Where is my blog mojo?

I've got my knitting mojo going somewhat with Christmas looming closer, but blogging has been WAY on the back burner for me lately. I've always thought it was kind of sad and wondered why people just abandoned their blogs, or decided to say their "blogland farewells" when I'd be browsing. Now I understand. I'm tired. And time gets away from me because of other things going on.

But I got the push I needed today because Dawn in CA is having a contest on her blog. I'm adding your button Dawn.

Gotta keep up with my knitting at least. Here's some of the latest:

Pattern: Embossed Leaves
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Select Semi Solids
Colorway: Lotus
Size 1 needles magic loop
Heavily modified: Long tail cast on used, not as many repeats on leg, didn't cut yarn for heel, and I did a regular toe as I didn't like how the star one looked. All in all, I changed it quite a bit! But I got a sock that was more fun for me to knit.

I really liked this yarn worked up in simple stockinette but thought "LEAVES would be GREAT with this!". Sometimes it's better to leave things alone. So what do you do when you change your mind after the fact? Dye them.
I used my Knitpicks acid dye to make them a deeper emerald green. I think patterned socks look so much better in a solid color and now these make me happier. Now I can see the leaves and the pretty details even with some slight varigation still.

Next:

Pattern: Merlot
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden
Colorway: #8
Needles size 7 & 9 (I always use a smaller needle for the brim of hats).
This is a Christmas present for my Auntie in CA. She loves, loves, loves Blue. This was a cool pattern, I'll defiitely use it again. The yarn is such a pretty, bright, and vibrant blue (even though my picture doesn't portray that as much) so I made her these to match:


Pattern: Cranford Mitts
Yarn: Knitpicks Bare Superwash Fingering - Dyed with Sapphire Acid Dye
Size 2 needles

Loved this pattern but they aren't very warm! I may make her a plain set as well for a bit more coverage. It's funny, my hat picture is too dark and this one is too light! These are a deeper blue than they appear here. Someday I need a digital photography class!!!

A few more things have been in the works. Not always working out to my satisfaction. I just finished a cabled scarf for The Big Guy for Christmas but it turned into a big, fat UGH! I used Caron Simply Soft in Black (because I've always been happy with this yarn) but I could tell even when I was knitting it up that there were fuzzy issues already happening. I should've just STOPPED, but I thought maybe with a wash and some de-fuzzing it might be salvageable.

NOT.

He's getting a store bought one this year. I'll try the pattern again one day in a different yarn. Fathers Day 2010?

Happy Knitting!

Whiskers On Wednesday

Sophie is the only one who still fits in the Elmo Chair so it has to stay in the house. I couldn't part with it anyway, the girls loved their little chairs many moons ago! I can still see them sitting there watching their movies and cartoons.....sigh....

We're all a bit sad over here, even the cats. My Baby Miss C is on a school camping trip in the woods for three days and this is one Mom who isn't good at letting go. I woke up last night with an anxiety attack wondering why I ever agreed to let her go. I'll tell you why, her Daddy says she'll be just fine! WHY do I listen to him??? I also see her coming back with only HALF the stuff she took with her. She's just a little..um..flighty at times. I think that's why God made Mom's, if we didn't remind them about everything, where would they be? We shall see. I'm going to be a mess for the next three days, that's all I know for sure.

What a weekend!

Well. Saturday. I was totally unconscious yesterday (read: really, REALLY worn out). We must've ran 5 gazillion errands this past Saturday. One of my stops was to turn in the 36 preemie hats I made to the LYS. I had wanted to make at least 50, but 36 isn't anything to be ashamed of I guess. There were some really adorable ones turned in! And to top it off they said we'll blow last year's total out of the water. That's awesome. The Babies will have warm heads this winter for sure!


They filled up the wall, and the play-pen on the side there is almost full as well! Go Knitters!!

I also went ahead and bought the exercise bike I wanted awhile back (the one where I bought my camera instead) . I'm glad we waited, we ended up getting the floor model because they didn't have any more in stock and got 40% off. The Big Guy likes a bargain! And it doesn't take up much room so he's happy about that too. We just threw it in the back of the van and brought it home, no assembly required! It's nice and SMOOTH. Love it. Now let's just see if I actually get on it. I did Saturday and this morning. That's a start at least.

While we were there a service doggie had a little accident. Seeing that doggie's face about broke my heart. You could see it was very upset it had done that by it's ears and eyes. The lady didn't seem too happy about it so of course I was worried sick about her being angry with the puppy for the rest of the afternoon. They're prepared for that kind of thing, she had everything with her she needed to clean it up but I couldn't get that puppy's eyes out of my mind. Hours later, after about another billion errands, we went to Red Robin for a late lunch and lo and behold, they walked in! I think God was trying to tell me the doggie was okay. I had my back to them in the booth but Richard said she was giving the doggie lots of love. Whew. Animals can sure tug at you. That doggie's eyes I'll never forget.

It was Game Day so of course you see a lot of this:

And this:

I wish I'd remembered I had my camera sooner. These are kind of lame but there were SO many others really decked out you wonder how they don't cause an accident with all the doo-dads, pompoms, and flags all over their cars! It's a hoot. College football makes some people (cough...the big guy...cough) a little nutty I think. I'd just never seen the flags and car stuff until we moved here.

Off to knit something.

It's Only Knitting...

Or "I Hope I Never See This *&%*# Pattern Ever Again".

Just kidding. These just about drove me insane, but it's because of ME that they had so many problems after all. These are the ones that suffered being ripped completely about 3 times, and had Sasha chew up their needle. Oh, it just went on and on. And it was all on mitt #2 too. She just didn't want to cooperate.

This was the last doozie I did. Why did I look at the cables and think to myself "hey, that doesn't look quite right" and just keep on knitting. AND BIND OFF? Must be the flu and Fibro issues going on in my house this month....

But, Scarlett was right, "tomorrow is another day". You just have to buck up and rip out your bind off, tink back to the right row and start over.

Yes, a knitter can do anything. (But this is clearly why I don't knit shawls and bigger things like sweaters). And in the end it's love.


Miss J loves them. She wanted them. She got them. All that matters is making my baby girl happy.

Pattern: Yummy Mummy Mitts
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock - Tiziano Red
Size 2 Magic Loop

Latest Bummer: missed my knitting meeting yesterday due to a nasty migraine and the pouring outside of cats and dogs. But I was missed. And that always feels good. I <3 Knitters.

Whiskers On Wednesday

I've had to start Jessica's second fingerless mitt a few times so far. At least this time it wasn't all MY fault. Here's the proof:



It's not all Sasha's fault either I guess, because the stitches came off the needles sort of by accident the first time. I got them back on - barely- but by pulling it out a second time (and realizing my needle was "chomped" in two) I pulled them off again on one side. Oops. With all the cables and twists and such on teeny tiny needles, I finally just frogged the whole dang thing and started over... AGAIN. I'm starting to wonder if this pair was ever meant to be....

Sasha says:



"See how ADORABLE I am!!"

Life Lately & Some Knitting

Flu. Darn Flu. The kids. The Big Guy. Me.

Good news is we're on the flip side of it and getting better little by little. Honestly, we've been sicker with the flu in the past but I feel crummy most of the time anyway, and even though I didn't get it as bad as they did, I think it's holding onto me for some reason. Just that really worn out feeling. Dragging. AND, I did everything they said to do and then some: wash hands constantly, clean house (over and over), wash bedding etc. It. does. not. work. Just an FYI. If you're gonna get it, you're gonna get it. "Back to school" was the trigger it needed to just explode here where we live.

The Hello Kitty band-aids and neosporin are for my injured left pinky finger. I cut a nice slice into it over a week ago and it's still trying to heal up. You don't know how much you use that little digit until it hurts to anymore! Typing is now done with 9 fingers. I'm giving it another week, if it's still so tender I think I'll get it checked out. Just a gut feeling now that maybe I should've from the get go.

And miracle of miracles: I've actually gotten things done in the fiber world even though I've had many days of NOT picking up any needles or hooks lately. Twilight Zone moment here. Oh well, just glad some things are getting done.

Chelsea's Nalu Mitts.
Size 1 needles (I think) could be 1 1/2.
Malabrigo Sock - Tiziano Red.
(Sooooo soft to work with. Love Malabrigo Sock.)
Okay, I was pretty sick of all the twisted stitches but they did turn out pretty cool and she loves them. I have no clue when I got these done. Really. Not. A. Clue. I think it was sometime in August.

These are some very soft washcloths for my Mom. I hope she'll use them. Usually she puts them up on things like doilies! She's so funny! I saw this worked up at the new LYS I went by, bought the yarn there, and then later emailed her to ask about the pattern. They were using it for a class so that's why I didn't ask for it while I was there but I figured I bought the yarn there, what the heck right? What she emailed me was very kind, but it was a mess. In crochet, brackets, commas, etc are VERY important to the pattern and it was seriously lacking. I had already found something similar called Crochet Dandy Dishcloth and it worked up the same pretty much. I modified my own edging on the top one using a sc, then dc, then shell stitch border. I actually like my own a bit better! ;O)

Yarn: Jeannee
Size H hook
one ball of the green made both cloths.
After I washed them they got a little bit pilly but I'll fix that before I send them to Mom.

More mitts in the works right now, and a few small things for the holidays like The Big Guys Scarf and hopefully a pair of socks for him.

Happy Knitting! (or Crocheting!)
Ps. Got an Anniversary MAC laptop. Sweet Sweet Man of Mine!!

20 Years! Wow!

September 2, 1989
We were engaged 3 months after we met and married 6 months after that.
When your heart (and your cat) knows...., you know.

He's still taking care of me (bandaged my cut pinky finger today),

Still loving me (he's taking me on a special trip WITHOUT the kids soon!),
And still putting up with me. (always! -sigh!- I'm spoiled.)

Thank You Big Guy. You're my best friend,
the BEST Dad, and you still make my heart skip a beat when
I see you, hear your voice, or think of you.

I love you.

Our Song:

ETA: posted EST but apparently even though my settings are for EST, blogger still goes with PST!