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.

Whoops...there it is

Time flies when you're having fun!!! Frankly, I'm not even sure how time gets away from me most of the time! But there is it...I was MIA again.

It was craft show time so a little trip to Huntly with my SIL was in order for this amazing craft show at some old peoples Over 55 community. It was really quite amazing. This community center of theirs provided all kinds of activities for the, erm, retired? Any there was tons of unique pottery, some beautiful sewn items, very cleverly crafted items as well as the usual, knit and crochet stuff. Lots of old men crafting. Very interesting and fun day...topped with a trip to the outlet mall!

I realize Halloween (samhain for those Celtic folk) kinda came and went with no noticeable activity in my house. Usually Raine and I have a scary day date but this year my partner in ghoul had other plans...REALLY???

She had her own gruesome twosome this year-I guess that means my baby is growing up :(

Sarah did carve a jack for me and Brodie -complete with candle and cinnamon :)

And she did send this picture to me on my phone...to prove that my girl was in the zone...( oh I really didn't mean to rhyme) and it did scare the bejeezes out of me when it popped up on the screen. ( I wasn't expected...OK)

A special project, this brown and pink baby blanket made to order. My SIL needed a gift for one of the gals at her school and she had "colors". This is my favorite baby gift pattern, however I usually prefer to do it in baby yarn. This one was done in Vanna's Choice since I couldn't find her colors in baby yarn. Still I am happy with how it turned out and the recipient was excited.

I finally finished this one up too...it has been on the needles since...Feb 2009??? Ended up going to Sarahs friend who just had a baby.

Selfish knitting alert!

This scarf is for ME! I know, not exactly a news flash is it. Gathered Scarf fun and easy knit. I made it from a beautiful natural alpaca I picked up at Stitches Midwest this year. New Era Fiber's out of Tennessee, Dawn. I really enjoyed chatting with them when I was at Stitches too. It was a little on the pricey side but well worth it! I got the scarf, and also completed a headband ( no pic yet) and I think I should have enough for some fingerless too (maybe).

I have been working on Traveling Women but I am struggling for some reason with Chart B. *shrug*. I only have 5 or 6 rows and I am done... soon..I promise. In the meatime - or rather in between times, I sneak in a few rows on the shawl that Raine wants.

Viva Baby!

My Baby Surprise Jacket is all done, barring sewing the seams, of course. I had a much better understanding the second time round. Putting it together was like a Chinese puzzle. I twisted it this way and that way, and the finally - I figured out how it went. Thank goodness for that little neck line dip or I would have stuffed it in a drawer.  Since I have lots of this baby yarn I think I will make the little hat too that matches. I will stash it away for a future occasion when I finish. 

I also finished my Hooray for Me gloves. My very first time making fingers I will have you know! I did say I was going to challenge myself this year, didn't I. To some it may seem like baby steps, but for me I am breaking away from my comfortable norm.  Altho, once I get the hang of a pattern, I make it again and again and again, thus making it my new norm. 

My next pair will be for that boy. In a manly dark sagey color. Altho why I don't know, because I am sure he really doesn't deserve it, he has a definite evil side for sure! 

 I think I mentioned last time that we were planning a Vegas trip this week end. I was planning on getting myself a nice little base tan before I left because , I know, once out in that Nevada sun, I will be toast! 

So I take myself off to my friend's tanning salon, and have a very successful 10 min session. (red head, ya know) I am feeling pretty comfortable about it (having burnt myself badly last year) and decide I can handle the normal 20 minutes (seriously, I used to go almost daily). 

Well I left the shop on Sunday feeling life was good, however, by Sunday night my backside was burnt to a crisp! Talk about frying the fat!! It is really too bad you can't loose weight that way.

I break out the Solarcaine because I can no longer stand the pain late Sunday and realize  am never going to sleep without it. Ask my (evil) spousal type person to kindly spray my back. Which he did, along with my backside! Ok, thank you, I could reached that part myself, but he seemed to get a big kick out if it. So much so, that as I stand waiting for it to dry so I can re-dress, that evil person thought how funny to take sneaky pictures of my red backside with his damn Iphone!!

Worse yet, he had me convinced he put it on You Tube!!!  (no, don't go looking for it, he was just teasing) Men! Unfortunately he also seem to find it funny to show people at his work... oh and please did we have to magnify the dimples??

You're probably wondering why  I am making him a pair of fingerless gloves after that??? Because I stupidly do not hold grudges. Besides, it gives me a safe airplane project. I intend to forget about that horrible incident and plug my ears into my Ipod and knit my way across the country!

Finally- as I sit here waiting for my sheets to dry, I have finished my other slouchy sock, and will be styling at O'hare Airport. 

By Jove, I think I've got it!

Not too much happening in the knitting world for me last week. I had to attend a CTO class, (that is "Communications Training Officer" to the non-police world.) I felt like I was back in High School cramming for a test on Wednesday night. When the instructor announced that it was not an open book test, I started to panic!! My memory is like a sieve nowadays, lack of oxygen or something I'm sure! So naturally on the last day of my class, the day of the test, I brought my knitting and knitted in class right before my test to calm my nerves. Musta worked because I only got two wrong! Woo Hoo!  I am now fully certified :) We also had to give an impromptu demonstration in front of the class during the week, in which I naturally taught knitting... and ladies, I taught it to a man with two pens and a tie from a classmates hoodie. LOL

Since I was stalling the grafting of my beaded scarf now for well over a week. I finally got out my  Knitters Handbook and followed it step by step. I am not completely happy with the final product. It seems like this scarf was doomed from the start. Not being able to get all the beads I needed in a timely manner, then to top things off, I was a stitch off, somewhere along the line I increased and did not realize it until I started grafting, WTF. The original pattern called for a 3 needle bind off, which leaves a big ugly seem. I kinda wanted to try to graft with the beads included so there wasn't an empty row, but that wasn't working out either.

You can see my big boo boo here. I broke all my personal rules about leaving in a mistake, but I just did not have the heart to start all over again. So I left in the glaring mistake and fudged it. Not so great at the garter stitch grafting either. This is what I call a fk it project! At least is not a gift and nobody probably notice when I wear it, at least I hope nobody notices. Design feature..yah that's it design feature.

Remember that toe up sock that went nowhere? Isn't it funny how quickly a project can go when you enjoy the process? Well I got back into my sock groove, and managed to get the first slouchy one finished (top down of course) and I am determined to get the hang of the Kitchener's stitch. It has been eluding me forever. Every sock I do I have had trouble with it. FINALLY I think I've got it! I got out my handy dandy book and talked my self through it (yet again) and this toe turned out perfect!! Even better, I think I actually grasp the stitch!!! 

(note the impressive balancing act on one foot while taking photos - yoga does have some unusual benefits)

Having a smooth toe was really the only thing that prompted me to try a toe up in the first place. I like the way normal sock knitting flows, and altho I am not confident that I can do it again without the book, this was the first time I had the "Ah ha" moment.  

I love this yarn (Felici) it is very soft and comfy, much much nicer than any of Knit Picks previous sock yarns, I predict a long and happy relationship with this pair of socks, even though it makes me look like I have some really fugly kankles.

I think I had the "Ah ha" moment with the Baby Surprise Jacket too. I re cast on the other night and now realize that I had been making a major mistake, like, oh you know, like following the directions!  I think I get it now, and it is starting to look like everyone else's :)  Funny how a little thing like following directions can make such a big difference!

We are still counting down- 9 more days to Vegas.... hmmm what knitting to take on the plane with me. 

Peter Snow Tail

Friday we had another huge snow storm...gotta love the Midwest! The official recording was 10.5 inches but I  am thinking I should have stuck a ruler in my yard to see the actual.

Dawn, here is a big 'ole snow pile for ya after that boy finished cleaning the driveway two days later. Keep in mind we have several piles like this and a lot of it has melted already.  Apparently Saturday night the brothers decided to go 4-wheeling through it. The Goof Balls!

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!! Mine was uneventful, which is as it should be.

Those folks in the Bluff are industrious. On my way into work yesterday I spied three mature adults building this right across from the station. Too Flippin' Cute! Peter here is taller than the average man, and I know that 3 people can stand behind him without barely being seen.

My co-workers tell me the trio had been out there on the Village Green for over two hours building him.  Since it was such a beautiful day everyone on the east side of town seemed to be out for a walk. And of course, they all stopped to take pictures of Peter Snow Tail with their camera phones.

Thank goodness for camera phones or I would have been pissed about missing a picture of this. 
It will be interesting to see how much of him is left when I go to work today.

Don't you hate it when someone moves your stuff???  Ok so maybe it wasn't the neatest looking conglomerate of things, and maybe I did over take the dining room table but, dammit, we never use that room! 

I think I have mentioned that the brothers play Wii on Saturday nights. I would not think this Saturday would be any different than any other right? Well - I guess it sucked to be me. Apparently the sisters were tired of not being included in the Saturday night ritual and when I came home from work, everyone was playing a dice game on the dining room table!!! 

Where were my projects you ask? Piled on the card table thats where!!!! Is nothing sacred? Men! He would have had a conniption fit if I moved his things!

Since I have ADD this month and am working on so many things at once, I really haven't made a lot of progress on any one thing. My bath mat is coming along, ( my standard mindless project for when I am too tired to concentrate). I am making pretty good progress on that one, so I must have been tired alot this week...LOL

I was seduced into starting the EZ Baby Surprise Jacket by a KAL group on Ravelry.  Yes, I have officially joined the ranks of EZ Knitter! I think it is coming along ok. It is kinda hard to tell. I am not real crazy about how the psso's are looking, but I keep going forward. I am blindly trying to follow Elizabeths pattern because I can't get the visual in my head yet. 

I haven't done squat on my alien piece, I haven't had a real clear mindset to work on it so it just sits for now.

Remember those toe up socks I was trying to work on? Well F@#%  those toe up socks! I realized if something is sitting in ZZZ land for too long, it is just not meant to be. If you hate the process, frog it! Because it will be a UFO forever!

So that is what I did, frog the damn sock that was going no- where, and started one I knew I would like. 

I love this yarn, and I think it was just crying out for a great pair of slouchy socks. :) Now I am a happy sock knitter and have a portable project again.

 Isn't it funny how, when you like what your working on, it goes pretty darn quick.