I must have a loose screw!

OK- here I go again on the Girlfriend's Best Sock. I had to borrow Kelpy's 0's because I couldn't find mine (which of course I now have located). I have frogged and frogged and frogged this sock so damn many times this week. Every time I get to the pretty diamond pattern and find I am off a stitch, or I just had a brain fart when I cast on and miss counted. It has been one thing or another with this one. So this is as far as I have gotten with it.

That is after I botched the Koolhaas! I think I zigged when I should have zagged, so yet another project to go into the frog pond for later review.

I have probably over-committed myself for the Ravelympics 2008!!! What the hell was I thinking???? Ravelympics starts at the beginning of the Bejing Games, and the point is to knit something that is a challenge for your and complete it by the end of the Summer Olympics.

To start with, I want to make a Vertigo scarf, so I entered the Scarf Stroke Event. This scarf is so pretty and I want it. I was all set to order some new yarn when I took a good look at my stash. It calls for sock yarn, and OH Boy do I have sock yarn. Not that I have a sock yarn that is rainbow flavored but I picked out this Lorna's Laces and I think it will turn out pretty cool.

I will have to order another 2 skeins of white, one more for the scarf and one for the project I earmarked for this skein.

And since my ego is clearly way too big....

I also decided enter the Home Stuff Hammer Throw Event. (This is where I decided I must be out of my ever-flippin' mind!) Four different dishcloth patterns and five Tribbles!! Tribbles, no big deal, but the dishcloths? I am not so swift with a graph and I have to work from a graph for three of them.

Again, I was going to buy more yarn (remember I am trying to Stash Down this year). I have two partial cones of cotton sitting idle and I also have this!!!

This was a great little project I picked up a couple of years ago at Stitches. Too cute of a hooded scarf that I was about a third finished with (cast on of 400 stitches), when I laid it down to yell and somebody else's dog that was taking a pee on my office door, when low and behold the smoke alarm went off... And guess what? It is not flame retardant! Yup, that's right, I accidentally set my knitting on fire!! Tip: Do not burn candles at the same table your knitting at!

Anyway- this very pretty yarn is a mercerized cotton so it should work well for all those dish cloths I plan to make. Why buy more yarn when I have all this to use up! Besides, I am saving my pennies for the 23rd when I go to Stitches!!

Brodie just turned 4 months old the other day!!! He is getting to be such a big boy! We are starting to come to an agreement about Momma's knitting time! He is no longer continuously trying to eat it while I knit, just part of the time, so I feel we are making progress.

I am positive he is going to grow up to be just as beautiful as these two little boys. the one in the frame is Kashmir (Kaz) and the other one is Eros (Kaz's daddy). They are both over the rainbow now :(
I hope I get all my stupidity out of my system before the games begin, because I am going to be doing some marathon knitting.

Contest at Diary of an Eccentric

Just a quickie post!!
I just wanted to give a shout out for Anna's Contest (at Diary of an Eccentric) for the book Mrs Lieutenant by Phyllis Zimbler Miller.
I certainly don't have the flair of the written word that Anna has, so make sure you check out her interview with Phyllis on her blog!
Anna has a fabulous interview with Phyllis on her blog, and makes the book (which is about Army Wives during the Vietman War) sound very intriguing. I personally don't know if I can wait for the contest results to read it. (Oh I hope I win- I hope I win -I hope I win).

Since my puedo daughter Lori, who is waaay out in Seattle, is sitting at home waiting for her own husband to come back from Iraq, I am strongly urging her to pick up this novel and read it since it is about women such as herself allbeit in a different era.

Thank you Dawn for reminding me thatI have lots of reading to catch up on.

Wax On - Wax Off

WHOOT! I made it to the final eight (16) last night. You can get a lot of knitting done when listening to an audio book til 2 am. Of course, I realized my brain was too fuzzy to comprehend anything I might try to read, so I left the dreaded Kitchener stitch until today. Hmmm I wonder why it is called that...

Anyway, since my little man likes to get up with the birds- I really need to stop staying up so late- I decided to just stay up instead of trying to convince him to go bad to sleep.
What else is one to do at 6am?? Well knit of course!

I must have had the ah ha moment during my sleep because when I picked up the my loopy for grafting the toe, I left my handy dandy Knitters Handbook on the shelf and heard the little voice in my head saying, wax on- wax off -wax on -wax off.... okay, then it said purl purl knit knit...HOLY CRAP... IT FINALLY STUCK IN MY OVERSTUFFED BRAIN!!! That probably means something important fell out of it, but I will deal with that later.
That pesky grafting business is firmly in there!!



Ta Da! Has a bit of an elfin quality to them doesn't it. Probably why I like this pattern so much. And TOFUtsie.. is comfy on the feet. Must be tasty too since Brodie likes to grab and run with them.


Now what the heck am I supposed to do with the left overs?? Always a dilemma for me. I guess for now, it goes to the elephant graveyard.


Oh look, a baby fox on my sofa! I will have to dig out the baby pictures of my other two boys to see if their ears were that perked as puppies. Both of them grew up with the typical Sheltie flop to them, Brodie's used to be floppy but now he always seems to be in the high alert mode.

I did spend a little time on my blog the other day- my only day off during my vacation- what with one thing and another, and Raine visiting of course. I tried to do a little house keeping and spruce it up some. I keep meaning to have a go at Iweb and try to design something fresh, but it is too daunting of a task for me right now. There is so much on a Mac that I have yet to learn, hence the reason why all of my photos are uploaded in mega files.

Much as I loved having Raine visit, I am exhausted, and was happy to turn her over to Auntie Pam this week. Children are definitely for the young... Visits to Mimi's are a must, but in small doses...plus the child hogs the whole damn bed!


Now to figure out where the heck I left off in the Koohaas pattern. I am hoping I had the sense to stop with the last round of the pattern set, since I did not have the sense to mark my spot.
In the back of mind I am considering my shopping list for Stitches next month. Since I have enough sock yarn to choke a small horse, I don't plan on buying any more of that, I am thinking it may be a year of kits.

Chicago Skyline

I have never seen the Chicago skyline from the water before! It was pretty darn cool!!

Not exactly how I planned to spend my vacation, but my niece, nephew, sister in law, Raine and myself all went to Navy Pier for the day. Oh my how exhausting! And Expensive!!

We took a boat tour up the Chicago River. Very interesting. I might even consider doing that again, with a full camera battery. We no sooner got to the locks and my battery died along with my nieces battery. Still, we got some cool pictures and then I used my Iphone for the rest of the trip.

On our way home, we stopped by my place to pick up Brodie so he could play with my brothers dog Charlie, while we ate my brothers homemade ice cream. YUM YUM.

Here is how I spend a good portion of my vaca. Putting together a book shelf and attempting to find a place for all of the bazillion books that I own. Actually, by library standards, it really isn't that many books. I just don't seem to have room for everything.

The biggest cluster is the stacks of paperwork, some of which are actual work work, and some of it patterns, supposed important papers. Now I wonder what I thought was important when I packed this crap.

A few bins of Christmas crap yet to be gone through. But at least it is more manageable now.

I would rather spend my time doing this! Raine is practicing her knitting and it seems Brodie is trying to help, or rather undo.

The little darling has a fetish for jewelry and knitting! I no longer wear jewelry, I am waiting for him to get past the need for yanking earrings out of my ears. And my knitting? Well that seems to be a battle of wills. He seems to feel it is a challenge to see how quickly he can yank it from my hands and see how far he can run with it before I catch him.

Terrible picture of my sock and foot, but only a couple more inches left and I can start the toe. That is, if I can keep it away from the puppy.

Dawn has really put me to shame with all her knitting she has accomplished! I feel like a complete knitting slug! Especially since the only thing I have knit in the last two months has been one single solitary sock! I will get my groove back on. I promise. Stitches is coming up next month and I want to have my four WIP's finished before then so I can feel like I started fresh for this fiscal year. I think Raine may go with this year, she seems to have a tad bit more interest in knitting than previously. Here's hoping.

Civil War Days

Brodie and I are settling in very nicely!! Most everything unpacked and now all I am working on is putting together my office/craft room. That is the biggest challenge. A new desk, more suitable for my Macbook than the old monstrous corner desk that I used to have. I am waiting for the eagle to crap so I can buy the file cabinet and book shelf that match my new desk. Then I should be able to finish unpacking this room. 

Wall decor will take  a little longer, but I am in no big hurry. My sofa and recliner are so darn comfy that it has all become very much home to me even without the trimmings. 

This weekend was the Civil War Days that were held at the Forest Preserve. I love these events! Raine was more impressed with the colossal sized sno cones that were on the menu than she was the civil war battle re-enactment.

Of course, having been running late, having to walk damn near a mile to get to the battle, I had one crabby child with me until I managed to appease her with this treat. 

It was so packed with spectators that we had to sit at the end of the battle field. Unfortunately I did not remember my camera and only had the one on my phone.  Another duh moment on my part. And of course, - I missed taking a photo of the deserter that ran straight towards us. Then there were the rebel solders that starting shooting at us once the battle was over.  For me it was a fun time, Raine? Not so much, she was not so interested until we started walking through the shops.

I finally cast on that other loopy sock. Over and over and over again. 

Brodie has learned to jump up on the sofa, running at mach 7. And so quick he is that I would be sitting there knitting, when suddenly Brodie would come flying into my lap, grab my knitting and take off with out barely a blink of an eye. I must have re-cast on a half dozen times this week end because he managed to remove my needles as he ran with my sock. Clearly he is still too young to sit by my side while I knit because he is completely fascinated with it. He is either grabbing at the yarn or sitting on my chest licking my face. Personally I think that is just a ruse on his part to distract me so he can grab my yarn. It took me all week end to get only this far. 

And here is me, trying to get Brodie to sit still so I can take his picture. My little man is always in his momma's face during his waking hours, the little corker.

Sweeeet Independence Day!

Never has our Independence Day ever meant so much! It was my very first day as a completely Independent Woman!! Waaahooo- my very first full day in my new home. Mine and Brodie's that is. I shall miss Bingo terribly, but that is all I shall miss.

Moving day was accomplished with the help of wonderful family. Mine and that crab ass' family. Even tho he decided to park himself at the kitchen table and watch, like he thought I was going to take his 400 pound paperweight safe or something. And he did try to make my leaving difficult by locking the trailer so I could not use it. Until his sister got him to relinquish the key that is.
Still, all in all I managed to make my escape before the day was gone. And not a word was spoken ;)

Fortuately I had my brandy new furniture delivered to the new place. I really did not think I had that much crap! I don't think I could have lifted another box! Today (ok yesterday since it is officially after midnight) I ached so bad after sitting all night at work that I could barely stand. My muscles are screaming!!

The Uverse dude is coming first thing in the AM. I am borrowing wifi from my good friends (formally spousal type's family) who live next door. His dictatorship canceled my email, so if anyone was trying to email me, I will have a new one tomorrow (today).


Welcome to my humble abode!
Isn't that a comfy looking chair for knitting?? I can't wait to be unpacked to I can start my new relaxing life. I can leave my yarn any darn place I want to (out of Brodies reach of course). It was so nice getting up this morning and finding my laptop exactly where I put it last night, and my purse exactly where I left it. And most of all, not hearing a police scanner all flippin night!!

And as you can see, Brodie has made himself quite at home. No adjustment period for him, he walked in like he had always lived here. I am sure he misses big dog too and the great big yard to run around in but he has adjusted very well, so far. He has been consoling himself with a new basket of toys.

Hark ! I think I hear my big girl bed calling me!

Of Mice and Men

Well you know what they say about best laid plans.... Mine have changed! Still moving, only to a different place. I think I am going to hang out a shingle that says "1 Nice Person and 1 Great Sheltie live here! - Crabby People need not apply"

11 days and counting.....

Men... they can be such babies at times. However much they claim to not be playing games, turning off the Internet, turning off the front porch lights when you're coming home late and canceling one's email is game playing and very childish!! And where do they get off with this "It's my way or the highway" crap. Ever hear of something called a compromise?? NO? Guess not!...So guess what, I am taking my "ugly boobs" ( I didn't know boobs could be ugly) and my "fat butt" and I'll be "very single" and hitting the highway!

I am sure all of you ladies would agree with me on that score.

With all that turmoil going on you can probably guess I haven't knit shit! I am darn near completely packed however, due to game playing, I will have limited Internet for a few days, and my email access is sporatic. However, I waste no time in re-spinning my web ;) ! Utilities and Internet will be ready when I move in, or rather shortly there after, being there is a holiday to contend with.

I have spent some time surfing the Internet for a "new look". I love vintage... I am not talking 1960's or 70's type vintage. I'm talking old world early 1900's turn of the century stuff. Technically I guess that is called antique but I like to call it vintage.

I have an antique folding rocker that had a causality a few years ago and is in need of repair, but I did find someone who might be able to repair it. I also found a twin to my chair on EBay...and won it of course. Purchased a dry sink and am now looking for a wash basin to go with it. Along with the 130 year old humidor from my dad. Now that is what I call vintage :)

I have a few odds and ends that have been passed down through my mom. And I will finally be able to hang the very special painting of my brother's in my home in a public place.

OK- so maybe still life's aren't everybody cup of tea. But this one is very special to me, my brother Gary painted it in art class and it is 38 years old. Ok, and maybe it is kinda an ugly picture, but I think it must have grown on me after all these years. Or maybe I always liked it. It is as much a part of me as my red hair.

Anyway, everybody tells me it is ugly and I was never allowed to hang it in a prominent part of the house. So now, I am thinkin' since it is a picture of food, it should go in the dining room.

Tell me what do you think. I am thinking maybe some cool 3d pictures or something like that to compliment it in a grouping???

Any suggestions?? Maybe I will check out Hobby Lobby and see what they have going on.

I did start on my second Loopy sock (BTW- My first pair of Loopy's made the Feature Photo on Ravelry, it is my third feature photo ;) ). I have to start over again tho because somewhere along the line I got one of my loopys on the needle and botched the whole thing up. Since I have less than an inch knit I may as well start over and save myself the aggravation. That is pretty much all I have gotten done in the way of knitting. It is kinda frustrating but every time I sit down to knit, I think of a dozen things that need to be packed.

Brodie is growing by leaps and bounds it seems. And we have hit the puppy terrible two's! He is in that nippy stage, and the more I correct him the nipper he gets. Kids! Really - he sounds more like my daughter as a teen...LOL



Poor Bingo, he is so tolerant! Brodie just walks where ever he wants to to get to where he wants to.

The Summer Slump

What is it about knitting that makes us compulsive? Is it the actual rhythmic process or is it satisfaction of the finished project? To have something we have made with our own two hands, something unique? The satisfaction of completion?  

I personally, love all of it! I love the soothing rhythm of knitting and crocheting. I find it relaxing as well as a challenge. I suppose that is why most crafters have more than one project going at a time. I need to have the no nonsense project always at hand for the stressed mind to be soothed. But I am finding more and more that I need to have a challenge nearby as well. I get a small thrill of satisfaction form having the ability to knit or crochet in the dark. 

Ok, so maybe that is a little weird, but think about all the times your family is asleep and you have the urge to knit. Or, say when your boyfriend decides you have been up late enough and turns out the light so you can't knit, and you can still continue to knit without them (that would be the thrill of defiance...LOL)!

I also love the admiration from other people (and who doesn't), the ability to give a unique gift to someone that over shadows the appreciation of a purchased gift. It tells a story of love when you give something that is hand made. Anyone can go to the store and buy something, but it takes a special kind of love to make a gift for someone. 

So then, since all of these things are important to me, why then do I always have that annual summer knitting slow down? Naturally, the lack of air conditioning in my home says a lot. It is difficult to work on a large project when you're feeling smothered by the weight of it and it increase your body temperature by 20 degrees. So...problem solved right? Work on something small and light! Well- that is not happening either. I have two pairs of socks as well as a scarf and hat that I could be working on. I can't blame it all on Brodie, since this is really a seasonal slump for me, more so than because I have a new puppy demanding a lot of my time.  Maybe it is because I am spending more time outside (playing), or maybe it is because I am busier at work, but that usually makes me knit more. Or is it just too hard to think about making wintery type items when it is 90 degrees and the humidity is 150 percent? 

Yah, that must be it- all of the above.

Here is a shot of what I did Sunday morning at the CRACK of DAWN! No sillies, I did not run, as if...I took the pictures of the police officers running in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. These courageous cops also got up at the crack of dawn to pass the torch from Winthrop Harbor, IL town to town all the way to Lincolnwood, IL to signal the beginning of the Special Olympics which take place this coming weekend.

Bless them, for sure I could not have run even the shortest leg of the trip.

Look at that sweet face!! Who would have ever guessed that that sweet little baby could harbor the soul of a terrorist!!! 

Clearly we have our work cut out for us!!!  Brodie has not yet learned you do not touch Momma's knitting basket! (note the chew marks on the needle).

HEY!!! THAT'S MY TOE!!!!!

Oh Boy!!! Here we go again.... Apparently Brodie also likes Momma's shoes! And will take them right off her foot!  

, 

Clearly thinking, "Hmmmmm..... What else can I get into...."

Well, I did manage to salvage my TOFUtsie sock, if not the needles. It took me a good ten minutes to untangle the mess Brodie put it in, then I figured that should be my cue to get off my fat butt and graft the toe.  THAT was when I discovered my first puppy causality. My little terrorist bit off a quarter inch of one of my needles. I might be able to sand down the tip for a repair, but it was not the same needle with the chew marks on the tip, Oh Boy!  When you have such a well behaved older dog in the house for so many years, you tend to forget about the baby proofing part of puppydom.

We did get lucky with finding a place, right next door the a pair of out-laws!! A/C in the summer and Heat in the winter...what a concept!! Built in doggie- sitters right next door. My niece Emily is very excited about walking Bingo and Brodie (now there is a visual, Bings doesn't exactly do leash very well, and Emily is 7) and Raine is ecstatic about Mimi living next door to Emily!

I won't miss this house at all! It served it's purpose I guess, but it is too high maintenance. Too big for the four of us and too damn hard to keep clean for the one of us. Especially with the kind of hours I keep.  I think we will all miss this yard though. Especially my babies, they love the open space and having 4 acres means no poop patrol, at least as far a Bingo is concerned. He is  very considerate that way. Moving to a duplex definitely means poop patrol! YUK! And, no off leash playing in the yard. I think we will be making lots of trips to the forest preserve and the dog park.

And as you can see, Brodie really loves to run, and run and run, literally circles around Bingo, and anything else he sees.

It will be an interesting move for sure.

For the Love of Brodie

I realized it has been a very long time since my last post. Part of the reason is because I haven't really been knitting much. I am still working on my tofutsie sock (yes singular) I am at the toe, but not had the ambition to finish. I did start the Koolhaas which is turning out very Kool indeed! But that is as far as I have gotten. 

Something very exciting has come into my life and I have been more than a little bit distracted by it...or rather him. Meet Brodie, the new love of my life. Isn't he beautiful!!!

Last week, after scouring the Internet for a Sheltie pup, I finally found THE ONE. This little man has a face that reminds me of my old Sheltie Kashmir, and the has some of the same personality traits of the older one Eros.  In fact, he looked just enough like Kaz that it prompted me drive 700 miles on Saturday to pick him up. So Raine and hopped into my truck and took off to pick him up, we arrived back home at 4 am Sunday morning with our little bundle of joy. Little Brodie and Raine were both troopers during the long drive, no complaints out of either one of them.

The other exciting thing is that we have decided to move to a smaller, more energy efficient house. This house (rental) is waaaay to big for me to upkeep, and way too hard to heat! Our winter utilities are astronomical! We have been spoiled for so so many years here, with the large 3K house and the 4 acres of land that it will be a hard move for us, but it makes sense. So I have been spending a good deal of my off work time packing. Not one to wait til the last minute for something like that, ya know. This is a great time to get rid of crap that has been sitting around in boxes or on the shelf for the last six years. (deadables not included). 

A large garage sale is in the making ;)

So with all that going on, is it any wonder I haven't picked up a set of needles?

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.

Knitisiums

I think I might need this shirt.

Is that even a word? Knitisiums? Oh well, it is now. I have been browsing the net tonite looking for something to buy. Very bad I know but I figured I have enough overtime in the last two weeks to make up any shopping I do tonite. I can remember not to very long ago that I could not even find one t-shirt or one coffee mug with any type of knitisium on it. Tonite I have found page after page of them. So many in fact that I cannot decide.

Decisions, decisions.


What I did find that I could buy tonite was this....from realmofredheads.com

This shirt along with a few others that celebrate my belonging to the top 4% ;) of the population.

My natural born redheadedness has been causing some dissension in my peace of mind lately.

Ever feel like you are nearing your boiling point? That your level of tolerance for ignorance and stupidity is being reached? I have recently been feeling like a volcano ready to erupt. Quite likely to erupt at work and at home. I am thinking that somebody is going to be the recipient of a tongue lashing and it is not going to be pretty! I try hard not to lose my temper, but sometimes...ok.. It is not even one particular thing that is causing this feeling, but a series of events, rude and whining remarks that is bringing me to this point.

Plus the fact that I am overwhelmed with work, my house is a mess and I can't seem to find the time or energy to put it right, I am working too many hours and my favorite police officer went to a busier department. :(

Top that off with a shitty vacation (I know my butt is fat, and I do not need anyone to remind me, thank you very much!) and there you have it... a volcanic explosion just waiting to happen!

Perhaps it is the reason I felt the need to buy a t-shirt that says "Consider the hair a warning"

On a knitting side note, I did finish the fingerless gloves for that spousal-type-person who does not deserve them (picture to come at a later date). And I discovered that my own fingerless gloves are great for wearing outside and in that cold ass work out room at work, but they are not so good for typing. Way too bulky, I kept hitting the wrong keys. I shall have to make another fingerless - fingerless glove to cover cold hands for typing.

I am having a bit of a knitting slump as well Dawn, don't feel too bad.