my funny boy!

whew! i've been busy :)
a little spinning, crocheting, knitting, shopping.... oh how i enjoy my crafts.

before i begin with my fibery goodness. i have to tell you all a funny.

have you ever played the game feeding frenzy from yahoo? here's the gist: you are a little fish, there are smaller fish you eat and larger fish that will eat you... you grow and levels get harder and harder... it's fairly addicting. pc crack. my three year old is at the desk playing this game [yes, my 3 yr old knows how to play on the computer, work the camera, vcr and dvd]... so here he sits working the mouse; chomping and avoiding chomping and avoiding.... then, in a wicked little voice we hear "come here, my juicy little snack!" oh my gosh! it was SO STINKIN' FUNNY! oh, this boy!

some of the spinning is a secret...... shhhh
what do you think of this?

the color is pretty true, although you can't see the really great halo this yarn has. i don't remember what the fiber is or whether it is superwash or not... so.... i spun to a fingering weight and plan to attempt branching out again.... because noone wants to be a contribute-less member

the crocheting that i've done is without pictures. it's a blanket i started a while back that was supposed to have been a gift for my uncle for Christmas. didn't make it. bought him a really cool 'Abbey Rd' tee instead. i'll post a picture when i get a little further along with it. but the point is that i'm working on it! woohoo! go me!

i have one knit throw that is on a pair of 11 cables. it's mindless work. plain 'ol stockinette stich with a 2" garter stitch border. can't show you a pic of this either, as it is a gift for someone who passes through this way on occassion. i have 2 other projects on needles... i'll tell you tomorrow - i'm such a tease.

and as for the shopping, well, some of what i bought is a secret.
and some is not:
i LOVE this book!!




thank you debbie! i love you! seriously, every pattern in this book is phenomenal! it's all knit patterns for ages 3-10 --- and for someone who has 4 children within this range - the best pattern book EVER! and, there are really great patterns for my oldest son as well as my youngest son! i can not wait to finish up the purse i'm working on so i can cast on for one of these!!! do you see how good i'm being about finishing my projects!?! yay me!

also, i purchased my shoes for the along.

what do you think? see the heels!?! for a chic who's wore (literally) nothing but birkenstocks for the last 2 years - that's a big deal!
to go along with my resolution to take better care of myself, i hope to lose a little weight (read that about 75lbs). i'm thinking that once this starts to show, i'll want to dress a little funkier - so i'm getting started with this!

hmmm, what sounds good for lunch? i'm hungry. think we'll do a grilled cheese.

none broken

(we won't talk about the coffee w/ cream or the coke i had today)
yay for me! so far so good on the resolutions :)
finished up this throw last night.

it is done with 3 strands tobacco colored chenille held together with a N hook. done in diagonal box stitch with just a plain ol dc mesh border. it's nice and warm. it was meant to be a wedding gift for a cousin and his bride... but that was a few months ago... in fact, they're expecting their 2nd child (yes, the 1st was before nuptuals)
and.....

i think i've showed you this before, but it was on the wheel... here it is all 'set'. it's about 11yards varying from lace to super bulky weight. any suggestions as to what i should do with it? yes, i have the supplies to spin more. so if you think of something that will require more.... i can do that.
i know there was more i inteded to tell you than this... but 3 of my 4 children are all begging to use the laptop. what's wrong with the 2 desktops in this house? who knows. so anyhow, i'm gettin' while the gettin's good.

2006!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

hubby and i rang in the new year with the kiddos. only the girl didn't make it. my 3 and 4 year old really surprised us and made it all the way to the ball drop. i knew my oldest would. he's too stubborn not to :)
speaking of... the boy asked me for a red and black hat. and well, because i am the coolest mom in the world (hey, this is MY blog!)... i did just that

the yarn is RH i had in stash. the pattern is tychus. the adjustments i made were: went down a needle size, knit 4 wedges instead of 5, used only 1 strand of yarn instead of 2. he's pleased. so am i.

ya wanna know what else i'm pleased about?
THIS:

i knit cables!!
want a close-up!?

the yarn is LB wool ease thick N quick in pumpkin (i think that's the color name). the pattern is cable knit purse. the adjustments i made were: i used sz15 needles instead of 13 because of my choice of yarn. it didn't even take a full skein! i'm so happy with it. yes, i know it's not completely done. but i'm going to have to buy handles because i don't have any in stash and couldn't wait to post about it :)

oh, and apparently i wasn't as good as i thought. santa did not bring koigu. :(


on to the resolutions for the new year:
1. read more (read period)
2. finish projects that have been started that i truly want to see finished and frog the rest!
3. spend more time learning (knitting techniques - spinning novelty)
4. design! (crochet)
5. take better care of my body

pretty reasonable list, i think.
and no, i didn't put anything about being a better mother or wife because that is not something i think should be a 'new year resolution' it is a daily committment.

Happy New Year to you all!

Traditional Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
The sun shine warm upon your face
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

Merry Christmas

Dear Santa,
i've been a very good girl this year (as i'm sure you are aware)
please send koigu ;)

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

happy birthday, mom!

not a bad way to start the day. a little blog/board reading, cup of freshly ground coffee from my french press (thank you sherry!) with a fun crochet project in my own hand-spun wool :)
so, that was my first 8 minutes of the day... before the pitter-patter of little feet. soon to be followed by their favorite thing to say "i'm hungry!" and then, "why did she get the red bowl? i don't want the yellow one!".. i'll spare you the rest.

today is my mom's birthday. this is what i made her:

i needle felted him and crocheted his hat and scarf. her Christmas tree is decorated in snowmen, so i think he will fit in nicely. he's about 3 inches tall. rather cute, if i do say so myself :)

yesterday, i had all these things in my head i kept thinking 'i need to blog that' - and today - nothin' poof! it's gone. this is why i have a so many stinkin' notepads and a palm zire full of notes - from what size shoes my kids wear to what type bag my vacuum cleaner needs. i forget stuff!

the new yarn swap is about to begin at Crochetville
this time it is Winter Wool

i'm pretty excited about this one. i sure hope everyone follows through and ship good wool to their partners.
i must get.... have one last gift to complete

my new trick

looky looky what i learned :)
short-row shaping in knit.

it's the multidirectional scarf i posted about the other day.
i LOVE it! i know the colors are a bit strange, but i have an olive green coat that i'm making it for. the yarn is: elizabeth austen = andes in colorway 05 ForestMoss. soo yummy soft :)
it makes me happy :)
zero progress on anything else... yup a big fat NOTHIN'!
am i worried? nah. my kiddos are off school for the holiday so i'm planning on doing much work during the next few days. my days are usually full with my little guy, but his 3 siblings will keep him busy.
i did a bit of spinning today. filled 2 bobbins of the gwape wool and plyed them. also did a half-bobbin of some experimental spinning. i'm using, coopworth and cotton, mixing in jean threads and pieces.

it's fun. i'm anxious to work with it. i'm in process of a handbag from one of the interweave press mags (i don't remember which) with some other wool i spun (don't think i ever posted about it - it's red and black). i want to see this complete, and then make up my mind for sure, but for right now, i'm thinking it is going to be a good pattern for this yarn as well. we'll see. look at my baby girl. helping mommy shred the jeans.

i'm pretty sure i'm going to make something for her with it
(ickola - do you see her two black nails? they got squished in a door at school several weeks ago. owwwieee!)

damn murphy!

just saying that i was going to post a pic daily of the evil blankie invited murphy to keep it from happening, didn't it?
ya know what else? i think i'm gonna say 'forget it' anyway, i'm only about 10 inches in..... i'll just pick something up for her at a store. i just don't know what.
ya know what else? i think i'm just gonna frog that whole blanket. i've got about 20 skeins of this yarn, sooooo - i think that should be enough to make my dad a stockinette blanket with seed stitch edging for his chair. he tends to fall asleep in it and has become quite the cold-natured person (seems like that started when he got pnuemonia really bad a few years ago). not a Christmas gift - maybe father's day.
my crafty Christmas list is down to 4.
one is almost completely finished - one more good hour and it's done - my mom's
another just lacks 2 or 3 hours. - grandma jane
a filet project has gone to hell and needs some frogging of serious amounts - i'm really upset about my mistake - hours and hours of work - going to the frog pond. perhaps i'll show this tomorrow.
and lastly, a smaller project for my dear friend sherry - who is a reader so no details :)

speaking of sherry; please take a second and pop in to her blog and give her a shout of encouragement. she has joined us all in our fiber fetish and has started knitting. yay :)

these final 4 projects are all crochet. the only project i have on needles is a multidirectional scarf. it's not a gift, so it is on the backburner....
okay, i must get for now.

my kiddos got out of school at noon today for the Christmas holiday break. i'm gonna go read them a book :)

big needles

thank you all so much for the great comments on yesterday's post. it meant a lot to me.

on to today.... i'm stealing an idea from julie

i am going to start a daily posting of progress on the evil knitted blanket for my sister-in-law.
using a pattern from Big-Needle Knit Afghans, it's being made with LB chunky USA in navy. yes, scoff if you must, 100% acrylic. i'm not about to sink money into this project. i'm already giving my time... sounds ugly, but she hates me. she's hated me for 12 years and i'm not expecting this blanket to change that. do i think she'll even give a rat's ass that i took the time to give her a hand-knit gift - no! so why do it? because i love my husband.
so here it is: (lavendar mist, pagina 52)


ummm - not exactly very big. only 12 days until Christmas. shut up! don't ya think i know that!!
yes, if i would have chosen to crochet instead of knit, i'd be halfway there.... but my wrist has really been bothering me. i've been speed-crocheting a special project and wanted to save my wrists for that.
my little mister is being great this morning ...drawing happily and loving the legos.
Sesame Street is just about to come on, so i'm gonna sit next to the boy and knit a bit.
it's cold. i wish this blankie were larger so i could cover with it while i work.

grandmother's treasures

as Christmas gets closer and closer, i think more and more of my grandma. the holidays were so great with her. Every Christmas Eve, we would go to her house, have dinner, sit with family and open some gifts. my grandma was such a wonderful person. so fun. i really miss her. she told the funniest stories of her childhood - the drawstring coming undone on her homemade underware while getting on the schoolbus - burying her sisters doll because she was mad at her. and the best thing of all "Jimmalee" she would call my grandpa when he was in hot water.

she was so beautiful.


so today i thought i'd share a few silly little things that once were hers, and now mine.



isn't this cute? it's small....might hold 6 quarters. it's an old cosmetic jar. it has avon in the glass on the bottom. i have no idea what used to be in it.... several months ago, i found it at grandpa's house. i thought it was charming - cute. i wonder why she kept it. it was empty. but for whatever reason, she couldn't throw it away.... so it sit's atop my jewelry box in my room.



this is a tablecloth. my great grandmother embroidered 4 roosters - one in each corner. my grandmother later added the crochet edging. it hangs in my kitchen. i love it.




grandma also gave me the gift of crochet. she taught me when i was a kid. although i put it down and didn't start again until after she died, i still remembered how. i haven't been able to put it down since. grandma could knit, too. although this is something she never taught me, i knew one day i wanted to learn (and have) so i took her hooks and needles when grandpa offered them. i love knowing they were once hers.


one other important thing grandma gave me... her name. Elizabeth is what i chose to name my daughter. after her, of course.

better apart

well, ya'll i was too quick to judge. yesterday's handbag definitely looked better yesterday. i did all the seaming last night. i don't like it at all - humph! it's too floppy and the front/back sections are way too short. i do plan on lining it, so that will take care of some of the flop... but i haven't decided what to do about the too short problem yet. i'm not even close to being a good enough knitter to attempt picking up stitches and adding on......SO, i guess i could crochet a bit.... i just don't know. suggestions?

anyone ever make clothing from caron simply soft? how does it hold up to the wear? i'm considering making a gift from this and have hesitated because i'm not sure. i've never used it before.
i crocheted this scarf for my friend, amy. it's done with LB imagine in black

detail:
i also knit a scarf for her daughter... but i can't find a picture of it right now. i remember taking one.... hmmmmmm odd.

just how classy am i?

red wine with beans. there ya go.

handbag!

well, that fabulous yarn decided to become a handbag! i LOVE it! although it's not completely done... i still need to sew my seams and line it - i love the look, size, shape and the yarn - great bag for my casual self :) jeans and a tee (--oooo man, i want to make one of these)
see that extra little piece of knitting? i did that! no pattern - made a Tshape of sorts and then stitched it up so that it formed corners and woohoo - made a cell-phone pocket for the inside of my purse :) yay me :) the pattern is from family circle easy knitting magazine - winter 2004/05

like the red, cabled purse next to it? i think i'm gonna give this one a go... i haven't tried cables before and this looks like a small and functional project to learn them on. dont' ya think? my knitting group meeting was last night - i had so much fun :) i met two really great ladies - viviana and lenise. i hope to be joining another group lenise is in ... for more unconventional knitting and just a good time with a younger crowd... i alsmost said 'my age', but i forget that i'm much older than i think i am. 30! yikes! does that mean i'm not 'hip' anymore? or did the 4 kids kick me out of that group long ago? LOL back to last night - lenise had actually seen my little cyberspot!! how fun is that?!? to run into someone who's actually been to your site before you've ever met!?! she has a site as well.... she is supposed to email it to me and i'll give you her link when i get it. okay, back to last night again.. the wonderful lady that keeps us meeting and gives instruction when needed, melisa, showed me the basics of cables, so i'm not too scared of them...anymore.

now, to show you i still crochet, too -

two ponchos for a friend's daughters.... 7 and 5. enough alike that they kinda match, enough different so the 7 year old doesn't feel like her sister is copying her..... at least that was my goal. what do you think?
they are both done in redheart symphony - i was going for warm and cozy and easy care.

baby, it is COLD COLD COLD here! wind chill is -13 ...brrrrrrrrr. and here, in the Texas Panhandle, the wind is ALWAYS blowing.... seriously, always. my poor little (big, giant) puppy is so cold. no, he's not outside. i don't believe in 'outdoor' dogs. family is family and they don't live in the backyard. (how many people did i just offend with that?) anyway, he's just a cold natured little bugger. he's curled up on my son's bed and i've covered him with a flannel blanket.... still, he's shivering. poor baby. elizabeth also has a dane (cuppy) and she has told me her's gets the chills, too. anyone else with a great dane? is it a dane thing?

mmmm, beans in the crockpot. beansNcornbread for dinner tonight.... mmmmmm
do you chow chow?


i've heard this is just a southern meal. yes? no? how sad. you yankees are missing out!
what do you like to make on cold winter nights? mmmm chili. that's a Texas thing - well, when it's done right, it is :) he he heee.... you know, they say there are only 2 kinds of people in this world.... Texans, and those who wish they were :) first the dog comment, and now this: oh, i'm gonna get hate mail for sure :)

stay warm

pattern advice

with the move to the new house, i lost my 'craft room'. this has forced an evaluation of my yarn stash. not to say that i didn't love every minute of going through all my gorgeous fiber and fondling a few balls here and there (oh c'mon, like you would have passed up saying it :). my first choice of yarn to become something is:

5 beautiful,variegated shades of blue with silver tinsel balls of 'Silver' by adriafil
each ball is 50 grams of a bulky weight yarn. this yarn was gifted to me and i haven't made anything with it because i want to find the 'perfect' pattern. i love this yarn and want something that will show off how great it is. but what?

there's something about having 4 kids that makes other parents come to you for advice about the numbers of their family. i get this question all the time "We're considering another, what do you think?" from moms of 1 to 3. crazy. i always have said "it's that 4th one.... it's the magic number for changing your life" which, i believe really is. screws up most everything. messes with that sibling order business and also catapults you from a 'normal' family right into "WOW! you've got your hands full!" if only i had a dime for every time i've heard that. so i'm putting away my 3rd (yes, third) load of laundry this morning and i've decided my standard answer is changing. from now on, when i get that question, my answer is "sure, have another. as long as you own a really great washer/dryer and won't mind having a very close relationship with them" now, don't mis-understand... i don't even want to imagine our life without our 4th...he is, well, very very active and a naughty naughty little boy that makes me crack up on an hourly basis.
seriously, if there is anyone out there who does more than 3 loads of laundry on a daily basis (that's what i do- and UGH, you should see it if i don't!), i need to know your secret to sanity!

hey all - go give a shout of congrats to my friend, drew - he got a mention in the latest VogueKnitting knit.1 - the men's issue (pagina 27)

you kitty lovers had better put in a good word for mine. a few days ago he got some urinary tract crystals. we spent a ridiculous amount of money getting him all fixed up. gratitude from the cat? hell no! he started spraying!! what the hell? he's 8yrs old, was neutered at just 6 mos.... what the hell? why now? why?!? i can NOT deal with this! his furry ass is about to be outside - someone had better plead his case, remember the snow pictures i posted yesterday?

found!

i found my chibi!! YAY! my flora scarf has been blocked and assembled!


i'm very excited to give this to my friend. do you think she'll like it?

in other news:
welcome to winter

the first snow of the season in my neck-o-the-woods (well, plains actually)
i guess i am kinda ready for it. kinda not. not really all too excited about the cold. but ready for it to 'feel' more like Christmas. i can't believe it is soooo close!! gotta get my hooks flyin'! it's beginning to look like i need to choose what looks like a possibility of getting complete. i've got a pretty good idea of what i'm going to get done. but at the risk of giving a secret away, i can't post just yet.
on that note.... i've gotta get. while i have "free" time (until the dryer buzzes at me), i've got to be working on that gift! :)

good - bad

good news - the playdoh is out!
bad news - the boy gave me his illness, along with both brothers and sister.
good news - we're all finally better!
bad news - my chibi is lost.
good advice - don't put all your eggs in one basket
bad situation - all my needles are in that chibi!
good pattern - flora, such a beautiful little scarflet!
bad pattern - it requires some assembly - all my needles are in that chibi!

okay, enough of that
i finished a gift for my friend laura. it's made with some yarn i spun using some black 30%silk and 70%merino. i plyed it with knit picks 'alpaca cloud' in midnight. when i knit it, i also held a strand of the alpaca along with the black. when it came time to make the flower, i didn't have the instructions with me. so, i crocheted one up real quick - didn't need a pattern for that :)
this project is my contribution to knitting black



i'll post a picture of it tomorrow after i have it all blocked and assembled (hopefully i'll find that chibi)

as for crochet, i've got a circle jacket complete except for sleeves. my joann's ran out of the yarn and had to order it from another store. so as soon as that comes in, i'll be able to get that complete. i've also completed another shoulderwarmer and am halfway done with another...although, i did color changes and the ends need to be sewn in. where's my chibi? wah!
finishing the second shoulderwarmer is in the agenda for tonight.

that's all i've got for now folks... 'til tomorrow :)

blue boogies

would this be cause for alarm in your house?
for the past two or three days, my youngest has been sick. so when he started with the bright green boogs yesterday, i didn't think twice about it. however, when they turned to blue today.... i thought "well, now that's just not right"
so, being mom, i had him lie down so i could get a good luck up his nose. a big 'ol ball of playdoh.
he's been blowing and blowing
all morning with no luck.
that blue ball of play doh is stuck stuck stuck
stuck in the muck down in the muggy buggy marsh.
blow! blow! blow!
no luck... still stuck

~~the booger version of One Duck Stuck
yes, i know, i need to get out more.

cool clogs

yippee skippee! i finally have internet back!
we are completely (well, almost) moved into the new house. we've been painting and painting and other misc. things. i say 'misc' like these things were minor details. i wish i would've taken a picture of this for 'the record' but didn't. there was not a back door in this house. odd, huh? notice how i saw 'was'.... hubby and his dad spent this past sunday cutting a GIANT HOLE in the house and installing one. just let me tell ya - you don't realize how large a door is, until there is a HOLE in your house without one!!! it was just crazy! hubby had this giant saw and just CUT A HOLE in the HOUSE!! ... okay, i'm over it now (seriously, it was a BIG hole!) so now, we have a backdoor in the utility room. woohoo!

now, on to my awesome socks! i received my sockpal2za socks! and they are fabulous!
ck em out!!



that's about all i've got time for today - i need to get some cleaning done around the house. because of all the chaos in the past 2 days, i've fallen a little behind.

yeehaw!

you will all be glad to know:
I DID IT!
i finished my first ever complete pair of socks!!
woohoo! and, if i do say so myself - they look good!










the yarn pooled in one and seemed totally random on the other - i dunno.... i completely frogged the first sock i had pictured. i just couldn't see beyond that narrow spot. i used a totally different pattern and liked it much more, anyhow. it was toe-up.

so - they are currently on their way to their new home. my partner doesn't have a blog... i hope they fit.

the moving is still in progress - thank goodness there's no deadline! sadly, i totally avoided working on the other house this weekend. well, friday i did get the texturing done in the living room... i will be taping it off and such over the week during the day when it is just the little one and i.

guess what my goofy self went a did! i entered the "gwape wool" yarn in the fair!
it got 3rd place.... not bad - i had high hopes, but hey, really, considering i've only been spinning for a year (remember, Hilary was my birthday gift last year)--- and my birthday approaches again... just 8 days away - 30-here i come. seems weird. i'd say i don't feel thirty.. but what is it supposed to feel like?

alrighty, i must get - now that the sock is done, i have a wedding gift to make for this saturday.
i've tripled up on a tobacco colored chenille with an N hook working a throw in the diagonal box-stitch pattern.

sockapal2za

another craft pic - here is a hand bag i made:

a friend of mine is going to be renting a booth at a crafty place and is going to let me put some things in it.... that is where this bag will go.
i made this bag using strips of satin in red and white, pink RH baby clouds, and strips of lilac fleece - no pattern. it's not lined yet... i'll be looking through my fabric stash for lining that will suit it.

i know i'm terribly behind in everything and my buttons are either out of date, or not up at all *sigh
i don't even know if i've posted that i'm in the sockapal2za this go 'round... well, i am :)
i am using dancing from knit picks for the stretch - which my partner requested..... hey, i think i did post about this- it's all coming back to me know {haze}

they are to be mailed out on Sept 15th... i know, i know - it doesn't look like i've gotten much done...

but i will not be picking up hooks or needles for ANY OTHER (something has gone terribly wrong with this page???wah!) project until these socks are done!
quick question: you see that little indentation in the leg of the sock - where it kinda has an hourglass curve? i'm guessing my tension just went wonky for a bit... so what i'm gonna do is start the second sock until i hear from you all on what you think i should do.
i think i'm going to frog back to this spot and go again...after all - they are a gift - RIGHT?
what would you do?
i'm committed to NOT being late on this swap! so with that, off i go - to begin the second sock :)