Down to 4

Ok- so it is actually 5 WIP's but one of them doesn't count.
I have been trying to discipline myself into finishing some of my WIP's before the year is over. I think I did a darn good job depleting my stash, so now I want these WIP's done before they become UFO's...not that there is much difference. My biggest excuse so far is "I can't keep track my place on the chart" Sounds good right? So I bought that cool magnetic board for charts from Knit Picks so that I don't have to worry about the stickum getting unsticky on my sticky note and knitting the wrong row.

I am ever- so- close to being finished with the Alien scarf. Too bad I did not have it for yesterdays Hot Dog Roast at the PD! Not that I needed a scarf yesterday, it was a gerogeous day out. Perfect for all the adorable little fairies and witches and ghouls. This year we could actually see their costumes since no one needed a coat.

Sometimes I have the greatest job in the world!!! I get to save lives sometimes, and sometimes I get paid to take pictures and play with children and socialize... Doesn't get any better than that! I even got to spend some time with my family even though I was on the clock. How many of you have jobs like that?? The only real bummer was that Brodie could not be there :(
That and the fact there were about a thousand unruly teens on the street intent on creating mayhem and damage.

The kids with their kids

Raine as a witch (again)...I couldn't seem to catch Ethan without his mask.


My co-worker with his little guy Jackson, along with almost all of the PD staff and their families participated at our Hot Dog Roast.

Prior to all that mayhem- I did manage to start my Special Olympic Scarf Project... (Rav Link) I got a whole two rows done...woo-wee. This one will be crocheted (obviously) in a wavey pattern. I will probably have enough for a couple more scarves so I will have to figure out another pattern. I noticed that many Ravelers are doing multiple scarves, probably for the mere fact that there is so much yarn in these skeins. There are some pretty cool looking scarves on the Rav link.

I had one and half balls of this chunky stuff from a hat that I made for Mark (one he never wore of course). Since there was only about 75 yards left there really wasn't much I could make from it. I modified the Fidget to make the yardage work out. I'll probably make another one of these since it was such a quick and easy project. It is done in a twisted moss stitch which was mindless and interesting at the same time.

Yarn: Valley Yarns Shelburne Chunky weight
Size 10 needles
Time took? completed in just over a day. Quick and sleezy ;)

I also made a big mess of my office this week trying to re-arrange it. I broke my tall book shelf and had to have a repair job done on it (thank goodness for male friends with tools). I been doing the whole fall clean up thing in there. The Throw-out- stuff -that -I- have- been- hanging- onto- for- years- and- not- using kinda of thing. I think I am making some head way, and at least I can see my desk and the floor again! Now to start attacking all those bins I have in the closet!!

Cord Trick

Weaving the icords was something of a challenge. I quickly realized I was going to have to do this in an ass backward fashion. Appropriate really since that is how I do most things. Instead of weaving normally with the weft cord, I laid the 200 inch cord across the four cords and wove the red alternately over the gold. All the while pushing the little guy out of the way each time I moved a cord. He seemed to think it a game.


For all intents and purposes-this scarf is done, until I can make a trip to the fabric store for clear elastic. I have it basted together at the ends but I still have to sew in the elastic cording to tighten it up. That will have to wait for a day off because, like book stores, I tend to lose myself in fabric stores.

I also need to pick out some more fleece for homeless hats since I used up everything I had in my sewing stash. I will have to make sure I pick up some fleece suitable for the kids too, Raine and Ethan would be upset if Mimi did not make them some hats too, especially since Uncle Twiggy got to have one.

I finally cleaned up the mess I had made of my Alien Scarf and it is now back to where I was after frogging half an alien face. My goal for October is to finish up some of these WIP's I have laying around. I feel like I can finally move forward with the alien now that it has been corrected.

Of course I could not resist starting another scarf! I am addicted to them! Thanks to Kelp I have a host of patterns begging to be knit. The problem with that will be that I will have to buy more yarn to make them. Most of my stash is sock yarn, and right now, I am in scarf mode.


This scarf is such an easy one and so cool looking, it is done in garter stitch so it qualifies as mindless knitting. After each square, I bind off 5 stitches and cast on 5 more at the end of that row, then just knit with my eyes closed. The yarn is some Noro that I picked up at Stitches this year. It is a darker blend so the colors are a little hard to see.

Frugal Living!
I have been looking at my finances this week and examining ways of cutting back on extravagances. since I never watch TV, I cut back my Uverse subscription to the smallest package, just in case I get bored and need to watch some boob tube. I have barely turned the thing on over the last two weeks to poof...gone. What is the point of paying for something that I don't watch. Then there is that Damned Iphone that I let Jackass twist my arm into buying. I hate the thing! It is too heavy and I don't use 90 percent of the features, so I checked to see when I can upgrade... And Woo Hoo I can get rid of that stupid phone!
Kinda funny when you think about it, I got a lesser phone and I call it it an upgrade. I should get my new phone in a couple of days, that will save me $15 buck right off the bat on my bill.
My biggest expense is frivolous shopping. I am pretty darned good at it. I love to shop ( not that damned grocery shopping thing) but the fun shopping. It is going to be tough but I can be frugal if I have to. I want something big...really big, and to get it I will have to have to learn to tell myself no. Quite a feat when one is used to buy what ever one wants!

Can you guess what the big thing is?? It is a house sillys! I want my own place where I can hang my hat and not worry about if the guy upstairs is going to throw food out on the lawn every night. Or if I am going to have a parking place when I get home from work.
I work with some really money savy people, or in other words... really cheap people, and I have been getting lots of advise on how to be a cheap ass...LOL

I have already felt myself tempted by some really pretty earrings I saw on HSN yesterday...but I prevailed! I have about a year to get my act together, but I feel confidant that I can do it! BTW...purchases done in the name of charity do not count...hence the reason I am guilt free over the second pink extension I am getting this week. ;)

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.

Squishiness

Kinda silly when you think about it, the reason this one is not finished. A couple of years ago I started this blanket for a baby shower. One of those, I really like this squishy yarn, and bought it kind of deals. So I just started knitting, at break neck speed, then when I thought I should be just about finished, I took a good look at it and realized it was much too big for a baby blanket. Infact, I think it would have fit the whole crib. So I immediately slammed on the brakes, re-thunk the situation and instead of frogging I decided to add a few border rows and give it to my grandaughter. 'Cept, I never finished.

(Made from Red Heart's Baby Clouds- very warm and snuggley but tends to pill)

I don't usually do that, I very rarely have UFO's, but in this case it has sat in the basket needing those few rows crocheted for two years. The baby who I started it for just had her second birthday. She received something altogether different, a different blanket that was crocheted and a matching sweater. Knitting and crocheting for baby showers are always a rush it seems. For the last 4 or 5 years it seemed that all I did was make baby stuff. I had two baby showers back to back that year. My best friend had her first baby then too so I was also working on her gifts at the same time, plus trying to finish a cross stitch baby quilt as well (that also is a UFO).



One thing always seems to lead to another in large families, and I never could bring myself to pick up the hook and finish this one after all the rushing around was done.

Since I am trying to deplete my overgrown stash, I decided I had better start here. It now sits next to my tv chair to remind to get it done. I did throw a few stitches on it last night before my niece showed up to visit.
Now, if Iwould just sit down to watch some tv.

Best viewed in low lighting

...Or chocolate sock! As the title states, this one is best viewed in low lighting, that way you don't notice the toe is not quite right. Ever get your ssk's and you k2tog's reversed? Yup that is what happened here! Of course once I noticed it, I was so close to the finish line that I did not have the heart to frog. Besides, socks should be comfortable - right? Who is really going to see that toe anyway since it will be hidden by my shoe. Then there is that pesky grafting business...I just can't seem to wrap my head around that one. Each time I do the kitchener stitch I find I have to refer to a how to. (no shame in that I guess)

I did wiggle a bit when I took this picture (balancing on one foot with the other on a rocker-quite a feat) so it is a tad blurry. I completed this one while watching Premonition tonite. Freaky movie! I was going to work on the Basa square but I was afraid I would end up frogging that one since I had to watch the movie with a box of tissues. I am a sap, I know, and I get ribbed for it every time.

I haven't yet woven in the ends so I may have a change of heart and rip tomorrow. We'll see.

Now that I have one off the needles I no longer have to split my interest and can get back to completing the Alpaca Project. Socky # 2 can wait.

Off topic- yesterday was mall day with Raine we managed to walk the mall twice (it's a hike). She is such a little trouper she did not even complain until I mentioned we had been walking for four hours. At which point she promply sat down on a bench and announce she was tired, the little stinker, and I was the one carrying the bags. Today we went to see Finding Nemo on Ice. Absolutely adorable show. I think the I enjoyed it as much as she did.