Perfect Dream.... sort of.

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.

Talking on Tuesday

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!!

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.

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

I reverted

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.

Knitting Obsession

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.

Getting old and a couple of books...

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.

Tilted Duster

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.

Dog Days of Summer

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.

Website I found

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.....

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.

Socks!

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.

Knitting Speed

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 things I did this weekend.....

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.

Why I like knitting and other things....

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....

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!

What I am working on

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.