A Spring Contest, completed!

19 Entrants! I consider that a great response to the Springy Contest, and thank you everyone for playing! All week long, my screen saver has been flashing pictures of one pretty washcloth after another. I have to say, the first person done was LaurieM, and she was done *the next day*. Impressive. Now, let's see if Blogger will let me post 19 pictures... (why am I concerned about this?) They were all so bright and cheerful, I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do!

(Scroll down for pictures)

LaurieM's Garterlac

Arleta's three dishcloths

Bellamoden's white dishcloth, but I couldn't find that she had a blog

CarrieK, black and white, not quite finished...

Crzjane (I love your name!)made four bunny dishcloths

D & K Snyder, I would really like this pattern...

Danni knitted a trio of cloths

Janice started one of those I am craving the pattern for

Jenni Bush, three dishcloths

Jennifer, a wavy dishcloth

Karen's bright dishcloth

Kenyetta's Garterlac (love your name, Kenyetta)

Laura's his dishcloth, of a his and her's set (she only made his - heehee)

Monica, a star spiral dishcloth

Julie's bright garterlac

Rebecca started hers

Stacy's, posed with a ferocious looking tiger...

Trek's 18-inch cloth (sorry I had to enlarge the picture, so it's fuzzy). 18 inches!

Using the best technology we could afford, we selected a winner... The daughter cutting out entrants

A nother daughter, choosing the winner

And the winner is....

Cheryl from Hither-n-Yarn! Congratulations!!!

This will be the prize...

Here's the yarn that's up for grabs! I haven't picked a winner yet, since I started the contest on a Saturday, it seems fair to end it Saturday at midnight. This yarn was just in that very day at the LYS. I'm a sucker for that. The shop owner let me root through all of the boxes of new stuff - what fun! Honestly, I will be going there on Fridays more often.



Here's a pic of my dishcloth. I love it! I actually didn't have wild, springlike yarn in my stash, so there's a major need that will be attended to. But this dishcloth pattern was in the latest issue of Creative Knitting, and it was fun to do, even if I couldn't read while doing it. I think this pattern would fit well into a cotton hat, and be very cute. There's still time to get your dishcloth pic to me! Remember, it doesn't have to be finished, just send me what ya got!

A quick note on the Contest

I thought I'd take a moment to remind everyone that you don't need to have your dishcloth finished by Saturday evening, May 5th, but only started. You do, however, need to email me a picture or post your pic and let me know about it, to be entered into the contest. I'll do a random drawing on Sunday and let the winner know! I'm also going to be posting pictures of all these pretty dishcloths, and even your unfinished pics, if that's what you send me. Go Knitters! I had a hard time picking out a wild colored yarn for my dishcloth (as yet unfinished), since I tend toward mild, calm colors. Maybe I'll break out of that a bit this spring.

I picked up the Austermann yarn this morning. It was a new color, just shipped into the store today. Yay! It looks very bright and springlike.

Keep on knitting!

Things I've learned from the Internet

Well, as specifically relates to knitting, I mean. I've learned that it's perfectly okay to have three pairs of socks going at once. Many times I'll pick a pretty sock pattern, but stop on it because I just don't feel like following a pattern with tiny little needles for two weeks, as my knitting project. But it's okay to have more than one on the go! And I was feeling guilty for not finishing the neckline on my guy's sweater, but it's actually okay to let it rest, as it's spring, and he won't be needing it for awhile! (So sayeth knitting guru The Harlot, whose skill and knowledge I'd never dare to challenge. If she says it's so, it's so.) And at first, I honestly couldn't see the point in stash building. I've bought extra yarn for the sake of buying yarn, and then it sits in my closet for years. But now that I'm a more dedicated knitter, not dividing my time between sewing and quilting and knitting, I frequently wander out into the stash and poke around, looking for a project. I can't get out shopping well with the two-year-old, and if I get someone to babysit her, it's because I have work to do that she can't come along on. I haven't yet found the in-law who will watch her so I can go yarn crawling! =)

And resource-wise, the Internet has taught me how to knit short-rows, do provisional cast-ons, three-stitch buttonholes, knit toe-up, entrelac and lace, and spin a two-ply yarn. There's so much more to learn! I've been knitting along since I was 13, never suspecting what I did not know. I actually viewed myself as a spanking good knitter, and I still think I am, but I'm not the pro I thought. I've dedicated myself to learning more of this craft. I have no idea how to insert a zipper, knit continental, steek, or add any lacy edge to a sweater, making it individual. I'm going to learn, though. Since I've started reading blogs, I've left many, many fawning comments to knitters whose expertise I can only marvel at. There are people doing intense colorwork Marina on sweater after sweater. I feel compelled to at least make a hat of many colors. My knitting tends to stay at the one-color end of the spectrum. That's okay when you're doing a lacy pattern, but I'm ready for a different challenge.

So, while I can't go away to knitting school or seminars, due to budget constraints and the small fact that I am essential to my household, I can hold my own knitting classes at my computer. I may even have some stuff to show off here and there on the blog. And when I'm leaving fawning comments on your blog, have pity on me. I am a fan of technique, and anything I don't understand looks like magic to me.

Oh, and if you've read down this far - thanks for sticking with me. As pertains to the Spring dishcloth contest, my screensaver is flashing pictures of finished dishcloths at me that some of you have finished. It also is very inspiring. Knit on!

A Springy Contest Update

Yay, so many players for the dishcloth contest! This makes me very happy. Nothing is more of a bummer than holding a party and having no one come. But so many are up for knitting a kitchen cloth that I'm happy the husband thought of it!

Here's the list of joiners so far (and send me an email if I mess up your address, but I've been pretty careful): Jennifer, Beth, Julie, Laurie, Romi - (actually, she's unsure) - Chris, Carol, Trek, Carrie K, Becky, Karen, Monica, 5elementknitr, Tala and Kenyetta. Two of these folks cast on and finished by the next day, which gives me hope that I'll complete my dishcloth on time. Actually, as Karen pointed out, all I said was that you had to start a dishcloth, not finish one - I laughed out loud. =) I love when people catch me by surprise. So start your cloth and send me a pic. I'll post them all next weekend and randomly pick a winner!

In other news, today is the last day of the KnitOff! I was out to Michelle at the last round - I just stopped knitting too soon! I was unsure of how the pattern should be read, so assumed that of course I shouldn't knit double what I'd already done. *grins* But it was very fun, and I learned to do entrelac, and that Michelle is a fast knitter! Straight up, she was beating me speedwise. I'll have to practice harder - heehee. The new pattern for this week is so amazing, and difficult looking, that I just have to be glad it's not my problem. Phew!

The drama club performed our play this weekend! It was awesome. The kids were so proud of themselves, and rightly so. They really pulled it together in the last two weeks, and became the boss of that play. Very few dry eyes left the gymnasium, and I couldn't have been happier seeing people cry. As a fill-in, if you haven't read me blathering on about it, we performed A Thousand Cranes, a true story of a girl who lived through the atom bomb dropping on Hiroshima, only to die ten years later of leukemia as an after-effect of the bomb. Our first year as a drama club! What in the world will we do next year??? Actually, the little stars are already mentioning they'd like to perform Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Hmm... could be a little dark, but fun ....

Still time to enter the contest! There's some pretty sweet yarn at stake!

A Springy Contest

If you were the person who subscribed under Bloglines to my blog, in the last few days, thanks! You helped me to hit 30 subscribers. I stopped at 29 for the longest time (at least through Bloglines), and while I was pleased to have people who read me (thank you!) I wanted to do a contest. But I wanted to have enough people reading the blog to make the contest fun, and my husband suggested "30" would be a good magic number. Then someone dropped me from their list the other day (sniff, sniff), and I went to 28. You know how you just have a few people who like you, and someone drops you from their list, and you think about it while you shower, or drive the car, or something? Weird. I am writing for me, but I enjoy writing to you, y'know? Anyhoo, when I checked today - Huzzah! Up to 30, and I can have a contest!

It's spring, and I've been casting on new projects with abandon. Don't even care that I only have to finish the neck on the hubby's sweater. He can't wear it for awhile now that it's warmer (yay sun!). So the contest will go along with spring, and starting new things. I'd like everyone who wants to participate to cast on a washcloth - a wild one. One that you feel joyous doing, and in colors that don't match your kitchen. Make it fun! Use entrelac or a new pattern or anything you want. Garter stitch is fine, too. Just get in the spirit of spring and starting new things, and cast on a colorful cloth. I'll give y'all two weeks to send in pics, then I'll pick one randomly. The winner gets - sock yarn! I found some beautiful stuff at our LYS, it's Austermann, Step. It is so soft - clearly the best sock yarn I've knit with to date. I love the colors and the squishiness. They were stocking it on the shelves, just in, the last time I was at the LYS, and I am a sucker for "just in" yarn. I have to pass the love along as a prize. I'm also looking forward to posting everyone's pictures.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Happy Spring!

A little peak into my head

My husband is one of those people who will ask, right out of the blue, "What are you thinking about?" I think I make odd faces when in deep thought. I'm not sure. Anyway, I usually lie to him, and refer to the show we're watching, or quickly think of something interesting from that day to bring up. Just lately, though, I've been letting him have whatever thought was running through my head. Like, one day I was trying to reconstruct how exactly one would shear a sheep, from remembrances of my childhood. Or I would be thinking that my hair looked better when I was younger, and was it because my face was more moisturized? Odd stuff like that. I know I'm not odd, or even really abnormal, though I haven't taken the test. I'm just pretty much like everyone else, even if sometimes people lie and say it's not true.

But today I was thinking about how, if the world all went to hell (If?) and we couldn't get any running water, I would have to walk down to the stream for water (freezing water) to wash my hair, so I looked decent when I walked to town. And I would expect that everyone else would be walking about with dirty hair, because, hey, they don't live next to a river, so what would they do? And then I would walk to town and realize that people were bicycling, and they all had good hair (and warm scalps). Here I was, making things way harder than they had to be, when a little knowledge would have gone a long way. Somehow, everyone else is getting clean hair, and they don't think it's a big deal. I don't know why I think I would be the person left out of the knowledge, but there you are. I realized I was having a weird random thought, and I document this because some day I may spend the money to amaze a therapist. Unless I'm really, really normal, which, of course, is what I think...

A bit more clarification

Guess what? A clarification from Julie some time while I was sleeping, and I have to knit more! =) So it really isn't over 'til it's over, and I may pop back to the yarn store today. Maybe. HeeHee. I sort of put everything I had into that scarf yesterday. I mean, gee, at one point I swallowed two Vicodin left over from labor, just to keep going. I'm not sure if I can sign up for another day. Pretty pattern, though!

So hopefully Michelle will keep rocking on, as I'm off to see a play with the hubby this afternoon. Yay for getting out with the hubby! It rarely happens, so I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest, and not think about the bedlam my in-laws will be going through, by watching the kids....

The sun is out! Someone must be smiling on Michigan!

Round 4

Well, today was the fourth round of the Knit-Off. What a trial! Yes, I am done, but I wouldn't be a good blogger if I didn't share the day with you.

I got up at 3:30 a.m., since the pattern has so far come out about 4:15 to 4:30 in the morning, in the last three rounds. I made coffee, pulled out my needles and DK yarn, and settled in for the long haul. And it was a long haul! My competition, Michelle, logged on about an hour after I, and we chatted as we waited for the pattern to come up. What a nice person she is! In Blogland, you can make a friend pretty quickly, and we were soon emailing pics of our kids to each other. We discussed ballet and sports, and it was fun. But time went on, and on, and finally the pattern was posted, at 8:00! That's four and a half hours after I got up. Ouch.

The pattern was an entrelac scarf, that Yarn Monkey had made up herself, and she suggested we learn to knit backwards. Heh. These were two totally new techniques for me, which was, actually, great fun. I loved knitting backwards, and since I'd been kicking around taking an entrelac class, I was pretty happy with the pattern, too. But I mucked it up and ripped five times before I got the side triangles right. Yikes! I was sure I had just knocked myself out of the running, right there. But you know what? My husband is willing to watch all three kids all day long, so I can knit. I did not give up. I think I would have knitted if my competitor had posted after five hours. It's just such a nice way to spend the day.

There were a couple of distractions, of course. My wrists and fingers were killing me, so I made use of a necessary bathroom break to grab some aspirin. I even washed my hands with hot water, so they wouldn't get cold and slow me down! HeeHee. About 3:00 in the afternoon, the sun came out, and I started knitting faster. I think the sun just cheered me up and everything got easier. Yay! I enjoyed the pattern, once I memorized it, and it was just - well, enjoyable. I'm going to find a Thesaurus after this, honestly. My brother brought his seven-week-old puppy over after that. So cute! He had just picked her up. She doesn't even have a name yet. She is the calmest little pooch you would ever want to meet. She'd play, but really wanted to cuddle. My kinda dog, but he wouldn't give her up, so I had to content myself with sending toys and whispering, "If you ever need a place to stay..."



And at the end of the day, the baby had had enough, and insisted that I dance with her. What could I do? Of course I danced, and if I lost because I did, that was cool. Then I had to figure out how to end the scarf, which was a bit confusing, a bit more ripping. Then - success! Huzzah! I love the scarf. It only came out at 10 inches by 32 inches, so my gauge was off, I'm guessing. But I honestly had just a yard or two of the contrasting color left, and I came out with the right number of rows, so that was that. I'll figure out if I'm adding to it or using it as a tuck-in under my coat later. It's very softy... I will definitely knit entrelac again. I can't believe what a beautiful baby blanket this would make.



And that's my day! Hop on over to Michelle and say hi. She's nice as pie. And cross your fingers that I did what I was supposed to, because I couldn't get ahold of the Yarn Monkey all day, and she hasn't actually accepted my entry yet. But I appreciate all the work she's done to hold this Knit-Off. I can't imagine how much coordinating effort it must take. Well, good night all! I owe my husband a little movie time.

I am Marianne Dashwood

Take the Quiz here!

Heh. Apparently. I loved reading Jane Austen when I was younger and had time. Perhaps it's time to pick up the books again! This nifty little survey says I am "impulsive, romantic, impatient, and perhaps a little too vocal in your honesty. You enjoy romantic poetry and novels, and play the pianoforte beautifully. To boot, your singing voice is captivating. You feel deeply, and love passionately." Trust me, y'all - if my singing voice is captivating, it is because you are tied up and my captive. Or you're just so astonished I have the confidence to get onstage and, like a train wreck, you cannot look away....

I may, however, have to pick up the pianoforte in my spare moments...

Beliefs Falling Like Dominoes

Well, last night was interesting, as these things go. My oldest was very stressed and out of sorts all evening. Finally, I took her into the bathroom to ask what was wrong, as we have a small house, and there is little privacy to be found. She said, "Mom, just tell me." Apparently, the other kids had been telling her one thing (no toothfairy), and she was trying to believe her parents, too. I can understand how that would be stressful. She said she had lost a tooth a week ago, put it under her pillow without telling us, and was just waiting for something to happen that would mean we weren't lying to her. Whoops! So I asked her, if she had a chance to give her child a magical moment, wouldn't she do it? Not good enough, says she. She is a literal child, and needs a flat-out answer. I said, Well, I would give my child magical moments, until she was old enough to try to trap me.... that got a giggle out of her, and we had a nice talk about, since the secret was out, she could help with the next time a tooth needed trading for a gold coin (Sacajawea). I said, personally, I suck at remembering all of my magical commitments, and I could use a little help. She was very impressed with the stash of magical coins, and reassured me I'd done an awesome job. I was just grateful she wasn't crying and disillusioned.

I tucked her in, after swearing her to secrecy. She was so happy! I'm trying not to think about how she has been struggling with her friends at school, even though we all go through these things. I also reminded her not to give kids any revelations who don't understand who does the magic at their house. Everyone has their own pace for trying to trick their parents... hehe. Well, she got up about 20 minutes later and said, "Are you the Easter Bunny?" Whoops. Umm.... yeah, but your dad doesn't know, so shhhhh. That got another smile. You know what's coming, don't you?

This morning, yup, the big question, about St. Nicholas. So I explained that he was real at one time, and parents are simply continuing the magical tradition of a wonderful person. (I'm telling you all this, in case it helps when it's your turn. This all worked very well for me and my daughter) She said, Of all of the things I believed, I believed that one the most. But, really, she wasn't too upset. It helped to make her part of the conspiracy - I mean, magic. My husband also nicely took a moment to explain that all parents try to give their kids these beliefs, and if we hadn't, she would have missed out on a lot of joy her classmates were getting. He was very worried she'd take it personally that we'd, ah, misled her.

I think I handled it all pretty well, and I hope the next one isn't upset when she gets to this age. As I recall, I was around nine, and so was my husband, when we just had to start wondering how those presents and chocolates arrived.

How Far Would You Go?

If you found out your kids were, say, setting up an experiment to prove or disprove the reality of a childhood icon, maybe a creature known to collect small teeth and leave something in trade, be it a gold coin or a whistle or what-have-you (I think these things change depending on which creature's 'route' you happen to be on), would you actively help these children with their experiment? Would you maybe even tweak the experiment to prove the existence of a childhood icon, in case that particular icon wasn't in the neighborhood that day to prove their own existence? Or would you let the experiment take its own course, acknowledge that the moment of questioning is the moment of growing up, and that soon they'll be asking to shave their legs? Myself, I'm undecided. It actually becomes less of a "Could I continue to convince" and more of a question of "Will this kid be jeered at in school if this scenario is allowed to play out much longer?" Sometimes, it's just easier to pick up a sock....

I got to meet with my knitting group today. We were talking about how good crafts are for kids to do. A friend of mine, at Thanksgiving, assigns a teenager to organize crafts for the younger kids in all of the extended family. I think this is a wonderful idea! The teenager is engaged, not sitting on the stairs wondering why they're in this crazy family, and the kids are all working together, getting a headstart on their Christmas gifts. Having something to do with your hands generates talking, which can only be a good thing when family gets together only a few times a year. I grew up far away from my cousins, and never got to know them well. What I did get to know of them hasn't been the most positive experience, so I generally avoid them. I hang with my aunts, who seem like very nice people. Well, most of them. As I get older, I see more clearly which people around me are more judgemental, less considerate, more selfish. I must have been the coddled niece, because as I see the truer natures of my extended family, I am becoming more discerning about who I want to be friends with, now that I'm an adult. Then I worry that I'm getting judgemental (!!!), so maybe I should organize a craft table for the grown-ups at our next get-together. There is a whole older generation that comes to our family reunions, that I know nothing about. They smile benignly, tell me I look like my mother, and we all stand together for a group picture. Maybe this year I'll bring some beads and glitter, yarn and cardboard, and see if we can't all get to know each other a little better.

A Kitty Vid

My husband sent me this link about cats. It is so funny, you just gotta click on it. Youtube is interesting to me, because people spend all this time coming up with funny and interesting things to post for strangers. The Internet is such a connector, eh? Blogging, sharing videos... feels like we're all living on the same block. Pretty cool.

Feels Like a Monday

The kids go back to school today, after a very relaxing spring break. They're pretty sure it was a winter break, though, judging by the amount of snow out the window. Back, back to the grind! Only a few more drama club practices, and we'll be performing A Thousand Cranes, a true story of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who discovers she has leukemia ten years after the atom bomb was released on Hiroshima. It's not a comedy, obviously, but let's cross our fingers that it goes beautifully. I read the script for the hundredth time, and still choke up on the ending. *crossing fingers*

I went to the doctor yesterday. I had an appointment written in my book, but I was absolutely clueless what for. I went, though. I knew they'd charge me for skipping the appointment, so what the hey. The doc came in, we looked at each other for a long minute (no, not a soul-searching look. Found that guy already! hehe) and he said, "Umm, you were having headaches?" OH! Well, I'm better, thanks. Good, good, he says. Off I go. Apparently my headache left along with my memory, but it was a nice trip out of the house.

In a effort to ignore the snowglobe outside my window, I've been planting seedlings for flowers. I have never been a gardener, but things are going well! Now I don't know what to do with these little guys, as they're going to grow out of their little egg shell container pretty quickly, but putting them outside would be murder.



Oh, and a blurry picture of some socks I made for the middle child. Regia cotton sock yarn - love that stuff. I'm wearing a pair right now. I haven't started any more socks, which is unusual for me, but I shall finish a couple of things, darn it! I shall stun you with finished products, soon.

Nothing wrong with homely, if it works...

I've been spinning the last couple of days, since I've left my sock project at my mom's. I really, really like spinning - a lot! I did my first attempt at two-ply, with a black and gray mixed roving that I spun as finely as I could. I thought it came out great! I loved the trick of pulling from the center and outside of the ball, and plying the strands together. (My silly fingers keep typing "playing" instead of "plying". It's early enough that I'm amused by this) So after I finished with the black, I felt it had to sit on the spindle to "set" the fiber, and I still wanted to spin. I talked on and on about knitters and their spindles, and how they would be a fine thing to collect (spindles, not knitters), now that I see how smart spinners are to own more than one spindle. They wouldn't have to stop for the night when they'd finished one roving. They might even be smart enough to have several different projects to spin, depending on their mood. Clever spinners.

My husband left the room and banged about a bit, while I relearned how to watch t.v. without something to do. After a time, with all of the drawer opening and closing, and him running to the basement and back, I figured he was making wine, which was odd, since he hadn't said "I'm going to go make some wine." Well, he came back into the room and said, "You don't have to use this, but I made it for you," and handed me the homeliest spindle. Oh, my. "You don't have to use this, but I made it for you"? I just had to grin. He had put it together with a dowel, canning lid, masking tape, and a hook he swiped from our upstairs curtains. Could it even work? I got out some single ply I didn't know what to do with, and tried the homely little thing out. Guess what? It worked! It wasn't weighted the same, but it actually wasn't bad. Pretty soon, I thought I was plying pretty darned well on it. Then I waxed on about how clever and nice he was to save me from just, well, sitting still, and he sat and soaked it up. What a clever man! (The pictures are bad, but it was late, no good light, etc.)




Here's a picture of some red roving I am spinning, which I got from Knitterly Things. I bought three 4-oz. bats, figuring I'll finally have enough to knit more than a hat with. Definitely going to two-ply it! It was too much fun not to do again.



And, finally, a picture of the slightly bumpy two-plyed black yarn I made, probably a DK weight. I only came up with about 67 yards. It was a two-ounce bat, and I don't know if that's good or not, as far as yardage. Eh, it is what it is. I had fun. Next on my list of things to own is a swift, so when I wind this stuff up before I wash it, it will all be the same length. Then, when it's hung to dry, I won't get parts that are bumpy because they're not pulled straight enough. I have, so far, saved six dollars toward the swift. *snicker* I just have to defend the cache against small people begging for ice cream.

Spinning, a misleading title

I am all caught up on reading all of my blogs! I have 112 feeds that I read, and I love to click on people's blog rolls, which leads to more hook-ups... *sigh* But I caught up! I am knitting away on the second sock for my second child (smile), and I think it's coming along pretty cute. Small socks really make me melt.

This morning, sat down with the sock to work on the heel, and turned on the t.v. For some reason, on the food channel, there was a program titled Spinning. Yay! I clicked it, and some woman was riding a bike. .... Oh, yeah. I guess they did steal the title from an ancient, noble past-time. I kind of remember that from before my spinning days - you know, proper spinning, where you don't sit on, but next to, your wheel. (Well, I don't actually own a wheel, but I know people who do) =) Anyway, I felt a little like someone had held out a birthday cake, then explained that it was cardboard. Ah, well.

Take a kid to the dentist today. I was very bad this morning, and bought a pattern online from ChicKnits, called CeCe. I'm bad because I was going to knit myself a sweater for spring, and I can only see this for my good friend M. But how to sneakily find out her inches-through-the-bust measurement, without looking totally weird and too friendly? It can't be done. I may have to fess up, or talk to her husband. Oh - oh! I could borrow a shirt, or find out her shirt size. I love typing as I think, don't you?

I don't have a kitten...

... but look at the cuteness that surrounds me, anyway! She even looks longingly out the window on rainy days, like kitties do. Her purr is a little rattley, but she's working on it.



Here's some more cuteness, and I'm not just talking about the hats! Clearly we're not going to get any good sunlight for a few days, and I want to post a pic of some knitting, even if it is from last week. Hermione hats! (I know, you've heard about them before) Next small project to take along will be matching mittens for Christmas gifts. One of the hats has been subtly admired by a friend *waves* so a set may be coming her way. But I'm not making them for the whole gang, so let's get that clear right now! Heh.



Kids home this week for vacation, so we'll be making some fairy fizz today, which is a combination of pineapple juice, cherry juice, honey and fruit. I'm not so sure it sounds yummy, but then again, it's not for me =) Then I don't know what. I had planned on working on a flower bed today, but it's chilllllly. Mmmm, maybe fairy fizz and cookies?

Saturday Madness

Yesterday was a special day at our local Resort, as it was the Nickelodeon weekend. Spongebob and Patrick were represented, as well as Dora and a very tall bear that I didn't recognize. My nephew came up for it to celebrate his birthday, and his two sisters' birthdays are today. I was so happy when I realized my girls would be able to get tickets! They were sold out, but my brother's mother-in-law did some sort of magic that I don't have access to. Then, Friday night, I realized that Saturday was the third round of the Knit-Off. Yikes! So I set my alarm for 4:00 a.m., and figured I'd do my best. I'll try to encapsulate what followed, so it doesn't drag on too long.

Pattern posted at 4:30 a.m. I've missed the start off point of the last two rounds, so I was sure I was up. I should have showered first thing - what was I thinking?? Knitted for half an hour, realized I had increased in every single stitch instead of just the end ones, and ripped it out. I was up against a fast knitter named Paula, so already I'm thinking that knocked me out of things, but it was a really cute bag pattern, and I knitted on. Everyone in the family pitched in to help me participate. Here is, actually, how I had breakfast: my daughter feeding me bites as I knitted. I take Paula very, very seriously. (She was the person I was pitted against - a very fast knitter. Oh, did I already say that?)



When we absolutely had to leave for the resort, I threw on some clothes, brushed my dirty hair, and went out the door with no makeup, but my knitting. Twenty minutes later, I realized we hadn't brought my laptop, so I couldn't post finished pictures anyway, and I thought, "Well, that's that," and dropped my needles. Then I remembered my mom, who nearly always saves me. My husband called her, since I was again knitting, and yes, she said she could bring the laptop. I always drive when we go anywhere, because I get car sick otherwise. I had taken a Dramamine before we left, but we still had to pull over twice so I could heave by the side of the road. (I told my husband that a good blogger husband would have snapped a pic, but he said we could recreate it. I'm thinking maybe not.) Luckily, I'd only eaten toast. Then I was back in the car, knitting again 'til we got to the resort, where I realized I had knitted two inches too far and had to rip. Grrr. All of the family there was very supportive of the knitting, also, so I knitted in the room, then as everyone walked around. I was knitting eye cord by the afternoon. No one approached me to admire my choice of neon green and blue, but no one told me to put the sticks away, either.





When I was done with the cording, I raced back to the room, woke my sister-in-law up from her nap (sorry!) and plugged in the laptop. My hands were shaking, I was so sure I wouldn't get in in time. And then I thought my computer wasn't working, because there weren't any emails in my in-box. I think everyone else was knitting just as furiously. The first round, we chatted and chatted on-line while we knitted. Yesterday, not a blip from anyone in the competition. But yay, I got the picture posted in time, and I go on to Round 4! I feel bad, actually. I don't know. I guess this is why I don't compete. I don't actually like competitions where people win and lose, even if I'm holding my own.

April Fool's day today, so I have to think of some ways to get the kids. They already switched beds on me, and I screamed when I went in to wake them up. They loved it. =)



By the by, that photo is a result of much begging and pleading on my part to get the man in the room to hold the bag. I was desperate to get the picture in. I should have handed him the camera, but I wasn't thinking straight. What a trooper! I should add also that he is very secure in his manliness, exudes testosterone, and is envied by many other manly men for his prowess at hunting and living in the wild....

A New Look

Hey, I changed the template for my blog post! I never liked the other one, since about a week after I got it. I thought the script was too small, which I dislike when I visit other sites. I like big letters! I'll definitely be buyin' the bigger print books soon. Why not? Who's to know, other than the Borders guy??

Now I have to re-enter my blog roll, which is fine, I know who you all are =) But I may have a hard time replacing my information for the groups I've joined, like the Michigan Knitter's and whatnot. I guess we'll wait and see how long it takes me to work this out! But tonight I'm not working, I'm playing World of Warcraft. Life has been verrrry stressful of late, and tonight I'm not thinking. I'm going to baby my sore throat, mostly by not yelling at the kids - that helps so much - and if I'm not playing on the computer, I'll be watching David Caruso on CSI: Miami. Don't judge me. It's a brain-free evening.

Oh, and in case you're following along on the events in my life, drama club went GREAT yesterday! Huzzah! The costumes helped, and I let go of a lot of the frustration. When kids talked during a scene, about, you know, the dream they had last night, or whatever, I just winked at them and pointed to the actors. See? Disconnecting equals happiness! Who knew?? Just kidding... somewhat. Here's to enjoying a brainfree evening!

I got nothin'.

I have gotten several very nice comments in the last week about how I can write blog ideas about, well, nothing. I can take the ordinary, the mundane, the inconsequential things that make up your day, and blog about them (hopefully in an interesting way). Well, I hope I remembered to say 'thank you,' because all I could think was, 'That's all I've got, people." =) Seriously. I'm parenting in the trenches most days, where you just put your head down and do the next thing that needs to be done. Now that the youngest is nearly three, I have started to look in the mirror and think about make-up. Sometimes I even wonder what the back of my head looks like, but not often. We've had this great business idea that I'm working on, but need to find more time for. My husband and I got involved in the school drama club, because our local school is small, hit hard with budget cuts, and there is nothing in that vein for the kids. But, to be honest, without my mother as 'kid care coordinator,' the drama club wouldn't be getting done at all. Yesterday I did five loads of laundry, and my husband still couldn't find any socks this morning. *sigh* My life is full of these little moments that I actually find pretty entertaining, so I try to share them. *giggle*

Now, in my alternate life, I'm verrrrry important. Aliens watch me to figure out how people work, they see me cuss under my breath and write notes, et cetera. Or I'm a brigadier general, with all those troops doing whatever I say. Like that one. You can borrow it, if you want. Or I'm a starlet, shopping on Madison Avenue, with an unlimited credit card. What I am not is one of those girls living at Hugh Hefner's ranch, fawning on some old guy who gives them lots of gifts. Sorry. That just jumped off my fingers onto the keyboard. I had to stay up late last night, waiting for a kid to go to sleep, and nothing much was on....

But mostly I don't think my life is any different from most anyone else's. Sure, some people are policy makers or professional skiers. But the major number of people are just like me, with the same common stories, which I try to share in the interest of our sameness. I find it very comforting that I'm not as different as I always felt in grade school, and that most of you are like me. Now, the people in my local area all seem very reserved and cast in the same model, but I know there are lots of people who are more normal, like me, because we trade email addresses and stuff. =) Blogs let me learn about your kids and concerns, travels and even knitting and other creative endeavors. I likes it. But now I'm going to go put on my princess gloves and dress the baby, before taking her out of the castle. Have a great day!

Heyyy, no fair

I haven't gotten any email since Saturday =( I have no idea why. My husband suggests I should reboot my computer. I will say nothing further about that suggestion, unless it works. Ahem. I am biting my tongue, and shall probably regret the surly feeling I'm having right now. I checked my comments through the site, though, and thank you all so much for the suggestions of what the babe's problem could be. I got some very useful insights, and I appreciate it!

I know you thought you'd see hat pictures, but we worked all last night on the drama club. We've only got four practices left, so things are getting close to the wire. In lieu of knitting pictures, I thought I'd post the kimonos. But I can't find the little cord that plugs into the camera, so I'm going to have to do something else entertaining.

Okay, these two nuns walk into a bar... no, no. That won't work. The punch line isn't as funny, even, as the thought of two nuns walking into a bar, at least for me.

The scarf continues on, and is very fun and soft. I've got summery patterns on my mind, though, and am pushing all other projects guiltlessly back into the bin, so I can knit spring fever items. Also, the Harlot is coming to Ann Arbor, while my brother is coming to visit my fam, and I'm trying to figure out how I can make both things work. I would love to go see her, but Ann Arbor is terrible with traffic, and I'm pretty sure I should just park at a mall and call a taxi. Working on it.

Sudafed is helping the young one, by the by. When it wears off, she grabs you or the wall, but otherwise is jumping on the couch happily, so the dizziness is getting better. (I know this because of the lack of injury after jumping on the couch. She would never admit to feeling better, though, because I believe she loves all the attention she got over the dizziness) Had a nurse look at her last night (Thanks, Mom!) and she agrees it's probably a middle ear issue.

You all have a great day! I'm off to pack lunches!

Gee, I had some great pictures

Unfortunately, I am such an idiot, I deleted them instead of fixing them up by cropping, lighting touches, etc. Rats! And it was such a beautiful day for pictures. I'll have to try to take some more tonight, but you know they'll never be as good as the first... sigh. I finished the second Hermione hat, and I love it so much! Will show pics later, when I have the kids as mannequins again.

I got an email t'other day, as you probably did, from Lion Brand, and there was a pretty cool scarf pattern in it. Now, I like me a good story, and it will frequently sell a pattern to me. In this case, the story's hook was the lady saying that they always had many, many scarfs in the winter clothes bin, but were always vying for this one. Well, this is so the way I remember my childhood. As kids, we never even questioned where all of those scarves came from, they were just (thankfully) there. So I went scrounging in the stash, and found some pretty green Peruvian wool from Knitpicks, and cast on. I lowered the stitch count and used #9 needles, and I really like it. It's soft, the patterns are interesting, and quickly change to something new. I don't know if this will be a gift or go into our winter clothes basket, but I'm enjoying it. There was a better outdoor pic of it, but I erased that, too. *another sigh*



So I'm pleased to report that I have been knitting, but for the last week, I just didn't have anything to show for it. Now, finally, warm weather season! I've got some pretty summery tops in mind, that I will guiltlessly cast on for, as soon as I finish the husband's sweater. It's so very close to done! Needs to be put together, and for some reason, that's the hardest part =(

Oh, and you know how I love to ask for advice, so here goes: My daughter, age 2, got very, very dizzy this weekend. She couldn't walk across the floor, because she said it was falling. She even got very concerned if you walked across the floor, because it looked to her like you were going to fall. It was not fun, she was very scared, and of course very uncomfortable. We waited a day, and took her to the hospital when it was still happening the next morning. At the hospital, she was a little dizzy, but then cheered up and ran all around like a perfectly healthy kid. The E.R. doc didn't find anything wrong with her ears, but said there might be fluid built up, and we should give Sudafed or something to clear up any fluid that might be there. We got home, she started doing it again. Is she faking, because it happened before? (Maybe) Is there a weird gas leak that is only affecting the baby? (Maybe) I'm really quite clueless. My friend has an idea of something it could be, but she won't tell me, so I guess it might be pretty terrible. Let me know if you all have any thoughts, because - as I so frequently see - many brains are better than one (or in this case, just mine).

Knitting Smiles

c6f, p1, c2rp2, p7, mb, p7, c6f, p2



This is why knitting makes me so happy

Slothful Spiders

That's what I felt like this morning, sitting in bed, knitting like a madwoman. My husband, dear soul that he is, ran me up coffee and bagels and kept the kids entertained, so that I could knit this:


It's a doily, in Kathmandu DK wool, on size 6 needles, for the Knitoff competition. It took four and a half hours, pretty much exactly, and I gotta say, I'm probably doomed in the next round. A girl finished moments before me, and the girl I was competing with finished 40 minutes after me, but when did they start??? Actually, I got an email from that girl just now saying that she finished a half hour earlier, but had camera difficulties. Dang. Oh, well. Look at the pretty doily!

I also started another Hermione hat yesterday, and will make matching mittens for the Christmas gift-a-month that Spinnerella started. If you know me, people, watch out, because I love this pattern, and I think people will be getting them from me for Xmas this year. I'm enjoying the sunshine here, but from the kitchen table (I've gotten out of bed). It's very cold out, which I always consider very weird, when the sun is so bright. Happy Knitting!

Nonsense Knitting

Tell me you've done it before. Commiseration will get me through. Have you ever spent a week of your itty, bitty bits of free time, knitting something that you KNOW they won't wear more than once? I mean, we birth 'em, walk 'em, put up with the eye-rolling and the requests for tattoos (not until you're 23, dear). Then they ask for something hand-knitted for a special occasion; in this case, St. Patty's Day. So I knitted the little buggers - I mean, darlins - green hand warmers. They're worsted weight, Lions Brand wool, washable, of course. I used cable patterns from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks, and no, the hand warmers weren't hard. =+) They're just one of those things that aren't going to be worn after Saturday. Maybe I'll pick out the bind-off and make them into mittens Sunday.



Oh, oh - here's another bit of knitting nonsense. Last year, my daughter designed a sweater (I'm so proud!). So we charted it out, and I knitted it for her, with her stated colors. It's white, with a black swirl at the bottom, and I think it looks pretty good, as knitted things go. It also wasn't difficult, but with a pair of black pants, she'd be stylin'! (Yeah, I'm old - so?) I knitted it with the top-down technique, and it was really fun to try on her and knit the sleeves until they were the right length. For knitting entertainment value, I highly recommend this move. HeeHee. Anyway, she wore it... once. Yup. As it happens, she doesn't actually like long sleeves. Now I know.



(Hey, look! It fits the next kid! Woooot!)


For other blog events, I'm off hunting Nicky Epstein's Knitting Beyond the Edge. If one is sighted by you, be vewy, vewy quiet. You'll want to hear me sneaking up behind you. I'm hoping our local Borders will get a clue and quit tucking the twelve knitting books they stock in with the polymer clay section. But I can't complain. That's how I discovered the Yarn Harlot, and blog land. *waves to everyone* So I'm off, and wish me luck. If I bag one of these babies, it will start my Nicky Epstein collection, which I may indeed mount on the wall. I love the photos in her books, the ideas and inspiration. Mmmmm.

See if you can help?

Hi, all. This was a serious post. A woman was missing, Cheryl Huish, and she was last seen near Landa Park in New Braunfels, Texas on February 28th, 2007. I was linking all of the information so you all could keep an eye out for her, too. When I went to link to the "Find Cheryl Huish" site, guess what??? She's found! I think that's awesome. I was so worried that she was just missing, you know? I watch too much t.v. and read too many mysteries for my own good. I don't know any details, I was just passing along the information for my blog friend from the Sweater Project. But, all's well, that ends well, and that is a good thing. Odd post, though, ay?

It's okay to say we don't know.

*Whispering* I shouldn't be doing this. There's work to be done, errands, sewing, cleaning... and here I am, with you. *flutter of eyelashes* Well.... I suppose all that can wait, so we can have these few stolen minutes. After all, it's been so long. *sigh* Then again, we have to think of the children...

Well, the kids will wait a bit, I suppose. Not much knitting content to show, but wait til you see the beautiful kimonos! Phew! I'd have finished pictures now, but the sandman threw a bucket in my face last night, to make up for sewing all night the night before. Why do things take so much longer than we think they will??? Ah, well, here's my rant, for your review and comment. There's been a conspiracy (should we whisper again?) by all elders in my daughter's sphere, to steal the idea of magic. "No, dear, there aren't any dragons, or unicorns, or faeries, or magic." Sorry to send you home from school, crying.

Tell me, how do these people know?? And if you thought you did know, why would you tell a child? Is it our duty to divest them of their imagination, their joyful thoughts, their hopes to find a dragon egg? For heaven's sake, let them be kids! If there are unicorns, they sure as hell aren't going to show themselves to some 50-year-old woman who would take joy from a kid. A dragon might come visit, but then we'd never know, would we? What about the Loch Ness fella swimmin in their lake? I suppose he's a big fake, too? And don't start thinking I believe the wrestling I see on t.v. I know the difference. I just don't see why we should negate something so huge, that we probably don't have the first clue about. I absolutely believe that there are positive forces in the world we can't see. How else does knitting karma work? And I think the fairy rings we get in our front yard are astonishing, and a gift to see. So there. That's the rant for the week, as I struggle with teaching my child to respect adults, while they're spitting out stuff to make her cry. Why, I say, why? I believe there are things we should teach, and things that we should allow are mysteries. There's is a great deal of what I consider magic in the world.

Spring Forward

Mmmmm, I had THE most delicious strawberries this morning. My grandma bought them, and she can pick 'em! ;) Actually, I don't know how she does it, but she does always seem to get the sweetest fruits. I think she maybe might possibly taste them (shhh) first. And as I was eating this delicious thing, I was thinking about the warm, sunny field where it came from, the worker who picked it, the assembly plant where it was (likely) washed. I realized, I'm really tired of winter. It's cold and snowy, and I'm craving anything that stands for warmth, and growth, and, well, Spring!

So watch out, all, for Daylight Savings Time this weekend. Apparently the entities in charge of this sort of thing thought the time change ought to come a bit early this year. I think they're ready for Spring, too. I'll tell you, unless you've gotten some updated patches, your computer software is going to hiccup. Programs were written for DST to start the traditional weekend, which is a couple weeks later than this one (April 4th last year). So scheduling and calendars and such for hospitals? They might not mark the time change for a couple of weeks. Cross your fingers. Double check your appointments. And remember to spring forward an hour this Sunday. Come on, Spring!

A Journey of Survival

One of my friend's sisters has, scarily, been diagnosed with cancer, as well as having type II diabetes. She has such an incredibly powerful outlook, and has started a blog called A Journey of Survival. I love that. I love that she wants people to follow along as she gets well, as she documents her thoughts through these difficult times, and I believe she needs prayers, and happy stories. If you have some of those things, drop her a message. She is the nicest lady (and apparently very rexy bald). Read the entry about how lovely it is to take your hair and your boobs off at bedtime. Man.... pure comfort. You've got to love her attitude! =)

Oh, and I'm not stressed any longer. For one thing, I worked it all out in my earlier post (thank you for your kind comments). Secondly, I have not yet been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease. But I think that I'll go live as if I have been. I'm going to go hug my kids and then save their artwork. Tomorrow I think I'll make pancakes for breakfast, and make sundaes for dessert at dinner. I'm definitely going to take pictures of them, and write in the journals I started for each of them when they were born. Love them little buggers. Go on now. Go tell someone you love them, too.

What do you do when you're stressed?

You know when you're so stressed out you can't even concentrate on what's going on around you? Well, here's what I always do: Take a deep breath, look at the things that are stressing me out, and then I start to clean house. No, not my physical house; the mental one. I have to decide what the things are that are making me unhappy, and I have to get rid of them. My ex-husband? A stressful man, if ever there was one. (This husband is much better! *wink to the hubby*) If I have too many things to do, I either delegate, or I make a pot of coffee, quit complaining, and pull an all-nighter. That's not my favorite thing to do, but it frequently works, when I can in essence create another day. I'm getting old, though, and it takes time to recover from this.

If I'm doing something that makes me very, VERY unhappy, I stop doing it. I find a way to get out of the situation. Life on this planet spiraling its way through the universe is stressful enough without me adding stressful situations. So I have decided to drastically cut what I expect the kids to do in drama club. The last two weeks haven't been fun, they've been work - which makes sense to me, but the children aren't happy. My husband wisely asked me if I wanted to put on a mediocre play, and have the kids be happy, or if I wanted to put on a finished play, and have everybody walk away with a really bad feeling. I guess I want a mediocre play. Actually, it will probably still be a fantastic play, as the parents and classmates will get a charge out of watching the actors work.

My fledgling at-home business is very stressful with a two-and-a-half year old. There doesn't seem to be enough time to do the basic upkeep of it, so I have to figure out what to do about that, too. I haven't given up yet, but I do need to think about how to make things easier.

Wouldn't it be nice, though, if cleaning the house WAS a stress reliever?

What's new with you?

Been a couple of days, but I think my wrists are better. My house is such a mess that I couldn't find my wrist splints. When I went to price out some more, they were almost twenty-five bucks each! So probably I should just hire someone to help me clean my house. I've spent the last two days smiling at the mess, and saying things like, "We have such a nice home. I'm so lucky." It's all in the mind, right? And thank you all for your kind comments on my midnight appearance. It's so sweet having Internet friends! For a woman who has hardly been out of the house in nine years, and then not socially, I truly appreciate it when people take the time to give a compliment. Too sweet.

I told the girls I'd knit them hand-warmers in green for St. Patrick's Day. At our school, the kids pinch you if you're not wearing green. Pinch you! Hands, please. Who else went to a school that did this? My daughter's green necklace broke one year, and she cried for two days at the kids' cruelty. I didn't know that everyone didn't do this until I mentioned it at quilt night one day. I met a person who was shocked, and I realized this town isn't a map for the way the world will treat you. A fish bowl? Yes, indeed. But not everyone pinches you if you're not doing things their way. (right? Right??)

I've been fighting off some infection for a few days, and I'm just exhausted. The doc had no idea what it was, but gave me some prophylactic antibiotics and took a "wait-and-see, you complainer" attitude. (No, he didn't look like that. I love my doctor. He knows I don't come in unless forced to) The kids at Drama Club today are going to be astounded by my laid-back attitude. Maybe they'll respect it and work harder? I'm going to bribe them with pizza. They're 4th through 6th grade kids, and I keep thinking offering them nice things will be better than screaming, "Five more practices! What is WRONG with you people??? Learn your lines!!!!" The performance is racing up on me, and there's suddenly lots to do - advertising for the play, getting props, finishing doctors' coats. Deep breath. Told the doctor I'm under no extra stress. Must continue to pretend this is true. And that's the update with me. What's new with you?

Round One of the Knitoff - phew!

I don't usually do this. I'm probably the last person in the world to be brave enough to post nasty, tired pictures of themselves, but by gummy, I earned this one =+) Round One of the KnitOff is finished, and I'm going to go ice my hands now. The pattern was the Uniscarfity, and we had to knit until we ran out of our main color. My scarf came out 37 inches long, with Paton's Classic Merino wool, on size 6 U.S. needles. I would like it longer, so I'll pull out the bind-off and add to it tomorrow, or so. But I'm done! As near as I can tell, I was the first done in my group, Group G, and it looks like the second person done overall. I don't know about you guys, but I was under the impression I couldn't knit a scarf in a day... rats. Now I have less excuses for my gift-making timeline...





No, really, I'm excited. I've never been in a knitoff before. And even if I'm clobbered in the second round, I've got this tired, nasty picture of myself to look back on fondly...