th repeat of 9. I expect to get quite a bit of knitting done on the ferry today. Wee one has his 1 year check up. Hopefully he has gained weight and they are pleased with his plumpness...poor boy was in the 23% for weight and 59% for height. Of course he had JUST gotten overthe stomach bug that put Big B in the hospital for dehydration!

K Again another gentle reminder to join my gosh darn contest!! Spread the word......also tell them to leave the comment in the post so it is easy to do the draw!! ALSO I had one comment yesterday and I have no way of recontacting her, it doesn't lin back to her blog. If she is drawn I will post it in my blog and hope she reads it???? HMMMMM I am new to all this stuff!!! I am building quite a little cache of goodies!!

Beaches!! Knitting and CONTESTS

2007-07-02T12:16:00.000-04:00

So last week we had like 3 torturous hot days. The kind that when you factor in the humidity here in Maine makes you almost puking sick! We took the kids to the beach on Dear hubbies lunch break just to cool em'down a bit. They piled in, bear in mind that th water temp.....is 47 degrees.....well anyway dang cold!!! They had a blast!

and no we did not squeak another kid in without announcing her, that is a friend of Miss S's that spends the day during the week with us.
Little B loved the beach and liked to play monkey!
Looks like he was trying to stand up but really he was just trying to get his knees off of the beach.
Ain't he a little Devil!!

OH MY GOODNESS IT IS ICE CREAM HEADACHE COLD.

Oh and for knitting, well it is getting done but I am just not getting many pics. I will try to snap a few so that I can show off my newests.. actually I just kool aid dyed the yarn to finish my socks that I gave up months back!!!! Will get that on too!

Don't forget to enter the contest, please leave the comments on that post so I can find you all

CONTEST!!!!!! BIRDIES AND YARN HEAVEN

2007-06-30T19:33:00.000-04:00

Hey do you remeber this contest?????? Well I don't have many entrys. Come on peeps!!! Give me some ideas......you don't have to be married neessarily. Just give me some cool ideas!! I am going to come up with the winners on July 16th. There will be 2 winners, 1 for the one I will most likely use and 1 for a random draw. Come on come on!!! Please post your entry to that blog post to make it easier to find you all!!!!

Here they are today....like minutes ago. They are getting soooooo big! It looks like only 2 out of 3 are going to hatch.

Can you spot mom and dad in this pic? Click on the picture to make it bigger.....they are both there!! And then the next picture is to give you a perspective of how close they stay , the bush beside the house is where the nest is, mom and dad are in the tree further out but th first oe on the right. They sit there and tweet thier scolding at us while we sneak pics of thier babes!

Last but not least is this awesome yarn! I can not put into words how awesome this yarn feels. It is 100% Merino Lambs wool, cottage spun locally here in Maine. Best of all it is SUPERWASH! I mean to tell you guys this stuff is awesome, it feels like flannel, your favorite 100 year old soft t-shirt and high pile fleece all in one.......I am not kidding you, If I could make a bed out of tis stuff I would!!! I plan to create a pair of socks out of these and see how superwash they are. OH thank god for a discount!!

Proud Mama

2007-06-30T08:11:00.000-04:00

Mrs. Robin is being a good mama.
She now has 2 babies I just have not gotten a picture lately.

This has been a really neat thing for me to watch unfold! I have never seen anything like this so closely! The kids are enjoying it too....although Miss S says this thing doesn't look like a robin.....LOL

Bad Bad Blogger

2007-06-28T13:57:00.000-04:00

I am still kicking....these are pics of the wee ones birthday party!! Hmmm just a day under a week ago andI am just posting pics.
He was so clean eating his cake....the other 2 literally dove in face first which is why they get thier own mini cake........the photos of this guy aren't quite as entertaining, nor are will they have the blackmailing strength as Miss S and Big B's

He was really into sharing with Grammie. Great big fist fuls for her, in the end I think she got more of his cake than he did. He was very insistent!!
Grandma and grandpa bought him his very own cement truck....he was thrilled. Grmmie gave him 2 really cute summer outfits, and a tow bihind caterpille with these nifty spinny balls...too cute. Mommy and Daddy got him a musical bus, he got a book and $5, from hus other grammie, and $5 from his aunt and uncle. He had a great day and baskd in all the attention.

This is the book from our adopted grammie.....he really stopped to look at it too, it has animals in it and he loves anything farm animal!

Here we are playing peek a boo with my package!!! He knew exactly what he was doing.

Where is Little B??????

Here I am Hehehehehehehehehe!!!

There are more pics to come......I have some extras this time around woohooo!!!! And I will update my knitting in the next one!

Proud/Sad/Bittersweet Parenting Moments

2007-06-23T21:11:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: This post lacks knitting content so if you are here for yarny stuff, today you are outta luck (sorry!!)

Ok so fot those of you with kids, you know that you get to a certain point and you realize that they are growing up right before your eyes..........and you choose to ignore it, pretned it isn't happening and certainly you don't admit toanyone else that they are doing such horrid things.

Then it slaps you in the face that the cat is outta the bag........................................................................heres my weekend in a nut shell, Little B turned 1 yesterday, and he is already to walk......he stands up from the the middle of the floor now without help and then can gently lower himself to a kneeling or squatting position, he just hasn't figured out how to move his feet yet. Sad, bittersweet parenting moment.

Big B is really seriously into the potty training thing, he even told us today on the mainland when he had to go....before he went in his pants. Wooohoooo that is an awesome happy positive proud thing.

The last item I will leave to your savvy interpretation. Miss S had to have certain items added to her wardrobe. We had "the" discussion and she was fine with it. Oh my god was this a slap me in the face wholly CRUD what the heck is going on, where the heck did my baby girl go!!!!!!!!!!!! UGH............what next..........don't even go there I don't want to talk about it, on that note I will be in denial for at least another 5 years (HOPEFULLY!!)

So thats it a weekend full of memories of time slipping by and memories being made. For mom and dad, mostly mom it was a weekend of high emotions!!!

Happy Birthday little guy!!

2007-06-22T09:54:00.000-04:00

happy birthday wee one!!!!!! time really does go fast. Little B is 1 today, in about another hour he had joined our family a year ago. He was a surprise baby, and I am so happy he surprised us, he is a very happy go lucky kinda kid, and now you can tell he tries to make us laugh. Happy Birthday Little Man, glad you joined our zoo/family!

These socks are now off the needles but took this picture early in the day to show you all that I really do knit 2 socks at once oncircular needles. I
really sweat by this method. There is never any second sock syndrom, and the socks are always the same. I tend to tweak patterns as I go in my head and then when I go to knit the 2nd I have forgotten exactly what I do. These socks were done in peace fleece, and I really like them. There is no pattern, it all just went from my head to the needles.

So I have caught the stitch marker
bug too. They are so fun,nd quick to mke and I love the fact that they
are inexpensive. The only problem I have is that Wal-mart here doesn't have much of a selection and when you buy on line wih beads you really don't know what you are getting. I do't know what size 6mm is.....I mean I suppose I could break outa ruler, but that would be too smart!

Finished Peace Fleece Socks WOOHOO.

And here is my new project! It is the Lily of the Valley Smoke Ring. It is very enjoyable. I love it!

Knitting and newness

2007-06-19T21:51:00.001-04:00

So I discovered this nest perched rather low in a lilac bush. It is right outside of the front door to a house my husband caretakes for. It is quite a deep nest. Little Miss S actually saw it first but decided there were no eggs....I believed her and bypassed it for a few days, and then I took a peek in it. Now I don't know i the eggs were there to begi with or if they were laid after S. peeked. but anyway there are

3 Beautiful bright blue, robins eggs in that nest. and since spying them we have seen momma bird sitting on the nest and gathering food for herself. I am anxiously awaiting the baby birds, I have never been able to peek in on a nest like this before. The kids have been told to stay away and that if they touch the nest or the eggs that momma bird won't take care of her babies, and that if we are creful we just may be able to watch them as they grow and get ready to learn to fly.

I think it is awesomely amazing. The olor of the eggs is incredible!

So I did my first day in the yarn/gift shop here on island, and it really is not conducive to the wallet.

This is one of the first sweaters I ever attempted and I love it. It came out beutfuly, not to toot my own horn.

Look at all that yany goodness it takes a great bit of restraint to cntrol oneself when under extreme circumstances such as these!

If you look really closely in this picture you will see my new spinning wheel.....I am not sure which one, was hoping to get some advice n it, but she has 3 in stock 2 are ashford travellers, one of which is a double treadly with scotch tension, (it may sound like I know what I am talking about..but I really don't I just read the box ) the other is single treadl and the 3rd is a really beautiful looking traditional.........Now if I didn't have kids that were really young and I could display it I would definitely get the traditional because it embodies all you dream of when you think about spinning wheels.

See them in the box at the bottom of the picture, under the table to the left of the empty baskets???? YUMMY!

The smell is delish when you walk in, it smells like balsam fir pillows and candles, and yarn!

Can you see the wheels inthis one too?????? :)

I know I am severly redundant.

Thank you to my mom and others who commented on the blog and privately about my last post. Life certainly has been a lesson these las few years. Lessons that I have learned are:
Not to wait till tomorrow to say things you can say today, because sometimes tomorrow doesn't come. Live life to th fullest, every day, but also take time to indulge yourself with lifes smallest pleasures, as sometimes the simplest things are the most special. Don't wait until someone is gone to remember them, remember and celebrate those you love evertime you see them. It is sort of like if I were rich, which I am not, I would begin giving freely now so I can watch those around me enjoy it, rather than will it to them upon my death....what good does that do??? Gve of yourself now amoung the living and do what makes you hapy, life is to darn short to work hard at something you hate! I know even though things seem tough right now there are many out there who have it worse. I have a beautiful family, 3 healthy kids, my mom is responding wel to her regime thus far, and my dad has a date for his surgery, and so far as we know know it is going to be a fairly simple surgery with no chemo to follow. Itcertaily could be much worse. I am healthy and can hlp out where I am needed, and was able to help a grieving family have a safe place without constant reminders of thier lost loved one. Aaaaah I do have a good life. May yours be peacful and calm!

Fragility.......

2007-06-12T13:47:00.000-04:00

I am not even sure that is a real word, but man oh man, am I feeling fragile.

Let me preface this with the fact that I know this all goes on everywhere but, I live on a tiny island and these things just aren't supposed to effect us here!

In the past few days apparently I have had a sign on me that says "tell me what I don't want to know" I have heard things ranging from, people cheating on others, to someone in the school working with our kids is doing coke, to having a friend die of, as of yet unknown causes, to adults seeing pictures of community members in various stages of undress. I feel like I am on overload. You know how when the washing machine is overloaded or unbalanced it makes tha banging noise and walks across the floor? That is what all this stuff is oing in my head! Add 3 young kids and parents with the C word and it really is almost too much! Yikes! I am ready to dig a hole and livein it. This is nuts!

I have been knitting for sanity, although it isn't working very well. I have no pics as of right now maybe tonight!

This is the scarf that never ends!!!

2007-06-06T13:17:00.000-04:00

WOOHOOO for me. I have figured out how to resize my pictures, (psssst, do thy seem to take less time to load now???) so now they are tiny files but are still beutiful crystal clear.

I have 2 skeins of this cashmerino yarn from Bartlet Yarns (the color outside on the porch is fairly true) it is yummy, I have knit this scarf up (well half of it anyhow) twice now.....I first knit it up with the middle hearty cable the other way, and from the bottom edge, it also had 2 more k stitch cables as well as 2 more moss edge stitches AND 2 more purls between each adge of the middle cable. Why do I bore you with all the details, well because it was too wide, nd was not even going to be 4 feet long total. I ripped it all out.......then I decided on some decreases in number of stitches, knit about half way through my yarn and decided with all the cables it was going to be quite bulky and inflexable around the neck.....soo.............you guessed it ripppppppppp, sooooooo now I fairly happy with what I have created. Can I call it my own pattern? I borrowed the middle cable from a sweater pattern I love but tweaked it here and
and then used some of the elements from the ARAN hat and threw them in a blender and played till I got a good result. I don't know, at this point I feel like it has probably all been done before, so to post it as my patter or not?????? I dunno!
I love the yarn, I love the look, I get lots of compliments when I work on it. It is beautiful.

So here is a first, a post withnothing other than knitting news. I didn't know I was capable of it!

I have cast on a pair of socks, I am doing them for sale at the LYS here on island. I have also started making stitch markers to sell there as well.

I will do a roll call. Currntly on the needles, this lushous scarf, a pair of cuff down socks easy cheesy pattern but wool........hey I live in Maine and it even is cold in the summer for summer people!!!
And I just cast off 2 of my mini angels
and they are patiently awaiting finishing off which is a messy time consuming project!

That is it for now.

Hmmmmm

2007-05-29T22:26:00.000-04:00

Ok so I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day. It has always been one of my favorite holidays. Perhaps, because I am a Navy Brat, with both of my parents having served thier time, perhaps because it is not a highly commercialized holiday. Memorial Day is about remembering those who have given,and are giving thier lives to protect our freedoms. Regardless of how you feel about the war itslef, there are men and women over there risking life and limb for you and I. It is about the troops, not the gov't. I appreciate all they have done and will continue to do! Thank You!!!

Freedom at last!!!!!

2007-05-27T22:58:00.000-04:00

BIG WHITE BLOB! Free from the needles at last. Now I did not take any close ups of the edge, but the new skein of the yarn that I used maybe 4 feet of to finish her off was kind of funny it had a yellowish tinge. So I spent a day or 2 pondering what to do.

I hung t in several locales hoping that the yellow would BLEACH out.....hmm no doings, didn't work so pondered somemore

and came up with this! I killed it.....I mean dyed it....do you know how much I worried over this bowl. Frightened i was somehow ruining this thing that had taken so mch time to create!!!

I think it came out nice. She is downstairs in the living room drying. Hopefully she will be done first thing! It kinda matches the blanket it is lying on.

I am exhausted and have decided i need better lace blockkng tools before the next project!!!!!

Here are my 4th pair of jaywalokers I love love love them!!!!

And I am flashing my tat.....what are you hiding? Bazaar I know BUT it was a semi challenge and I am always up for a challenge!!!!

I swore I would never do it!!!!!

2007-05-27T13:18:00.001-04:00

But here we are! We went for family portraits on Saturday andthese are some of the pictures......do not worry we have the signed copyright waiver.....anyone who feels the needs to see itleave a comment! This is the whole fam damily!!!! We had them don at Sears and they were great!

I plan to update the knitting content too I promise as there has been major headway there as well!!! But first let me introduce myself HDW and my hubby Mr. J. We both HATE having our pictures done BUT feel it is important for ourkids to do it!!!! And as pics go they aren't tooooo bad!

As far as the kids go oh my LOVE the way they came out. Very cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blogger is burping right now and dong odd things with my script and my pics so I will cut this here for now!!!!

Lace Yarn Anyone?????

2007-05-21T15:59:00.000-04:00

Ok so THIS is why I can not go to knitpicks to shop for a lonely skein of bare lace weight yarn for $3.99!!! It's like Lays potato chips, you can't buy just one!!!!! ARGH!!! My knitpicks package came today and I was working. I did not even open thepackage until I had all of my billing letters out, off my desk, then I ripped open the package, glanced at all the goodies andwent back to work. Hbbycame in and since I was not drooling over yarn figured the ackage had not come. I said oh, yeah but I am not allowing myself to have my way with the books and yarn. So what did he do???? e went and got the package of yrn and brought it in to the office and opened it and said feel it, it is soo soft.......he is the knitters equivalent of a drug pusher........he is good too.....:) So I broke I took the skeins out of the bag and sniffed and touched. Good grief how I love yarn!!! So now I can complete the Butterfly Shawl WOOHOO!! But...............................................
I started another project.......it is a matching scarf for the hat I have already made. This was my first stab at creating smething on my own. I sort of looked through books and took elements hat I liked from different things and tweaked them a bit. So far I like it.....I am goin to have fringe and the center (neck) piece wil be ribbed to do away wth some of the bulkiness bt I love the way it is loking!!!!

Oh and for those of you who have not entered yet I have a contest going on and there aren't too many entries....like 2 maybe......come on peeps gimme some ideas PLEASE!!!! It is a very easy one spread the word!!!!!!!!

MEME (If you are reading this consider yourself tagged!)

2007-05-16T18:19:00.000-04:00

Here are the rules... Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1)I can cross my eyes and then literally spin them in all different directions, the kids think this is hysterical.

2) I can not say Worchestchire sauce.......it comes out horse-cest-hire or some other variation.

3) I am double jointed and can bend my pinky so that it is straight across my hand knuckles......bent at a 90 degree angl acrossthe back of my palm.

4) I can not read for relaxation, I tend to speed read, and get so lost in the book that I literally can not hear what is going around me....not good when you have 3 kids!!!

5) I have gone to 8 schools in my life, and have lived in 6 different states.

6) My youngest sons initials are B.M.W. not intentionaly, my hubby pcked out his names, and I had to approve them, and then a few weeks later I came to that he is our one and only Beamer!!!

7) I have had many jobs in my life, Avon, Babysitting, I was a (dreaded) telemarketer for MBNA, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Leaving Prints scrapbooking, I clean for the town and the community center, I run the Interactive Television College Program on the island I live in, I substitute teach, I work at the ferry ticket office in the office selling tickets as well as Homeland Security, I am the Executive Assistant for a low interest loan organization for starting and or improving local businesses..... am the mom of 3 (the biggest job by far) and I clean for the people my husband caretakes for. My dream would be to fa into a full time job so that I could quit all the little ones.......Most of the time I do not know whether I am coming or going!!!

I am apologetically tagging the following Shelly, Karen , Heather, Den of Chaos, Susan, Jill, Chrissy, I have tagged you because I regularly read your blogs an think you are awesome knitting bloggers. I don't regularly comment BUT I check in almost daily!!!!! I will not be offended if you do not partake in the Meme insanity!!!

My first contest entry and my first contest all in one day!!!

2007-05-16T12:13:00.000-04:00

Skeins Her Way is having a contest over at her site Shelby's comment in my previous post.

My summer knitting goals....
1) With 3 kids, 2 are under 3years, my biggest one is just to knit!!!!
2) To do the lace smoke ring my hubby got me for our anniversary
3) To finish the butterfly shawl
4) Do at least one christmas stcking
5)knit 3 pairs of socks!!!

Woohoo enter and mention me so I can get some more entries PLEASE!!!!!!

Happy Anniversary to me!!

2007-05-16T10:01:00.000-04:00

So this is a contest post of sorts..........but you have to keep reading to get to it :P~~

SO for our anniversary (which is the day before our daughters birthday as I have said before) (oh and NO it was not a shot gun wedding, she has been alive 2 years and a day less than we have been married) we got up and exchanged cards, I bought him a clay thrower and some clay pigeons to go with it (thanks mom and dad for picking them up) he bought me a cross necklace, as he knows I really could use it and I have great intentions every sunday morning of going to church but have yet to make it as the kids are demanding and I feel guilty.....but anyway

I am wondering what other people do for thier anniversary, that isn't hugely costly, and is memorable. Keep in mind that I live on an island dependant on a ferry that only runs 3 times a day and is an hour trip one way. I will give a little somthing, somthing to the idea that I plan to use for next year, and then I will also give a randomly drawn prize and they will not be the same person!!!! So spread the word and post your idea in the comments!!!!

As for plans for the rest of the day...hmmmm well Big J is at work, cutting and burning trees, and I am takig care of the 2 youngest terrors....they have been in moods the last 2 days, perhaps it is the rain, I am also wondering if little B is cutting more teeth!? YUCK though I was ready to pull my hair out by 3 yesterday afternoon!!!

Time off for good behavior

2007-05-15T16:30:00.000-04:00

Well the big white blob got time off for good behavior. This picture was taken at noon time and since then I have completed the border and...............................................run out of yarn!!! An excuse to order from Knitpicks the problem is I know I will spend more than just the 3.99 for the lace skein of yarn.

Here it is in all of it's beastly-ness.....I have it on 2 60 inch circular cables and it still doesn't have enough room to relax........but you get the idea...........

Here are the jaywalkers on top of the beast!!! I think that they are almost long enough to get closed in at the toe and finshed off!!!

Hey Miss A, I told you I was gonna put the incriminating evidence on the blog......she stole Big B's plastic John Deere, because the cop took her license away speeding!! HAHA Just kidding!!!

Oh my gravy isn't this one of the cutest pictures you have ever seen.

Thank you for stopping by! And if you have a second leave a comment...I would love to know who is reading it!

Is it Good News???

2007-05-15T08:15:00.000-04:00

Well so Dad has to have an MRI, but if th MRI and the CAT scan that he already had agree, then the Dr. in Mass says he is in good shape. So for now we are smiling and the cloud has gone from black to grey. Keep the positive thoughts and prayers coming though.

I am going to try and get some pictures of the big white monster (aka: the Butterfy Garden Shawl from He!!). I think I will probably get the first jaywalker sock done and try to start the second, but I am really pushing to get the monster done so I can cast on something else. I have a few cute pics of the kids I will post too, but am to lazy togo downstairs and get the camera. So you willhave to make due with a pictureless post with the promise of pics to come!!!!!

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T10:58:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful mothers day! My hubby and kidlings bought me a new 30 GB Ipod Video.....do you know how many songs this beauty holds???? I am psyched. I have an older shuffle, which my hubby will use when mowing....I just have to load it with tunes for him. It was great but you can't see what you are listening to.......you just push play and wait and see what you get.

So I got breakfast in bed twice. How many of you can say that??? Lttle Miss S brought me a small bowl of apple cinnamon cheerios with bananas and then Mr. J made bacon, eggs, and home fries. Can I just say yummmmm-o.

I worked on the shawl while I was lamenting about in bed......I was scolded when I came down to pee. (sheesh, I have had 3 kids my old bladder is not as strong as it used to be come on guys!!) I really want to get that thing done!!

I planted my strawberries, and filled my window planters with big ol' Begonias. Hung my fuschia and planted my tomatoes.

Thanks to all of you who commented or e-mailed after my last post. I think it will get better. Life is just filled with lots of uncertainty right now. We will get through it day by day. For those of you who pray, hopefully tomorrow we will have some answers and a path to take. I think as long as the outlook is positive ( and thus far no one has said it won't be, but ten again part of the problem is that no one is saying much of anything, other than the "C" word) and we know what is going to be happening, it will lift a huge weight off of all of our shoulders. I wish I was going with them, but unfortunately no one can watch the kids, and it wold not be a very enjoyable trip with the 3 of them!!! So any how for those of you who believe in the power of prayer or positive thought......keep em' coming please!!!!

This is the week of "special days". Little Miss S. has her week in the spotlight. Monday she has to take in pictures and drawings of her. Tuesday she is taking in her recorder, wednesday she is doing somethingelse and then thursday mom is making ice cream with the class, while they watch a video of her great uncle Billy with his bees, and the whole pollination deal, quite interesting.
Wedneday is also Mr. J and my 9 th wedding anniversary.
Thrsaday is also little Miss S.'s birthday.....and no it is not her ninth....it was not a shot gun wedding thank you very much!!! It will be her 7th birthday!
Friday is her actual party.
And then next tuesday is my mothers birthday!!! YIKES!!! Can you sa busy month?

So my cousin over at This highly entertaining blog said that to get rid of the blues you should inbibe in a bit of yarny goodness.....well, while on the mainland I did not get time to go to a yarn store so I just browsed the net.......and drooled over some yarn....the check bookwon't allow me o buy any but I have decided that I want to buy some lorna's laces next along with some cherry tree hill, I also really want to make some stitch markers.....but I don't know where to start. I have nothing for stitch markers and I don't kknow what to get......and of course when I get to the mainland I don't have time for searching s if nyone knows what I need or has a good one stop shopping website please e-mail me or leave a comment.

It looks lke Spring,

2007-05-11T12:02:00.000-04:00

Ok so why can't I feel more springy? I feel so blue and just yucky. Look at these flowers.....they are anything but blue. They are bright and cheery and say spring has sprung. Up until today it was gorgeous here.....warm and sunny and bright. Today it is outside what I feel like inside.....cold, wet, dreary, and just YUCKKKKKK. But anyway, that will get better with time I am sure!!!!

These were taken were my husband works. Shhhhhhh we only stole 2 flowers, I am sure they won't notice.....and on top of that they will be glad someone is enjoying them as they will be all gone by, when they come!

This is little Mrs. S

And as promised to I love Yarn I am updating my knitting content
I have taken the shawl out of time out, but am puttering at it. As it is huge and unpicture worthy at this point, here is a new project. A pair of jaywalkers (i know not stripey yarn so it doesn't show up very well.) I like the waythe knitted fabric of a jaywalker sock is stiff and stays put on your leg.

I will kit this pattern forever.........I lov it. and the yarn is courtesy of my secret pal. It is a yarn that I have never used before, Opal and I love it. Definitely would use it again. See I didn't use my Socks that Rock Yarn.....just couldn't do it/

My Secret Pal 10 sent me this package with these 2 lovely books in it. I loved them. Sorry I did not get around to thanking you sooner. As I mentioned earlier I have just been sort of out of sorts.

I hope to get time this weekend (perhaps Mother's Day) to cast on and start designing the scarf to match the hat. I have also completed 2 more wash cloths.

Yarn Stash and new addictions

2007-05-06T18:39:00.000-04:00

Ok so I have a stash.....it doesn't take up rooms, or even walls, currently it lives in a sterilite tote that I can't get the cover on......if I took all of the roving out it would seal but that's OK. I have those yarns you see and you don't know what you are going to do with, but you just HAVE to have it.

Like this Harrisville Orchid yarn which is wool, merino, and cashmere. I bought 3 skeins of the pinkish red for a hat and scarf set, I have the hat done, but have yet to design th perfect scarf. The other color I knew was destined for a sweater, but as of yet have not found the "perfect"pattern. I know it will have to be "aran-ish" I am not stressing out about it, taking the Elizabeth Zimmerman approach. I keep going back to it and waiting for it to tell me what it wants to be.

Then please tell me I am not the only one who does this. A while
ago I bought 2 skeins of the coveted Socks that Rock Yarn. I immediately knit a pari of GORGEOUS jaywalkers and LOVED them.....and I so want to knit the last skein up (bottom of photo at right) but if I knit it up it will be gone. So I look at it and long to knit it but I don't want to not have any. Am I strange or what?

Random yarny ness. Some Brown Sheep cotton and merino.

Randomm goodys and left overs.

And here is the roving. I have it to make stuffed mittens and stuff

And then this.....this is really lucsious...but I have no idea what to do with it. It is home grown mohair........I started a hat but it was not whatI wanted so I need to frog and start from scratch.......perhps some lace.

And then for the new addictions.....well it seems I finally figured out podcasts.......and after a few suggestions from the blog keeper at I like Yarn
I have found a few that I really like
1) Lime and Violet
2) Cast On
3)Pointy Sticks

There are sevral others I am trying out but so far these are the best of all worlds......L&V are like having a SNB right in your house with your 2 best friends, Cast On is jst calming andentertaining all in one, and pointy sticks is Educational....KnitPicks has a good one 2, I justleistened to thier 2nd podcast......thanks to I LIKE yarn for her help and input! I love it!

Remember the song.......

2007-05-05T14:33:00.000-04:00

Too much time on my hands.....I've got to much time on my hands.......now it is lodged in my brain. So anyway, just got my new edition of Interweaves magazine and began flipping through and on page 11 there is a Trekking ad, OK so there are 3 pictures of sock clad feet.....well picy me glances at the ad and the first thing me sees is.......a poorly grafted toe.....the 2nd picture on the top with pinks, purples and oranges......there is a perfectly round gaping hole, as in I can plainly see this persons big old toe.....and then you look at the bottom pic, and it is girly pastel colors and the leg is so fuzzy the hairs cast shadows.....one question here....AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT SAW THESE THINGS??????

On with the rest of the http://www.interweaveknits.com/default.asp...I totally wanna knit the Wheat ear cable yoke pullover...love it
Like the hand in hand cable sweaters...and the people posing in them are awfuly cute.
The Syncopated Caps are really cool lookking
BUT OH OH OH OH I am completely in love with the Oriel ace Blouse, and when I weigh 20 pounds I will have me one......it is beautiful though.

Over all a good magazine, and if you don't knw how to knt a toe up sock......(first of all what the heck ails you??) the magazine teaches the technique with a simple pattern....OOOHH and I just found out Cat Bordhi has a new book and really want it, but the check book says NO.

While the shawl is misbehaving

2007-05-03T21:09:00.000-04:00

I have been re connecting with other passions......this is our 7 year old black Lab Panda....she has been bathed and treated and re trained

This is the item in time out.........BAD SHAWL BAD BAD!! You can back out and play, when you can be nice to others!!

I have been trying to get caught up on scrapbookking....I love doing it, but with 3 kids I have a ton of scrapping to do!!

Look at those smiles!! He really does have a nice smile!

This is my 13 year old part siamese cat Flash. She earned her name! She moves like a flash!

As you can tell I am just woring away at Little B's book right now!

I did get a lot done today!! WOOHOO

First I had to clean off the desk though!

HEHEHE more of my boys!

Knitting content!!! I see a problem though.............I ran out of yarn.....it felt like enough to do a second one but alas it was a wee short!!!! Well hubbster went to te mainlnd today and bought a charge more.

A 3rd wash cloth. It just came off the needles a few mminutes ago, and Iam sewing in the ends...wohoo....look at all the things I accomplished today.....oh yeah and I did 6 loads of laundry and got them all hung dry folded and put away! Warshed the bathroom, ad vaccuumed...oh yeah and fed the kids!! LOL

Enough for one day......C YA

Circus Pics

2007-05-02T11:10:00.000-04:00

So here are the pics I promised!!! The kids had a really good time at the circus.....everyone's favorite was the elephants of course!!!

On the knitting front....argh, did you all hear my growl yesterday morning?
You should have by all means!!!!
I crewed up the border pattern somewhere along the line and
have to frog back 8 rows, mind you they are something
around 800 stitches per row.....needless to say it is in an
extended time out!!!
In the meantime I am working on some SMALL, projects
that I can finish for instant gratification!
Wanna know what they are???

POTHOLDERS!!! Got the patterns from Dish Cloth Boutique they
have some very nice ones. I plan to knit 1 for charity and oe for gift stash!!! I bought a huge cone of cotton from walmart and plan to dye it..........we'll see how it holds up though!!!! Anyway
That's all for now, well almost, these days I have been reading blogs to make me laugh and I foun another that gets me giggling, along with the aforementioned I like Yarn, Tales from the Den of Chaos
is giggle worthy too. I think te giggle factor comes from being able
to see yourself in the exact predicaments.

Hope you all are having great days!!!!

We are stil alive! I promise

2007-05-01T13:35:00.000-04:00

DOH I thought I posted this...but I saved it to draft!! ARGH!!! Here it tis

I am just a bit in the dumps......I guess. No need to send out the troops, it is just so hectic around here......Mom just had her first rond of chemo, an infusion plus 2 days waling around with a hip pack full of chemo too. We are awaiting Dads appointment on he 14th. Big B was in the ER on monday as I wrote....we eturned and he seemed great, but then got a fever on Wedesday that lasted 20 minutes (still not sure what that was all about) and Miss S came home with a croupy cough that ended up being Pneumonia ARGH. Little B got the sniffles and now Big B has them....I hav the beginnings of a chest cold.......I am seriously ready burning down the house.........Sanitizing at a whole nother level!!!!

We did go to the circus this weekend and I have to say we ha a blast......it was a shriners circus and the kids enjoyed the elephants the most...I think if the Barnom circus eer comes to town it will be a must see. Thank you all for your prayers!!! I have mostly been lurking on other blogs such as I like Yarn (which by the way is HIGHLY Enteraining! and the owner is awesome!)and leaving comments. I will post some circus pics later!

On the knitting front I am on the border of the shawl and it is kicking my A$$!!! ARGH I am ripping out a section now and then I am putting it in time out for awhile.....I am also skeptical as towhether or not I have enough yarn.......hmmmm an excuse to order from knit picks SQUEEL!!!

Well thugh I would drop a lineand let everyone know tht all is OK here on the hom front!

Can a girl get a break??? PLEASE!!!!

2007-04-24T21:03:00.000-04:00

So I got a bit of knitting done......I hesitate to take pctures of this shawl, because it just looks like a heap of yarn.........I have it on 60 inch circs and it still just looks ICK! But each section now has 18 butterflies on the last row, so I am almost ready to start the flower garden part! The lacey line is the corner intersection.......so what yu are looking at draped over my computer screen which is 17 inches wide BTW is only PART (7 butterflies wide at the top) of 1 section. This thing is going to be huge!
I can't wait to try and blcok it.....anyone with suggestions feel free to post comments! I hate blocking stuff and have never blocked anyting this big!!!

I think this picture of Little B is too much My What Big Eyes You Have little one!!!

This was Big B today............he is still a bit ragged around the edges, but a huge improvement over yesterday!!!! Yesterday we took te baby for a regular check and took Big B because we wanted him to get peeked at they both had this stomach crud....Little B started last Sunday and woke up this Sunday ful of P& V. Big B woke up Weds with it and i just seemes to get worse....Saturday we thought he was btter and then just before bed he lost everything he ate and drank all day.

Suday he seemed better again and the same thing happened. Anyway
te pediatrician said his intestines had shut down and he would reach a certain level and it had to go somewhere.......so 6 hours in the ER with a 2 year old hooked up to an IV....not alot of fun....I feel personally respponsible.......I thought I was taking good care of him...and he kept perin up and we would think we were over the hump and BOOM. Alot of tears shed over that boy!!!! We aired him out for a little bit (15 minutes) this afternoon
it was soo beautiful out!

Meet Flash the stuck upkitty.....she is 13 years old.

This is Big B a few days ago.......poor little thing......he looks so impresed huh?

I am hoping that the next few days bring a peaceful calm ove my family..........I am hoping that the treatment that mom got today brings with it hope and no terribly bad side affects, and that it takes care of the cancer.

Secret Pal Strikes Again!!!!!!

2007-04-20T21:55:00.000-04:00

Ok so I think my SP10 has an "in" with my brain!!! Thank You whomever you are. I needed a pick me up today. I went to the mainland to day and just had a down day. I think it was just quite simply because it was the first time since the wee one was born that I have actually been by myself for more than just a few hours. The combination of feeling "not needed" in a mommy way in combination with having time on my hands to do nothing other than be alone with my thoughts (hmmm those of you who are in the throes of being parents know what I am talking of here) and having to actually think about what is going on around me, in my life, left me emotional. I think it is a good thing, but up until today I had been abl to busy myself with "other" things! Anyway I called home to find out how everyone was (more onthat later) and my hubby told me there was a package awaiting me!!! I was instantly lifted but had another hour to go before the ferry left and then an our ferry ride to get through!!! I love everything and thank you for the card. I have been green with envy over all the hand made stitch markers....
HEEHEEE I love these....my favorite is cobalt.....
I had a really nice close up but blogger ate it....sorry. Anyway take t from me they are lovely!!!!

Here is the finished hat on a lamp shade!

Ok so when I left tis afternoon, I left 3 kiddies with stomach viruses, those of you with queasy stomachs.....avert your eyes and scroll down a bit or some knitting goodness. These poor kids have it bad, puking, and back door trots like you wouldn't believe! Lathargic...oh it breaks your heart. The boys have bottoms that ar so sore it hurts ME to wipe them, the bigger of the 2 is indignant because he has to wear diapers again......oh what is a parent to do.

Here hat strikes a pose on the laptop!

Here is oh indignant one! Poor guy!!! He had a fever of 103.6 andour pediatricians nurse tells us they have reports of the back door end lasting up to 2 weeks!! OUCH is all I can say!!!

Believe it or not miss pink has the pukeys too........and a fever...says she feels "alright" until she moves then she feels sick!!! : ) I think it is the same for the boys too as they are al right until you move them then they get all whiny and sometimes puke! Perhaps a headache too as they al rub thier heads! YUCK

Here are the pictures!

2007-04-19T08:43:00.000-04:00

This is what I call the silver lining!!! Soooo breathtakingly beautiful. These are last nights intended pictures!!!! I know I have said it before but I love my camera!!!!! This thing is worth every pnny we scrimped to buy it...........do you know how many times over the course of three years we looked at that change jar and thought "boy we really could use that for.........." But then we would have had to roll it and count it and it would hae been hard work :) so we left it in a dusty forgotten corner and kept adding to it.......worth every penny!!!!! Canon rebel xti WOOHOO!
Oh my goodness is this kid gonna be a hear breaker or what...........can you see the devil in his eyes??? But that grin is priceless!!

This is Bib B No Neck. He puts his chin to his chest when he dances and it looks like he has no neck. Goodness do I love my kids.......wowee!!!

So this is the hat that is now in factfinished! I love it....the yarn hs some cashmere in it.....it really doesn't make it too different to knit with but the color is gorgeous........you can't tell from these pics but perhaps we will get some sun so I can get a true to life picture...but take my word.....it is purdy!!!!

Mrs. S said something about "you can't get me" to Grandpa and when she did, she opened a can a whoop butt!!!!!! She knows that both Grandma and Grandpa hae cancer and we have been very honest with her, and she has been through one roller coaster with Grandma and has see that it isn't a death sentence, but she is rightfully scared and know mom is too, as are Grandma and Grandpa.....although they try not to show it......(yeah I know you guys too :P~~~~) and we have tried to use it as a lesson in loving. You never know what isgoing to hapen so everyday show those you love in little as wel as big ways that you love them! She gets it and has done several little things (calling to say I love you and goodnight, designing cards just because) I love my kids....even the ones I can't quite figure out......(perhaps because she is very much like me?!?!?)

See where little Mrs. S ended up? Hmm now whaddya have to say about that.......I gotthe evidence.....HE GOT YA!!!

Can you tell Mrs. S thinks grandpa hung the moon
and stars???? No fear no humans or animals were harmed in the pictur taking of these events!!!

I will post pics of finished hat and hopefully the beginnings of a scarf to match......I am trying to create a pattern.........and as for the scarf I have one, yes I said ONE more pattern repeat before I get to start a different pattern.....which means I am closig in on the end......yahooooooooooo!

Memories in the making and.........

2007-04-18T21:22:00.000-04:00

OK so blogger is obviously burping!!!!!!!! I have some cool pictures of my father and my daughter "dancing" aka wrestling and I think my princess opened a can of whoop a$$ cause in the end she ended up on the floor!!! Believe it or not I also had knitting pictures too! BUT BUT could I upload them NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I had 3 uploaded and wnt to do 3 more and it gave me an error msg and then burped and the other 3 disapeared too......WAAAAAAAAAA so you are stuck with a cheesy no picture blog entry with descriptions of pictures to come!!!!!! GRRRRR Will try again later.

Thank You!

2007-04-11T10:11:00.000-04:00

Thank you for the comments! It really stinks when people you love get sick. Really sick. It forces you to think about mortatlity and family and such. smiling face you see in this post along with the 2 additional smiling faces are what keep me going. Without going into too much detail as I know they would not appreciate it, and my momat least pops in once in a while to peek at the kids. My father was just diagnosed with cancer. He beat cancer 25 years ago to beat all his odds. There is no plan at this point, just that he will live to see his grandkids grow up, graduate, and move on to have lives of thier own, just as he told Dr's he was going to do with me 1/4 of a century ago. And I have faith that he will! We are forever praying that mom will remain in resmission, and are currently awaiting (not very patiently I might add) her latest results. Stress would be nice to experience....I don't know what this is. One day at a time.

Kids and knitting are the best therapy.......with kids around who can stay in a funk???? My youngest 2 are constantly making me smile and bringing me out of my grey cloud mind setting, and my youngest is at a very frustrating stage and she force me to not have any strength left to think about anything other than how to not strangle her!!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS I CAN HARDY WAIT TILL SHE IS 16 ARGH!!!

Kntting is great therapy.... I started a very cute cabled hat with CASHMERE mix yarn.........it is complicated enough so that I lose myself init and small enough to be portable which the shawl is not so much anymore.

Well that is my life in a nutshell right now..........again thanks o those who read post and e-mail!!! I will post kntting pics sometime very soon the shawl just looks like a ball of yuck on the needles right now so it is not vey picturesque, and the hat is new and cute...just haven't taken pics yet.

Explanations of sorts

2007-04-09T18:14:00.000-04:00

Ok so I guess I sort of need to make some excuses for not being around......got a lot going on in life right now. Not really ready to go into it here, but please bare with me. Thank god for a good support system. Word of advice to, that at thispoint I feel is very necessary! Please people...take a minute and think about all the people who have made you who you are

and appreciate them. Never hold back what you feel! Be giving with love, not withholding for fear of rejection. Give it while you can....I can not sy this enough..........those who toss it back at you will some day regret it.........I promise they will...so keep giving!!!!

The pictures are from easter. The Easter unny treated us very well! The snow picturewas from last Thursday morning!!!! We got dumped on an from what I hear they are redicting the same for this Thursday YEEHAW!!! Can you detect the sarcasm???????

Wake up mother nature it's APRIL!!!!!

2007-04-03T15:12:00.000-04:00

This is what we woke up to this morning........it snowed until well after noon....it didn't amount to anything but nonetheless it snowed on april 3rd!!!!!BAH!!!

I am still knitting away at th shawl........hopefully will be done soon.....2 days of work so I shoudl get a fair amount done btween customers!!!