Knot in my noro!!

So I finished 2 washcloths for my neighbor, and decided to pick up the lovely Noro Kureyon I bought on sale at WEBS last week. I have decided my four lovely skeins just have to be felted mary janes. Being the rebel I am, I am not following a pattern and I didn't even test a swatch to see how it felts...We shall see how they turn out. I was planning to match the beginnings of the yarns to make sure the variegation matches up thus having matching mary janes....however, last night I came to a little problem. See it down there? the 5th stitch from the right, that little knot! Do you also notice how the two ends are not even the same color?! Now, I know that this happens, even in nice yarn, but give me a break yarn gods! I know this yarn was an impulse purchase that I really needed like I need another hole in my head, but must I be punished like this? Ahh well, so what to do? I am very open to any suggestion that you ladies in the know have for me. I want the slippers to match...Do I find the similar colors in another skein and graft them like the this one? or Frog and start with a new skein?
You know I so understand now why I have read so many gushing about Noro... I am such a fan already and can think of many things I would like to do with this yarn...the color changes are breathtaking and I feel a haiku coming over me...

Noro Kureyon
a canyon sunset revealed
muted yet vibrant.

later...I have made up my mind to start over and use the above knitted bit as a swatch...felted and everything...

Nonsense

Things from my email...Tell 10 friends!Get a mammogram! The author of the "story of hope" (which is the first thing you see on the site) had the same name I do...I just felt it needed to be recognized
Political Correctness: one for me...two for The Gaming One
She does not get "DRUNK" or "TIPSY" - She gets "CHEMICALLY INCONVENIENCED."
He is not a "CRADLE ROBBER" - He prefers "GENERATIONAL DIFFERENTIAL RELATIONSHIPS." He is not "HORNY" - He is "SEXUALLY FOCUSED." Too. damn. funny.

Just a bit of knitting today... I was inspired by Persnickety Knitter to make some washcloths for a neighbor who was quite neighborly as a little thank you. It turns out those pretty little bags some liquor companies swaddle their lovely brew in (I just realized both companies I know of -Crown Royal and Canadian Club Classic- are Canadian...more things from Canada I like...) make great small project bags.... That is, if ya don't mind the dirty stares from the southern baptist folk. I am not saying anything bad about southern baptist, they just don't condone drinkin' y'all....Speaking of not condoning drinking -tangent- when I was in kindergarten I kept all my crayons in a pretty purple bag with gold writing...I thought that was the prettiest bag I had ever seen. I felt like a princess taking my crayons from such a fancy bag; however, I was forbidden by the parents to take my beautiful bag of crayons to school. I did not realize at the tender age of 5 that the beautiful golden script adorning my princess crayon bag read: Crown Royal. But, my pride got the best of me. I tucked my beautiful bag into my backpack and proudly took it to school to show my classmates. Well, when my teacher saw it she was not too happy. I was sent to the principal's office and my parents were called to school because I had liquor paraphernalia at school....That day, boys and girls, I learned to obey even if I do not understand. A lesson that has served me well.

I am about 10 rows away from the first dropped stitches on MIL Clapotis, so y'all know I am getting excited about that, but I am really putting the finishing touches on my stalker swap package. All sent.

I really hope my person likes their package. I am trying to take pictures of everything before I send and will post when appropriate. I am also joining the Sexy Knitters in knitting the Somewhat cowl for Trucker Mamma for Mother's Day.

I love this and must do it for The Girl Wonder's 10th birthday on the 3rd! Snack Cake Sushi

I am in the Sistah Friends Knitting Ring thanks to Emmie. I am looking forward to getting to know those gals...

Family and stalker goodness...

I figured out my bloggy problems I think... and have had a great week...Trucker Mamma is home and we have spent much time together, my pregnant sister is doing fairly well...I finally met cousin K's baby girl Awww...she was so little and cute it made my ovaries hurt...
I had a bonding experience with the Girl Wonder over paper crafts....
Here are her first efforts...
She has such refined tastes! Her's turned out quite nice, and as soon as she completes this set I will post pics of them. Mine are a secret!

technical difficulty...

sorry about the crazy look of the blog....somehow I managed to completely fuck up my text...anyone who knows how I can fix it would be my new hero! I am going to visit my parents, but will tackle this issue tonight when I get home...and maybe even post some knitting goodness...

WTF!!

I love to read other people's blogs and click on various links on their sidebar...catchy blog titles, odd links, whatever...Well I followed this link and just wondered what the fuck these gals were thinking! I love Japanese food, the culture, cute Japanese women in their beautiful silks, but this was where I had to draw the line...The Gaming One would bust a nut laughing at me if I even thought about pulling off that look!

I have the knitting ADD...

So I have not been blogging much (at all) this week. On the homeschooling front, it is test time and The Girl Wonder has been working on her California Achievement Test. It is so strange, but she really considers it FUN! We are unschoolers, meaning we let the kids learn what they are interested in and learn from the world around them instead of sitting down with textbooks, so, we never test...the kids just do it until they learn it! She sees the test as a fun change of pace. The weather has also been beautiful and I have spent much time outside with the little ones, but my fingers have been busy y'all! I have started lots of projects....first there is the Craftster stalker swap knitting goodness (I ain't telling what it is until it is sent) but here is a teaser pic....

I have also been working on the Shaped Jacket from w05-06 Vogue Knitting. All was well until I realized that I fucked up my side shaping. Of course I did not realize this until I was to the armhole shaping...that ball of yarn is all the rows I frogged. I knit the back and to the armhole in about 5 days, but after noticing the mistake, I was just mad at it so I started something else...

...a Clapotis in alpaca...it is so light and fluffy warm, I am really gonna hate to give this away...And I would like to thank you Emms for the so smart suggestion of purling the stitches that are to be dropped instead of using stitch markers...I was having such a hard time keeping the stitch markers out of the way of the lightweight loveliness that is that alpaca!

I also started an amigurumi monkey for my saturday tea-time friend...

and like I do not have enough to do I decided a bit of SEX may do me right... some cotton Sugar 'n Cream for some dishcloths for my Momma. And some Paton's Classic Wool for a French Market Bag.

Oh, yeah, also waiting for me at the Post Office is yarn for a cardigan for Gaming One and yarn for the Silk Corset Top that I was just sooo sure would be the next KAL for the Sexy Knitters Club. Well, the sexy knitters picked two other tops instead, so I will be knitting Silk Corset all by my lonesome. I was really looking forward to joining the KAL but really do not think I would wear either of the tops that were choosen. Maybe next time...

Project Spectrum: Pink & Red

Since I am not knitting too much with pink and red I thought I would share some of my other favorite thing pink and red in no particular order...The Gaming One also grows orchids in his not-so-spare time. This slipper orchid (I will not bore you with scientific names-to be read as I can not remember it's scientific name!) is blooming now and has been for the past three or four weeks! It will probably keep its flower for another month if we are lucky!
My favorite shade of red just happens to be any 2002 Merlot... This one is named Trinity Oaks, it is not too bad for a cheap wine.
I must admit this poppy is from last year, but I love the complexity of poppies, from the first tender silvery grey leaves to the flower head so heavy, the stem cannot even hold it upright. Days before the papery delicate petals open the bud lifts as if by magic only to last precious few days. The seed pod, much like natures tiny saltshaker, contains hundreds of seeds that, if we are lucky, will start the process all over again. Also contained is the elusive opium, held like a secret just beneath the skin of the seedpod, ripe for the taking of anyone who holds the key to its harvest. Of all the flowers I have, I think this would have to be my favorite, and the one that I am in awe of the most! The lonely pink hyacinth. It is the only one I have because The Gaming One does not like them for some reason. I adore the fragrance and often can be seen prostrate in front of it just to get a nosefull of its heady aroma.
Finally my pink flamingos. They live in my carnivorous plant bog right outside my back door. They were a gift from my husband's cousin's wife. She and I are like two peas in a pod and actually bought a pair for eachother on the same weekend as surprise gifts! It is amazing how great minds think alike! I love these gaudy not-so-little birds, and each time I see them I am reminded of all the great times we have had with the cousins (they are much more like our siblings than cousins and we love them more that you would believe!) They are also the ones that got The Gaming One into the orchid hobby/obsession.
Hope you enjoyed my Project Spectrum (link on the sidebar) contribution...sorry no knitting, but the knitting is for my secret pal!

today I'm rambling...

This yarn totally matches my carpet, yo! Knit Picks Andean Silk Twist color Poppy Field....This is for a little something, something for my secret stalker pal for the Craftster swap I am in...I gotta knit him/her something since it is my special skill. I love this yarn so much, it is so soft and snuggly I just want to nuzzle it all day! I am sure I will be getting more of this, and may just do a little swatch and see how a clapotis would look. I am really just a newbie natural fiber knitter ( I hate handwashing garments with a passion) but the more I use it the more I love it, and I just may be able to get rid of my aversion to handwashing after putting hours into creating a beautiful garment.

I also cast on for the Shaped Jacket in the winter 05/06 issue of Vogue Knitting, but I am using up all that Lion Brand Jiffy I originally bought for the Hoover Blanket. I realize I will probably look like an Easter egg in it, because of the pastel, but I figure I can wear it at home, and if I really like it, I will buy some wool (alas, there will be no 17 balls of cashmere, which the pattern calls for, in my near future) and make it in a more suitable color. Besides, it is almost spring (12 more days Y'all!) and what better time to wear some crazy pastel colors that are usually only seen on small children-I am young at heart after all! It seems to be a quick knit, as I am to the armhole shaping on the back and I have only been knitting on it since Sunday night.

After seeing little monkey, The Girl Wonder has decided she *must* learn to crochet those cute little creatures so she can make them for all her family! -- I just love that child so much, she is the most caring person I think I have ever met. She is so grown up and mature (to only be 9yo) and I think she is the most well behaved child in all the state if not the South! I am not just saying that because she is mine either. How many 9 year olds do you know that would prefer to have sushi than McDonald's? Instead of a birthday party with lots of kids and cake, she wants to go to the Melting Pot (a fondue restaurant) with her closest family members. We did this last year and she said she wants to make it a tradition! We always kid her that her future boyfriend is going to hate us for cultivating a young woman with such expensive tastes! -- anyway, we sat together last night for over 30 minutes after The Boy Child went to bed and I showed her stitch by stitch how to crochet in the round so she could start the body. I treasured every minute, each yo, each single crochet while sitting side by side with her, elbows barely touching, passing on something I know she will remember the rest of her life. I realize we only have a few more short years before the lovely teen years rear their ugly head and she will no longer be my precious little girl, but be on her way to becoming a wonderful young woman. I am apprehensive about how our relationship may change while she is in her teens, but I can only hope that we have cultivated a close enough bond throughout her childhood that we will make it to her twenties and still maintain our close bond.

Cheer up my blog friend....

Since starting this blog and reading so many of yours I feel an online bond with some of you gals. One in particular seems to be on the same wavelength mentally I am, and well, she is going through some personal difficulty of late (you know who you are, so I won't point you out!) Being the sweet mama type that I am I just want to make her feel better. So I crocheted this wee one for her in the hopes that it will brighten her day and remind her that there are nice people out there after all! Tomorrow little monkey will be off to its new home!
and since I love haiku ....

Little brown monkey
cultivating peace and joy
in times of turmoil

I can crochet, too!

I am on a bit of knitting low after the knitting olympics...I have worked a bit on the baby argyle and since I joined Project Spectrum I thought it would be a fantastic pink entry (and with the close of the KO I have realized I really like knitting on a deadline) so I know I will have it finished by the end of the month at least! However, back to my knitting lull if you will... I finished the amigurumi elephant and The Boy Child loved him so much he would not let me even take a picture of him (the elephant is a boy and has been officially named Elephant by The Boy Wonder). Here is a pic of them watching Spongebob...


and one of the three friends (Bronco is the little horse that The Boy Wonder sleeps with and generally takes with him everywhere he goes)
My friend A saw Elephant and put in a request for a monkey so the seaman's scarf (which was promised to friend A ohhhhh, back in December ) was frogged (it is too damn hot for scarves now!) and I started a little monkey for him with the yarn.

just a little of this...

and a little of that going on on the knitting front. I have worked the bottom of my baby argyle and part of one of the sleeves. The argyle is a bit bunched up, but it does add some shape to the cardigan. I have yet to decide if I want to reknit it. What would y'all do if you were me?

I am really happy with the inside as well, everything is so neat and flat. (ok, the photo upload gods are pissed at me so I cannot show you the pretty, flat floats across the inside*sigh*)

I also started a crochet elephant from a pattern found on Roxycraft. I have the body, head and both of the ears finished already, and I think he is going to be so cute! I think I am going to give up on the doublesided baby blanket for now, at least in the yarn I am using. I really like it but I really think it is going to wind up being too thick and hot. I will try again though with a lighter weight yarn, because I am in love with the technique!
On another note, I have a stalker! (I bet you would really like one of those "100 things about me lists" right about now, wouldn't you?!) Oh my! I finally joined a swap on craftster, and I have major craft jitters! I have a great person to stalk and I have lots of ideas! ssshhhhh! I just hope the special someone likes everything I make. So most of my crafty creativity will be directed towards my special craft partner instead of knitting for myself. I will not go into it all now (you never know who is looking) but promise to post pics after my package is sent at the end of the month!
Ok, stalker, since you have been so patient...100 things about me (1-10)
1. I am a down-to-earth, blue jean and t-shirt wearing southern girl.
2. I see no reason to ever be mean to anyone, ever. Karma is a big enough bitch without my help.
3. I try to see the silver lining of the cloud, no matter how dark the cloud.
4. I tell my friends what they need to hear, which is not always what they want to hear.
5. I read my horoscope everyday.
6. I am a taurus.
7. My favorite color is yellow, but I only have 2 yellow pieces of clothing-1 is a dress, the other is a skirt.
8. I like to drink alcoholic beverages, but not girly drinks.
9. I drink coffee with sugar and cream every morning.
10. I have 13 different types of hot tea in my cabinet.