A long road back!

We all do it...I mean drift away from our blogs at some point. Easy to do, life happens and gets in the way of our good intentions...and time just slips away.

Harder still is dragging yourself back. That's what I had to do d r a a a g myself back. It has been almost a year since I last made a keystroke on something other than good ol' Facebook  or send a text. 

I kept thinking, "oh it's been too long - nobody will be left to read my meanderings" and "I haven't done anything worth talking about" yada yada yada...

I guess that part is not really true. It took a visit from my step-brother Norman, who still managed to schedule blog posts even while he was on vacation here, to shake me from my reverie. "You really should start to blog again" he told me. He's right, we may blog, (and think) about completely different things, but the essence of why we do it is the same- everyone needs to reach out to other people. 

Well Hello- Here I am.

Some of my blogger friends already know that I have have relocated. I sweltering heat of Florida! Some of you may be saying oh lucky dawn! We'll talk about that later.

Last year my dad (who has resided here for the past 25 plus years) got scary sick. Refused to go to the hospital on the premise that he had no family here...WHAT EVER Dad! So I made the very difficult decision of relocating myself, Brodie and all of my yarn to The Sunshine State The Flip Flop State.  

Well I found out what I always knew - It is too freakin' hot here for me and Brodie! Well actually- Brodie has acclimatized - I'm still working on it.

And- while it is too hot to knit- I did get some crocheting in since  have been here. New Baby Carson need a blankey from Auntie. So in-between roasting to death I managed an Auntie Jeanne Star Blankey  Special for him. And it is big enough (no I didn't measure it) that he will be able to drag it by it's tassels when he starts walking. 

 I know - I know- you're thinking- if it's too hot to knit, how is it cooler to crochet? Well it isn't!!! I damn near perished from having that thing so close to me!!

Now that I am surrounded by water ( sure am having a hard time wrapping my head around the water is west of me now) I see a lot of this. I am about 15 minutes from the Gulf where the water temperature is like bath water.

 And I get to do some of this. Not really too much of it though because I need to wear sunblock 5000 down here. And it has been hotter than HADES! I find that some days when I try to go I get heat sick no matter how much water I drink. Usually my beach jaunts only last a little over an hour then I'm cooked.
I sure do love the water though.

But even better is the Market!! I LOVE the Flea Market!! Well I don't care so much about all the booths they have inside...it is the fruits and veggies they have down here!! Everything down here is BIGGER and some of it kinda weird and freaky. But I am trying some new stuff...not that lavender colored eggplant tho...just couldn't bring myself to eat it.

I miss everyone back home more than I can say, especially my girls! But the Internet makes it a smaller world and I no longer have to depend on the mail man to bring me news. Phew...cuz If I had to wait that long to get the scoop...

I starting doing some housekeeping here so expect some changes- and hopefully I'll find something to ramble on about. Maybe even some knitting.

I got the "Where are you?"

TN Dawn very nicely prompted me with a "Where have you been?" note recently. I do tend to lose track of time being on the graveyard shift. Not really a good thing I know, but I also just kinda didn't have anything to talk about. I hadn't done much knitting, or living, and frankly work has been boring as hell, so hence my absence. I have no idea how CA Dawn can write daily. I can barely function some days. ;)

Here is what I've been up to the last few weeks:

Mark's afghan is finally done the right way...It only took me three tries to get that final strip crocheted in the correct order! He is a patient man when it comes to stuff like this ( the only thing he is patient about...LOL) and his birthday surprise was only a month late!

Project scoop:

Pattern - Simple Squares - Double crocheted- loosely based on every other block afghan in the world.

Yarn- Lion Brand Jiffy

Hook - K

Size - 50 x 70

Mark had a tragedy during our last snow storm- I got this call

"Mary- (he calls me Mary) guess what I put around my neck this morning?"

"Umm - I dunno- what?" It's like 7:30 am on my Monday- I can't answer these trick questions!

" A rug"

"A rug?!?"

" Yah... A Rug"

So in real people speak- he accidentally washed his alpaca scarf with his jackets and, yup - you guessed it- It felted! And boy-hidy was he pissed!!

Naturally he asks- "How quick can you make me another one? By 4 o'clock today?"

Riiight!

Well since I had to order his yarn - more alpaca since that is now his favorite, I made the Emergency Muffler. It did only take me a day, however it was not that day but the next.

Project Scoop

Pattern- Marks Emergency Muffler- Simple garter stitch.

Yarn- Left over Lion Brand Jiffy from the afghan

Needle- Size 9

Since I didn't measure it I can't give you that- I just hurried it over to the boy's house since he was whining about having to buy a cheap scarf from the store. This from the man who would never wear one because real men don't wear scarves.

Just in the nick of time...

Or so I went to bed thinking this morning!! I have spent the last two weeks trying to motivate myself into working on this throw for Mark's birthday, because oh you know, he needed another one to go with the half dozen other afghans I've made him over the years!

Finally after staying up until noon-thirty today to get that last strip finished - for the second time... Washed, dried and ready to wrap for his birthday today! Then I woke up!

Took this picture and realized....$#@*!!!! I screwed it up again!!!!

Oh yes, see how those squares very nicely show an diagonal pattern? Then BAM, slam on the brakes...what the hell happened there!!! AGAIN! Oh yah, twice, not once but twice, I miss ordered the pattern!

Grrrr!! Well you know what they say about best laid plans and all that. Of course, It is now 7:30 pm, I have to work tonite (almost had to work a twelver on very little sleep- thank you Jason), and no time to fix it to take it over to the birthday boy tonite before I leave for work.

No I am not going to give it to him that way....oh horrors! I will just have to give it to him late and fix it tomorrow...or maybe the next day, now that I blew it, whats the hurry...right?

I do have that Bakers Square pumpkin pie for him ( his fav), and a rude birthday card to give him. I guess this is my karmic payback for gloating last Friday after having won $260 buckeroos at the casino (his b-day party) when he lost.

Oh well, off to work I go to sulk over it all night.

Welcome 2010

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe time ringing in the New Year!!

Time was when I used to get dressed to the nines, put on my best CFM shoes and find the biggest, baddest and loudest New Years Eve party in town. Stay out dancing all night long, and hope someone in my group was still able to drive! My favorite party joint...The Brat Stop! Oh Yah! Those were the good ole' days of jeans so tight you had to use a fork to zip them, lighted dance floors and disco balls :)

These days it's, put on some comfortable jeans ('cause you need room for all that food you know you're going to eat), sneakers, and a semi cute top with a zippered hoodie, (because you know that window has to be open to let all the smoke out), and head on over to the family member with bar in the basement! Fortunately for me I didn't have to drive, and I brought my own bar tender ;) My boy knows how I like my cocktails!

Still, us girls danced all night long like in the old days even tho we weren't wearing the requisite shoes. And the party was plenty loud and obnoxious, and the Captain was still my best friend! Well, maybe all night was a stretch, since we all cleared out by 1:30, but hey....we're all older now and need our beauty sleep. And since I am usually working the holidays, it was especially fun for me!

I FINALLY FINISHED THOSE NORO SOCKS!

Sorry- I just felt that one needed a headliner. I have never been so excited to get a project off the needles as I was these socks. I'm still pretty sure I am not going to like them on my feet tho.

Super duper secret project!!! Okay, not really so secret since I posted it, I am going to try to get this afghan finished before Marks birthday...I have 18 more days. It is crochet so it goes pretty quick, but it is not very portable.

I made no lofty resolutions this year since I know I won't keep them anyway. I did take care of that all important The Year Ahead tarot reading, but even without that, I will be looking forward into the new year, and crossing my fingers hard that it will be prosperous.

A Finished Weave!

Finally it is done!!!! I told you if I picked it up off of the floor I would forget about it and that is exactly what happened. I folded it up because company came over, then it was several more days before I forced myself to take it out again.

Sunday after Brodie and I drove around looking at townhome subdivisions in the area, I stood and looked at it all folded up on the chair for a few minutes then resolved to finish it that day. 

You know how when you like a pattern alot ( or at least the result if not the process) and you make several of the same kind, but by the time your on your 3 or 4th one you hate making them?? Well that is what happened here, I burned out on it. But now it is done and I can admire my handiwork.

Brodie seems to think Momma made it for him. He has laid on it every time I tried to work on it. I had to keep moving him out of the way several times while I wove. I keep telling him this one is not his but he isn't buying it.

Necessary purchases: This book - I can't believe I'm Lace Knitting and 4 skeins of yarn from Knitpicks. This does not fall under the heading of taboo shopping, simply because I say so. I have had this book on my wish list for a while, plus it was on sale for 40% off, and they yarn I bought for specific hat projects I have been wanting to make. The $130 I just spent at Ulta on a new make up line (Garden Botanika)  was necessary too ;) ( a girl has to look good -right?).

These gorgeous trees are right across the street from my station at our Village Hall. I just had to have a picture for the computer. I just love fall! The trees  of my apartment are practically bare already, it is kinda sad but I still have plenty of beautify scenery to look at on my way to work. 

Brodie is loving fall too, he gets so distracted outside chasing the leaves in the breeze he sometimes forgets to go potty. It is hysterical watching him. I can hardly wait til the snow flies so I can watch him play in it. (hence the reason I need to make more hats)

Autumn is the cooking season!! I am not real big on the kitchen aspect of homemaking but I do occasionally cook...and here is the proof!! Last weekend was crying out for Hamburger Soup to soothe the bite in the air. That seems to be my first kitchen task of the season, since apple picking did not happen this year for me. I'm thinking of a making a batch of chicken soup this weekend and freezing some to take to work. I actually cook more now than when I was with Mark, probably because I appreciate my efforts, even when it doesn't turn out...LOL 

 

Woven Plaid Afghan Pattern

This has been a horrendous week, more family tragedies that I won't go into, nor can I handle writing about. Suffice it to say, all that I have accomplished are these pictures TN Dawn requested of the woven plaid.

Super Duper Easy pattern for you crocheting gals out there. One thing you'll learn about me is that I improvise alot!  No clue where the original pattern came from, I only remember Kelp had the pattern and it had more colors than I wanted to use. My personal preference is for only three colors. It makes a good solid plaid, and this, like I said is my third big blankie. Kelpy has made several baby sized ones that turn out absolutely beautiful. 

I am not much of a pattern writer - but here goes.

It starts out with a chain, however wide you want it to be ( I think this one is 54x70 ish if I remember right). Double crochet in the 5th chain from hook then in every other chain to the end of the row with one chain inbetween. Chain 4 and turn, Double Crochet in each DC and CH in between each stitch. This makes the holes you weave through. 

Work 6 rows of your main color, 4 rows of a contrasting color, 2 rows of an accent color.

Repeat this pattern till your desired length- it should look something like this.

To weave the cross threads (when your finished crocheting of course) Begin by cutting your yarn to the length of the afghan plus about 12 inches. Each cross row is made using 3 strands of each color, begining with the main color, and follow the crocheted pattern of 6 rows of main color, 4 rows contrast color, 2 rows of accent color.

Thread three strands (same color yarn) on a tapestry needle, weave lengthwise through the holes in and out through alternating holes to the end of the afghan leaving about 6 inches on each end for the fringe. The following row, weave in the opposite holes from the previous row. 

Once you have a couple of colors done you will begin to see the plaid pattern start to form. The final step once you have woven the entire blanket is to knot your ends. I knot every two rows together and only on one end of the blanket. Once you have finished knotting one entire side, spread your blanket out and give it a good tug to make sure it is evened out at the other end, then proceed to finish knotting. Trim your fringe to desires length and Viola! Easy plaid!

Like this one ;) Color possiblities are endless!

Other than those pictures, very little else was accomplished week. A trip to the dentist today for a root canal (which hurts like hell now) and I got the bad news, of needing another one in the near future, must be the season for them hey Dawn? New eyeballs, which were another challenge for me today, multi vision contacts. I hope that works out because I detest wearing glasses! and now to take more pain killers.

Weaving the Plaid

My addiction to scarves is apparent here. I have made quite a bit of headway on my Tilted Blocks (Rav link). It is so simple yet so unique looking. Should cause a little stir of bit of envy this winter I am thinking ;)

I have spent much of the last four days sitting my big butt on the floor. Not lazing about of course but weaving that retched red, white and blue afghan that I have had sitting around for the last two years. This is the third woven afghan I have made, the second RWB one, and frankly I am heartily sick of the thing.
The weaving portion is a pain in the arse! I have to cut three strands of yarn for each weft, and stripe it in 6, 4 and 2 rows to create the plaid pattern. I am just about half way there.



Thankfully I had the comfort of listening to my long awaited Brisinger while I wove.
Unfortunately my book is finished and of course, yet again, the author has left me hanging, waiting for the next book to find out what happens next.
In the meantime, I have this particular mess left on my living room floor and I am determined to finish it before picking it up off the floor.


My poor baby has been doing this for the last two days. He had is neutering appointment Thursday morning. When we got to the vets office, the woman says to me " Oh Brodie is here for canine castration?" I said "Shhh, that is an ugly word, I told Brodie he was here for a snip snip" She just laughed. You would think that doggie people would know better than to say something like that in front of a little pup.
Brodie was a little upset with me I think when I picked him up that night he bit my nose! Not hard you understand, but firm enough to express his displeasure.

Today he seems to be over it, he is moving around much much better and is back to his usual self. It is hard to keep him from jumping and running today, because he has his springs back on.
Yesterday he fair drove me nuts with the constant pawing on the couch to be lifted up on it. Up and down, up and down...all damn day.

OH HAPPY DAY!!! I just now stepped outside to take Brodie for a walk, and discovered the reason for all the noise upstairs. The ignorant ass upstairs is moving!!! YAY!

This man has been throwing food out on the lawn at least once a night every night since the Twigs moved here a year and half ago. Twig and I have caught him several times, told him to stop, reported him to management, and finally, on the first I had been pushed to my breaking point and called the police. The nasty half cooked meat he was throwing out has been making all of our pooches sick.
All of us were damned tired of cleaning up the yard several times of day. All I can say is that there are several of us in this building quite happy to see him go!

Summer of Socks? Maybe

Ever notice how shopping can make you feel better when your down? Ok, so maybe it is only a temporary fix, but sometimes you just need to indulge yourself. The Internet has been my friend this week. I immediately went to my favorite Lorna's supplier on Ebay (emtnstr) and located three colors I have been musing over. Red White and Blue, for some patriotic 4th of July socks. I found a couple of patterns through Ravely that just might suit. 

I wanted to make the Girls Best Friend Socks too, but had a little problem... they were GINORMOUS! Apparently my kankles are not as big as some.

So I had to shelf that project while I waited for some smaller needles. I naturally ordered the new Harmony double point set. These are awesome needles. So so smooth and silky. I love that they come in sets of six, I will inevitably break one, and in a nice little case to keep them all together.  

Of course I immediately cast on a sock, Loopy- one of my favorites, in some Tofuties that I picked up last year at Stitches.  Since I have so much sock yarn, I figure this should be my summer o' socks.

 I already have my days off scheduled for Stitches in August, and I need to make room in the closet for a new batch of yarn. Maybe some more kits this year too.

I couldn't very well pay shipping just for some needles, so I ordered Artic Lace. I have been wanting this book for a while, I probably should have just gone to the library for the one pattern I wanted out of it, but what the heck, maybe I'll find something else in it I like.

Here are the fingerless mitts I started on my Vegas trip. My hand looks like a big ole' meat hook in these...good thing they are for a boy ;) I think I will be putting these away until Christmas.

Then there is the red white and blue plaid that I started, was it last year or maybe the year before. I actually crocheted a few rows on this the other night. Good project for chilly weather.  Once the body is crocheted I will weave the yarn in the opposite direction to create the plaid effect. Poor Sarah has been waiting for this one for a while. I am making this one bigger than the one I made for myself, and I really have no clue how big yet. I plan to just keep crocheting until it looks right to me.

I will be helping the kids move on my days off this week. So I don't expected to get much of anything recreational accomplished. But I would like to get this afghan done this year to give to them, hopefully before the 4th. We'll see how that goes.

Challenges

To start with... here is the reason why I needed Maria's help with this scarf...I could not have been more dense when it came to reading the end of this pattern. I must have frogged the last section a dozen times before I cried "Uncle". Seriously...does this look like a triangle to you? All I kept getting out of it was something that looked like a sock heel.
Thank God for Ravelry! I was at a loss. I get it now. I saved Maria's instructions but I think it is stuck in my head for good/ We'll find out for sure when I make my next one.


My Baby Love blanket is finished. I completely underestimated the amount of yarn it was going to use. I ended up using four full skeins of Red Heart Soft Baby. I was just trying to figure out what I was going to knit with the last bit of yarn as I finished the blanket when I realized I did not even have enough left to make an IPod sock out of it. This one turned out to be a good stash burner for sure. I decided this one will be earmarked for the Linus Project. It was a quick enough knit that if I need a gift I can whip one up in a short amount of time. This project has put me over the mile and damn close to the two mile mark.
I see that a lot of the girls are close to their mile if not over it already and still with 20 more days left in the Knit a Mile Challenge.

Every one has started talking about the February Challenge but I think I am going to bow out of that one. I have even looked to see what it is yet.

I have a couple of other projects in mind that I want to make. Plus I have Sarah's shower to concentrate on.
Invites have been sent, and for anyone that cares, they do happen to have been made out of recycled paper :)

I finally got back to my Bagstopper too. I have only the four balls of Isabella so I modified the pattern a little and decreased by 10 so that the bag would be taller this time. Super easy pattern. I gotta say though, the cotton in this yarn is not very fun to knit with. It kinda drags on my fingers and makes them sore. Not like the Peaches N Cream I buy for face cloths. Good thing I am not going to be wearing this yarn.

So on Saturday night Kelp has a few of her co-workers over for a knitting party. Kelp is a fairly new knitter and is trying to teach these gals how to knit. Good luck with that I say. So I am on my way home, giver her a call to see how things went and she says, still knitting. EXCELLENT!

Well I am almost home (1100 pm mind you) when I decide to take a detour and run over there. Really, all I had waiting for me at home was the usual brother's Saturday night in witht the WII golf. Like I was going to miss that fun!

Of course I have some knitting with me, that is a given. Usually I am a solitary knitter, or maybe knit with one other person. I have never been in a knitting group before. Well I guess I am in one now!! We had such a good time that the girls all want to do it again. I love it when I can teach someone new to knit and In fact, both girls were so hooked they stayed up half the night knitting when they finally got home, and can't wait for the next time. Kelp had them on a good start by the time I got there, and boy oh boy, talk about some ambitious newbies, they are both making afghan's for a first project. Of course, given tonite's blizzardy cold weather, an afghan souds like a damn good idea!

Oh and by the time I got home I think it was 1:30 am and the brother's were just leaving. And oh shucky darns, I missed all that colorful swearing because they can't golf worth a shi-ot!...LOL

I think I will truly be looking forward to my own Saturday night diversion!

1 Mile and still counting

YAY!! I knit the mile - and with plenty of time to spare!!
I am almost done with the Baby Love blanket. I will do the math when it is completed, but it should be right around another 500 yards to add to the count. Such a lot of yardage for such a small item :)

I was going to put this away for when I need another baby shower gift, but I decided to add this to the charity basket for the next group of items to take to the homeless shelter.
I had planned on sewing up a bunch of fleece hats for the charity basket as well, but instead I slept away the first half of my days off, then I sat and made invitations for Sarah's shower with Kelpy (who happens make the bestest ever cards I might add). Needless to say I got no sewing done on my days off and very little knitting. And I probably should no cleaning or cookling either.

Last night I finished my multi-directional scarf! Boy that was a long time coming. I read and re-read those ending directions and that last half triangle was not going to happen right. I found this very nice lady Maria on Ravelry, who very kindly re-wrote the instructions and drew me a diagram on her own scarf to show me. I must be part-tarded because plenty of other people out there have made this scarf according to the directions posted on line. They just did not make a lick of sense to me. I am not usually so stupid when it comes to instructions, but for some reason these were just beyond my simple comprehension!

It turned out perfect thanks to Maria! Obviously I still have to weave ends, wash and block but here it is!


Of course, as if I did not have a host of other things to be doing, I decided I have to have another beaded scarf and while Kelpy and I were shopping for card stick, I also shopped for glass beads to string. Yes, you have to string the beads and then transfer them onto the yarn. I am not finished with the beads yet, no hurry because my Noro for them that I just ordered isn't here yet. Do you suppose it is a little backwards, buy the beads first then find a yarn to go with them?? That's me, a back- asswards Virgo... go figure.

I did the one thing I said I wasn't going to do. I was pretty firm on this too, so I thought. Not going to post my stash on Ravelry...well guess what..I did it. Ok, so not all of my stash but a goodly portion of it. And in doing the prep for it, ie; photographing, sorting and such, I realized that I have already made a damn good dent in it. All those hats and scarves I have been making for the last couple of years have depleted quite abit of my stash. How exciting is that??? Mind you, the following two pictures is not by any means all of it, but I am starting to get it down to a respectable quantity. In fact, I purchased some guilt free yarn just this week!

A few years ago, I ran out of places to put my stash, which I do try to keep centrally located in my craft (read to mean junk) room. So I bought these handy dandy wire baskets to load up with yarn (see how empty they are getting?). Great idea right? Well no not really. Over time as they sat up there not getting used, some of the velour types faded dramatically and yellowed from smoke (yes we are evil smokers, hence the reason I keep my yarn sealed in plastic and away from light) unfortunately, I never thought of the long term effects of my basket solution. Actually, I never even thought they would be hanging up there for several years. I am salvaging what I can, but some of it will have to me 86'd I'm afraid. Ah well, live and learn.

I think it is time to empty out the baskets, don't you? Maybe use them for onions or something.

Baby Love

I am on the downward slope of the Baby Love Blanket now, and feeling a bit more comfortable in my mile goal...I am so going over it.. I just know it.

Dawn called me the energizer bunny the other day. Oh how I wish that was true! In my younger days I could say I resembled that remark but not so now. There was a time when I could stay up late and get up early and keep right on going through out the day.

Working close to a hundred hours in a week was common place back in the day, and then go out and dance the night away. Now I am happy to be able to get through a 50 and sometimes a 40 hour work week, and still be able to crawl out of be the next day and function. And on top of being older (notice I did not say old) I have to watch what I eat so carefully that if I don't, I am laid low for an entire day. That was the case the other day. I have gotten so good at pretending that I feel fine, people (myself included) tend to forget that I am not until I have one of those days. Sleeping is such a waste of time in my opinion I feel like I am missing out on the rest of the world by sleeping. I always figure I can sleep when I am dead.

Hmmm, maybe I better not say that too loud.

Thank God for mindless knitting. I just don't feel right if I had not knit something every day! I happen to be one of those unusual people that like garter stitch! I like the mindless part, since I think most of my knitting is done when I am half comatose. And I like the way it looks. I am not surprised when I read reviews on this blanket. All the things that people disliked about it are the things I like about it. And to boot, this makes a great stash down project! Sure it is not a challenging pattern, but I have plenty of that going on too.



Knit a Mile Challenge

Now that I have knitted an acceptable amount of mileage, ( can now add an additional 1125 yards to my count) I can get to work on some finishing up that scarf. I can barely deal with the guilt involved in leaving UFO.

If you look to your left, you can see the Blog Roll I started for the people involved in the Knit Mile Challenge. I thought it would be a fun way to keep an eye on everyone else's progress. Not that this is everyone involved, just the ones that are, so far, keeping track of their progress online. Challengers- I highly recommend that nifty little knit meter button. It very nicely calculates everything for you!!

There have been a number of factors lately that have kept me from knitting as much as I would like. work, being numero ono on the list losts to do this time of year. Then there is Blogger. I have been doing a little housekeeping here too (or at least trying to), Blogger can be frustrating to say the least. When I have nights like last night that challenge me to figure out a way of faking Blogger out, (it is that whole button issue all over again, WTF!) I become tempted to move my blog .

Ravelry has been taking up a good deal of my time as usual. Another good reason for mindless knitting. I can browse the boards there and not worry about losing track of my project. Kill two birds-so to speak. There is so much to see and do there and a gazillion groups to check out. I am fast becoming a group groupie. And that Casey is a genius!!! See the nifty progress bars??? I wish I new how to write code, if I did I sure as heck wouldn't be using Blogger.. hehe

Happy V-Day to me!

Yup - I have bought myself a Valentines present. Yes I know it's early. No you can't know...it is a surprise... :) It is a really big surprise and you will just have to wait til Valentines Day to find out...lol a little suspense is good for the soul. I personally, can barely stand the wait. ;)

No ... it is not Red but, It probably could be.

Hopefully I will have some FO's to share next post.

FLITTING TO AND FRO

FLIT! FLIT! FLIT!

My ADD has kicked in again. I am suffering from the too many project in my queue syndrome.
I started Clapotis the other night, but this project (which at this point is an unexciting looking little triangle with a bunch of purty stitch markers). And it requires a bit of concentration so it is completely unportable at this point. And having cast this one on in a finger weight, I expect it to take more time that my self gratification gene will allow. Knit Picks Shadow in Heather Sunset, (Still knitting from stash) was actually purchased for this pattern in mind so now I feel like I am on my way to completing something I started. (Hey girls, it is on clearance right now) I have been wanting to cast this baby on for a long time but never got around to it.



I treated myself to a couple of books this week too. I bought the Opinionated Knitter, Elizabeth Zimmerman of course, which has been on my wish list for a long time. I used the gift certificate I had won from 25 Things for Charity towards that purchase :) aaaannnnnnd I also bought No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting because I am a geek ;)

FLIT!

Bam - here I go again! Oh sometime around two-ish am I was working on my unexciting multi-direction scarf when I could not stand to look at it any more and threw it on the floor. (The dog did not even lift his head because he is used to such unbecoming behavior from me. ) I am bored bored bored with and it and it is taking toooooo long to finish. I want it to be done. The yarn does nothing for me in this pattern, or anything thing else I have knit it into to later frog. I need instant gratification!

So I pulled up an easy baby blanket from Lion Brand and cast that on is some of the over abundance baby yarn I have laying around. (In this family someone is always having a baby it seems.) The pattern calls for a worsted weight but I am using double strand baby weight. Soft and yummy in New Mint and White Red Hearts Soft Baby yarn. Hey and each skein is 575 yarns! that will really boost my mileage won't it. Plus I am needing a quick knit to get over the scarf. See- I have all kinds of justification for this one!

No I am not giving up on this scarf, it just seems like it is taking for-ever to finish. It is currently my only take a long project, not that I have been able to take it along with me anywhere lately. Still, I will finish it is it kills me.

Maybe it is because this is such a busy month for me at work that I need to feel productive at home too. January is when we pack up all the files and start fresh. I love that! I feel like that is the point where I can feel free to stream line things, and it is easier for people to accept any changes because it is all fresh anyway. I need to feel like I am accomplishing something and this scarf is not doing it for me.

Oh well, one has to knit an ugh once in a while.

BUTTON BUTTON WHOSE GOT THE BUTTON

Well -I never understand Blogger, in my mind it does some crazy and unpredictable things. For the last several days I have been trying to get my Stash Down button to work, WTF. Blogger is seeming to want to add extra characters to my code and fudges up the button. I have removed element and redone the whole damn thing more times than I can count. I am almost ready to give up. I hate to let an inanimate object get the best of me. It just makes me even more determined to win.

You may have noticed I have been doing a little "spring" cleaning on my blog too. Adding stuff, moving stuff around, re-arranging the furniture so to speak. I have added a new blog roll for those of us that accepted the Knit-a-Mile challenge on Ravelry. There are a few of us ( as you can see- quite a few) that are going to be posting progress on their blogs too. No- that is not everyone in the group, just the ones posting their mileage in blog-ville.

I feel very good about making it to the finish line.

Sarah's Patriotic UFO

My daughter, the poor kid, asked me about a year and a half ago to crochet her a red white and blue afghan, like the one I made for my house and this one that I made for her Auntie Pam, by the 4th of July. Of course I say I will. No problembo!


But then, as things would turn out, it was suddenly 900 degrees outside (and we have no air) and it quickly became too hot to work on this afghan, never to be picked up again.

Poor Sarah, always the last to get something from Mom. So since my ploy with myself worked so well with Raines tv blanket, I decided to use the same tactic. I put Sarah's RW&B in the big basket next to my chair! The next UFO to be taken off the list!



It is an easy enough plaid to make, all chain 1, double crochet 1. Could not go quicker once I sit down to do it. The woven portion is more work, in my opinion. I thought about making her help me with that part, but that probably isn't fair.