Sunday, December 17, 2006

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas treeeee!

Our new plan for decorating the tree is to use the soft, unbreakable ornaments we have and crafty paper ornaments made by the children. They are working diligently as I type on snowmen and bulbs and other more abstract ones (the four year old's) and happily hanging them on the tree. Much better than the glass bulbs the kittens will break because even though the water thing is working, they are still small kittens who forget they have learned to stay out of it.

Today was the kids' program at church, the boys were tentative but ended up doing it and my father was roped into playing Santa Claus, amazingly none of the kids realized it was him. I was for sure at least one of them would notice he looked a lot like Grandpa. Very fun and VERY cute, especially the littlest who was very outgoing with the microphone. He would say his first word quite loudly and the rest in a normal voice after a little hesitation. The crazy part is that I grew up in the same church and it is really weird to be the parent and not the kid in the play.

I CANNOT wait for my sisters and brother and brother in law and boyfriend in law and the little NEPHEW MAN to get here. One week, well for all except the sister and boyfriend in law, they will be spending Christmas in Canada with his family and get here on the 27th, hooray! I am so excited.

I worked a bit more on the colorful squares, now I am trying to decide how to join them and if I will indeed make a table runner out of them. Pretty sure I am, but I always get these crazy ideas in my head which I should just know to ignore but of course never do. I need to just make myself sit down and finish!

Dear Santa, for Christmas what I would like, aside from time with my family and those fun frog massager things at Walmart and new comfy pj's I would like for my digital camera to work again. Or to somehow get a fabulous new one.

Thank you! Fly safe!
Lisa

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Well, the tree is up

but only has a couple ornaments on it. The kittens have decided it is a giant cat playground. We have taken to squirting them with water to get them down and away and for the most part it's working. They are little kid cats though and sometimes it is just too tempting. Also, the lights on it are sort of wonky-it's a pre-lit fake tree which I fought for awhile until we received it as a gift-and we've only used it once or twice so I'm thinking it's from being cramped up in storage. I'm still working on it.

Last night the husband and I were able to pawn the children off on my parents to sneak off to do some shopping (and go to a wine-tasting and dinner YAY!) We were able to get a really good chunk of gift buying done, so I am feeling a tad bit more prepared. We had a lot of fun picking out toys and stuff and I can't wait to get them out and play with them. I was thinking of taking the kids shopping for gifts for their cousins and grandparents but the thought of even shopping on a Saturday this close to Christmas makes me want to scream, much less with four children in tow. We'll just wait until next week and go an even more insane week night when I drag the husband with.

On a sadder note I think I left my scarf at the youngest's Christmas program, I need call the place and his daycare to see if anyone has found it. I love my purple scarf that matches my hat. The husband said "Well you can always make a new one." I DON'T WANT A NEW ONE! A friend said I should go with that and buy myself some really nice yarn to make it with-you told me to make a new one. ;) Hopefully it will turn up.

Today I think we will hang out at home, I'll catch up on laundry and hopefully get some knitting or crocheting in. Much better than braving stores anyday.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Apparently I have

not been keeping up again. The Hawkeye scarf was finished the very next day after that post, and given to the littlest man in our house and he LOVES it. Myself I wanted to take it out and start over but he was NOT having that and loves it and really is warm and soft and Hawkeye-ish. It's his and he loves it, so who can ask for more?

Otherwise I am trying to work on a new purse for myself, and the square bright colored project continues. I am thankful that so faar I have not done that last minute OH I MUST MAKE ____ for _____, or I would be MUCH more stressed.

And the cats are hopping and flipping all over my living room and it is really very funny.

Christmas, GAH! My work Christmas party is this week, wheee. I am making my olive pasta for the pot-luck, have been doing fun Secret Santa gifts and just need to get a few more things for the "final gift." So that's that.

As for the rest of my Christmas doings I am on schedule to be madly behind. As usual. Gift buying will begin in earnest this weekend, and hopefully we will get the tree and decorations up this week. Wheeeee!

As for the yarn type things, I will do what I can and hopefully not be sucked into some mad last minute thing that will drive me insane and keep me up until the wee hours nights in a row (as in last year and the year before, and well you get the idea). Hopefully.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Halfway done with the Hawkeye Scarf

I almost frogged it because I am still not sure if I like it, but the kids like it and since it is for them I'm going with it.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

So I should've guessed

that the scarf would not go smoothly. It looked easy enough, even with the double stranding. Of course I had my four kids and my nephew and it was even more loud and rowdy than usual. The kids were very excitable. VERY excitable. Having their cousin over was VERY, VERY EXCITING. So they were running and hollering and having lots and lots of fun which occasionally included little fights over very stupid things. Which led to me being distracted from the scarf. Which led to me somehow being off on my stitches or rows or something. Which led to a really goofy looking switch in the pattern. It went from nice, straight diagonal rows to a mish mash of diagonalness.

I've started over, now using Chunky USA , black and gold for the Hawkeyes , on size 15's. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it's turning out kind of fun. We'll see how it goes.

Ahhhh my yarn!

So, I've been slacking a lot in the yarn department, and even more in the picture dept. The digital camera is not cooperating so I may need to ask for one for Christmas.

I haven't finished much, just the bag for my Grandma and the Kitty Pi-I so need to make another as we have two kitties. I am still working on the colored crocheted squares and started a new felted bag for myself. I also have a bunch of smallish WIP's that I just need to buckle down and finish. One of which was a shawl I made last wintertime, knitted with a crocheted edge. All I have to do is finish the second crocheted row and weave in the ends and it is done. I just need to pull out of the bin. That's it. Sheesh.

I've also started scarves for my boys a couple of times and they are just not coming out the way I want them too. Until! A link to this: The Misti Alpaca Chunky Diagonal Rib Knit Scarf

I am using some Wool-Ease I bought to make the boys hats and scarves-the hats have been done since last fall. Double-stranding and it is turning out very nice, bulky and soft and just the right size-using 10.5 needles. Hooray!

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun with yummy, delicious food of which we were given lots of leftovers, YAY! Ate good food, played games, talked and laughed. Yesterday and today have been spent doing minimal things around the house-although I should be taking advantage of my extra days off-I'd rather use the time to relax and knit. So I am. A little laundry, made breakfast for the kids and the older nephew who stayed over last night, catching up on my DVR'd tv shows and YARN! YAY FOR YARN!

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Life without drugs

So I'm coming off of my Cymbalta. This is both good and then terrifying. Will I be able to maintain without it? Are the current freakish moods and overreactions a by-product of coming down off the meds, or am I still like this? Should I really do this? Why do I feel the need to find out if maybe all the hard work in the mental department the last few years has worked enough that I can exist without the drug? Why can't I just be okay with having to be on a medication in the first place?

Being nuts has this way of undermining your own understanding of yourself. Tends to make you over-think everything, questioning whether what you are thinking/feeling/doing is "normal" or a crazy person warning sign. Am I just getting back to normal, or should I throw in the towel and gulp down the meds and stop tempting fate?

I am terrified of getting mired down in all the mental crap and not realizing how far down I'm going and having to put myself and my children and my husband through another bout of get your ass into the therapist you crazy woman. I always struggle with myself, wanting to just be "normal and okay" and having to prove I can verses taking the drugs and just living that way without having to find out or prove anything or struggle with needing them to just be okay.

So, the past couple weeks have been rough in that way, but not as bad as I anticipated and I'm determined to try this without medication and please God just let me be NORMAL.

This past week was a big test, as evidenced by the freak out post last night, but I'm making it and I haven't had a huge emotional reaction, no yelling or hollering, no loss of control, none of the stuff that I don't have the courage to type about here. I guess we'll see how it goes.

The eye is not as bad today, but it hurts like a bitch at times, especially in sunlight. I'd like to avoid having to be out, but we've got errands to run so that's how it goes. And holy cow have you seen that ginormous storm on Saturn? 350 mile per hour winds, insane.

Friday, November 10, 2006

This week...and why it was NOT fun.

Flat tires, cars not starting, being late for work, work being a major pain in the ass more than usual with all sorts of extra things to do, house being nuts, fundraisers suck ass, and my EYE IS JACKED UP AGAIN.

AGAIN.

I am not happy. I really thought I was done with the eye thing. I thought I would go back to my normal nearsightedness with it's annual eye exams, mundane optometrist visits, especially as they've gotten rid of the SHOCKING MOTHERFUCKING PUFF IN THE EYE GLAUCOMA TEST.

So. Eye, jacked up again. There are a lot of nerve endings in the eye. A WHOLE LOT. If you do not believe me either google, or come over here so I can take one of my fingernails and scratch off your cornea so you can enjoy the fun I routinely go through with this stupid dumb ole stupidhead injury to the eye. Aside from the pain, it also causes your eye to water and your nose to run and drip uncontrollably. Pretty.

Also, work is nuts. Totally nuts. I have not even had the time to LOOK at hooks or needles, to nostalgically run my hand across some yarn. It's sad really.

To top off this week of NON-STOP GARGANTUAN FUN! we were evacuated from our office today. An awful, horrible, gag-inducing smell took over our office around 10am this morning. The boss, after some urging, finally called the gas company who promptly shooed us out of the building. Some caricature man drove up-asking if anyplace showed off their address (YES, YES we are the thirteen shivering woman standing outside of the building for the awful, horrible, potential methane gas smell.) The thirteen of us have not suddenly become hardcore smokers or freak weirdos that feel the need to stand out in the the snow while you explain the non methane gas thing happening. (Some of us find that hard to believe.) It is eventually supposed that the sewer gas vents are venting right into the air vents for the heater which are apparently sucking this awful toxic gas in and distributing it through the building. Mmmm, yummy AND healthy. Natural gas=go home with pay. Sewer gas=Stay and work and hope you do not have any long-term effects.

To put it like this, between the eye, the tire issues, driving the big ass loud Heavy Half truck (remind to tell those stories later) and bad, suffocating smells in the office I am totally and completely ready to just GO TO BED and hope the next week is not even nearly as strange and weird and stressful as this has been.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

To make up for the other night

I am being extremely lazy today, hoooraaaay!

The date was fun, dinner was DELICIOUS and now I am being totally lazy and will end up regretting it when I am way busy this week. Maybe I'll do something later.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Being busy sometimes sucks.

So, I have this cold. This horrible cold that I've had for a couple weeks now that tricks me into thinking I am getting better and then it gets WORSE. Stuffed up, head cold, body aches, keeping me up at night miserableness. UGGGGH.

Last night was one of those how many things can we pack into one night nights. All I really wanted to do was come home, get into my jammies, drink hot tea, read, internet, maybe knit or crochet. That's all I wanted. Instead I got off of work, went to the bank, stopped at the store, picked up the kids, went to another store, got them all to one of the local colleges to drop the girls off for a Girl Scouts overnighter where we waited forever and a day, and then finally got some dinner for the boys and me, put coolant in the car because the engine was overheating and proceeded to come back home to wrap the present for the nephew who turns eight today. We were supposed to then go up to the in-laws to meet my husband who had just gotten off of work for an impromptu birthday dinner for the nephew. I decided that we would not make it to the dinner as it was already almost 9pm and would take a half an hour just to get there. We are taking the nephew for dinner or something another night to celebrate then instead.

The plan at the point was to take some Nyquil and crash. We only had two kids at home. Should have been easy. I took the Nyquil once the husband was home and proceeded to crash. To be woken more than a few times by ornery boys who were too dang overtired and couldn't sleep.

Thankfully the boys all got out of here today and the girls and I slept and made breakfast and lounged. But now I need to get in gear again as the husband and I have an actual date. A real-live go out to dinner date without any children in tow. It is amazing. I've been waiting forever to do this. And now I feel like crap and just want to climb into fresh jammies and crash again.

Sigh.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Kitty Pi is felted!

You didn't really think I'd have pictures yet? I took crappy before pics with my cell phone camera and at some point I will send them to my email and upload them. Hopefully I can get my digital camera working for after pics.

It seemed really small post-felting, but it's stretched out more than I thought. I also used worsted weight yarn and not bulky, hence the smallness. It seems just right for our kittens though. Hopefully they like it.

I got Socks Soar on Circular Needles today, woohoooo! I came home and there was the box, freshly delivered. Can't wait to try it out. I started reading it tonight and it seems much less intimidating then the dpn's. We'll see if I can actually get farther than just the very beginning of a sock.

I ordered a whole bunch of other books with it, birthday gift cards rock. It shipped before the rest and I cannot wait to get more books. Right now I am watching Ace of Cakes on the food network, I'm totally into this show, they make the coolest cakes. They have a website, but I am too lazy to link right now.

I'm really lame tonight, very tired and I am sick and have to work tomorrow and do fifty gazillion things this weekend and I just want to lay around and be all sicky and miserable and left alone.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Holy Cow I am actually here again!

I am a bad, bad blog neglector. Since my last post I have gone back to work, kids are fully in school and daycare and my baby turned 4. Today I turn 31. Wheeee!

I am having a really great birthday, still in my jammies, I got to sleep in, the husband made a yummy breakfast and I have been vegging, knitting, reading, and playing on the internet. Tonight we are going to dinner with my parents and grandma and I am excited. All around it's been a really nice day. My grandparents out in California just called, it's so great to hear from them.

For the past few months I've been busy with going back to work after my hysterectomy and catching up there, the husband has moved to a new job and his hours have changed a few times. Things finally seem to be evening out, as calm as it can get with two working parents and 4 kids.

In knitting/crochet news I am making my first Kitty Pi bed, for our new kitties, Sophie and Sadie. I am now towars the end of it and can't wait to see it finished. I am also still working on my crocheted squares that I may or may not have blogged about previously. It's been so long I really don't remember. I am using the book I got on Crocheted Squares and bright colors of Cotton-ease to make a table runner or cloth, depending on how many squares I am able to make with the yarn I have. I finally felted the purse for my grandma, but it is sort of wonky so I am going to refelt and block it out again. I have also not refelted the purse for my sister yet, hopefully I can do both of them at the same time and get them sent out!

I am really excited because I was given a Barnes & Noble giftcard from my in-laws and am going to get Socks Soar on Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi. I have been wanting to get it forever and maybe I will actually finish some socks! So far I haven't gotten beyond the toe of one and the cuff of another.

This is a chintzy update, especially without pictures, hopefully I'll be able to liven it up soon. As well as catch up on all my blog reading, I SO miss that! If anybody is still reading here and hasn't given up on, post me a note and let me know how you're doing!

Saturday, August 05, 2006

My Little Man is Six!


Drew had his 6th birthday on Wednesday, and a party at Chuck E. Cheese last night, he had a BLAST. He is such a funny little guy, growing up so fast. Aren't they all though? He's really enjoyed his birthday and that's what counts.

Monday, July 31, 2006

Pictures!

Thank goodness, I have to move that ghetto a/c post down, it's bad enough actually having that in my house, much less up on my blog.

Here is my frog washcloth, thanks to the fabulous Nicole of Purple Duckie who is the craftiest crafster I know. I am especially happy that she shares my love of frogs.


This would be a big bag of Galway wool yarn, picked up the LYS on sale. Woohooo! Note the package for another new set of Addi Turbos, heaven indead. More pics to come soon, sadly the camera died midway through our photo session. I also picked up a crochet book and some other fun yarns. Some of the yarn above will become a brand new purse all for me. :D

Saturday, July 29, 2006

How ghetto are we?

THIS ghetto.

We bought a new air conditioner today, the heat is INSANE as is the humidity here in Iowa. The husband apparently forgot to check the cord length, so for now we have it set up all cockeyed and actually getting it this far took so long that the man has given up until tomorrow. Nice new air conditioner in a crappy old place. Note the tape still up from our painting. Niiiiiiice.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Finito!

That's Nikki hiding behind her new purse. She loves it and it turned out great!

I've been working on the star blanket as well and I'm thinking of making a new purse for myself, black, dark grey, and purple. I really should finish up some small projects first though.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Duh.

So I forgot to take a picture of the Nikki bag before I felted it. I did not get it done in time, honestly though, who thought I would?!?! Nik's been excited to watch the progress and i-cording and I started felting FINALLY and showed her that whole process and she is now even more excited. The yarn is felting really well and much more quickly than I expected. Blocking and drying tonight and then assembly tomorrow. And off with Nikki tomorrow.

And just so you don't think she went home empty-handed on her birthday I also gave her my favorite blue shoes that she's really been wanting. Aren't I the best?

p.s. I've done some more healing, but I am in a lot more pain and my main activity is sleeping this week. Very exciting.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Sometimes Life Hands You

a lot of stuff. All at once. And you go through a ton of emotions and thoughts and a lot of other bullshit and then you are just tired. Knitting is good for this. Working with yarn is a nice way to get out the emotions with out crying, screaming, sniffing, huffing and puffing, and putting yourself out there.

On a better note my godchild, Nikki, will be SIXTEEN tomorrow. She will be getting this purse that I am madly knitting and secretly want to steal. She requested black and hot pink and I love her little punk rock girl self. I hope her birthday is great for her. (And not at all like those stupid, over the top, spoiled ass birthdays those little brats have on the MTV My Super Sweet Sixteen show have. Okay maybe one or two of those kids is an all around good person and deserves it, but COME ON.) I'm happy that Nikki is fully her own person and someone I really like and I hope she has an amazing birthday. (Especially because I am pretty sure the little punk will find this and read it. ;) )

Her turning 16 reminds me of when I turned 16 and then I realize really how old I am. More so when we listen to music and she's shocked that I like certain things. (I'm not THAT old!) It's cool though to see how music is important to her, I know it was and still very much is to me. Nice to be reminded of that.

Now I'm off to knit my angst away and then fall into an early night 30 year old sleep.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

The Bag Is Begun!

I just need to finish by Friday. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Yay!!! Hooray!!!

I actually went out of my house! WOOOHOOO! I felt like what you'd imagine one of those dogs riding in a car with their head out of the window, tongue blowing in the wind MUST feel like.

My friend C picked me up and off we went to the yarn store! Susan's Yarn Garden. IT WAS GREAT! A good -sized store, with lots of yarns and projects and patterns and books and hooks and needles. I could've stayed for hours, but was trying to be fast as they stayed open a bit later for us. VERY nice. The couple, who I assumed were the owners were extremely friendly and helpful and the shop was comfortable and just nice. All yarny and nice. The yarn prices were good as well. All around a great experience and I expect to be going by there as often as I can. Which for now is when someone will take pity on me and offer me a ride. Or say yes when I volunteer them. C is a great friend because she does this, and took me to Starbucks and to LJS where we sweated our well everything off in the drive through. She is a brave soul.

It has been so HOT and HUMID here. It's crazy. My sister in Palm Springs called and you know it's bad when we're in the same temps, except she's lucky and has the dry desert heat. None of this smothering humidity. Really I shouldn't complain because I am convalescing in my air conditioned bedroom, but it is hot out. The kids keep telling me about it.

So I've started the bag for my godchild, she asked for a hot pink and black felted purse, her birthday is Friday and I am not sure I'll make it. I'm going to try though!

Pretty big day for me today, whew. I hadn't been out of the house since I came from the hospital. Big, big, exciting day. Next I get to look forward to going to visit my doctor. That will be fun!

Monday, July 17, 2006

BlueConvalescence:an update

I think I might have spelled that wrong, but I am too lazy to change it. It will probably bug me though until I find out for sure and then fix it. But again, that will have to happen later.

Today the man brought me home a Starbucks frappucino, isn't that the best???! I was so thirsty for one, and now that I am not able to grab one before work, or after or even sneak out to get one, it seems like I crave it even more. Not being able to just go drive myself somewhere is kind of frustrating. ESPECIALLY when it comes to coffee. Okay, kidding, well...mostly.

So I think tomorrow a friend will be taking pity on me and coming to pick me up to go to a YARN STORE! WOOHOOO! I need some yarn for a felted purse and would rather get it now to have it done for the birthday girl on time AND I found that we actually have a couple yarn stores in our fair cities here on the edge of Iowa. Hopefully I can talk the man into hooking the digital cam back up so I can take it along. There may just be some more excitement on this blog soon.

Hold on to your hats kids!

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Well, still lying around.

Yep. Life is pretty darn exciting. What tv shows will I watch today? Will I finish this book today? Should I work on the star blanket or the dishcloth? WAIT! I will start a new project, a scarf, yeah, a scarf. That's bound to be exciting. Should I watch tv in the living room while laying on the couch or in the bedroom while laying on the bed? Oh Mr. Blue and the rowdies are at home, better go with the bedroom.

And, oh! We put an air conditioner in there too. WOOHOOO! I can't take all of this EXCITEMENT!

Thursday, July 13, 2006

No Teddy, no uterus, LOTS of lying around.

Did you miss me?

I'm back home, doing a lot of reading, interneting, tv watching, and yarny things. Normally, this would be fun except for the searing pain in my abdomen. Wheeeeee!

Everything has gone as well as it could possibly go, I am home following orders and trying not to get bored. Thankfully we have borrowed the in-laws' laptop while they are away on vacation with three of the children (excellent timing) so I am easily entertained there.

Aside from the aftermath of the hysterectomy I already feel like a new person, it's great. It's also nice not feeling like I could have a stroke at any moment. Still carrying a good bit of weight, having given birth a few times I knew there would be no magical instant weight loss, but a girl can dream.

As close to Teddy as I was, I'm not really missing him. Apparently my uterus was the size of a basketball when they finally removed the troublesome thing.

So now I have lots of time to catch up on the yarny side of things, I've been working on a star blanket-easy, mindless crocheting for in the hospital-and a dishcloth that I restarted 4 times while in the hospital because I kept jacking it up. I also cannot wait to get caught up in my blog reading. Hooray!

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Operation Evict Teddy

has commenced.

Apparently Teddy is not only a huge pain in the gut, he's also REALLY greedy. I'm on tons of iron to boost my blood levels and Teddy is hogging much of it. My uterus is growing insanely. I know it's used to the whole expansion thing, but come on!

I went back to the doc last week and I was already 18 weeks. I've been measuring myself around, right over my belly button and I'm averaging an inch a day. That.is.a.lot.of.growing. I now look full-on pregnant and many people look at me with that "They're having ANOTHER one!?!" look. It's also sort of weird to explain to people, especially those I haven't seen in awhile or just know but don't really know. "You see I've got this fibroid I've named Teddy and apparently it's really growing..."

I'M A FREAK! But in a not so good way as I've always been. In a Look at my appendix in this jar way. Sigh.

Teddy will be evicted on July 7th. Thank goodness.

Friday, June 16, 2006

My uterus has superpowers.

Or thank God I'm learning what the hell is wrong with me!

The absent blogger returns to follow up one depressing health posting with another, but at least it's a bit more positive.

So I've got this fibroid, affectionately known as Teddy the Tumah. (of course you say it like Ahnald silly!) We first saw Teddy back in 1999 during my first ultrasound with the girls. As I practically lived at the ob's office for the next few years we had frequent views of Teddy and he was a good little fibroid as he only grew during pregnancy. Except for that darkside he had that made my periods awful and horrible and just downright not okay, but hey, I'm tough.

Apparently since the birth of Big C back in 2002 Teddy has been a little busier than I thought. My uterus is the size of a 15 week pregnancy. A 15 week pregnancy of a woman who has had children. (Yes this makes a difference as once your uterus and body stretch out to gargantuan proportions they more easily and quickly do so in subsequant pregnancies, or fibroid housings.)

I used to refer to the ole uterus as the condo. Apparently the neighborhood has gone a bit downhill. They could not get a picture of Teddy in his entirety with the ultrasound I had this week, he's a big 'un. The bad part of this is that my blood count is VERY low, like scary low-the kind that even freaks out the nurses and doctors.

This uterus must come out. They were able to buy me a bit of time to increase my blood levels and prepare to have surgery by giving me a shot of Depo-Provera in my BUTT and putting me on major iron pills and I am having lots of iron in my diet. I go back next week where we will schedule the surgery. The surgery that will put me out of commission for about 6 weeks and make me go through major pain but will ultimately free me from this whole pain/crazy health shit rollercoaster. At least I hope so. PLEASE let Teddy be the cause of all that's been happening.

I did have an MRI yesterday, no news, the doctor will read the results and get back to me, but Teddy gives me hope that it's not something scary like strokes or MS or any of that other stuff and purely the offshoots of an overgrown fibroid.

It's funny that now I can look back and think HOW did I not figure this out sooner?!?!? My mom tells me she felt the same way when they found Harry. My siblings and I have named Harry, who was apparently some sort of growth sort of like one of those stone babies who had hair and teeth and all that jazz but also caused my mom a whole bunch of problems. I like to say that Teddy takes after his Uncle Harry and is just as close to his mother.

Hysterectomy here I come and please, after the hell of recovery let me be amazingly free of all of the rest of this crap.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Life has a funny way

of letting you know you can't hide from the big stuff.

I've been hiding from the whole health side of things, tired of not getting any answers, of not being better, frustrated with all of it. Yesterday at work I had another "episode." The left side, which has been slightly numb since the first incident in 2004, went REALLY numb yesterday, and much more tingly-like when your foot falls asleep but worse-and I couldn't really move my hand or make it work. Scary stuff, but it's happened before. My doc sent me to the ER where I was checked out and pronounced coherent and okay aside from the whole left side of me being numb thing and I go back to the rheumatologist where I will go through a whole new round of brain scans and tests and all sorts of other fun things.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Monday, June 05, 2006

So I'm watching

Law and Order Criminal Intent, one of my favorite shows, and the commercials come on. One is a One a Day vitamin commercial, all about staying strong, taking vitamins, and then they mention losing bone mass...as early as thirty.

I've always sort of tuned these things out. Didn't pertain to me, I didn't need to really pay attention. And suddenly I realized...I'M THIRTY. I'm in that age category now. Holy crap. That's me, I could be losing bone mass as I type. Right now.

Except I'm already taking my One a Day's.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

The heat is here.

Whew has it been hot here, in the 90's. As both of cars need the air conditioned fixed-a fact we can ignore all those cold winter months-I should be losing tons of weight just sweating while I drive places. But I'm not.

Today I had a girls day with Abbie & Arenne, we went to lunch and then with my mom for manicures and pedicures. I had a great time with the girls and then really enjoyed the massage chair while I had my pedicure. Very relaxing. I chose a bright orangey color, it's too bad I don't have any sort of tan to go with it. Tomorrow we are heading to a pool party and I need a swimsuit and I am hoping people aren't blinding by my either my orange nails or my whiteness. The kids are all excited to show off all their swimming lesson skills, woohooo!

My sisters were home with their significant others AND my little nephew man who is quite the chunka munka and actually has a darker tan than all the rest of us lol. Must be the California sun. He is such a sweet, funny, happy, gorgeous little guy, I am completely smitten. My sister and the nephew stayed on an extra week, everyone else had to get back for their jobs, it was so good to have the extra time with them. Although now that I have the whole job thing I wasn't able to just pick up and go as I have in the past.

On the yarn front I FINALLY got the purses to my aunt, and she loved them, I am so happy. WOOHOOO! As I take after her on the procrastination front it was all good. ;) I am finishing up sewing on the pocket of the purse for my grandma, this thing is HUGE and GINORMOUS unfelted, I so have to take pics before and after of it. Can't wait to see how it turns out after felting. I'm also working on another star blanket and need to re-felt my sister's purse, pray that I can get to go back to being a little bigger. I could kick myself for not checking it during that last felt. ARRGH!

Man I wish I had one of those pedicure chairs in my house. The back massager, the comfiness of it, the whole foot spa/bath aaaaaah, heaven. My mom and I are now plotting weekly trips after work on Fridays and scheming on getting a nice bottle of wine from my friend's liquor store next door to enjoy as well. The girls at the nail place were up for it, yeehaw. That's the way to start off the weekend. Maybe I'll even have to start having knitting/crochet groups there or something. Can you imagine? A pedicure in a massage chair with a good bottle of whine while yarning away the hours? Wowza.

Monday, May 08, 2006

Where to start?

First, if you have not heard Bo Bice's new album The Real Thing you absolutely must. How can you not love the man? Especially as a child of the 70's and seeing someone our age really embody that whole era and musical style but in a great now way. He rocked on Craig Ferguson tonight.

There's another one, Craig Ferguson. Words cannot describe the hilarity and just all around Scottish goodness of him. Even when I really should be getting some sleep I have to stay up. (okay yes I have the DVR but for God's sake that would require planning or some sort of setting it up ahead of time. This is ME we're talking about.)

The rest of my life is kids and husband and work. I am so thirty. My children are growing up so fast it really is scary, my husband and I are rediscovering each other and finding ourselves again after having survived babyhoodx4, and I just might be actually figuring out my new job. Jeebus that's all pretty responsible, eh? To make you feel better I'm doing it all still wearing my striped socks, Vans or Cons, and throwing in a band t-shirt every now and then. And rocking my jiap bumper sticker on the jeep. Mostly I am just thirty though. ;)

Tonight the husband and I made dinner together while my much-loved mom had the kids at swimming lessons (seriously twice a week the woman takes them to swimming lessons and out for dinner, you HAVE to love that.) Steak in a mushroom sauce, penne in vodka sauce, some delicious Italian bread, and red wine. Heaven, I tell you.

My family's Biggest Loser challenge ended a week ago, my aunt won, deservedly so. I ended up losing 9lbs overall which isn't shocking or anything, but the fact that I just revised what I ate a bit and did little to no exercising makes it pretty damn good. We took a week off and are starting again. Good thing the steak/pasta/bread meal was tonight, eh?

Yarn, I haven't got much. I made some wrap skirts for Abbie & Arenne's Groovy Girls dolls and we have more planned-doll clothes may be the new addiction if I can find the time. I MUST finish my grandma's purse handle and get the purse to her, for crying out loud. There is just NO time lately. Sad, sad, sad.

There's the update if anyone ever even checks this blog anymore lol. I am way behind on my own blog reading, I seriously wish I had internet at work. Sigh.

Hope you are all well.

Friday, April 21, 2006

Still

no time to blog but I had to update that I am in fact knitting again. I love yarn. I've missed yarn. Yarn is good.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Oh this poor sad little blog

is so neglected. It's just terrible. The only thing more sad is my yarn. And my knitting needles, and crochet hooks. Poor things. All lonely and unused and sad. It's terrible really.

Someday I will have a handle on the old job/kids/home thing. Someday. Then I will be able to use my poor, tired hands for yarny type things that make me happy. I hope. I really, really hope.

The other sad side of this new job thing is that I've had no time for blog reading. None. I miss you bloggers. I really do and I can't wait for that lovely day when I can open some wine, sit back and relax and dig into those archives. Someday....hopefully VERY soon.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

For the first time

in WEEKS I have picked up the yarn. I made a wittle bitty baby bootie. Crochet, new pattern for me and it ended up being VERY easy. Now I just need to make another one, with the way I've been going it will take me another month.

The job is still nuts and I feel like I have absolutely no time to myself. The time I do have I have no energy for anything. I've been reading a lot though. Exciting, exciting times here in the world of Blue. Weeehooooooo.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

You Are 62% Evil

You are very evil. And you're too evil to care.
Those who love you probably also fear you. A lot.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Ah the weekend

It came and made me happy, so happy. I've been doing lots of laundry and otherwise not much more in the way of housework. I've rested and hung with the family and just had an overall relaxing weekend. MUCH needed. I'm now working on the continuation of the desk excavation and feeling much, much better and refreshed.

I've got nothin in the way of yarn news, other than a tiny bit of work on the purse handle, in spite of keeping it with me at all times just in case. I have been really absorbed in a new book series I borrowed from my dad, by George R. R. Martin. The Series is called A Song of Ice and Fire and I've finished the first book-A Game of Thrones and am into the second-A Clash of Kings. I haven't wanted to put them down. It's so good to be in the middle of a good book and realize that there are MORE after it.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

What a switch.

So today as I was leaving work and heading into traffic my sister called. The older of my two younger sisters, the one who had this very busy great job and worked overtime and did the whole commute thing. She would take pity on me and talk to me even when she was busy and I was a sahm and yearning, well actually grasping for any shred of adult conversation I could get. She was there when I needed her and listened when she didn't quite get this crazy mom person her sister had turned into. Fast forward 5 or so years.

Now I get the phone calls. The phone calls where she says Now I totally understand why you went so crazy then. Now I get it. In a weird way this warmed my heart and made me feel good and loved my sister for going through it too.

Today I was the one doing the traffic just getting out of work craziness and she was the sahm (who does work for her and her husband's business out of the home) and the role reversal was just really unbelievable. I've always been the get married have kids type-even if I did think differently about this than my family did lol. She was the driven go to school and move and get a great job and do well at it type. Isn't it wild to see us grow up?

The best part of having siblings is learning from each others' experiences and being able to be blunt and honest and all of that while learning from those experiences. It's also really great to watch each other go through those same things and be amazed at our own grown-upness. Who would've thought way back when when we were fighting over the tv and the phone and just about anything else-no matter how petty-that came to mind.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006


He loves the fish. I love his expression. This kid is too cool, loves school, and I am so proud of him. Posted by Picasa

SMILE! (It's his version, okay?) I love this kid. Posted by Picasa

New job=still no time=crazier than ever

The past two days I've brought knitting along to work. Small knitting, the handle for my grandma's bag. People, I started this job last week and all I needed to do to finish it was sew on the pocket and knit the handle. The pocket is still not sewn on and I am 3 rows into the handle. THREE ROWS. So I've brought it along, thinking I could knit on my break or...SOMETHING. I've got nothing people. Nothing at all. No time at work, no time at home and someone please get me a driver so I can knit on the way to and from work, okay?

Cute note of the day: My three year old still sleeps with his little butt in the air, just like when he was a baby. Awwwwww.

Monday, March 13, 2006

New job=no time

Holy schmoly! So I am loving the new job, doing fairly well at it but oh my tons and tons and tons of information to absorb. Wowza. I get home and have about 3 or 4 hours to spend time with the kiddos, do dinner, catch up laundry, and any other of the millions of home type things needing done. The man, as usual, has been fabulous about doing the dishes and keeping the house clean but you all know how it is.

I don't think I've used my brain this much in years. I am now also a proficient filer. Woohoo. No real yarn news. Sad, but true. I am just too busy. I wish I could have a driver for the trip to work as I'd get a lot more done that way!

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Olympic Knitting and a new job!

I'm hoping to sneak in another post here while the kids are occupied. The girls are still playing with their sock babies, after a break to play outside and have dinner, and the boys are pretending to ice skate around the living room. Is it bedtime yet?

(already interrupted to kiss an owie and give a snuggle)

I am still surprised that I got my Olympic Knitting done on time. I am such a procrastinator and usually my eyes are bigger than my stomach (just translate that to knitting somehow) but this time I actually chose a project that was a challenge for me and that I was able to finish. I probably could've done something a little more challenging for me, but you just never know. Especially with me. The hat I made is intended for kamic who is such an example of strength and perservance. She amazes me. Her blog is well, well worth the read, as are her articles. I hope she likes it, and wish there were something more I could do.

In other news, I am rejoining the workforce! I am going back to work full-time, this time for good(at least I hope so anyway.) C-man is going to a really cool daycare, we visit with him tomorrow and he is pretty excited to have his own "school." I start on Monday, and while the job is not terribly exciting, it is involved, I have a lot to learn, and the place I will be working seems really relaxed and nice. I am looking forward to being out of the house again, bringing in some income, and the outside stimulation. Oh and the income. ;)

Super Easy Sock Babies


Okay, so the flu has been through here again, and I am way behind in blog reading, especially all of the Knitting Olympics stuff out there, so I am doing a quick post on the sock babies taking over my house.

My five year old came home with a sock baby made in his pre-kindergarten class complete with with its very own blanket, so cute, he is in love and the siblings were VERY jealous. I haven't talked to his teachers about it yet, so I am not sure where to give credit for these, but they are VERY easy and have led to at least one hour of occupied play time for all four of my kiddos. I'd like to say quiet, but I'd mean it in more of a non-fighting sort of way, as the the baby cries are echoing through the house.

I made sock babies for the other three, and then I ran with it, cutting little fabric blankets for each and even more! First it was baby carriers made by tyeing yarn to toilet paper rolls. Then baby cradles! More toilet paper rolls, cut and taped. AND with the scraps BABY BOTTLES! More tape and cardboard.

Now, of course these are very basic, I had thoughts of painting the rolls, or coloring them and many other fantabulous baby ideas but really, it would've put a damper on the fun for my kids. It would've taken to long at the time, they just want to play and with their imaginations those brown toilet paper rolls become much, much more.

I'm sharing here, in case there others like me who have passels o' children and are always happy to find a simple craft that can occupy for hours.

Friday, February 24, 2006

HOLY MOLY I'M FINISHED!








I DID IT, I REALLY DID. AND EARLY!!!!

Me, the Master Procrastinator has finished my entry for the 2006 Knitting Olympics!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!! The hat has been knitted, felted, blocked, and trimmed and is DONE! My models are my sons, who are five and three. Drew, the five year old is in all of the pictures (including the pre-felting pic, where he is giggling madly under that huge hat) except for the last one with the covered face. That is my three year old, Colin, and that is the ONLY way he would pose, even though he was way excited to have his picture taken. Go figure.

How I join yarn by Blue





Wednesday, February 22, 2006


I survived the knitting of the hat!!! HOLY MOLY! I did it! It is felting as I type. I will actually finish something BEFORE a deadline. The Denise needles ended up being great as I could take out the extensions as I decreased. I switched to dpn's when the circs were a little unweildy, I haven't used them much but it worked out pretty well. (Although I did lose a needle and have to rescue stitches.)

We saw Fiona Apple & Coldplay the other night, GREAT concert and we had a blast. It was also nice having some kid-free time and a hotel room all to ourselves. No waking up with kids, no sharing my food, AND sleeping in. I got a lot of knitting done on the trip there and back.


Friday, February 17, 2006

Taking a bit of a break

from the Olympian knitting to work on the magic scarf. Since it is BELOW ZERO and we got a bunch of snow-although not nearly as much as the East Coast had. Still though, with the windchill it is like -23 below zero out there. IT IS REALLY, REALLY COLD AND FREEZING. And then I called my sister in CA who had to rub it in that it is a little cool there at 68 degrees and she is running her a/c in the car. PUNK ASS BRAGGER!

The cold is reaffirming our decision to get our butts to CA, except when my sister had to wait TWO hours at the URGENT care office today. I suppose that could happen here in Iowa, but really not likely unless the Urgent Care doctor also delivers babies or something.

Yeah, that whole warmth thing seems to be winning though. Must.finish.my.scarf.

Thursday, February 16, 2006


And I'm off! FINALLY! The hat so far, on top of a lovely picture drawn by one of my daughters. I'm using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, this color is Mist. Posted by Picasa

Here is the closeup of the hat so far, see my nifty decreases?  Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

I mean really

I should've realized way ahead of time I would be my own worst competitor in the Knitting Olympics.

After finally settling on the right length of circular needles and casting on the right number of stitches I thought I was off and running. Until I fell on a hurdle. Instead of actually comprehending the pattern and joining the cast on stitches and knitting a row, I cast on and went straight to row number 2. AAAH! No wonder those M1's were so tough.

So NOW I have frogged and am casting on ONCE again. Then I will need to obsessively recount the stitches to make sure that I have the EXACT RIGHT AMOUNT and then FINALLY I will hopefully be on my way. HOPEFULLY.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Bad Blogger, bad!

The yarn Olympics have begun and I haven't even CAST ON yet! Heeeeelp! The bag for Grandma is still on the needles I need and I have been working to finish it. My left arm is NOT cooperating though, the tingling has been increased lately and it just does not want to follow the commands coming from the brain. But it's the Knitting Olympics so it will just have to.

Now, I'm off to furiously ready myself and the kids for dinner out with my family. Wheeee!

Wednesday, February 08, 2006



Your Linguistic Profile:



80% General American English

10% Upper Midwestern

5% Midwestern

5% Yankee

0% Dixie


So I took pictures

but they were really dark and I was way too lazy to retake them or try to lighten them so all you get is text.

I am knitting away on my super easy purple comfy shawl, and SO CLOSE to being finished. I am still undecided on whether I will just be done, or add some sort of crocheted edge to it. I could always add an edge later though, so maybe I'll try it out for a bit first. (Of course you know it will then become one of those things I think about doing but never get around to.)

I also worked a bit on my grandma's bag, as I will need the needles for the KNITTING OLYMPICS! WOOHOOO! I am going to be making a felted hat, my first ever and I am way excited. I had the urge to look for something even more challenging, but then I remembered that I tend to take on too much and maybe I should just stick with the challenge at hand. Afterall, the pattern does involve counting.

I am also obsessed with Crazy Aunt Purl's blog. I've been reading from the beginning and I am absolutely enthralled with her. Hilarious, smart, moving, and just cool. I want to be her when I grow up. For now I will settle for obsessively reading her blog, I'm up to October. p.s She's also a member of Club OCD which makes me even more in awe of her. She's a member of the club! And likes yarn! And cats! And lives in a cute house in CA!

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

So, what do you do...

when you live in Iowa where it gets cold and your computer desk is next to a drafty window AND you have a whole bunch of delicious chunky yarn? You knit up a shawl for yourself!. I'm following this very, very easy pattern from Lion Brand using Wool-Ease chunky-the same yarn I am making the magic scarf with. I am not adding the fringe though. It's knitting up quite quickly in spite of a few mishaps that may or may not have been caused by the aforementioned Dyed in the Wool. It's just for me to wear at home so I'm not too worried about those little mistakes. Well, except that I might worry a little bit about knowing it's not totally right, but hey it gives it character, eh?

Monday, February 06, 2006


Yarn and this... Heaven indeed. Posted by Picasa

Me, myself, and I

Some rollergirls, a finally quiet house, yarn, and a glass of wine.
Aaaaaaah. I'm having some Dyed-in-the-Wool "unchangeable"
(2003) Delicious, and slightly different, perfect for yarn
girls everywhere.

As a yarney type I was happy to see this wine when a friend
started carrying it in his shop. It's especially great to knit
or crochet while drinking it. Unless, of course, you drink a
lot of it and then it doesn't do a whole lot for whatever
project you happen to be working on. ;)

Because I have a hard time sticking with one or two, or even a
few projects at once I had to cast on another! A shawl from a
Lion Brand pattern, using Wool-Ease Chunky in the same loverly
purply blend as my hat and scarf. This is knitting up quickly,
and I can't wait to have it here to wrap up in when I'm a
little chilly.
I skipped over another shawl type pattern on the site. I
*think* I could do it, but I'm not totally sure and now I am
thinking it could be an excellent project for the Yarn
Olympics. Wheeee! The days are passing quickly and practice
time is dwindling. *chattering teeth biting fingernails*

After staying up last night

to finish up laundry and make sure we had the appropriate number of shirts, pants, socks, and underwear for the kids to be dressed this morning (and making my first bloggish button) I woke up groggy and tired this morning.

The husband and I did breakfast and got children dressed and polished and shined and ready to go. Of course this includes rousting them out of bad, no easy task in itself.

The husband takes the children off in the car to school, and I stay here with the youngest and the sick one. I call the school to let them know sick one will be home today.

"Well, there isn't school today."

Yes folks, I've done it again.

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Go Team Sybermoms Yarn Whores!

Because we're entering Yarn Harlot's 2006 Knitting Olympics!

Are we crazy? YES, OF COURSE! Especially me as I am a fairly novice knitter, gah! Fellow Sybermom Divy and I are heading up the team and we've decided to make breast cancer our theme and more importantly those who've been affected by it our focus.

I'm thinking I will do a hat of some kind, I haven't knitted a hat yet, and it should prove to be a challenge, we'll see. I really should do a little training, eh?

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Pictures? You want Pictures??


Replacement Bag #6, which is felting as we speak! Posted by Picasa

This bag is for my grandma, I am really, really loving it. Posted by Picasa

My newest project, the Magic Scarf from Crazy Aunt Purl's blog. I've been wanting to make a scarf to go with my hat and this is perfect! Posted by Picasa

Extreme closeup of the dishtowel. See all those purls and knits? Posted by Picasa

The dishtowel in moss stitch. It is really not attractive and I keep thinking of frogging it. But man that's a lot of stitches. And it would still be useful, right? Posted by Picasa

This is the new star blanket I'm working on in Wool-Ease sportweight. I'm liking it. Posted by Picasa

Too funny.

Guess what my five year old has been studying in school?

Mice. Yesterday he came home with his colored mouse pictures, today a mouse mask and a pop up mouse. It's really too much lol.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

My poor little guy is still sick.

I thought this afternoon that he was on the mend, but he commenced with the vomiting and diarrhea again tonight. Poor thing. After my couple Blue Moons last night I ended up being awake most of the night with him. I am very, very tired today and really wishing my other children would crash so I could do the same. I so hope he is able to get some rest tonight and is feeling better tomorrow, poor thing.

On Friday my family-parents, sisters, and bil and I are starting a Biggest Loser thing. We're giving ourselves an incentive and putting money into the pot for the winner. Wheee! I am really not so good at the whole consistent exercising thing-even though I used to be a runner-and am more horrible at not eating stuff that's bad or fatty or whatever. Twelve weeks. Twelve weeks I have to get myself back into shape.

I need to make a plan for how to do it, one that I have a chance of succeeding at. But first I am taking myself out for a nice yummy dinner and not worrying about any of it. I've got to send myself off right!

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Well then.

The mouse was the least of my worries. We've now moved onto cramps and a sick little boy. Vomit and diarrhea oh my! A few Blue Moons for me tonight, well deserved, I might add.

I've been doing lots of book reading and listening, working on purses, needing to sew on a pocket and felt, and I started another star blanket, this one with Wool-Ease Sportweight. The others I've made I've used Lion Brand Chunky so this one is a slight bit more labor intensive. No worries it's just for us at home anyway so I can take my time. Mindless crocheting rocks.

Sunday, January 29, 2006

So I go back to use the bathroom off of our bedroom, flip on the light AND...

there is a mouse in our toilet. WTF?!?! I mean, he's not like a cat, he can't cling to the edge to drink the water! The mouse is swimming in the water, can't get out.

So, Joe said what are you doing? I tell him about the mouse, I am fascinated, just watching this mouse. A fairly good sized mouse, cute, except that he was swimming in toilet water. So Joe says FLUSH IT! Joe hates mice. HATES THEM. They really don't bother me all that much, except this one was impeding my ability to use my toilet. I contemplate the flushing, asking Joe if he thinks it will go down. After all, we don't need a mouse-clogged toilet. A mouse IN the toilet is enough. He says of course it will FLUSH IT! with a little more urgency.

I wrestled with this again, I mean come on, the mouse is cute with his big eyes and he's already stuck in the toilet. (I wondered if he was a stupid mouse who really thought he could go for a swim and get back out or if he was a mouse just prone to accidents, as I am, and was just having a really shitty day.)

His day got worse. I flushed him. Poor mouse. I then worried about him coming back up. No one wants to sit on a toilet and have a mouse come back up, right? So, I flushed a couple more times. (Of course I waited a little in between flushes as I really did not need to overflow the toilet and then have to clean up toilet water and a mouse.)

I am a mouse killer.

p.s. Thank you God for not letting this happen to me last night when the bathroom light was burnt out and I would've sat down with no warning.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

If you haven't been

to Ms. Venus' recently enlivened blog now is the time! You must go check out Fred the Stripey Frog who is on his way to my house as I type. Isn't he the best?

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Apparently

sewing machine frustration makes for a renewed interest in i-cording. Who knew?

Monday, January 23, 2006

I just wanted to use my sewing machine.

I think I am cursed when it comes to sewing. Every time I try to use my sewing machine-we're talking 4 or 5 times over the past couple years I've had it-SOMETHING is or goes wrong. My latest problem is children who think bobbins are great fun to swipe and play with and break and lose.

This was the problem the last time I attempted a sewing project. So, I went to the store and bought a little kit with bobbins in it. I should've been set for tonight. I cannot find the kit. Anywhere. Did I imagine my trip to the then brand new Michaels store which had the same crappy service it did in the old building? Was I only dreaming that I studied all the bobbin options carefully before choosing the little kit with the most stuff for the best price? Or has the kit been officially sucked into the black hole that is my house?

Tonight I wanted to try to make one of those handy rice heating pouch thingies. Armed with fabric, rice, and some encouragement from Boxy I was raring to go. It should've been simple. My big worry should've been sewing over a rice grain (thanks again for that tip Box!). Instead I was back in the same awful WHERE IS A DAMN BOBBIN?!?! hell I had been in before.

I did not give up then. I was determined. I would have a picture of my little rice pouch to proudly show off in the morning, I had to! So we moved onto handsewing. Yeah, I suck at handsewing. I always always always tangle up the thread at some point and make a general mess of things. Where to go from there? I would sew/bind it with YARN! GENIUS! I can work a yarn needle people. Yarn is my friend. I may hate sewing in ends but I am proficient at it! I found some yarn, one of metal yarn needles and folded and pinned one side of the pouch. Things were looking good. I COULD do this! My new yarn binding of the rice pouch would be a hit. It would take off, showing up in blogs everywhere!

Yeah, right.

So the fabric is a little thick to be pierced by a yarn needle and it took me about fifteen minutes to do a couple stitches and suddenly I was out of beer. I certainly wasn't in the mood to pop open a bottle of champagne and the one beer I had consumed was definitely not enough to numb the pain of my fingers and thumb where I was pushing on that damn dull needle. Or to soothe my wounded crafty pride.

Everything is now packed up into the handy rubbermaid box I have decided to organize my sewing stuff in. If I do find that elusive kit I will promptly add it to the box so I know RIGHT where all sewing related things are. It's not like yarn and crochet hooks and knitting needles that need an entire corner of the house, right?

I will now soothe myself by continuing to work on a felted bag. Knitting in the round. Easy, soothing, and purposeful. Something I can DO! Unlike sewing.

Friday, January 20, 2006

More words

No new pictures today, although I do have some cute pics of the Blue Kids I need to upload when I get motivated.

Thanks to the loverly Boxy I have found a new resource for audiobooks, and once the kiddos are all asleep I will be knitting and listening and just plain enjoying myself. For now I am blog reading and knitting. Well except right now, as I took a break to type something here.

In the yarn world I am i-cording for the last of the six purses, and working on the bag for my grandma. It's funny how much I loved i-cording in the beginning and now I have to make myself do it.

Today the littlest Blue decided that he must make pancakes. Thankfully his cooking skills are limited to spreading dry pancake mix ALL OVER THE KITCHEN. His brother then decided to sweep up-all done while I was in the bathroom, of course-and spread things around just a bit more. I was extremely happy that no water had been added as I was able to vacuum it all up and the just a little wiping up of the leftovers. Ah kids, always surprising. ;)

My fil stopped by today and was PAID for the shawl I made that he gave to my mil. Of course I asked for pretty much just the cost of the yarn, but he gave me a bit more which was very nice of him. Wheeeeee! I also sent along the gift bag filled with the beach bag as we haven't had a chance to give it to ourselves. I hope she likes it. I am always nervous of what people think of the things I make them.

Now I am off to look at moving links (actual relocating, not emotional) with my friend V while I knit and eventually ipod away. Wheeeee!

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Maybe I should

turn this blog into an occasional picture of knitting/crocheting filled with short asides blog? The body of the purse I was working on is done, it's just down to a pocket, a handle, and felting.

I just killed a spider. I know it's not exciting, except if you are a close friend, my husband, or my therapist and then you would get the actual gravity of this situation.

I'd like to thank my husband, my children, my closest friends who put up with all of my rambling and craziness, my therapist, and my medication. Thank you, thank you all so very much!

Monday, January 16, 2006

Why do the people

who make commercials think we want to actually hear people biting and chewing their food? We don't. It's gross. It's unappetizing. It makes me want to hurl my remote through the television screen except I control myself and just mute the fucker or change the channel.

Seriously commercial people, we.don't.want.to.hear.it.

Ipod & Knitting


Now that we have an XM Satellite Radio(thanks mom and dad!!) I am able to actually use the Ipod Mr. Blue gave me for Mother's Day. Aside from knitting/crocheting while watching Law & Order, my new favorite is to listen to the Ipod*, knit, and read blogs. I love reading blogs, especially yarny blogs. At the moment I am immersed Crazy Aunt Purl. If you haven't read this blog you really have to. It's what I wish my blog could be, if I weren't a midwestern housewife with serious organization issues and had better writing skills.

Yesterday it was in the 60's, today we got snow. Big giant flakes of snow, and it even stuck, except on the patio and sidewalks which is actually really great unless all the melted snow freezes overnight and then we are screwed. As if the school drop-off/pick-up line weren't enough of a crazy fiasco. My 3 year old was extremely excited over the snow as he thought it meant we'd get to have another Christmas soon. GAH! DASH THE THOUGHT! I gently let him down.

My sister's purse is all felted up, and dried, now I just need to assemble the handle and give it a little trimming. I REALLY like how it turned out. Pictures to come, I promise!! My mother-in-law loved the shawl and wore it out to dinner on her birthday. Apparently she kept saying "How does she do this??!" I am, of course, happy to pretend to be modest while in reality proud and gloating and impressed with myself. ;)

Now I am working on a repeat of one of the six purses as a friend asked to buy a purse for me for an emergency Christmas gift. After the big purse order reprieve, I was able to sell one and still have time to make another in it's place. You can see it in the picture above. I've worked with a lot of color combos that aren't necessarily my favorites, it's funny how weird it seems not to be making something in colors I really enjoy, or even mostly enjoy.

And now, back to the blog reading.

*In case you are a freak like me and interested in stalking, err.. looking closely at the details of other people's pictures/lives, Blink 182-I Miss You is what was playing on the Ipod at the time of the picture. Right now I am listening to Sheryl Crow-Strong Enough.
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Thursday, January 12, 2006


My other project of the week, a beach tote for my mother-in-law's birthday. I'd wanted to make her something and it dawned on me that a beach tote would be great as she and my father-in-law travel to the Caribbean every spring. It turned out pretty well and I am impressed with myself. ;) I made it with Sugar 'n Cream, using a Lion Brand pattern that I modified just a bit. Posted by Picasa

Here it is, the super secret SHAWL, who knew, right? I failed miserably at getting a good picture of it, this will have to do. Posted by Picasa

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Finally!

After having to frog around 10 or so rows TWICE the super secret project is just about finished!!! Wooohooooo! Pictures coming soon.

Friday, January 06, 2006

Let's just say...

that unraveling 10 rows of ladder yarn after having to figure out where in the hell I had gone wrong was not the way I wanted to spend my late Friday evening.

Thankfully I took my kiddos out to dinner and for ice cream earlier and while slightly stressful as they got tired and crabby, overall it was a wonderful way to spend a Friday night.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

As revealed

in comments the super secret project is being made with a ladder yarn, Caron Fabulous. I really like how it feels, it's soft and filmy and just all over neat. The only trouble is that at times I get confused on stitches as it's not easy to sort it all out. I am also totally in love with the colors in it, I am using Mother Earth and the colors in it are gorgeous.

As far as the purse I am working on the i-cord handle and then a felting we will go! I need to throw in a swatch using the red, black, and light grey, to see if the red bleeds into the grey. I used the light grey on another purse and a blue color bled into it. I'd hate to end up with a red, black, and light pink purse. ;)

Monday, January 02, 2006

Happy New Year!

Why is that when I was a kid the years seemed to pass soooo sloooowly, and now as an adult they just about fly by?

I had a blast on New Year's, my sister's birthday is New Year's Eve so we always have a good time. With both of my sisters and their husband, boyfriend, and my little nephew man here it was great for our family, all of us siblings together. My sister decided she wanted to rent a limo to cart us all around for the night, we went out to a very good dinner and then to see a great local band. It was a great feeling to just hop into the limo when it was time to go all over and we all had a lot of fun. Yay!

The husband left very early New Year's Day for Florida to see the Hawkeyes play in the bowl game. I have been VERY jealous, and he called with lots of updates. In spite of Iowa losing he is having a blast, the punk. He'll be back tomorrow evening and I will be happy. Between Christmas and New Year's and all the family and going and craziness and winter break things have been NUTS! here. The house is trashed and I am tired.

Still working on the super secret project that it is great for variety and I love the way the yarn feels all knitted up. I still need to make the handle for my sister's bag and then felt it and voila! it's done. Wheeee. That's it for this very non-exciting post.