Wednesday, September 28, 2005

exploration

damn, blogger's being an ass again. (gee, if i do this often enough, do you think they will either a) fix the problem or b) kick my ass out?) it is not even attempting to upload the pictures. usually it's just ok, we're done, proceed with your post, and there's no pic. this time i got a red message saying that the pics weren't uploaded.

i was gonna show you my sweater! i've progressed into the cables, and i'm liking how it looks, even if it's a variegated. the yarn is so thick, you can't help but see the diamonds.

paperbackswap.com is amazing! i've had requests for 2 books so far, and i've had one of my requests mailed, and the second is being emailed to the person as we speak. cool!

work was a major pain, and boring as all get out. i'm actually looking forward to mail (i dont' usually care for it). at least i'll have something to do between calls. i did look at the wedding portion of one of our catalogs, and i've seen some things i'm definitely interested in. however, since i've almost maxed out my allotment (we can buy up to $500 in merchandise a year, and i've got $50 left for christmas!), i have to wait until the new year. some interesting things, though!

and now to the exploration. i'm not going to go into details, but mark and i are venturing into a different part of our lives together, and i'm excited. this is somewhere neither of us has gone before, and i'm discovering parts to myself that i never knew existed. i think he is too. and while this was at his suggestion, i'm actually enjoying taking the initiative, and finding things/ideas to make this turn work. i'm not usually a take-charge kind of gal on my own (put me there, and i'm all for it, but on my own? meh), but this is intriguing me in ways i wasn't expecting. i do apologize for the vagueness, but i'm more into exploring the feelings of how this is working, and trying very hard not to "tell all." i have to have SOME privacy in my life, lol.

you might be a redneck if you think the yellow pages has to do with training a new puppy.

Have a nice day!

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

piccies (i hope?)


this is the final tally of what i sent to a4a. that is 12 hats, one vest, 2 pairs socks, and i pair mittens. the lighter purple ones are my handspun socks, dyed with walmart koolaid. this stuff always turns out a purply brown, but for some reason, these didn't dye quite right, and i ended up with two tones. hmmm. and yes, i crammed it ALL into a flat rate priority postage box, and was told, that actual price would have been $8.50. i did it again, lol.

This is moving at turtle speed. the head and the first part of the body. it's kind of a tedious crochet, because it's done with baby yarn on smaller hooks. sigh. it's not abandoned, but i've stopped for the nonce.

These are the baby hats/booties sets that i've been making. this used up almost all of my orange yarn, so i may have to buy more if i decide to do those for the october project (i doubt it, i've got two skeins of camo yarn that i think i'll use up next month, as well as "guy" colored stuff for the ships project, which is also next month's project. the white thing to the right is freezer paper, because i had to ship a book. i've joined the Paperback Swap Club, and for every book i ship to someone else, i get a credit to ask someone to ship one to me. apparently, somebody is into zen stuff, because i had a copy of Zen Keys that my ex had left, and it got snapped up the day after i posted it. this is actually quite fun, and they do hardbacks as well. if you're interested, holler, and i'll give you my email addy, cuz i get a credit if you put me down as a referral. i've got a book on my way here as we speak, lol.

ok, on that note, blogger died in the piccie department again. sigh. i was gonna show you my progress on my sweater coat. i've started the cable panel, so this is going to be cool!

well, steph's date went well. apparently, she wanted to do something that wouldn't cost either of them anything but gas money (he lives in fremont), so they did watch movies here, UPSTAIRS. see, i told ya she'd follow my rules, dorky as they may be. i found out she's only been "dating" this guy since Sunday, although she's known him since the beginning of August. crazy kid. now i don't feel so bad about not knowing she was dating someone. they were watching the remade "longest yard" when we got here after therapy, so i made the boys go in their room, and retreated to mine so they could have some "peace." granted, with two young teen boys in the next room, peace is debatable, and defined by your level of ability to ignore children bellowing at the top of their lungs, singing home on the range (sean's been watching too much jimmy neutron), and hollering "i gotta crap!" (that was liam, this is a nightly ritual with him, nothing new there).

i apologized to steph later, and she said he actually thought it was funny, it reminded him of when he was that age (all of 10 years ago, sheesh, he's 23!). he seems a very nice kid, and although i didnt' get a good look at him while he was here (she doesn't believe in turning on lights when watching tv), i did get to see a pic, since steph took one with my camera to show her friends. cute kid.

this is a female discussion warning. those of you who are a) squeamish or b) male can move on, and i'll let you know when i'm done.

i do believe that i may have started menopause. i've had hot flashes off and on for the last week (and my period ended sunday), so i'm hopeful. in fact, it's in the low 70's in here right now, andi'm sweating. cross your fingers for me vi! (after you drool on your chickens). of course, i've also had icky headaches all week too, but i might be able to attribute that to my barometer head, sigh.

ok, you can read again!

you might be a redneck if you've ever taken a date flowers you stole from the cemetary (good god, i can hear grandma spinning in her grave as we speak!)

Pattern of the Day: Poncho Sweater. this iskind acute, but idn't kn ow if i could get away with wearing it. i'm small as it is, and anything oversized tends to look like i'm wearing my daddy's clothes (not that he was a big man either!). maybe i'll make it for steph (yeah, right)

have a nice day!

Monday, September 26, 2005

am i that far off base?

ok, i don't think i'm being THAT old-fashioned, considering this is MY house. steph asked about the rule "no boys in her room" because she wants to watch a movie with the guy she's dating (who i havent' met yet, and just found out about TONIGHT!), but her dvd player is in her room. i told her no, but that i'd get out the playstation, and they could watch it in the living room. apparently, we are not going to be home during this viewing. please tell me i'm not being old-fashioned! granted, if i am, it's not going to change my mind, but still, i didn't think i was that much of a square.

when asked why not her room, i said because there isn't a BED in the living room. her comeback was the sofa was a lot more comfortable than her bed. lol, i can just see her getting jiggy on the sofa, and the cushions sliding and eating them! anyway, i'm trying to let go (i didn't have the care and keeping of her for 3 years, and i'm desperately trying not to "make up for lost time" and realize that she is going to be 20 in a little over 4 months), so that's why i'm not throwing a fit over her being in the house alone with a guy, but i draw the line at the bedroom. hell, she didn't have to tell me, and i do appreciate her asking, and i told her that. however, it ain't happenin' if i'm around. and believe it or not, i do think she respects me enough to follow THAT rule at least. i don't have many rules for her (again, she'll be 20 in a few months) but i do ask a few things. call if you're going to be staying somewhere else (preferrably before midnight) and be home by 2 am if not (i can get back to sleep at that point). do your own laundry, and wash your own dishes (unless i feel like giving the boys a really good consequence (i know, i'm an evil mommy)). i'll feed you if you want to eat what we're eating, and i will take your wishes into account. after all, i would give that consideration to any adult i'm living with. i hope she realizes i'm trying to treat her like an adult. sigh.
ok, i'm doing the happy dance! my piccies are back! you're in trouble now! i got these 3 books from amazon.com. the knitted babes was recommended by clara over at KR and i thought it was cute.

and it is. i think, however, my fav of these 3 has to be the knitting goddess, EZ. she was a woman i could have definitely gotten along with, and i feel that much poorer for never having known her before her passing.

poo, blogger let me post one, and then futzed out on me. ok, next time i'll show you the stuff i sent to a4a.

i'm squaring away, and i've got over 15, maybe 20 squares as we speak. they'll go in the mail saturday since that's OCTOBER 1! ack!! halloween costumes call my name!

miss caseworker showed up early, and mark ended up talking to her for half an hour before i got here. bitch. she's recommending closing the case this time. of course, that was going to be her recommendation last time, but she withdrew it because of the conniption fit that both the GAL and the county attorney threw, lol. i think liam is ready, but sean is not. he still needs some major help, and closing the case will close the door on his help, because there is no way i can afford family therapy, individual therapy for sean and me, and CTA services as well. sigh. just the fact that he needs CTA services should tell her that he's not ready yet. sigh.

and just to show how unready he is, i let him play outside, and he went outside the boundries to the point that he went to the local drugstore 4 blocks away (without asking or telling anyone) when he wasn't supposed to go more than 2 blocks away (he can still hear me that far away). sigh. mark ended up hunting for him, and found him there. sigh. and he was a wild child for the rest of hte night. there was no controlling him, short of sitting on him. (and i threatened it, that's for bloody sure)

the funny part, is mark has never heard me call the boys before. i stuck my head out the front door, and bellowed. i could hear mark in the living room going "damn, she's got a set of pipes" and steph replying "well, we never missed dinner." you have to realize, i grew up with parents that had no idea how loud they were/could be. as a child, it wasn't unusual for us to be as far as 1/4 a mile away from the house on the farm, and hear either my father (who bellowed like i do), or my mother (who is so high pitched it can be painful) call us in. right now, if i take my mom to the doctor, and they do something unexpectedly painful (like when she fell, and they had to remove the skin she'd scraped), i have to hold my ears. and this woman is 78. kinda comical, actually, since itty bitty ole me can bring up a voice like that.

anyway, i'm tired, tomorrow's another busy day, and steph just asked me to hook the ps2 up, sigh.

You might be a redneck if you win the pickled egg eating contest and nobody in your family will ride home with you (ew!)

Pattern of hte Day: Diagonal Drop-stitch Scarf. a mini-clapotis? could be. dunno, too tired to look closer.

Have a nice frigging day!

Saturday, September 24, 2005

do you want them?

because, frankly, right now i'd take a plug nickel for the pair of em. you can guess what pair i'm talking about. they've been very juvenile (i know, they're kids, but this a level of immaturity i'm not used to out of either one of them).

it doesn't help i didnt' go to sleep til almost 5 this morning, and have been trying to catch up ever since. i was reading the second summer of the traveling pants, and i just didn't get sleepy. this after having woke up at 5, and not going back to sleep after talking to mark per my usual routine. hmmm. sumpin's up. so i read alot, and then got bored and frogged the poncho i had made for oregon. it was comfortable, and warm, and i actually got compliments on it, but i decided i didn't like it, so i frogged it. i'm making the diamond coat from cast on. it specifically calls for the same yarn, and since i over bought the stuff by the ton, i just might have enough here in the stash to do it. i'm about 12 inches up on the left front as we speak. and yes, this is for MOI! imagine that, me knitting for me. (checks me for a fever)

and speaking of fevers, it's hot as hell. actual air temp isn't so bad, but it sprinkled a good part of the morning, and the humidity is through the roof. i feel like i'm swimming (when i'm not light-headed from exhaustion). i was unable to go out and buy fabric for the costumes, sigh. and my caseworker is coming monday, and the house is a mess.

i'm not going to try to post pics tonight, since i contacted blogger yesterday and haven't heard from them yet.

i finished the pumpkin hat & one set of booties, only to realize the booties were too small for the hat, so i made a second hat, to go with the first booties, and now i'm making a second set of booties to go with the first hat. sigh. i'm confuzing my self.

prime example of my exhaustion level. i've been listening to books on tape in the car and at home, and had finished A Pocket full of Rye, and had taken it back to the library, since they had a book on hold for me (check the bottom, i'll put what i'm reading, lol). apparently, i took the tape that i was listening to in the car in, instead of Pocket. discovered it an hour later when i was running to pick sean up after his guitar lesson. i had to run back to the library, give them Pocket, and retrieve the one i was listening to. sigh.

What i'm reading
Straken by Terry Brooks
The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie (it stinks to get stuck mid-labour) (car tape)
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (house tape)

You might be a redneck if diners change tables when your family sits near them.

Pattern of the Weekend: Teddy Bear Jumper. this is tiny, and precious. too cute! very doubt i'll use it though, i tend to design myself for my kids' stuffies. (did you know in quebec they call stuffed animals tou-tous?)

have a nice day

insert title here

i can't think of a title, lol

well, blogger is still being odd, so no pics again.

so, imagine, if you will (well, waht can i say, it's very late, and i'm feeling rod serlingish) an orange crocheted hat with green ribbing, and a pair of orange booties with green trim. i did these tonight. i did a ton of squares again today. mostly in white & blue.

i'm too tired to think, so this is your lot. i'll be more imaginative tomorrow, k?

You might be a redneck if your most encouraging words are , "Don't touch that, dipstick!"

HAVE A NICE DAY!

and a safe trip, erin.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

it's here!



here it is! cheaper than therapy. wow. to hold this in my hands, and see my words, printed, is unbelievable. i get a little breathless when i think about it. and yes, i'm already half way through it. i'm in awe. i'm in such good company! it's unbelievable.

Hmmm. i was gonna show you more, (yes, erin, more yarn porn!) but blogger is being odd, and won't let me load any more pics. fooey.

ok, on with the day.

steph is not enthused about the book. of course, she was sick all day too. sigh. that kid refuses to go to the doctor now, because my insurance won't cover it, but there's no way she'll make it anywhere if she's sick all the time.

work was a bummer, i ended up in the mail room all day, because they let too many mail core (people who work the mail room all the time) people take PreVTO, and we ended up on the phones all day. what is the point of putting me in the mail room, where it's harder to hear, and on the side of the room where it's a lot more cramped, and then put me on the phone? LOGIC, people! USE IT! (oh wait, i'm talking to corporate types, never mind). so my hands are a bit tender, particularly with the weather shift. it was 97 yesterday, and it was 75 today. and no storms. i'm not sure, but i think we are the only ones who didnt' ahve some action.

speaking of storms, i feel so bad for all of those in texas and louisiana. here we go again. if you haven't given yet, please do so. they're going to need all the help they can get down there.

i have actually been working on things. i have done 15 6" squares for AC4C for this month's project (they're goign to canada eventually, so i'll send some money for shipping too, blankets can't be cheap to ship). i also got some done on steph's turtle. i WAS going to show you. oh well.

You might be a redneck if you inherited a toilet plunger.

. . . your college graduation ceremony includes parallel parking an eighteen-wheeler.

Pattern of the Day: Slubby Nubby Vest. this is based entirely on the yarn, some Dancing Leaf FArm's Slubby Nubby Wool Yarn. it's done on size 15's. not a non-pattern, since there is a small modicum of shaping to be done, but BORING! not my cuppa, for sure.

Dotty Cap or Basket. this is done domino style, and looks cute. i may try to adapt it for charity purposes.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

christmas in nebraska


well, let's hope this works. i havne't been able to read half my blogs tonight because blogger's being odd. ok, here we go. this is the yarn i bought to make a certain xmas pressie. this is the last time you're going to see this until december 26th, at which point, i hope to have pics of the owner modeling said pressie. this is noil silk, hand painted by a woman here in omaha. you can see the tag that it's called the dyeing arts. i dont' know if her website still works or not. if it does, i'll let y'all know. right now i just want to post before i pull my hair out.
This is the same stuff in a different colorway, bought for moi! i'm thinking about making the same thing for me, but we'll see. depends on how ambitious i get, considering i've got yarn for 4 or 5 projects for me at the moment, lol!
These are the books i got from Crafter's choice. i figure i'll order enough books to get one or two free, and then cancel my account. these guys aren't as cheap as amazon, even with the buttload of free/reduced rate books gotten when you start up.

This is next year's installment of daily calendars. if you go to calendars.com, and order before october 10th, i believe, you get 20 percent off your order. worth it to me!
And the latest yarn acquisition (sh, don't tell mark). this is Naturally Tussock Aran Tweed. i got this on herschnerr's auction site, along with the natural soapmaking book. i see soap pressies in my future (if i can ever get anything else done!) jimi had to inspect all packages that came in today, including the one that didn't belong here. someone please explain to me why a mail man cannot differentiate between nancy & Minnie on two different streets? and this is a big box, from a catalog company that i do receive catalogs from. (i don't order). i thought steph had ordered something, and was all set to be upset when i looked at the label, and realized the mail man had goofed again. good grief, i go to the trouble and expense (not to mention the RASH!) of clearing some of the crap around my mail box, and he does it again,s igh.

i've got more, but those pics will have to wait. i'm wearing out, sigh. i was up until 130 this morning reading. and it wasn't even intentional. i had worked on the turtle, and was listening to "a pocketful of rye" by agatha christie on the stereo, and then i looked up and saw it was almost midnight. so down i went to throw a load in the dryer (boys need pants for school, don't they?), and then took my steroids (for the RASH!), gagged a bit, and went to bed to read. i usually only read 10 minutes or so, and fall asleep, but last night (this morning, however you wish), i got trapped. it happens on occasion. i've been trying to finish this book for aeons (tad williams otherland, mountain of black glass) and all of a sudden, it grabbed me by the throat and said "you're coming with me!" hence, 130. on top of that, i had to get liam up early because he had homework to finish, since he'd lied to mark, and told him he had finished everything except math, and he still had social studies left. sigh.

and work was a bugger. since they took away our fun, and the phones are relatively slow yet (i believe they've switched the call flow in such a way that the seasonal agents get first dibs, and the ones they cant handle (which is just about all of htem except orders, sigh) and the overflow go to the regulars. so i sat listening to the new hires buzzing away, and i'm twiddling my thumbs, wishing for my knitting at my feet. double sigh. i'm grateful that therapy is tomorrow night, so i can get out of work a half hour early!

and steph is pissed, because i told her she couldn't take liam to vallahs' pumpkin patch until she goes with us ONE time to family therapy. the therapist thinks it would be a good thing, and maybe clear the air between her and sean, but she hates therapists, and refuses to go. sigh. so now she's trying to make me out to be the bad guy. "you can tell him he's not going." he already knows, and he knows why, as well. you deal with him. grow up, child. (i suppose she'll do that when she ahs her own, and finally understands, neh?)

You might be a redneck if the farthest anyone traveled to your family reunion was 2 miles.

Pattern of the Day: Cozy Chenille Scarf. i thought this was a non-pattern at first, until i looked more closely, and realized it's a slip-stitch scarf with two different yarns. this looks fun!

have a nice day.

Monday, September 19, 2005

moving at turtle speed

yes, folks, that is what it means. i've started the turtle for good this time. i finally had to break down and find a piece of scrap yarn (gasp, not here, not scrap yarn!), and use it as a marker, as you do not finish the rounds on this thing, but just keep going in a spirally spiral. i had to rip that fucker out 6 times (i never got past row 7, cuz i'd lose track), before i gave in. now the head is finished and stuffed (this is a stuff as you go, apparently) and the body progresseth.

final count for a4a was 13 hats, 1 pr mittens, 2 prs socks, and one vest. i'm pleased. they were all washed last night, and actually all feel dry, but after listening to ladies on AC4C talk about condensation in zippies, i've decided to give it one more day to dry, and then i'm packing the box up and shipping it tomorrow after i get the boys home from therapy. it's going priority, so it should be ok.

and no pics, sorry.

i'm up WAY too late (been grooving on the crochet and miss marple on the tape deck) and i have to get liam up early because he didn't finish his homework and he doesn't have a free period before math (sigh, what i do for my kids).

You might be a redneck if your wedding day began in a liquor store and ended in a tattoo parlor.
. . . you think your dog is "house trained" because that is the only place he will go (ew!).

Pattern of the Day: Shawa Mitten. i dont' know where the name for this came, cuz it's obviously not named for the yarn (dgb confetti #113). but this is on 2 circs, and has instructions for fingerless ones as well. may have to think hard on this one, i've been thinking about making fingerless mits for mark's dad (he likes those kinds of things, and he's a tough one to craft for)

Have a nice day!

Saturday, September 17, 2005

this must be the ugliest hat in the world



ok, blogger is being an ass. we'll see if this actually posts. just pretend the picture is there, if it isn't. sigh. this has got to be the ugliest hat i have ever made in my entire life. the blue is the left overs from the a4a vest. the white is my chunky handspun. the brown is the remains of the lamb's pride bulky. and those itty bitty bits are waht are left over after i finished the hat. not bad, eh? (i'm imagining y'all are impressed). the blue is crocheted, double crochet, the white is partially stocking and partially seed, and the brown is seed, with a crochetd cast off, and crocheted strings. and it's warm. trust me, whose head do you think tried it out? i ran out of blue, hence the helmet shape, lol.

ok, now pretend this little red x is an apple green hat being modeled by sean. i don't know why he was making the face he was, but it was kinda cute. i was trying to show as much of the hat as possible. steph likes the color, but didn't care for the style, so i will just give the next hat i'm making to a4a, and buy more later.

this is gonna be a crafty christmas for her! i'm making her a turtle, a sweater from cast on (i have to find that blasted magazine!), and a hat. and she has alread given approval of all the patterns, so i'm in like flynn! (she doesnt' know she's getting them for xmas, though) uh oh, that's her brakes squeaking in the back, i better cheese it!

You might be aredneck if the only thing that you've ever hit with a baseball bat is a mailbox.

Pattern of the Day: Garter STitch CArdigan with Set-in Sleeves. this is nice, but for a regular sweater knitter, i can see this being a non-pattern. must be the yarn that makes it special (ah yes, ashford tekapo , wonder if it's the same ashford as made my wheel?)

oh and for all those dy(e)ing to know what i'm doing with 20 yards of black cheesecloth, liam is going to be a ring wraith for halloween, and i liked the thought of the cheesecloth fluttering as he stalks the neighborhood. (we're sword hunting as we speak, lol)

Have a nice day!

Thursday, September 15, 2005

stirring & stirring & stirring my brew!

This, boys & girls, is 20 yards of soaked cheesecloth, destined to be 20 yards of BLACK cheesecloth. i'm staring on the halloween costumes, and i'd better hurry!












This is my witch's brew. actually it's two packages of black rit dye and a cup of salt, and what i hoped wouldn't bee too much water.(ok, so it's not, blogger is being an ass, and i dont' want to play any more!)

This is the pot full of 20 yards of presoaked cheese cloth. right now it's in the washingmachine soaking in cold water, because i'm tired of playing in the sink, and my fingertips are grey (i know, i shoulda wore gloves, go tell it to the judge). i'll spin it out and add more water later.





and these are my sockpal socks! yes, kate, they do fit! these came from Kate Skaare, in melrose, MA. she calls them dragon socks, because with the pattern she chose, and the colors, they look like dragon scales. i can't agree more!

here are the dirty details:

Lorna's lace shepherd sock # 902 Funky Stripe

pattern : Bety's sox, newport waves, by jeannie townsend

needles addi's # us1, 40 inch and she used magic loop for the first time. i think ya did good, gal!

the best part, is they are machine washable and dryable! woot!

go check out her blog, i'm going to as well. haven't heard from my sock pal, so i hope she likes them!

YOu might be a redneck if you've ever been hunting on a tractor (whistles and has a gee whiz, look)

Pattern of hte day : Seaman's cap. this is cute, and very adaptable. definitley one for the charity watch.

and as yarnivorous says, there's your lot!

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

an excuse to post


actually, this is not the excuse, lol, that comes later. this is a hand rolled center pull ball of brown sheep burly spun. the label says size 13 needles. i have learned long ago, to swatch, and pick my own, i'm always going down in needle size. i think it's got something to do with the size of my hands. we were discussing this in AC4C and discoverd that those with small hands always go down, and larger hands go up. regular/medium usually can get guage with the needles suggested. well, i had to go down to a size 10! wow. and yes, this color is actually pretty accurate. the muslims think green is a holy color, and since i was tired of the "mud" colors i'd bought earlier, i bought this. it's bright, which is acceptable.

speaking of bright, thanks, erin, for your comment on the vest. i will bring it, but according to the ladies on AC4C, it's acceptable. woohoo! no dyeing that! now i gotta dye liam's cheesecloth for his costume, sigh. halloween is coming faster than you think!

now, for the reason for this post:
a meme, lol

1. What is your occupation? I'm a customer service agent for a novelty retailer. that means i'm a phone jockey.
2. What color is your underwear? White (i'm fighting poison something, i'm not putting dyed ANYTHING down there)
3. What are you listening to right now? Sweet blissfull silence. the boys are asleep, and steph is downstairs. i may put in a booktape though, since my car tape player is on the fritz :(
4. What was the last thing you ate? Sphaghetti with red sauce. i'm being good, no snacks tonight, i got weighed at the doctor's office (yikes)
5. Do you wish on stars? Sometimes.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? royal blue
7. How is the weather right now? a high of 80, no humidity, a gorgeous day
8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? DD's friend who wanted a tattoo
9. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I stole it, but yes!
10. How old are you today? in dog years, dead. reality, 39
11. Favorite drink? Iced tea.
12. Favorite sport to watch? cubs baseball
13. Have you ever dyed your hair? Hell yeah!
14. Do you wear contacts or glasses? Both. Primarily contacts.
15. Pets? between me and mark 2 cats (do 2 boys age 11 and 13 count, they've been acting like animals today!)
16. Favorite month? May, because there's no snow, and i can actually walk around without a jacket.
17. Favorite food? split king crablegs
18. Favorite day of the year? Halloween
19. What do you do to vent anger? knit. at people.
20. What was your favorite toy as a child? I don't remember a favorite.
21. Fall or Spring? Spring.
22. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
23. Cherry or Blueberry? Blueberry
24. Do you want your friends participate in this? Yes
25. Who is most likely to respond? i think erin will, and vi always bows to pressure (i won't leave funny comments!)
26. Who is least likely to respond? Dunno if anyone will.
27. When was the last time you cried? last night, sean had a nightmare about his biological dad
28. What is on the floor of your closet? boxes, shoes, my wedding dress (i have no closet pole) and stealth yarn.
29. Who is the friend you have had the longest? john kerwin (the others chose sides int he divorce, sigh)
30. What did you do last night? went to therapy, got gas and smokes, knit and snacked. read til i fell asleep
31. Favorite smell? my sweetie in the morning (mushy, eh?)
32. What inspires you? my kids and my fiance
33. What are you afraid of? Anything happening to my family (even my stinky brother)
34. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? depends on the spice, but i'll go with spicy
35. Favorite dog? irish wolfhound!
36. Number of keys on your key ring? 15 maybe?I'm not going to go count. Janitors carry fewer than I do.
37. How many years at your current job? almost 2.
38 Favorite day of the week? Friday9 (love the anticipation of the weekend)
49. How many states have you lived in? 150. How many cities have you lived in? 7

ok, i do believe the count is off on that. ok i'm tagging erin, vi, natalie, michelle, and rabbitch to do this. this is not a mandatory tag, you can beg off (witha bribe!)

have a nice day!

What do you think?


So, what do you think? this is for a4a, and their requirements are dark or bright colors. do you think this is too light, and i should dye it, or ok? leave me a comment, i'll dye this weekend if that's the decision. it's a vest, btw, lol. i'm also doing a hat with the leftovers, so that will go in the dye pot too, if that's the verdict.
This is stephanie's tattoo. it's on her wrist, and this was taken before she started bruising. she has a vein that visibly runs across her wrist, and apparently the guy had to press on it hard enough that it bruised. she is happy with how it turned out, even though it's not quite what she had asked for. This kid is unbelievable. This is the 4th body mod she's had, and she's only paid for 1! the tongue piercing was a graduation present from a friend, the first tattoo was a birthday present from another friend, and this was an early christmas present from a friend who was going to get a tattoo for her birthday, but was chicken and wanted steph to go first. the only thing she's paid for is her nose piercing! lucky duck.

good thing i dont' have a tattoo on my wrist, it would be oozing right now. yup, my rash is worse. in fact, i took the day off so i could go to the doctor, and the courthouse. not a fun day, i'll tell ya. my right arm is swollen, and icky, and i got up at 3 for the hot water soak this time, and had to soak more areas. sigh. really stinks.

i think i really deserve sit & knit tomorrow night, dont you?

You might be a redneck if your buddies ask if youwant to see pictures of your wife naked, and they're not kidding.

Pattern of the Day: Rick-Rack Rib Scarf. This is interesting. almost looks like a mistake rib, but i'll have to investigate further. maybe i'll use that for dulaan.

have a nice day!

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

let's help him

this guy is trying to go broke. he has commited (or been commited, your choice, lol) to donate $1 to the american red cross for katrina relief for every comment left on this post by next sunday. when i looked, he was over 2700. let's go for 3000, and tell him where we came from. i posted my blog in my comment, and said i'd be linking it.

and no, you don't want to see my arm. it's up to my armpit now. sigh. i think i'm gonna hit the doctor's tomorrow.

You might be a redneck if you play strip poker at family reunions (gag).

Pattern of the Day: Fana-Tastic Socks. apparently this is based on a traditional sweater design. i like it! i'm planning as we speak, lol.

have a nice day!

Monday, September 12, 2005

not for the squeamish


This actually looks pretty good. this is worse than it iappears. i was working in the yard yesterday, and apparently ran into something not so good for me. this started as a little scratch on my arm, and now i've got a lovely little rash on my arm, the top of my right thigh, and on the right side of my face down by my chin. the last time i had a rash like this, it went away in a day or two. i'll have to watch this, and see. if it's not gone by knit night or so, i'm declaring poison ivy. sigh.

Sorry, no pic of the woolspun sweater, it's pissing me off again! the sleeves look like popeye sleeves, and i'm not happy with that, so it' sitting. as i have this lovely red protuberance on my arm anyway, i think i'd better stick to acryl-ick for now. i'll make some stuff for AC4C (as all that stuff is highly machine washable, lol).

now solemn stuff.

my ex-husband, and the boys' ex-father (he relinquished his parental rights in february) got out of prison today. i'm feeling a bit odd about it. i drove past his girlfriend's house where i last saw his truck parked (she used to be my best friend, but took sides in the divorce, sigh), and found out the house is for sale. i don't know what to think, because that was the address i was going to use for the protection order. sigh. stephanie is very aware of it (she answered the phone that had the recorded message saying he'd been released) but i don't know if the boys have thought about it or not. we have therapy tomorrow night, and i am almost hoping she doesn't bring it up. sean has been very good since the "come to jesus" meeting thursday night. he even impressed the nurse-practitioner today with his good behavior (sean hates talking about himself and his behavior, and as a result, bounces til he kills the springs in any chair he's in). i don't want to crash that. i did give both schools pictures of the crud, with the instructions that there is to be NO CONTACT. and they know that only mark, steph, and myself are allowed to pick the boys up in case of emergencies.

still, an oogie subject.

You might be a redneck if the police have to tak to youa bout your bonfires.

Pattern of the Day: Poncho. looks very easy, with a small cable running up the middle. but it's fringed (i see no earthly excuse for fringe, other than it's a waste of yarn)

Have a nice day!

Sunday, September 11, 2005

a moment of silence

on this annivesary of one of the most horrible things to happen on us soil, i ask for you to pause, and remember those that we lost that horrible, horrible day.











i won't go into where i was or what i was doing that day, but i will say this. the next day, every porch on my street had an american flag. the day they asked us to burn candles, i put up my father-in-law's burial flag (i had to hang it special, it stretched the entire length of my porch), and burned a candle.

now, regardless of your political affiliations, or beliefs, remember this. those people died, but let's hope they didn't die in vain.

a lot of people are saying that katrina puts a lie to our goverment's "readiness" and its willingness to help. i will say this. governments aside, i have seen the greatest outpouring of love, and aid i have ever seen. my sons, 11 & 13 years old, have donated their birthday money to help. hell, liam even wanted to give his favorite teddy bear so some little boy could have one. (liam had this same reaction 4 years ago, but then, he came down stairs, in tears, and said " i want to give this teddy bear to some one who lost their daddy or mommy (made me cry myself, and frankly, i'm crying now at the memory)).

so, let's have a moment of silence for them as well.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

sp 6 questionaire

i just realized that the new pals go out tomorrow, so i'm doing my questionaire tonight

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?

Heck no. i'll take anything. i do lots of charity knitting, so acrylic is fine with me, lol. i just want it to be soft (no rug yarn, lol)

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

both.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

bananas and watermelon make me sick. strong "spice" scents make me cough, particularly in candles. i had bronchitis 7 years ago, and i've not been able to handle it since.

4. How long have you been knitting?

29 years, almost virtually non-stop.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

nope, and i wouldn't have the faintest clue how, lol.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

vanilla, berry as long as it doesnt' smell like grape. sandalwood. musk. peach. jasmine. that gives you a variety, eh?

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

a whole mouthful! gimme CHOCOLATE!

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

i do some home repair, but my main gig is fiber.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

wow, i am such an eclectic person muscially. i like evanescence, and chris ledeux, and dr john, and nirvana, and the googoo dolls. one secret pal sent me a cd of love songs by sting, and i loved that. the only thing i don't do is rap.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

i actually like all colors, just as long as they aren't retro 70's like avocado, and harvest gold (shudder). my favorite is royal blue, so blue it's almost purple. i also like plummy purples.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

i have a fiance, two older daughters (19 & 20) and two sons 11 & 13. between me and mark we have two cats.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)

to be able to stay home and craft til i'm blue in the face, making money at it. i wanna be annie modesitt when i grow up (and i may be on my way, i'm in Cheaper than Therapy!)

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

i don't have any favorites, although i do like knitting with handspun. there's something so tactile about it. i have some alpaca silk i've been hoarding for over a year that's deliciously soft, and i hear there are new colors (hint, hint)
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

i haven't found any yet, remember, not a yarn snob, lol.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

baby patterns. dark stuff. i'm knitting alot for charity, and some of the upcoming ones like ship support and the pine ridge reservation look for "dirt" colors (those that hold up well to dirt)

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

anything fast. it doesn't have to be small, just quick. i made a poncho in 2 weeks from lion brand jiffy, and i'm actually thinking about ripping it out because i found a fabu pattern in the latest cast off for a long sweater.

17. What are you knitting right now?

hats, mittens, socks, etc for a4a. that obsession ends on the 18th, so i can get it all washed and dried, and shipped in time. after that, christmas, and some stuff for ME!

18. What do you think about ponchos?

i've done 2, and am contemplating crocheting a third, that's enough.


19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

they both have their uses. i dont discriminate, lol. right now i'm using straights, but the next project may be circs, just depends on what i can find, lol.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

most of what i have is aluminum, but i'd like to get my hands on some special wood ones. lantern moon comes to mind, lol.

21. Are you a sock knitter?

yes & no. i've done it, and i like it, just dont' do it on a regular basis. i have a stash of sock yarns i need to use up before i think about buying/receiving more, lol.

22. How did you learn to knit?

my maternal grandmother taught me to cast on and knit when i was 10. i've taught myself everything else, from books.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

if i told you that, i'd have to kill you.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

dragons. fairies. but mostly dragons. you should see my collection, lol.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

HALLOWEEN, BABY! this falls in just the right time, this rocks!

26. Is there anything that you collect?

yarn (duh, lol) dragons. books.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

IK, and Spin Off. Family Circle EAsy Knitting, i think, but i haven't been getting them consistently, sigh. would love InKnitters, or Knit'n Style.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?

The Opinionated Knitter.
Any of the Barbara Walker Treasuries. i got the first one for my SP5 pal, and it was really hard to let go!
Stephanie Pearl-McFee's new book (unraveled?)

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??

Eris
Birch
Peacock Feathers Shawl.

yes, i love textures, and have a hankering to start working lace.

there's your lot! (to quote yarnivorous)

have fun!

meme alert!

i got this from Erin. it sounds fun!

Here are the rules for the meme:
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five people to do the same.

My 23rd post, 5th sentence reads:

can't remember who it was, lol, but this is funny.

this is the story of my life! of all the things i've lost in my life, i think i miss my mind the most.

this is the link i found so funny, now it's just a tad bit bizarre. i must have been tired, lol.

however, this is truly disturbing. run, child, run! poor thing.

i got 3/4 of a hat done while waiting for my mother to get her hair cut. i cheated today, and when the dentist was ready to get going, i left, and ran a few errands.

my sock pal socks are mailed. they may get there a tad bit early, but i wasn't sure if i could wait until later this week, as my hours and the post office's coincide, sigh. i'll reveal who she was when i get notice that she got them. i really hope she likes them!

if you are looking for something concrete to do for the Katrina victims, leave me a comment. there is a lady on the AC4C yahoo group who is taking donations for the Astro dome, and i'd like to help as much as i can. i did mail off two packages today, but let's see if we can do more!

I'm still working on the vest for a4a, and i think i've gotten to the point where i can think about fastening off and maybe turning it into a real sweater, since i think i have enough yarn for sleeves. i'll have to see. i'll post pics tomorrow, i'm feeling lazy tonight.

You might be a redneck if you're using a hubcap as an ashtray.

Pattern of the Weekend: Felted Eyelash Hat. I DON'T THINK SO!

oh, btw, i will be continuing the pattern of the day and redneck through the new year, i ordered both calendars at http://www.calendars.com . i'm looking forward to it!

Have a nice day!

welcome to minnie's salon



now granted, these are pictures of tomatoes, and not hair, but still. i still have 8 tomatoes left after all this! and more coming on. sigh.

the reason why i'm beginning to think this place is a salon is the fact that i dyed stephanie's hair last night (at her request (i almost fainted)), and that she talked me into helping her dye her friend ashley's hair tonight. i ended up putting the dye in because steph didn't want to be blamed if there were any spots missed, but i think i did alright. we'll see later, i suppose, lol.

I GOT TO GO TO KNIT NIGHT! i had a ball! thanks again, erin for inviting me. i had so much fun, even if i couldn't stay but an hour. i'm definitely going to try to make it again! and wonder of all wonders, i walked out without buying more yarn!

i finished another hat last night at SoP, and started another one, that i'm almost halfway through with. the vest is driving me batty. i've frogged the blasted thing 3 times! i think i finally fell upon a satisfactory size, so i'm going with it. wish me luck. i'll post a pic later.

You might be a redneck if your third-grade class had a no-smoking section.
. . . you've ever passed an afternoon by watching other people get their hair cut. (hmmm)

Pattern of the Day:
9/8 Gansey socks. these have potential, but i gotta find some solid, light colored sock yarn (good luck there!)
9/9 Arthur's Throw. this is actually a nice throw, and apparently it was created for the designer's grandfather. however, i get stuck on dudley moore and liza minelli, and chris cross singing new york city (guess the movie, lol)

Have a nice day!

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

mama mia!

ok, so i'm not italian. i am, however, the holder of not one, but TWO culinary degrees. so i think i can make tomato sauce. remember me saying i was due to be inundated with those lovely little 'maters? well, inundation has proceeded with full steam ahead. i picked 27 tomatoes yesterday, and tossed 5 more in the compost pile because i hadn't gotten to them in time.

so this afternoon, since i'd taken the time off VTO (and theyr'e hiring, how idiotic), i went to the store, bought stuff for the holy trinity, olive oil, and ice, and started saucing. i'm doing this the easy way. it's in my crock pot. and i still ahve 8 tomatoes left. and mark picked 3 from his patch this afternoon. sigh. he also picked some habaneros, so i'm thinking yellow and red tomato salsa (but only one habanero, those babys rock!). i've got plenty of onions, and mark did pick a pepper as well (how many peppers can mark pick?).

i have actually been knitting/crocheting. i started a toddler sweater with some woolspun, but that got frogged because i was running out of yarn, and wanted to do it all in the wool spun. it was turning into a not-toddler sweater. so, rip, and revamp. i am working on a hat with doublestranded lamb's pride worsted right now, in a forest green.

the count for a4a is 5 hats, 1 pr mittens, and 2 prs socks. i figure i'll knit until the 19th, wash, and ship on the 22nd. that should have them there by the 26th.

no pics of anything, sorry.

katrina is on everyone's minds, and i've read some pretty horrific stories. they're talking about sending 500 people here, and housing them in the civic auditorium until they find more permanent placement. i'm thinking that i will call the local red cross chapter, and the salvation army, and see what they need.

MEME #1
10 years ago I was:
going to school part-time, and working part-time, while caring for 4 children.

5 years ago I was:
working in a new job, and finding out that even if it was monday through friday with holidays off, foodservice is very hard work

One year ago i was:
working my fanny off to get my kids home, and not strangle my daughter because she waited until the very last minute to enroll in college.

Yesterday:
i was desperately trying to hang on because i was bored to tears because they took my knitting away at work, and called it "busy season"

5 snacks I enjoy:
chocolate, cheese, popcorn, dried fruit, & chocolate (i know, that's a repeat, but i really love chocolate!

5 songs I know all the words to:
My Immortal, Turn the Page, The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Dust in the Wind (before the damned commericals started!) happy birthday

5 things I would do with 100 million dollars:
Retire. Find homes for at least 1000 people from the gulf coast. Build a compound in a remote part of the country, so i could have everyone leave me the hell alone. Travel around the world once. Buy a bar in the Bahamas that i could visit in the winter when the compound is snowed in.

5 places I would run away to:
jamaica, scotland, sweden, england, the us virgin islands

5 things I would never wear: a girdle(this was sheep shots, but i agree), big fur coats (i'm not against fur, i just think they look tacky), leather pants in public, halter tops, microminis

5 favorite tv shows:
Good Eats, Iron Chef America, Design on a Dime (i think, isn't this the one where they redo an entire room for $500?), Far Scape (bring it back!), Mail Call (i know, this one is odd man out, but lee ermy is a riot!)

5 bad habits: eat too much, don't exercise, don't get enough sleep, am very messy, spend way too much on yarn, needles, patterns, beads, buttons, fabric, etc. (these are all sheep shots, but they work for me as well, lol)

5 biggest joys: The Other Half, my children, the cats, having my home and family safe, and fiber.

5 favorite toys: yarn, books, my puter, my spinning wheel, my tape deck (i listen to lots of books on tape)

5 fictional characters I would date: wow, tough one!
Apollo from the original battlestar Galactica, Conor McLeod, Neo, the character that keanu reeves plays in a walk in the clouds, and leopold, from the movie kate & leopold.
5 people I tag to do this: I suspect I have come late to the party, again, so if you haven't done this one and want to, leave a comment and go for it!

i'm gonna do Erin's meme tomorrow, after SIT & KNIT AT STRING OF PURLS!

You might be a redneck if the first thing you say when you come out of a coma is "how's my dog?" (this is dedicated to gip gayle, whoever knows who this is should win a prize! hmmm, ok, you're on, the first one to get this wins a prize, i don't know waht yet, though, lol)
. . . your phone cord is a safety hazard.

Pattern of the day: Zig Zag Lace Tam. this is cute, but looks a tad bit useless.

Have a nice day, and donate.

Monday, September 05, 2005

worse (and better) than i thought

well, this weekend went better & worse than i thought. i felt great when i got up, saturday, so thought i was whipping the cold. did my running around after the boys left, and picked up mark after rehearsal, and headed to the hotel. had a tasty dinner (we bought famous dave's and reheated it in the microwave that came with the room), and a nice soak in the hot tub. watched the race (mark's a nascar fan) and fell asleep. woke up with an upset stomach that never went away all day, and ended up being sick all day. hardly ate anything, and had a hard time staying awake yesterday afternoon. however, it didn't end up being as bad as you may think.

while we had (ahem) other plans for the day, we ended up doing a lot of talking. found out a few things i hadn't known before, and so did he. and he missed the boys alot. this was a new feeling for him. i didn't miss them one bit, but that's because i've been down that road before, and knew that if they'd been gone longer than 2 days, i'd have felt differently. TRIED to eat dinner (ordered the mildest mexican possible to go from a nearby restaurant), and then soaked in the hottub again, and watched the other race.

woke up this morning, and mark got sick. we both think this is the same garbage liam had last week. apparently the gift that keeps on giving! mark ended up staying home, and since he heard a funny grinding noise while he was checking my transmission fluid, he called his parents and asked if i could borrow their van, since liam's grandmother had given him a schwinn bike for his birthday. i get over there, and Dad insisted on going with me, didn't want me to go by myself. that was fine, except he insisted on driving all the way to platte city, which is over 150 miles. needless to say, my butt was sore, i had a headache, and i had to say something twice about stopsigns/lights. sigh. i hope i don't drive like that when i'm 78. he wanted me to drive after that "since you know where you're going." i never relinquished the wheel after that.

and stuffed the van with the boys' loot. i really don't think 11 year old boys need $100 bills, but hey, i'll just make sure he doesn't lose it, until he's ready to spend it. lord knows when that will be, since their step-grandpa took them to toys r us, and it never left his pocket.

all in all, not a bad weekend, and i actually did get some knitting done on the way down. i'm up to 5 hats for a4a, and i'm almost done seaming the second mitten. since my knitting bag got left in Dad's van (leave it to two boys who are supposed to be emptying the van of "everything" can leave my knitting bag in there!), i started a sacque that i'm altering in some woolspun i found in the tub with my green roving that i'm spinning up for something for a4a. btw, the deadline was moved to 9-26 since they weren't getting very much stuff, and wanted to fill their container. i'm going to work until the 19th, wash my stuff, and pack a flat-rate box and ship it off around the 22nd. i'm hoping the stuff is dry by then.

You might be a redneck if you get yoru mail sent to a po box because you can't spell or pronounce your street name.
. . . you attend a parent-teacher conference wearing flip-flops (now wait a minute! maybe if you were the teacher!)
. . . you use a bungee cord as a seat belt.

Pattern of the Day:
9-2: Autumn in Vermont Felted Tote. this is cute, but not my bag (ha ha!)
9-5: Dayna Raglan Collared Cardigan. This is cute, but i bet i could make it cheaper than that!

Have a nice day
(and i promise at least one pic tomorrow, i'm too tired today)

Edit: BTW, sock pal, whenever you can send my socks is fine with me. going overseas, eh? care to send me a souvenir, too, lol? (JK!)

Thursday, September 01, 2005

this really stinks

2 days from the boys' trip to independence, and our mini-vacation in a hotel witha hot tub, and i get a stinking cold. shit. right now i can't breathe through my left nostril, and my head hurts. i've been sneezing all day. hell's bells.

Knitting
i didn't get a lot done, because they sent me to mail this morning, and by 1230, i was RTOed. ah well, at least it was just one day this week. would have been nice to get 60 hours on this check, though. i sign up for all kinds of time off, and they still rtoed me. sigh.

on a happy note, the deadline for a4a has been extended to sept 26. this means i can dig out my forest green roving, and spin some up to make stuff. cool beans. i just found out last year that sherril, my brothers now wife (they snuck off to the jp, and got married and didn't tell anybody, the little shits) is allergic to wool, and i had bought this stuff 2 1/2 years ago with the intent of spinning up something for her. alas and alack.

Contribute

i donated to the american red cross, and you should donate too. they don't need anything but MONEY down there right now, so that's what i did. go to Deb's website, she's got a link in today's post to Knitaid. i'm too tired and sick to try to figure out a button right now (you'll notice an embarassing lack of buttons, i haven't figured that bit out yet.)

also, i joined the Dulaan brigade. i figure i can just run an accumulating box until next june, and away it will go.

i also mailed my august contribution to Warm Hearts-Warm Babies, who was August's project for AC4C.

not bad for an afternoon off, and sick at that!

You might be a redneck if you received diapers as a graduation present (now you can take this two ways, one, you have a baby when you graduate, or two, you took so long to graduate you need depends, i vote for #2)

Pattern of the Day: Bobble Hat. this hat looks cute! i like it lots. i may make one for the dulaan project.

Have a nice (germfree) day