Have yarn will travel

It's been a loooong time....

2008-07-14T08:42:00.002-04:00

Well, I have neglected my blog a long time! I am not sure why but I just got out of the habit, I think. For the last 2 months, I have been sick, sick, sick. I found out in May, right after getting back from visiting my family in AL, that I am preggers. I was totally socked and didn't expect it. In fact, after my miscarriage we had pretty much given up on having a baby. I had even talked myself out of it and figured I had 2 boys that's enough. I really didn't need another baby. Well, God laughed at me and gave me one anyways. Everyone thinks I am crazy but I know this baby is a girl. I feel different in this pregnancy then with the boys. I was just puking for the first 2 months with the boys but this time, I didn't puke at all ( thank you God!!!) I was just sooooooooo tired. I spent the whole time either in bed or on the sofa downstairs watching tv. The house is a total mess but I just kept saying well there is nothing I can do about it right now and Lars did help but he isn't a very clean person as plus he has a full time job so the house isn't exactly gross it just needs a good cleaning.

Wed. of last week, I was officially 14 weeks pregnant and came out of the funk. I tell ya it's like magic or something one day I felt like dooky the next back to my old self. I even got to play a little bit of WoW this weekend. I went to Target. Oh, and helped set up our new pool. It's just a little 8'x30" blow up type but it has a filter and you put real pool chemicals in it. I wanted something to sit in this summer but I didn't want to have to empty it every couple of days. Yeah sitting there waiting for the pool to fill up in 90 degree heat made my face all red. Liam says hey whats wrong with your face? I said I don't know you tell me. He said it's all red! I was like oh I guess I am hot hehe. I get super hot when I am pregnant. Hence why I got a pool. I like to go outside but I get so overheated.

Well time to go tackle the kitchen, my first room to clean for the week. I want the house at least presentable by this weekend. Oh Liam and I have to do his tests for his homeschooling. I almost forgot about those. VA law says you have to take an approved test and turn in the results by Aug 1st. I think we will be late but that's ok I have an excuse.

Oh Happy days!

2008-03-06T08:47:00.002-05:00

I should blog more often. The spring come here blog worked!!!!!!!!!! It has been so nice the past couple of days. I have just wanted to go outside and do stuff! I have walked the dogs, walked Liam and the dogs, watched Liam and the dogs run around in the back yard like crazy wild animals but not much knitting. I didn't even pick up my sock yesterday. I just can't sit down long enough. Oh I am also organizing my house. Yes, it is very slow going because I have a pack rat husband. I tried the just join em thing and ummmm... yeah... that is driving me INSANE. So, now I am going back to I will be organized and I don't care about his pack ratitise. I will throw away anything he hasn't touched or looked at for 6 months! I won't tell him and he just won't know.

SPRING...

2008-03-02T10:25:00.002-05:00

Where are you?!?!?! I'm COLD.

Addicted to Swapping

2008-03-02T09:47:00.002-05:00

I don't know but swapping is fun! I am in a Hogwarts Sock kit swap now. It is super fun. Most of use participating made a character blog and are blogging about our knitty pottery adventures on them. It's actually really fun. I am having a blast picking out Ravenclaw things for my pal. The next swap I am joining is starting March 20th. You swap coffee and yarn! My 2 most favorite things. You know that song about my favorite things? Well mine would be yarn, coffee and chocolate. Not in that particular order, though, because depending on mood it changes. I haven't blogged in so long. I haven't felt in a bloggy mood. Not sure why. I guess I have just been busy. I haven't even really been in a knitty mood either. Oh, I still listen to podcasts about knitting, read about knitting, stare at others knitting, but for me it's just been 2 pairs of socks. Well technically, one and a half pairs. I knit up a pair of monkey socks and now I am knitting a pattern called river rapids. Yes I know I said I hated monkey socks pattern but I tired it again because I had this yummy socks that rock yarn and it screamed out monkey to me. I tired the pattern again on 4 double points and I did fine! The socks turned out great... and as soon as I wash them I will take a picture of them.

Lookie what I did...

2008-01-11T09:58:00.001-05:00

This is my first home spun yarn! It was pretty easy and even though I am slow at it. It is fun to do and fairly easy. Just have to keep practicing at drafting and how the fibers pull out of the mass. Over all I am happy. Wonder If I have enough to Knit some fingerless gloves with it.

This and that

2008-01-09T18:31:00.000-05:00

I just read a blog post about Byonce (think that's how to spell her name) likes to play Connect 4. Not only that, but she is really good at it. It's funny sometimes I wonder what it's like to be say oh Jennifer Connelly. She is someone my hubby loves and I think she is pretty too and wouldn't mind being her. I often wonder what in the world is she doing right at this moment. Is she watching TV? Taking a nap? Shopping for clothes? It's weird to think of stars as being people. People who do everyday things like take showers and eat potato chips. So, if you could be in someone else's shoes who would you pick? I think I would pick Jennifer.

New Year already?

2007-12-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

Wow I really can not believe it is going to be 2008 next year! Where did 2007 go? I'm not sure but I think time is faster now that I am older. You know when you were a kid and time seemed to stand still? I want that back! Everyone is older now, including myself, that wasn't suppose to happen! lol Well I guess it does happen but why so fast? My youngest baby is going to be 10 this year! Oh no another boy going through puberty.... hmmm can I have a vacation?

Lets see, usually people make a list of what they want to accomplish for the new year. I don't ever do that. I make them all year long. Whenever God shows me something that needs to be changed, I either do my part or let him do his. I do reflect though on the past year and see all the fun things that happened.

Jerath came back to home school. Liam learned to read. I knit my first ever sweater. We went to Disney World! I fell in love with Florida. Last year was my hubby and I's 2nd wedding anniversary. My nieces were potty trained. We went to Jamestown and had fun. Found our new church Fairfax Community. I started a blog and have stuck to it. Liam got to ride in an airplane for the first time and he did pretty good. I might not ever repeat that adventure with him though, at least on my own lol. The list goes on and on. 2007 was a good year!

Now on to the adventures of 2008.......

Wow Can you believe it is Christmas!!!!

2007-12-25T15:29:00.001-05:00

Perfect Dream.... sort of.

2007-12-22T13:26:00.000-05:00

I had a dream last night where I was in the back yard having a pool party. There were lots of guests there most of them with British accents and the weather was a devine 85 degrees. We were sitting around knitting, eating and drinking coffee or tea. It was absolutely perfect until I walked past the pool right into a spider's web. (BTW I am terrified of spiders getting on me) It was a HUGE, grey spider. I mean this thing sat on my head and pretty much almost covered the top of it. It was very hairy but it had green eyes, that looked at you all beady like. I started freaking out trying to get the thing off my head. I was stuck! Other people tried to get it off too but it hung onto one strand of hair and wouldn't let go. Then I woke up. LOL Strange dream, of course I had to wake up my husband and mumble out "Spider on my head!" which probably just came out smmble om hd, because he was looking at me like I was nuts. Finally I woke up enough to say real words and told him about it and he said" You have really weird dreams." I have to agree, that yes I do.

Blah

2007-12-13T02:22:00.000-05:00

Well my great news isn't so great anymore. I had a miscarriage. I am disappointed but not overly really. I didn't have time to become emotionally attached yet. I am bummed though because we have been trying for almost a year now. We decided though to take a break and start back to trying after the new year. I am too scared it will happen again. At least we know it can happen though, right?

Talking on Tuesday

2007-12-11T08:41:00.000-05:00

I started my Tilted Duster!!!! It is going so quickly too. I am knitting it in a nice chocolate brown worsted on size 8's which gives me 4 1/2 stitches to an inch. I finished up the back, right front and started on the left front yesterday. I can't wait to finish it.

Great News!!

2007-12-02T12:10:00.000-05:00

Well I think I have told everyone who I can call about this news but yesterday I found out that we are PREGNANT!!!! We have been trying for 8 months now and I had just given up and thought I was too old. God gave me a surprise. Well, not really he has told me I would have another. I mean I have dreamed about her, but I just let myself tell myself that oh that is just wishful thinking. Silly me to let doubts creep into my head. I mean who put the dreams in there in the first place? DUH to me. We are super excited. I am going to wait until the new year to go to the doctor since our new and cheaper insurance will kick in then.

As for knitting, I had to frog (well in the process of frogging as I need yarn) my youngest son's sweater because he grew! I was all done with his sweater and ready to sew in the ends and all then I tried it on him and it fit but a little too snug. He grew and inch! I am making it 2 sizes bigger now lol. He might be able to wear it longer now or at least until I finish knitting the silly thing.

Home again. Home again.

2007-11-26T18:52:00.001-05:00

Yay! Well sort of. I was in Florida all last week and I fell in love with the place. My hubby did too and is going to look for another job down there. We had the best time. I love the people. The weather. The plants and animals. Florida is now my new home. Not sure when we are moving BUT it will be within the year. I did almost get my youngest's sweater done though. I forgot the last ball of yarn of course though. I wanted to knit so bad and had no yarn to knit with! That will teach me to not take enough knitting along on a vacation. I read about knitting and listened to knitting podcasts instead. Can you tell I am addicted?

I am glad to have my stuff back even though it is COLD here in Northern VA. Now I gotta get my stuff down to Florida!!! Hehehe

Coffe Addict Post

2007-11-04T11:28:00.001-05:00

I am 71% Addicted to Coffee

Get a cash advance

I reverted

2007-11-03T19:35:00.000-04:00

Back to 4 DPN's for socks. I love the magic loop. I really do but I kept losing my place in my pattern stitch. I got so frustrated I wanted to toss the sock across the room. So I cast on for the 5th time on DPN's, suddenly everything fell into place and I was happily knitting along until I had a whole sock! Pictures to come of said sock soon. I have been lax on the pictures lately. Mainly because my camera was filling up and I didn't know what to do with the pictures. I opted for putting them up on myspace page. Now my camera is empty and I am back to taking pictures.

Stranger Than Fiction

2007-10-15T09:19:00.001-04:00

I just got finished watching one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. The movie is about a man named Harold Crick. He is an accountant and totally trapped in his own life. He always does the same thing day after day. Nothing changes for him until one day as he is walking to the bus stop, he hears a voice. This voice is narrating his life. He thinks he's crazy at first but then he realizes that the voice is telling him what is happening while it is happening, so he can't be crazy. He talks to a psychiatrist and she sends him to a literary professor. He doesn't believe him until he says this quote from the voice, "Little did he know....". The story goes on from there of Harold and the professor trying to figure out who the author might be. One day while in the professors office, Harold hears the voice on T.V. Immediately, he runs and finds the author, to tell her not to kill him. I wont tell you anymore because you need to see this movie.

This movie isn't just a comedy. It is about life and living our lives. We all live and we all die. It is what you do in between that matters. Do you want to make a difference in this world? How will you go about doing it? Will you just walk through life never touching another's, or will you go beyond your comfort zone? This movie is awesome. It is poetical. It is cinematicly beautiful. See this movie. It will touch your heart on so many different levels.

It's Official I am a Hufflepuff!

2007-10-08T04:20:00.000-04:00

This happens to be the house I really would want to be in if this was a real school!

The sorting hat says that I belong in Hufflepuff!

Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot, and treat them just the same."

Hufflepuff students are friendly, fair-minded, modest, and hard-working. A well-known member was Cedric Digory, who represented Hogwarts in the most recent Triwizard Tournament.

Take the most scientific Harry Potter
Quiz ever created.

Get Sorted Now!

Knitting Obsession

2007-10-02T11:16:00.000-04:00

I have had other hobbies before.... beading, macrame, quilting, crochet .... and not one of them has hit me like knitting has. For years, I sewed my own clothes. I even designed a few outfits myself but I had to give it up because of babies. Those baby things take up a lot of time, you know? You can't really say, " Hey, you there, Baby, I just need to sew this one last seam then I can change your diaper, so you can stop crying now." No, you can't. You have to stop what you are doing before you get to that seam and if you are caught in the middle than be careful not to pull it out from under the sewing needle. I just pretty much have to give up my hobbies whenever I had a baby. They just weren't portable enough.

Now, knitting is something that is super portable and stopable in the middle. You can be in the middle of a row, stop what you are doing stick your needle stops on the end and do whatever the baby wants or needs at the moment. You can sneak in a couple of stitches while waiting in line at the store. You can sneak in a couple of stitches anywhere, really. As long as you remember the yarn is on the right needle then you wont ever make the mistake of going the wrong way.

Another thing I like about knitting, is the design element of it. I love thinking up designs. I see a shirt in a store and take the bits I love about it and replace the bits I hate about it and viola I have my own design. I see so many designs in my head of sweaters I want to knit and they are all my own. I found EZ's Knitting without Tears and she has made making my own designed sweaters a dream come true. I can now make a sweater with my own gauge and design. No longer do I have to follow a pattern that I can't seem to get gauge on. Just make my own gauge swatch, do a little math and I can make it my own.

I looooooooooooooooooooooooooove knitting.

Zoo Adventures

2007-10-01T12:43:00.000-04:00

Saturday, September 29, 2007 promised to be a great day to be out and about. My hubby, youngest son and I decided to take a trip to the D.C. Zoo. We hadn't been yet this year because the spring was just so cold and you don't go to D.C. in the summer (too many tourists). We got our snacks and everything ready and off we went. We wanted to ride the Metro into the city because the last time we tried to find a parking space it took 2 hours (yeah lets not talk about that one), plus Liam loves riding "the choo-choo train" to the zoo. Everything was great until we got to the Main station to hop on the red line. There were a lot of people hanging around and I was like wow lots of people here is unsual for a Sat morning. My hubby said one of the tracks wasn't working and red is the main line. This didn't really click in my head at first. 45 minutes later of waiting for a train to come that was going the direction we wanted to go I was like great we are FINALLY out of here..... Soooo wrong. The train that was finally going our way started smoking so they closed the whole thing down. When I heard this I said lets get out of here... Well shouted... and ran up the nearest escalader. When I got to the top I turned around to see where my hubby and Liam where and I saw this....

I have never seen so many people standing in the metro at once. It was incredible. Next we decided to hop on a bus. We were totally confused as to which one to take but finally, after asking a bus driver, and a patron standing next to us, we got a vague sense of which one to get on. After a nice tour of D.C. we got off the bus and stood waiting for another that would take us close to the zoo. And we waited.... and waited.... oh and waited some more. After 30 minutes of waiting we took off walking. It was a mere 10 city blocks to the zoo. Well we didn't think mere really we actually thought the bus would come along and pick us up so we wouldn't have to walk to whole way. Well 2 blocks from the zoo we finally saw an L bus. but it was already too late we were past the last stop.

We arrived at the zoo 3 hours after getting to the city (snicker) and were so tired from our ordeal that we had to sit for a while before we could even see anything..... but oh the sights we saw. Best day at the zoo ever I would say.......

Beautiful Blog

2007-09-17T21:56:00.000-04:00

Here is a beautiful blog I want to share with all of my bloggy friends. She has wonderful photo's of the her world on the blog. I believe she lives out in Montana. A place I wouldn't mind seeing someday. Anways, here she is Knitting Iris.

OTN

2007-09-15T10:02:00.000-04:00

Right now I am knitting my Bella sweater.

Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted
Colorway: Terra Cotta and
Needles: US 5 and 4
Size: 38 1/2

I love this yarn but I have noticed it gets a bit heavy after I get about 5 inches of the sweater done. I am having to knit it on straight needles, which I don't really like, because my Knit Picks options are metal and they were just too slippery for this yarn. My hands were starting to hurt and I figured out it was because I was physically trying to keep the loops up on the needle while trying to also keep it from sliding completely off the needles. So I switched to some generic size 5's I had laying around. I now know that I have to buy a set of wooden needle points too in case the yarn is too slippery on the metal ones.

All that to say, when this project gets too heavy for me I switch to a pair of socks. Love these socks btw. I think they are my best ever.

Getting old and a couple of books...

2007-09-08T12:21:00.000-04:00

I don't know what it is with a lot of elderly people but why do they have to talk about their health? I mean it's ok if like you are asking for someone to pray for you but when ALL you talk about is what hurts and what doesn't it gets a little annoying. I get a little annoyed cause I have no clue what to say. I also feel bad cause I am in such a good mood and exercises everyday so I won't grow old and have aches and pains. I love older people don't get me wrong and there are a lot that I know that don't talk about how bad their arthritis hurts but some I just don't like and I really feel bad cause I don't like them. My Grandpa's new wife is like this. She has really bad health problems and I happen to get in the room alone with her all she talks about is her surgery. I don't even want to think about surgery let a lone know what all is entailed in having heart surgery. The thing is the lady is really sweet but I just don't want to be a lone with her. One thing is for sure if I grow old and all I talk about is how sick I am then someone better slap me out of it. I don't want to leave this life with every young person avoiding me cause I talk about things that make them feel badly.......

I got a new knitting book this week Charmed Knits. They are patterns based on the Harry Potter movies. I am going to make Liam the Ron sweater with and L on the front instead of a R. He will like that. He loves to see his name on things. He's at that age. LOL Liam just tried to come into the house with a dead bird. SIGH boys are so gross.

Now onto vacuums. I bought one about 10 years ago it cost me over 200 bucks. I bought it at Sears they said we carry the filter so I wouldn't have to worry about it when I replaced it. A year later I went back to the store to buy a new filter. Oh no we discontinued that vacuum. So I bought a 50 dollar Eureka. Fast forward 5 years. I buy a Hoover. I love this vacuum. I need to buy a new filter 6 months into owning it. Can't find the filter anywhere even on the Hoover website. Sigh that's it I am done paying for electronics for 200 + bucks just to have them break after 6 months. I will just pay 50 for something that will last a couple years. So tired of shoddy workmanship now a days.

Best Friends Part 2

2007-09-04T22:34:00.000-04:00

Today I talked to my best friend Stacy. After 12 years of not know what she was doing or where she was we finally found each other. We talked for 1 1/2 blissful hours. I think we were both talking so fast we could hardly get any words in. It was exciting and wonderful. It was everything I had imagined it would be thinking about the first time I would get to hear her voice again. It was like we were in our 20's talking about boyfriends and our futures. All this time has passed and it didn't even matter. Over the years I dreamed that this would be. I wondered if our friendship was the kind that no matter what would last til the end of time. I always wanted a friendship that would be forever no matter how far apart we are or how long its been we would still be the best of friends. Well I found out today I have that kind of friend in Stacy. She is and always will be the best friend anyone could have. I love you Stace!!!! You are the best.

Now I have to knit her a best friend sweater since she lives in Mass. now and it's COOOOOOOOOLD up there! They talk funny too! Haha

Best Friends

2007-08-31T11:48:00.000-04:00

Ok last night I was reading my emails before I went to bed and I got an email from Classmates saying I had a message on there. I went to check out who sent me a message and it was one of my best friends from high school!!!! I am soooooooooo happy! I have 2 best friends from high school, Julie and Stacy. I have thought about them often and wondered why they are up to since I lost touch with them both 14 years ago. These 2 girls were the best! We were always hanging out together either all together or one of us at anothers house. After high school Julie went off to college in Iowa, I lost touch with her but Stacy kept in contact. This was at a time when noone had computers really and I was terrible at letter writing so I guess this is why I lost contact. I don't really remember lol. Stacy and me hung out for a few years after school. Ok we hung out A LOT. We were pretty much inseperable. Then one day Stacy had to move out of the room she was renting and she didn't give me her new address. It was just a temp place so she was waiting to let me know her new place. I hadn't seen her much lately because she was busy working and going to school. I was busy working and taking care of my son. We hung out prob once a month at this time. The last time I saw or talked to Stacy was when she came over to get a couple of things from me and to borrow a couple of things. LOL We always swapped clothes. This way we could have double the wardrobe but only pay for one. She hung out with me for a bit had coffee and lunch then was off to school. She was moving into her new place that next weekend so she would call me when she got all settled, yet she never did. Now 14 years later, Julie has found me and she says she talks to Stacy on a regular bases!!!! I am so excited to be reunited with my best friends. Julie still acts like Julie. Now I just have to get in touch with Stacy. It is great to know what is going on with people I shared part of my life with. I have often wondered and prayed that they were both happy. I am sure Stacy finally found her man and has 3 red-headed beautiful girls like she always wanted. hehe I am so excited to see and talk to her, I can hardly stand it.

SP Questionaire #2

2007-08-25T17:01:00.000-04:00

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without? My knitters companion book

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If so, how much and what type of project? Yes always have some type of project with me and usually I take whatever I am working on.

3. Where have you traveled to that you'd consider your favorite spot? New Hampshire. My in-laws have a cabin in the mountains there and whenever we stay it's a week of hiking and lounging around on the front porch.

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it? Vintage Knits by Sarah Dallas.... No I don't own it. It is my favorite cause I love the 30's and 40's styles and this book is full of things that I love. I think there is only one project in there that I wouldn't make.

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)? Yes. I love Lime and Violet

6. If you could only knit with 1 color for the rest of your life, what color would that be? PURPLE

7. If you were far into a project and then noticed a mistake near the beginning what would you do? Let it go. It will be a one of a kind.

8. Where is the most unsual spot you've ever knit? At a game day. I didn't feel like playing any of the board games everyone was playing so I pulled out my knitting instead.

Confessions...

2007-08-25T12:48:00.000-04:00

I have a confession to make.... I loooooooooooooooove coffee. I love the smell. The taste. The color. The cute little beans. I also love cappuccino's but I haven't really had any for a few years because I just don't want to pay 5 bucks for one at Starbuck's. I found this cute little thing on Amazon and I want it for my birthday. I showed it to my hubby and said "If you don't know what to get me for my birthday I really, really, really, really want one of these!" How is that for a hint? Now I just have to wait 2 months for it. Hmmmm can I wait that long? Well I have waited almost 4 so I guess I can wait a couple more months, 60 days, 1440 minutes!

This is too icky and funny at the same time

2007-08-24T15:10:00.001-04:00

Check out this website..... I sooooo can't stand squirrels. I detest them. I loathe them. I know God put them on this earth for a reason but we all know he has a strange since of humor, after all, have you seen my husbands feet?

Enabler!!!

2007-08-24T14:48:00.000-04:00

So I was just looking around on Ravelry and look at this sock yarn!!
You can get it at this website. Plus the name of the store is just the coolest too! I was soooooo drooling over this yarn. It is simply delicious looking! Now this is why I love socks you can by all this beautiful yarn that only comes in like one skien and make a pair of lovely socks out of it.

Oh yeah AND the sun came out again today! After 6 whole days without knowing if the big, round, yellow thing in the sky was fact or fiction the clouds finally lifted at 9:30 A.M. this morning. I think I even heard angels singing the Hallelujah chorus......

All knitty things....

2007-08-23T19:03:00.000-04:00

I finished Mom's Second Sock! It will be off in the post tomorrow. Have fun with your new socks Mom! Now knit me a sweater! =P

Beautiful Day

2007-08-18T15:26:00.001-04:00

We went outside today. It is only about 85 degrees and there is a nice breeze blowing. I found this website called Rails-to-Trails and it shows all of the what used to be an active railway and turn it into trails. There is one practically right down the street from me and I never even knew it. It is 4 miles long although we didn't walk the whole 4 miles. Yeah I am not ready to walk that far yet. Basically it would be 8 miles because we would have to walk back. It was a very nice tail, so quiet when we were completely surrounded by heavily traveled roads. I think it was because a lot of the trail was cut though hills so they act as a sound buffer. Lars and Liam played tag for some of the way. That tried Liam out, which isn't a bad thing, if you know what I mean. It was very nice to get out and see some of the No Va area. Next I want to walk one that goes to an Island in the middle of the Potomac River. It has a bird conservation on it. Sounds pretty neat.

Tilted Duster

2007-08-16T12:02:00.001-04:00

Has anyone seen this sweater Tilted Duster? It is in the new interweave knits mag. I haven't had a chance to go pick it up yet but I am in love it. I love the button closer and the half circles on it. Quite a few other people are knitting it on Ravelry, about 7 others and I love the yarns they have chosen for it. I am thinking I will use this yarn, in the chocolate colorway. I really want to use the slate colorway but since this will be my first sweater, I don't want to use black. I need to finish my mom's sock before I order the yarn and start it. I am halfway up the cuff now mom. I should be sending it off to you next week! I finished the first one while I was visiting her and she wouldn't let me take it home with me. She wanted to keep it lol. I think she liked it. It really is a pretty sock. I will take pictures when it is done.

Secret Pal 11 Questionaire

2007-08-06T05:41:00.000-04:00

I am participating in my first SP thingee. I have heard how fun they are and I loved doing this when I was quilting soooo here is my questionaire or for anyone else who wants to know things about me =)

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I like wool the best. I do not like all cotton or all silk. I like them blended in with wool though.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

A plastic drawer. One for my circs and one for my straights.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I learned to knit when I was 16. My mom taught me and I tried to knit a scarf. It turned out very badly so I put the needles down for about 15 years. I was watching Knitty Gritty one day and decided I can do that! The rest is history. I would say I am a beginner/intermediate knitter. I love to knit socks and have done 4 pair now but have yet do knit a sweater.

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

Yes. There is a link to it in the sidebar.

5. What's your favorite scent?

Vanilla

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

I love chocolate or caramel or both!

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

I like to make beaded jewelry also and can sew.

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

I like anything from classical to jazz to pop. Yes my stereo can play MP3's

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

Purple! I don't like yellow, orange or kelly green.Other greens are good but I don't like kelly green

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

I live with my hubby and 2 sons. I have a bird.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I wear scarves hats and mittens. It gets cold here in No VA.

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

SOCKS!

13. What are you knitting right now?

The mystery 3 stole. A stole for my sister in my own pattern. Socks for my mom.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Sure I would love them

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I like circular needles. Aluminum best. I do like the look of those pretty fancy wooden ones but they are a little too grabby for socks.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

No I don't own either but I really want them. I want to sell my hand dyed yarns on etsy and these would sure come in handy.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

2 months my sisters stole. It is a Christmas present.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Tea sets or anything to do with tea sets such as cups and saucers. I also like teddy bears and have quit a few. Oh and of course YARN!

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I would love some of that socks that rock yarn. I don't have a subscription to interweave or Vogue but those are my fav mags.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Cables

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes my foot is 9 1/2 inches long. Cuff is 7 inches and width of foot is 9 1/2 inches

23. When is your birthday?

Nov. 6

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

Yes. My ID is MelzyKnits

Airports and how to get lost in them.....

2007-08-05T10:21:00.000-04:00

I had a great time with my mom and visiting the rest of my family. It is good to be back also. You never realize how much you miss home til you come back to it. I even missed my pillow. I layed down on it last night and was like oooooooooo my pillow!

Ok, so, I flew down to AL to see my mom with my 8 year old, autistic son, right? I am not so sure I will ever fly again. LOL First of all my son shook the whole time the plan was in the air. I mean to the point where it looked like he had some kind of shaking disease. He was terrified of the shade being open so I didn't get to look out the window much. He also wanted everyone else on the plane to shut theirs also. I had to explain that they can look out of their windows if they want to and how it was rude to ask others to close theirs. Some how he thought that if the windows were closed he wouldn't fall out. Shrug.... I guess a little tiny piece of plastic was enough to assure him that he wouldn't where a huge thick quadruple pained window didn't. Makes perfect sense, right? LOL

Second, never again will I fly into or out of Atlanta. That place is just plain craziness. Look up the word in the dictionary. I just bet the airport is listed. The place is HUGE. I mean when you have to ride a tram to get to your luggage, that means it is big. Of course I didn't get a clue when the signs said 800 meters to the baggage claim, and decided to walk the whole thing. Yeah that lasted about 20 minutes and I when I was soooo exhausted that I finally read the oh only 400 meters to walk!!! I rode the tram.

Thirdly, I hate airports. They are very confusing. I got lost in Dulles when we got back home. I walked from one end of the terminal to the other end, probably about a mile of walking and couldn't find out where baggage was. I was suppose to fly into Reagan, which I would have preferred, but that flight was canceled, so I didn't know this airport at all. I couldn't really find anyone to ask until I got to the place where you crossed over. LOL I had to walk back to the middle of the terminal, saw an Airport Security guy, walked towards him and saw bus to baggage claim. I was like ooooo. I have to take a bus! By the time I got to baggage my hubby had already gotten our bags and was waiting for us outside the doors lol. It took me 30 minutes to get there.

I was sooooo ready to get home and leave airports behind forever! Ok maybe until next time! They really should put up bigger signs, maybe with pink neon flashing lights, for people who get lost in a square room. Tee Hee.

I will be uploading pictures tomorrow of my adventures with my nieces, tomorrow!

On Vaca!

2007-07-26T12:57:00.000-04:00

I haven't been blogging last few days because I am at my mom's visiting in good Ol' Alabamie.
It is nice to see old friends and visit with family. I am taking lots of pictures so when I get back home I will be posting. Oh and loads of knitting going on. I finished one of my mom's socks and it fits her just right. I am on the toe of the other one now. I probably wont finish it before I leave but that is what the USPS is for!

Personality Test... for fun

2007-07-19T13:46:00.000-04:00

You Are An INTJ

The Scientist

You have a head for ideas - and you are good at improving systems.
Logical and strategic, you prefer for everything in your life to be organized.
You tend to be a bit skeptical. You're both critical of yourself and of others.
Independent and stubborn, you tend to only befriend those who are a lot like you.

In love, you are always striving to improve your relationship.
You have strong ideas of what love should be like.

At work, you excel in figuring out difficult tasks. People think of you as "the brain."
You would make an excellent scientist, engineer, or programmer.

How you see yourself: Reasonable, knowledgeable, and competent

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Aloof, controlling, and insensitive

What's Your Personality Type?

Well I don't befriend others that are just like me. I do the opposite actually. I like to surround myself with fun loving happy people. I am critical of myself but I don't critize others. I am not so sure I would make a good scientist, engineer or programmer.. LOL I think those jobs are booooring. Some of these turn out right some don't. hehe

New (to me) Blog

2007-07-14T10:38:00.000-04:00

I found this cute blog from the Mystery Stole 3 group. She is really cute and knits beautiful lace. I think she is my new idol..... Check her out..... Knit2-Tink3

Dog Days of Summer

2007-07-13T09:05:00.000-04:00

I don't about anyone else but I haven't been knitting much. I finished my tofutsies socks. I also started on a pair of socks for my mom in KP's Palette in the Teal colorway. Other then that I haven't knitted much. I just feel too hot. It has been 90+ outside for the past week. I guess that is why. Haha..... Ravelry is so cool by the way. If you have a yarn you don't know what to do just do a search and see what others have done with it. That is how I decided on the Seduction Socks pattern for my mom. If you have a book and want to see how some of the designs knit up just do a book search. It is really awesome. I even donated some money to them. I am planning on doing that once a month because they are doing an awesome thing here. I hope they get some investors and make lots of money! It is a great idea and I hope that it shapes up the Internet community really. I mean Wekipedia is trying to do a similar thing but it is still tons of information on a lot of different things. It would be nice to be able to have all kinds of different Ravelrys on different topics. It's the analytical mind in me. I love something all done up in one neat package.

Yarn Harlot

2007-07-07T18:21:00.000-04:00

Ok I just read Yarn Harlot's last blog and I about laughed myself out of my chair. Last week she left some roving to dry out on the back porch. When she came back for it, she found it missing. She was sure it was the squirrel thief that had visited her a couple of years ago. Today she posted an email and picture that was just too funny.

I sympathize with her greatly. I have to be careful what I put outside because it will be stole or eaten by the wild life (IE big, fat, cat-sized, man-eating squirrels). Last year I wanted to beautify my back porch and the "wild life" decided they thought it was so pretty they just had to have it. Needless to say my flower garden looked pretty sparse towards the end of summer.

This year I put it all in huge planters and they haven't touched them. HA! I see them looking at it though every once in a while. Sneaky, freaky, I mean lovely little (buggers) creatures.

Website I found

2007-07-06T11:34:00.001-04:00

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts this morning called Sticks & String. He was talking about a friend of his who is blogging about living with depression. David also said how he was very surprised by this because she is so creative, bright and a fun person to be around. I know a lot of creative people who suffer from depression. All through history in fact many of the greats, whether it be painter or musician have to deal with this. I read a book once about personality traits and the one that is the most creative is called Melancholic ( I believe that is what it was called. I can't find the book. I guess I have lost it.) this personality trait is the one who is most prone to depression or melancholia. I took the test in the book and I scored even in caloric (likes order, to be in control, analytical) and melancholic (creative, attentive to detail). I also unfortunately have the depression. It started after I had my first baby. You know the baby blues that are suppose to go away after 3 weeks or so? Well, they never went away. I didn't know it at the time that I was still depressed. I was too busy really to notice how I felt inside. What with being a single mom having to work full time and a social life, I just never thought about myself much. Then, one Sunday, we had a guest speaker at church. He talked about depression and I realized 2 years later that I had been depressed all this time. When they had an alter call at the end of the service, I went and was prayed for. I had my eyes closed while they were praying for me and when I opened them it was like a film had lifted off of my eyes. Everything before had looked like it was grayed out somehow. I hadn't noticed this because living in it seldom does one notice what they are used to. Even the brightest yellows were somehow muted in my eyes. When this grey film was lifted I could see again. Everything looked bright. I could see again.

Fast forward 7 years to my 2nd baby.... I got the dreaded baby blues again. This time I breast feed so that helped some but the depression didn't go away. I don't think it helped that I was married to a man that was emotionally bankrupt and had no compassion or gave any thought to anyone but himself. It didn't help my depression that by the time my 2nd son was 2 I was going through a divorce and also finding out that my son was autistic. I guess it also didn't help that I had no job, no car, and no house to live in. Let me just say that if God wasn't there always watching me and that I had praying family and friends, I would not be here typing this blog. My sons would not be alive and breathing and I would not have met my wonderful husband. I got to the point in my depression that one day I almost didn't turn off the car when i pulled into the garage. God used my beautiful babies. They were the only reason I turned off the car. I saw them grown up and living for God in that split second after I thought about not turning the ignition off.

Now I rarely have thoughts of suicide. I rarely even have bouts of sadness but they are there always in the back of my thoughts. Its always sitting there on my right shoulder. Trusting God has done a lot to alleviate the pain. I don't want to take drugs, although I probably should, but I am trying diet and exercise instead.

One thing that has helped me is crafting. Making things with my hands has always helped with the pain. It helps me forget myself as I make things for the people I love. I am now using yarn and 2 pointy sticks. I am knitting away the pain.

Here is a website called Stitchlinks that tells how knitting is therapy. I didn't even know that all the crafting I have done over the years is my therapy but I do now and it endears me to it even more.

Drum Roll Please.....

2007-07-02T21:14:00.000-04:00

I finally got invited to Ravelry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh wow this thing is as awesome as everyone has said. You can look up anything knitterly that you want. It will show you peoples blogs. It shows you yarn porn. Anything and everything. I really think it's the new Google of Knitty things. Its the new Knitepedia! It is awesome. I have waited 8 weeks! I tell you it is worth the wait.

Is it really Friday again???

2007-06-29T17:35:00.001-04:00

I can't believe this week has gone by already. I didn't get much blogging done this week because I haven't been feeling very well. I have been so tired all week, like I haven't slept much at all every night. I have slept well every single night, even going to sleep at an early 10 p.m. also! I usually go to bed around 10 but don't go to sleep until around 12ish. I knit or read or listen to my Ipod for a bit.

Well I finished one sock in the tofutsies yarn and am now 5 inches up the foot on the 2nd sock. I am going up the leg of my mom's first sock. I think I am using too small of needles for hers and they are really hurting my hands when I knit with them. Not sure if I should just reknit them or not. Maybe I should I don't know lol. I mean its not like I promised them to her or gave her a date of when they are going to be done. I think I will reknit them. That way I will keep my sanity and the socks wont feel so hard. I mean they felt OK at first but I keep looking at them and feeling them and thinking wow they resemble cardboard.... yet trudging along I go.

I also received my silk lace yarn in the mail and started the mystery stole. OK this is my first time knitting with lace weight yarn and I gotta tell ya its like knitting with spider silk! Except with out the stickiness and the creepy crawly bug of course. It is sooooooooooooooooooo thin and the word thin is an understatement hence the many, many o's on the so. I have knitted up to row 35 on the pattern. So far we have up to row 99. I looked at what I have and then guesstimated that by the time I am at the 99th row the shawl will be about 5 inches. LOL It looks like a mass of cobwebs. Then when I end the row I will stretch it out a little and the pattern magically appears. Oh this may take me months, even years but I am going to finish this stole. When it is done it will be my pride and joy. I may even want to knit with lace weight again but I am thinking next time I will use DK weight or fingering weight for my next lace adventure. Ok so those wont fit through a wedding ring but at least I will still be sane after I knit them.

Check out what I did....

2007-06-25T20:36:00.001-04:00

My first attempt at dying. It turned into an accident color that is very pretty. I had the yarn all soaking while I went out to get the dyes. When I got back from the store, I realized I had forgotten to buy the sponge brushes. I tried out the dump it all in method. I think it turned out pretty nice. Ok so the color I was going for was burgundy and bronzey brown. Instead it turned into this sunset color. I think it is a nice "mistake". Tomorrow I will be painting the dye on to see how that goes.

My Crafty Sister

2007-06-23T10:22:00.000-04:00

My sister sent me an email yesterday with 3 pictures of some beautiful headbands she made. My sister also likes doing things with her hands. She has always like ribbons, drawing and painting. She paints and draws really well but got out of it because she got pregnant with twins while still working. Needless to say all she wanted to do when she got home was collapse into bed and sleep. This was 4 years ago, my nieces are 3 1/2 now, and she still has her paints but has yet to pick them back up. (Oh no, she did pick them up once when they moved into their new house. She painted their mailbox with pretty wisteria. It looks like it is growing up the post and the mailbox itself.) Now she is into ribbon headbands. They are really cute and I told her she needs to try and sell some. Tree has always had a good eye for color. I have too actually. I remember once when I was looking at a dress pattern I wanted to make and it was in this awful colored fabric. My best friend, Stacy, was like ewwww that is ugly. I said yeah its the fabric. She was totally convinced that the whole dress was. I showed her the fabric I was going to make it in and she just couldn't "see" it. She even went as far to say if I wore that she would laugh her head off. I said ok, made the dress, wore it to school and wouldn't you know it she was the first one to say OOOHH Melinda where did you get that beautiful dress?? I smirked and said It's the ugly dress. For some people color comes natural and it always has for my sister and me. I always took it for granted that everyone could see the potentials of something in another color but a lot of people can't. I always see something in my mind before it is actually done. I see the way it will be, the colors that would go good, how to arrange it and what the finished product will look like. My husband is always baffled with my color choices and says oh that wont look good. Those outfits usually are the ones he gets the most comments about. Sooooo I say all of this because..... I wanted to show everyone my sisters pretty ribbon headbands.

Blogging the night away

2007-06-21T21:01:00.000-04:00

I was checking out the many many blogs that I read and I found out one of my fav bloggers is having a contest. Check out her cute blog here.... Robyn's Words ..... I also got my dying yarn today! I am going out to get some things to start dying tomorrow. I am hoping to set up a shop on Etsy if all goes well. I am excited. I have love dying things since I was a teen. I used to dye clothes. Or whatever floated my boat. I wanted to get into silk painting but it was just too darn expensive to do. Now that I am into YARN my old love of dying is calling to me. I am going to do the painting on dyes on this batch. I love the effects. Dying yarn is so neat. You never really know what you are going to get. Even when you knit it up it looks totally different. I will be posting piccies of my new endeavor. Yall wish me luck!

Socks!

2007-06-20T16:34:00.000-04:00

The completed infamous Monkey Socks....

New sock....After posting the picture on the blog
I noticed this weird swirling effect the yarn is doing
I have to say I really like it.

My last sock looks so much better then the first one I ever did. I am so glad they are shaping up and looking better each time. Practice makes perfect I guess. I was listening to a pod cast I like called Stash and Burn. They were talking about things that are intimidating to knit and how when they first knitted they thought, oh I will never knit a sock that's too hard. LOL It's funny, what some perceive as hard other's perceive as easy. A sock is what I graduated to after knitting scarves. I look at sweaters and say oh not sure if I can knit that it looks so hard. I have the book Knitting Without Tears now and I just need to take the leap. It really isn't that hard if you break it up in pieces. I saw this cute shrug being made on knitty gritty and I have the yarn for it. I think I will make it next. I am going to make it longer though probably to my waist but still just put one button on it. I liked the way it looked with one button. It is a navy blue chunky yarn and I was thinking of getting maybe a huge, pale, pink rose button. I like navy blue with pink. I think it would look classy and also use up this yarn. I bought it for a patten in a book I have but the pattern has a mistake in it. I don't want to knit it now because I am not experienced enough to see mistakes sooooo now I have this yarn sitting in my yarn box. I hate having yarn that has no purpose in my stash. It is nice yarn, thick and soft, that will be perfect for this sweater pattern. I will start it after I finish my sisters stole.

GONE GONE GONE

2007-06-19T09:18:00.001-04:00

YES I finally finished the 2nd Monkey Sock!!!! It is drying right now on my drying rack and as soon as it is done, I will take a picture of the pair on my feet! Now I have started the sock from the sock a month club. I tried the lace pattern and couldn't figure it out soooo I am just doing a plain "vanilla" sock in the sock yarn I got. I like the way the sock is turning out with just the sock yarn. I really don't think it needs anything to dress it up. Check it out....

This and that

2007-06-17T18:10:00.000-04:00

It has been a super busy week. I am about 1/4 of the way done with my sisters present and on the rib part of the cuff on that last monkey sock!!! Whooo HOOOO. I so want to get them done and on my feet. That work a lace pattern a day thing really worked. I still haven't gotten a new needle from Knit Picks so my mom's socks are still sitting there. Ok for new news! I bought this yarn in the camel color so I could do this mystery stole! There is still time to sign up if you want to join in on the fun. I wanted to do some lace knitting and I love mysteries. I used to do mystery quilts when I quilted. They are fun and never thought about a mystery knitting project. I took a look at the other 2 she did and they are beautiful so I am sure I will like it.

Knitting In Public Day

2007-06-12T11:14:00.000-04:00

Well knitting in public day happened to be on my wedding anniversary soooo needless to say I didn't do much knitting this day. I in fact don't remember doing any at all. I did take my knitting with me so maybe that counts for something hehe. I did however buy this snazzy hot pink Ipod. I had some money saved up and they were selling them at Costco for way cheaper then I had seen anywhere else. It is a 4 gig one so plenty of room for all of my podcasts and books I listen to while I knit. I need to knit her a sock though so she doesn't get messy. But here is a picture of her in all her glory...

This morning I was getting a little knitting time in. I was knitting on my mom's sock using the magic loop method (which btw is the only way to go!! IMHO) on my size 0 (yes size 0, I knit very lose) knit picks circs, and when I went to pull the needle though the other side to start the next round the cord pulled out of the metal needle.
I think I stopped breathing... I was like oh nooooooo. Luckily I only dropped 3 stitches! They are saved on a DPN for now until Knit Picks send me the replacement.

I like Knit Picks needles and have been using them for 3 months now and this is the first time this has happened. I highly recommend them though because the joins on the cable is really nice. I ordered some of the bigger sized circs that have the detachable cords. They are such a great price. If you like metal circs then check them out.

Well since my needles broke I figured I would start on my sisters Christmas present. Can I tell you how uninspired I was about this? I looked through 3 stitch books and just didn't see anything that caught my eye so I decided to just do a garter stitch on size 13 needles. That way I can just block the shawl open and it will look lacy even though it isn't necessarily a lace stitch. Here is a picture of the beginning and the yarn here. I haven't used alpaca before but I do have an alpaca sweater and I have to say I love this yarn. Its like poodle fur it is so soft and supple.

Oh and the monkey sock well it's still coming. They sure are living up to there name and have become a literal monkey on my back. Ha! 5 more inches to go! I have made a deal with myself to start doing one lace pattern a day til they are finished. I want to get them off the needle. I really liked the first one AFTER it was bound off. But I really just hate this lace pattern hehe. Not sure why. I guess because it really doesn't make sense to me and doesn't have a rhyme or reason to it so therefore I can't memorize it. It is only 9 rows of lace but for some reason I just can't remember it. SIGH

On to something not knit related. Ok maybe somewhat knit related.... I found a blog about knitting from the Yarn Harlot I believe and the lady was talking about going no poo. I was like huh??? It is about not washing your hair anymore because shampoo has chemicals in it that do more harm to your hair then help. I read up on it and thought hmmm I wonder if it would work on my hair. I have really oily hair and it is very fine. I have a hard time with it being fluffy or anywhere near fluffy and have to be careful with the shampoos or poos that I use because they weigh it down. I tried it today and just rinsed my hair in water and a little baking soda. My scalp feels a little dirty but not like I thought it would feel and my hair feels nice and soft. No little frizzies at all. So far so good! That would be so nice not to have to shampoo everyday anymore I don't really like to wash my hair so much but I just thought that there was no other way. I found out info on just by Googling. You can Google anything now and find info on it hehe.

Something I read...

2007-06-08T22:25:00.000-04:00

Wow I just read Knitman blog and his last post made me so sad. Why do people think that Christians hate everyone that isn't just like them? I know through the years a lot of things have been done in the name of God that aren't good and are just plain evil. The thing is if you live the way God wants us to and model ourselves after Jesus then we become love. God is love. Pure and simple. That is who he is. Human beings are the ones who do things that are evil. We fall short of the way we are suppose to be and some even go far beyond what God's plan is for them. Some kill, hurt, and destroy and say they are doing it because God told them to. Those are only a few though and they seem to be the only ones that get the attention. The good stuff never gets put out in front only the bad. The media doesn't tell the stories of good that Christians all over are doing. They only tell about how this person who claimed to be a Christian killed a black guy. They only show on TV shows the Christians who are crazies and weirdos. People I wouldn't even want to hang out with cause they are over the top and totally not what God is. It is very sad and I know it saddens God all the hurt that is in this world. That is why Jesus died for us so that we can have hope and peace and spread hope and peace and joy and love to others. This world is the pits and the things people do and say are the pits but there is Jesus and what he says is truth. If you read the Bible, I mean truly read it, you would see it.

How I learned to knit

2007-06-06T13:00:00.001-04:00

When I was around 12 my mom taught me how to crochet. I had admired for years a wool afghan my great grandmother had made. I asked her how it was made and she told me it was crocheted. I wanted to learn how to crochet so she taught me. I made various little barbie sized things and a couple of pot holder type things, but it never went any further. I didn't really like the fabric crochet made. My mom also is a knitter and when I was 16 I asked her to teach me. I then proceeded to knit a scarf. I don't remember what stitch I used to make it, probably just a garter stitch, but it was totally unwearable. It turned out as wavy as the ocean and no matter what I did to it, it wouldn't lay flat. I didn't know how come my poor scarf turned out this way but I decided I just couldn't knit.

Move ahead 16 years to a time when I was sitting watching HGTV. There was a show on called Crafters across the US or something like that and there was a lady that was knitting up purses out of wool/acrylic blend and then felting them. They were really cute and I wanted to make one. I didn't know how to knit!!! I thought about that scarf I knitted and how wavy it was. I thought about how that lady on TV made it look so easy. I was determined I was going to learn to knit. I ran to JoAnne's picked up some yarn and knitting needles, went home, and proceeded to knit this purse. It turned out really cute! I fell in love with knitting right then and there. I also figured out what I did to that poor scarf when I was 16. I made a perfectly common n00b knitter mistake. I wasn't taking the stitches off correctly so therefore I was increasing and decreasing thus making waves.

The moral of the story? Well just run out, get some pointy sticks and some string, and start knitting.... If I can do it anyone can.

Knitting Speed

2007-06-05T12:52:00.001-04:00

The topic of speed knitting came up on one of my email lists called Sockknitters. I thought this was an interesting topic so I will blog about it. Some of the knitters said that they don't want to speed up their knitting and can't understand why anyone would want to. Some said that they enjoy knitting for the pure enjoyment of knitting so that is why they could careless how fast they knit. Others commented that the world is a hurry up and get ur done world (southern phrase added in is mine ;)). Still others said they would love to beable to knit faster because then they could get onto the next skein of beautiful yarn.

My opinion on this is.... I would like to be able to knit faster. I don't want to be a speed demon knitter who knits more like a machine then a person, but it would be nicer to be able to knit a pair of socks in one week. The reason isn't because I want instant gratifacation. I already have that as soon as I pick up my needles and knit one stitch. It is because I have so many things moving around in my head of things that I want to knit for the people I love. I want to knit my mom a shawl that she fell in love with. I want to knit my sister a really cute summery sweater. I want to knit my nieces these super cute dolls with clothes I found a pattern for. I want to knit my hubby some socks. My youngest son wants a griphandor hat and scarf. I want to design my own sweaters. I have an idea in my head right now of the first one I will be making. This is why I want to knit faster because I want to shower my loved ones with gifts. I want to wrap them up in the love I knit into each stitch. I want to know that they are safe and warm, wraped in the things I have knit for them. It's alright though I will keep on knitting and the projects I have in my mind will wait and be checked off eventually, given away as they are finished. I will sit back and enjoy each project as they come and continue to dream about the future ones.

The Beach and Knitting

2007-06-03T09:56:00.001-04:00

Well we finally made it to VA Beach. It was a great day to go too. The weather was absolutely perfect. The sun was high. The sky was blue. The ocean was well umm bluey, grey and COLD. The sand was sandy. Best of all I was hanging out with my guys. We had a great time with only one mishap. Liam decided to stand in the water for too long and the water washes the sand out from beneath your feet when you do that. It isn't so bad unless you are a balanced challenged person, such as he. He flipped backwards onto his back like he was walking on ice with a wave rolling in behind him.. I sort of freaked out because when he fell I had visions of him being swept out to sea on the next big wave. Liam got upset because I was upset. It took about 30 minutes for him to calm down. Every time I tried to say I was sorry for getting upset he would say I don't want to be around Mom. Poor thing I felt bad for making the situation worse.

We strolled along the boardwalk after that for a while taking pictures. When we came to a huge conch shell statue, his mood improved greatly. He loves conch shells probably due to Sponge Bob and his magic conch shell episode. After that, he was making his happy noises so everything was rosy.

Ok, so I did take pictures but I forgot my camera and had to use Dad's and well for some reason they didn't show up on his not so new computer. We will be going back next month so I will be taking more pictures with my own camera. I intend to take the same exact ones I took yesterday. That way I can show everyone the fun we had.

As for knitting.... I knitted in the car on the way up and back and some at my dad's while we sat and talked. I think my monkey sock is in that black hole of knitting as the Yarn Harlot mentions in her new book. I must have knitted one million stitches on that sock yesterday and it still isn't long enough to start the heal gusset! I kept trying it on and the last time I did and complained to my dearest, wise hubby. He says "Well just keep knitting and stop worrying about it" I was like HUH wow what a concept! Stop obsessing over the length of my sock. Hmmm was it possible? I put it into practice while I was knitting on the way back home. I still don't know if it's long enough BUT I did stop the obsession.

Knitty Websites

2007-05-31T13:28:00.001-04:00

Today I was just looking around on the Internet and I found a couple of really neat sites.

White Lies Designs.... Vintage inspired designs. You can buy kits or just the pattern. I love Vintage stuff especially the 30's and 40's styles.

Marni MacLean .... This lady has some very pretty designs that are just up my alley.

Vintage Knitting Blog.... some cute pictures of vintage knitting.

There are so many things on the internet you could get lost for days. Ok back to knitting

Classic Dames Test

2007-05-29T22:25:00.000-04:00

Your Score: Carole Lombard

You scored 23% grit, 4% wit, 42% flair, and 47% class!

You're a little bit of a fruitcake, but you always act out in style. You have a good sense of humor, are game for almost anything, but you like to have nice things about you and are attracted to the high life. You're stylish and modern, but you've got a few rough edges that keep you from attaining true sophistication. Your leading men include William Powell, Fredric March, and Clark Gable. Watch out for small planes.

Find out what kind of classic leading man you'd make by taking the
Classic Leading Man Test.

Link: The Classic Dames Test written by gidgetgoes on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

I've been tagged!

2007-05-29T19:06:00.000-04:00

My new blogging friend at Knit a Life tagged me soooo here goes

The rules: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1. I am a shy person until I get to know you then I can talk your ear off... Literally.

2. When I was in 3rd grade I was too much of a lady to raise my hand in class to ask to go to the bathroom. My teacher was going around after our math lesson to everyone to see if we had questions and such so I thought I would just wait til she got to me then ask. Well she was one row over and I guess I needed to go more then I thought and I peed in my pants. I didn't just pee a little bit it was a river. I was soooooo embarrassed but no one ever made fun of me. I think everyone was just as embarrassed for me as I was.

3. I love to sing. I have sung ever since I can remember. I was in a play at church one time in which I was the lead and I think that was my most shining moment. I also sang on the youth worship team. That was tons of fun and I made some great friends. My favorite part of church is the worship time. I have always wanted to get to church early so we were sure not to miss it. I would stay in the big church for worship and then go to children's church afterwards because I loved the worship songs grown ups sang. I didn't like the kiddie songs they always sang in the back.

4. I have three year old twin nieces that are adorable. They will be visiting soon so I will post pictures when they do.

5. I love being a mom and a wife. That is what I always wanted to be growing up. I always dreamed about getting married and having my 3 children. 2 boys and 1 girl. I have the 2 boys so far but the girl is yet to come.

6. I always thought it would be neat to be an actress and act for a living. I love to pretend and that is basically what actress and actors do.

7. I love God with all my heart and soul. A lot of times when I sit and knit I will meditate on God and think about all the wonderful things he has given me.

I tag:

Embellish Knits --- neat and interesting lady
Robyn's Words ---- funny posts along with some yarn porn thrown in

The things I did this weekend.....

2007-05-29T18:42:00.000-04:00

I know I promised pictures but I didn't take any. I am still feeling hectic from our busy weekend. I finished one of my monkey socks and now am working on the toe of the 2nd one. I washed my first pair of socks and they are so comfy, even with the odd toes. They feel kind of squishy when you walk and spongy. I have never had wool socks and I must say I like that walking on sponge feeling you get. Kind of like the are you gelling commercials. If everyone wore hand knitted wool socks we wouldn't need those jelly things in our shoes. I am here on out a firm believer in wool socks. I know what everyone has been raving about.

Well this Saturday we went to my all time favorite store in the whole world. IKEA. I loooove this store. They have the greatest deals on furniture I have ever seen. The whole concept is that it is modular. You put pretty much everything together except of course if you are getting a sofa. You then just put the cover on it and attache the hardware. I got the neatest desk. It has a glass top and etched into the underside of it is the word love in about 10 different languages. The go in all different directions. It is really very cute and screamed Melinda take me home when I saw it. Underneath it keeping it up are 2 pine unites that hold various things. It doesn't have a lot of storage but it will make due for now. We also got a rug in different shades of blue for the office. It practically covers the whole floor and it was only 50 dollars. I got 4 curtains for the front room. They aren't in the color I wanted but they cover the window and that's what I wanted for right now. I got tired of feeling so naked without anything across them. I also got 4 pillow covers 2 red linen ones and 2 orange and white canvas ones to go in my living room. I had the pillows from the other couches but they are ugly brown and needed to be covered. Oh and I got the cutest tote that holds a knitting project perfectly. It has a pocket in the front that will hold a magazine. I have been looking for a tote for my knitting for a few weeks now and I couldn't find anything I liked that wasn't too expensive. I didn't want a knitting bag that said hey I am a knitter. Not that there is anything wrong with that but I just don't like the look of knitting needles stuck into weird slots all around the outside of your purse. I like everything tucked neatly away from view and also harm or the elements. This bag is the perfect size and it was only 4 bucks! Have I said that I like IKEA? It is an awesome store.

Well that is all for today. I will post some pictures of everything when it is sunny outside. I have new yarn to post too.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-27T11:13:00.000-04:00

I haven't forgotten about posting. I have just been super busy. Tuesday I will have pictures of yarn and my new snazzy desk that I love! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Why I like knitting and other things....

2007-05-24T08:51:00.000-04:00

I was reading The Yarn Harlot's new book last night (i think it's her newest) Casts Off. One of the things I read was the question people ask who aren't knitters "Why do you like to knit?". I knit because of many reasons. I knit to make pretty things for my family and myself. I knit because it is very relaxing. I knit because I can take this craft, unlike other crafts like quilting or beading, with me where ever I go. I knit because it makes me feel connected with the many knitters that have come before me, the ones who will come after me and all the knitters in between. I love the challenge it gives me every step of the pattern. I knit because it makes me happy. Those are all of the good points of knitting. I even despise it sometimes. I think sometimes ok if I have to do one more row of stockinette stitch I will scream. Sometimes I get so frustrated after having to rip something out for the 80 millionth time I want to break something. There are even times when I put a project down and don't pick it back up for weeks. I don't really like sewing seams up. I have always hated hand sewing. I despise picking up stitches. After all the bad why do I still like knitting? One sentence Stephanie wrote summed it all up for me really.... "When I get over my initial shock at their statement, I realize the truth: I don't like knitting.... I love knitting and when you love something you don't just give up on it the minute it stops being fun."

Ok now onto the Lost episode. I was soooooo pumped up for it. I was sitting waiting in anticipation and excitement for the show to come on 15 minutes before it was scheduled to. It was very disappointing. No cliff hanger ending just more questions that I am not really sure I care if they are ever answer. Then I thought oh maybe the writers are trying to get you to think about the show instead of BOOM and then it ends til next fall. I have thought and I have thought. The only conclusion I could come up with is it was LAME! I think really the only good part of the show was when Hurly comes out of the jungle in that beat up old VW bus and runs over one of the bad guys. It was a very disappointing show not very Lost like at all. I am not sure what the writers were thinking but in my opinion this is the worst episode in the history of the show.

Hmmmm what should I blog about today....

2007-05-23T19:45:00.000-04:00

I realized that I hadn't blogged yet today. I was so busy..... lets see I washed towels.... I knitted.... I folded said towels.... I knitted..... I washed the curtains in the kitchen.... I knitted.... I hung the curtains back up... I knitted.... I read a little of new book which was about knitting.... I cooked dinner.... I knitted whilst dinner cooked.... I ate dinner... and then I wanted to sit down and knit some more but realized I have to blog because that is one of the rules I set for myself.

The Monkey sock is coming along. I turned the heel and started on the leg. I really like the way it is turning out. I hate picking up stitches and this way I didn't have to. You kind of knit in the round and do the gusset by increasing a stitch on each side of the sole of the sock. Since I am using the magic loop method I just do the increases on either side of the 2nd needle. Then when you get to the right amount of increases. Which are about 15 for my foot you turn the heel by doing a short row. It magically turns into a heel and then you just knit in the round and thus the leg starts. Pretty simple. I like it so much better then the pick up stitches method.

On that note my hubby just reminded me the season premier of Lost comes on tonight in 1 hour! Whooo Hoooo. Ok now Lost is one show that I do not knit through because I can't knit and not look at my knitting all the time yet and I don't want to miss one minuted of Lost. I have to go get ready now to watch one of the best shows evah!

Monkey Sock Progress

2007-05-22T10:46:00.001-04:00

I have my first monkey sock half finished now. I can probably start on the heel flap after one more round of lace. I am looooooving it. The yarn I am using is from the Brown Sheep Company Cotton Fine in the colorway Wisteria. It is 80% cotton and 20% merino wool. I know they aren't machine washable but I don't really have stinky feet and I can just wash them by hand. This yarn feels sooooo soft and it has a slight sheen to it. It kind of reminds me of the cotton skeins you use for cross stitching but it has a slightly rougher feel.

I also joined a Sock of the Month club. (click to see the page) I got my first sock goodie from them yesterday! It is the Tofutsies sock yarn in the colorway #733. Hmm guess they don't have names. It is 50% Superwash wool 25% soy silk 20% Cotton and 2.5% Chitin (which it says is from shrimp). So I will dub these the shrimp socks. I wonder if people who are allergic to shrimp could wear these? The pattern that came with the yarn is called Daylily. It is a very open lacy pattern. You will see what these look like after I have started knitting them but for now here is a picture of the yarn!

The Weekend

2007-05-21T09:13:00.000-04:00

Well this weekend was kind of messed up. The whole family were suppose to go to VA Beach to visit my dad on Sat. We had very good intentions. We started out of the house at 5 to 8 am. We wanted a head start to beat the traffic. We are 5 minutes on the road and Lars says well I have to get gas and then we can stop at McDonalds. I am thinking ok there goes 30 minutes of our trip that's cutting it too close. We stop for gas and there is some problem with the bank and Lars has to spend 20 minutes on the phone to get it straight so we can get gas. Sooooo we ended up not really leaving til 9:15. I told Lars we are going to hit traffic. He said nah its too cold people wont want to go to the beach today. Everything was fine and dandy til we got to Williamsburg, BAM traffic. We road in that for an hour and 20 minutes. No end in site that I could see and we couldn't find a radio station that was talking about the traffic. We were still 11 miles from Hampton and at this rate we would have gotten to the beach by 3 or 4. We turned around and headed home. I wasn't about to sit in traffic all day. Sooooo bad news no beach pictures. Good news during this I finished my 2nd sock! I am fairly happy with the way they turned out. The secound sock is soooo much better then the first, but I am not about to rip it apart just for a few mistakes. I will just chalk it up to my first sock experience and enjoy wearing them. I put them on and they are very comfortable.

I have started on my Purple Monkey sock. I wanted to do a toe up sock this time and since I don't have a crochet hook and am too lazy to go get a crochet hook I had to start the toe a little different. I tried the make a rectangle and then pick up stitches. Yeah didn't work. I hate hate hate picking up stitches. Not sure why but I just do. It seems very tedious to me to do on such tiny little stitches. Next I tried the figure 8 CO method. LOL Ok that was a total flop. I just could not get it to work. I tried it about 80 million times before I went back to the net and searched for another method. Lastly I tried the Turkish CO method. I have to say this one is fairly simple and straight forward. I could keep the tension tight and it just seems the easiest. After I CO I had to start the toe increases. Let me tell you I am an absolute pro at this Turkish CO now since I had to rip out the toe and do it over about 6 times. I just couldn't figure out how to do it. Then silly me I got out my Knitters Companion and hey lookie here PICTURES! on how to do the increases.

Now I am going to talk about this little book Knitters Companion. I don't care if you are the most experienced knitter there ever was you need this book! It is awesome. It has anything you ever wanted to know on how to cast on to how to decrease and increase to what size head a child of 6 months has. I highly recommend this book. It is hard back and flips completely open so you can lean it on itself kind of like a flip book or lay it completely flat. It is also small enough to fit into a knitting bag. The only complaint I have is the index isn't big enough. I like indexes that index every word you possibly would need to look up something and this book only has a one page index. A little small. That is ok the rest of the goodie in the book out weight the small, teeny, tiny, microscopic (did I mention the index is small?) index.

My Summer Knitting Goals

2007-05-18T09:39:00.000-04:00

I was reading another blog this morning and she is having a contest. I figured I would enter. You can find the contest at this lovely little blog here.

1. I want to knit at least 2 more pairs of socks. I am going to make this pattern and I haven't decided on the 2nd yet.
2. I want to start on Christmas presents. I am not going to post them as since I have just sent links to my family to read my blog and they are for them. LOL
3. To blog everyday barring illness or holidays.
4. I want to start and finish this cute little tank top that I found in Vintage Knits by Sarah Dallas. I love the patterns in this book. Sarah took vintage patterns from the 30's and 40's and modernized them. Basically she changed up the colors. I love the outfits in the 30's and 40's they used to wear. They are still classics today. These are all sweaters or tank tops though no skirts. I know they wore knitted skirts too I have seen a few in movies I love to watch.

Well that's it for now on to knitting!

Mommy Survey

2007-05-17T13:32:00.000-04:00

I saw this on Knit and Purl Momma Blog

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? No
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? No
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? I was nervous but got used to the idea after I fell in love with the baby
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? NO WAY~
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 19
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? After puking my guts out for most of 3 months I took a pregnancy test
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? My mom
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? No
9. DUE DATE? Oct 15, 1991
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? 4 months straight
11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Chocolate
12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Strong smells
13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Male
14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? At first yes, but then I fell for all things boys!
15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? 25
16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Yes
17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? No.
19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Chesapeake General
20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? 5 hours
21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? My boyfriend at the time.
22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? I think my whole family was in there but I am not sure lol I was so out of it and there were so many people in there.
23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural
24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? No
25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 9 lbs 11 oz
26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ? Aug 15, 1991
27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Jerath Ian
28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? He is 15 years old.

Now I tag anyone who reads my blog

What I am working on

2007-05-17T09:36:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of what I am currently working on. I have to tweak the sock pattern a little. I have a high arch and it doesn't really fit my arch. The sock kind of bags in that area. All in all it is a pretty comfortable sock and I am happy with the way they turned out. I will try a lace pattern with the second pair. Also I will try it toe up. I like the toes on those better. They look more like socks should instead of all pointy at the toe.