No, this is not a tangle of yarn. It's actually a poncho I am making for myself FINALLY. I found a pattern book with this in it, using Lover's Knots I believe they are called. I'm using Caron Simply Soft and it is working up very quickly, wheee.  

Here's one of the dishcloths I've gotten from the Sybermoms craft forum dishcloth swap, I love the pattern on it. Thanks Snarky!! 

I have been making a bunch of these headbands out of sugar 'n cream. It's just a chain joined and sc around. Very easy, but they work really well.  

My name is Blue and I am a Blog Neglector

I am behind on posting on this blog, I am behind on my blog reading. It's sad! It's been busy here with school starting, and my sister and her family visiting. My nephew is just too too much, it's been great having my sister here, even if we did party a little too hard last night.

I am doing some knitting, and putting off things I really should be working on. What's the fun in always doing what you need to though? I'd like to try to be witty and interesting but I am much too hungover.

Here is the "T" washcloth I've made for the little nephew man. This was a very easy pattern, and I only had to frog 8 rows because I missed a couple stitches.

My nephew is beautiful, quite the chub! I had a blast getting to meet him and snuggle and kiss and love his chunka munka self. He is quite the talker! The kids are totally enamored, it's great.

WOW

Holy Moly. I just took a four or five hour nap. This is absolutely unheard of.

Mr. Blue has been gone for the past three days for a fun work trip to Miami, a big banquet, lots of fun, and all because he works so hard. He came home last night, and today was taking the children to visit family for the day. A WHOLE DAY TO MYSELF! I was supposed to clean. I did some work, then laid down on the couch and conked out. A phone call woke me up. Some of you may realize what a monumental day this has been. I was able to lay down, fall asleep-UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP-and not worry about when I needed to wake up. Sleep, rest, with no parameters. Generally, just getting a nap in is amazing. THIS, my friends, is unheard of. AAAAAHHHHHHH!

Now I need to fit in some cleaning before dinner at my parents AND (drumroll please) my sister, her husband, AND MY LITTLE NEPHEW MAN are coming in around 9:00. I AM SO EXCITED AND HAPPY I CANNOT CONTAIN MYSELF!!!! WOOOHOOO!!!! I cannot wait to hug them all and then wait my turn to steal the baby, I mean, of course my mom and grandma should have the first hugs and snuggles, but you can bet I will be anxiously awaiting my turn.

In yarn related news, I started a washcloth for the nephew, from the same site as the ribbon one. With a T on it. I was about 3/4 done but had to frog eight rows as I had apparently purled 3 stitches instead of knitting them. Sigh. Using cotton tots, and wow is it softer than Sugar 'n Cream. I knew it was, but didn't realize the difference in working with it.

This is the pattern I am using. Be sure to check out the main page, she has a TON of cool dishcloth patterns, and even takes requests.

Now I am off for some furious cleaning, a fabulous dinner, and BABY HUFFING! WOOOHOOO!

You learn something new everyday.

And it is always better when accompanied by hilarity.

So, I am talking to Venus on the phone, in our usual style of gabbing away and then breaking off to talk to or holler at our children (she talks, I holler to be heard above the noise level here.) As she is talking to her son about what he should be working on I hear her say "Duke & June." I think, hmmm that sounds familiar. It takes about a minute for me to realize that Duke & June MUST be the generic version of Dick & Jane! I picture the black and white book cover, the most basic stick figures, living in row houses with sparse, dead grass and broken bottles in the gutters. This, of course, sends me into fits of laughter. At this point V has absolutely no idea what I am finding so funny, but laughs a bit at my obvious glee. So, I ask "Do they have a dog named Spit?" Takes her a bit, and she suddenly bursts into laughter.

Because I am a huge geek who finds the most simple things funny I run with this. Visuals pop into my head of Duke & June and their poor, ghetto adventures. Spit soon becomes a rat, Duke & June are going to the corner store to get cigs for their mother, and paying with food stamps. I am crying I am laughing so hard. It is still funny, hours later.

THEN, V tells me something that seems too good to be true. I am convinced she is pulling my leg. Apparently, in the story, Duke & June make a snowman. He has...ICE CUBES FOR EYES, A PRUNE FOR A NOSE, AND...plays the flute. Tears stream down my face, I am in disbelief, laughing so hard my stomach hurts, my jaws are sore, my cheeks throbbing.

Duke & June may not be as funny to anyone else, but to us, holy moly, that is some seriously funny shit.

Damn that Venus

For getting that aaaahahaahahahaha Neverending Story song stuck in my head. Grrrr. I am now listening to Gorillaz thanks to her link, it's the least she could do for being so mean. Incidently, she is also weirder than I am. Woohooo! (Really though, I think she only looks weirder.)

The first day of school went VERY well, the girls were all sorts of excited. They were both nervous as this is the first time they are in separate classes, but it went well. Abs still isn't that excited about, but she'll come around. A definite switch from last year when Abbie was ready for some independence and Arenne was decidedly not. They had fun today, especially getting all dressed up in their hip new clothes. I only wish I were half as stylish. The boys missed them though, they even hugged them when they came home.

Major decluttering here, crazy, but aaaah it feels so good! Of course once all four children were home and I was making dinner it quickly deteriorated, but at least they don't have as much stuff to mess it up with.

It's the first day of 1st grade for Abbie & Arenne. Check out these fashionistas, they were so excited and a little nervous. 

Here are all four of the kiddos. :) 

Ta-Daaa! It's done, finally. I decided to go ahead and make the top match the bottom-apparently I skipped a row down there. I also missed 1 knit stitch towards the top of the ribbon, but can't really tell. Not bad for the first attempt at the whole picture thing. I hope. 

Here are the patches and bag I will using to make my new yarn tote. These are actually not glowing, it's just the flash reflecting off the beads. 

Here is my latest project, thanks to Sybermoms craft forum. The Knitted Breast Cancer Awareness Cloth.

This is the first time I've attempted a pattern involving an actual picture design. I've already realized I skipped a row-in spite of counting and my handy dandy tic marks-as evidenced by the clear line where I started the ribbon part of the cloth. I thought about frogging, but really I'd rather not. This will just be the test cloth and can live happily among the other test cloths in my drawers. If you'd like to see what it should look like, please check out Ms. Box's.

THANKFULLY I appear to be getting over this hellish cold. My head is completely stuffed up, my throat is scratchy, but I seem to be hitting the end stages. I hope. I am way behind on everything, from house cleaning and excavating to my blog reading. Expect mad catching up.

In really exciting news my sisters surprised with an incredibly cool gift for the upcoming 30th birthday. They are flying me out to CA for a visit in early October. (The birthday is at the end of October.) I am totally blown away and way excited for the trip, WOOHOOOO!!!!

Still sick. Blech. Finished dishcloth #3.

Sick again

Crabby, achey, and sick again. Sneezing my fool head off.

Working on dishcloth #3, I'm surprised at how much better I've gotten at purling. Thank goodness.

Blee Blah Bloh Blah

Describes me today. Out of sorts, flaring a bit, and tiyad of whatever is causing me to jerk around the way I do. Nothing like a little unintentional twitch to spice up a day, eh?

I've started the 2nd kitchen cotton dishcloth, which means I've actually started a set. The knitting is getting easier for me and I am definitely getting faster at purling. I'm not as bogged down in the pattern this time around. I'm also working on some of the cloches I need to do, and I HAVE to get started on the purses. Have to. I also must finish the little man nephew socks, as he will be coming with my sis and her husband to visit in TWO WEEKS! I actually get to snuggle and sniff him in person in two weeks, I CAN'T WAIT! I've even offered to have him overnight to give them a break-but we all know it's really so I can have him all to myself. Myself and the kids, I mean. They are all very excited to meet their new cousin.

I MUST get myself motivated to get some stuff down around the house, and go through the ten million pounds of clothing we own. I really, really want to have the kids' clothes gone through and organized befor school starts. Pray for me.

VOILA!

It's finished! I actually finished the kitchen cotton dishcloth, all of that k1, p1, k1, p1 and on and on has paid off. I am mostly proud that I didn't frog it and start over. Now, to make a few more.

I finally

got my ever growing behind to the gym again. Good workout. Came home and chowed down on Kentucky Fried Chicken strips, biscuits, and gravy. I wonder how that works out in the end?

A dishcloth turned washcloth. This was one of my test dishcloths, knitted with a single crochet border. The border is a tiny bit too stiff, next time I'll use a bigger hook, but this is a perfect washcloth. 

A close-up view of the stitches. 

On the knitting front

The newest dishcloth, following this pattern. Finding just the right pattern has proved trickier than I thought, but finally I think I may have found it. Now, if I were only more proficient at purling.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

The new Crochet Me is up! Go an check it out, it's delicious. I am in love with the little finger puppets!

The finished ipod case! It felted to the perfect size, I am amazed. The flap actually fits right over, I need to add a button I think. Still debating on whether to cut out pieces for the display, etc.  

The back of the ipod case, with a handy dandy pocket for my earphones. 

The Weekend Went Well

Aaaah, we had a great time, the wedding was tear-inducing and beautiful and we danced it up and had a blast. We weren't able to go out on the boat as it was too windy, but the kids got to play in the sand and swim and all of that good stuff. They were very well behaved, until the last hour of the trip home, but all in all a good time.

I am still trying to find just the right dishcloth pattern, I did a knit one with a crochet border, very simple actually and I am thinking I may go with that. I'd like to try out a few more patterns first though.

I've started more of the flower hats, need to do 3, and my ipod case is blocked and drying as I type, it seems to be JUST the right size. I am really hoping I wrote down the dimensions/stitches somewhere, I can't remember, one of these days I'll learn.

The poor little man socks haven't been picked up in forever, I had thought I would work on them over the weekend but I didn't have as much free time as I thought. Someday I'll get to them, and hopefully while the nephew man is still small enough to wear them.