A year of knits (and crochet)

What a year! I wonder what 2009 has in store. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the feedback, encouragement, inspiration, praise and friendship throughout the past year, this blogging thing would be not be worth it if it were not for you all!

(Click picture for larger image)
Ravelry Links: 1. Snowflake Tree (blogged only), 2. Feather and Fan Blanket, 3. February Lady Sweater, 4. Thrummed Mittens, 5. I Hate Camping Hat, 6. Socks, 7. Amelia Hat, 8. Baby Viking Hats, 9. Mushroom Rattles, 10. Little Bunny, 11. Fan Bookmark, 12. Savannah Stole, 13. Baby Babette, 14. Chanson en Crochet, 15. ballband dishcloth, 16. garterlac dishcloth, 17. circle dishcloth, 18. Felted Slippers, 19. Urchin, 20. French Press Cozy, 21. Somewhat Cowl, 22. charity baby hat, 23. Fan bookmark, 24. Swallowtail Shawl, 25. Princess Hat

the only snowflake I want to see

While I adore the efforts of those who deck the halls, I am not one to decorate for the seasons. But a little something got into me this year. Starting in December I felt compelled to crochet snowflakes. I started with three from Better Homes and Gardens, then made a few from this website. Not satisfied, I purchased the Leisure Arts booklet 99 Snowflakes to quench my thirst. For almost two weeks I did not knit a stitch, I only wanted to make snowflakes.

Then came the blocking... I usually do not mind blocking projects, especially lace (my favorite!) but this was oh.so.tedious. I think the fact that the 'flakes has to be soaked in glue so they would be nice and stiff contributed the ass pain of it all. I was constantly finding little pieces of fiber stuck to the flakes. Some I recognized from other objects in my knitting basket, some from the red snugly blanket of choice that lives on the sofa. Do you know how hard it is to pick out little colorful fibers from pristine white soaked-in-glue-snowflakes when one also has fingertips that are soaked in glue? Thinking back, I bet tweezers would have made the entire process a bunch easier... I still have half a dozen that need to be blocked and I will be sure to have my tweezers handy.

My desire to make nothing but snowflakes cooled a bit after the time-consuming blocking experience. But what to do with them all? I did not want to put them on my Christmas tree because I knew the tree would only be in the house for a few short weeks. Mother Nature came to my rescue when she blew the perfect snowflake hanging branch out of a tree and into my line of sight in the backyard. I strung the 'flakes onto fishing line and hung them from the branches. The kids gingerbread duplex (they shared a house and decorated each side as a separate house) fits in quite nicely and brightens a very dark corner of our living room. I think it just might stay there until spring...

Happy Holidays!

Man, what a year it has been! I can't believe Christmas is only a day away. The gimme, gimme of the season has been ignored for the most part this year and I am much happier as a result. Of course, I still have to wrap all the kids presents, but we tend to focus more on the spirit of the season instead of the commercial aspect. I tell the kids (with a smile), "What makes you think you deserve more presents than baby Jesus got on his own birthday?" But it is so true. We have found in years past that the more the kids get, the less they play with it all and it so quickly turns to clutter. So a few of the things they want the most will be under the tree, along with a few things they don't expect. The Gaming One and I never exchange presents. We just don't feel the need.

The family and I were talking a few weeks ago about the coming Christmas season and I asked the kids to tell me their favorite thing about the holidays. The Girl Wonder said all the delicious food and spending time with all the family. The Boy Wonder said seeing all the cousins and getting to play with everyone. I have to admit, that made my day.

I have, for the most part, managed to fight off the blahs I usually have this time of year. I have even been singing Christmas songs (which I never do) and have been quite merry. It may help a bit that the weather has been unseasonably warm- just a few days ago it was almost 70 degrees! Perhaps, it is mind over matter. Whatever it is I am enjoying it.

I hope each of you have a very happy holiday, whatever you celebrate. Hug your loved ones tight and let them know how much they mean to you. Hugs to all you as well.

Still here...

I just wanted to pop on (before I forget my blogger password) to say hi! Thanks for all the emails and messages on Ravelry to check on me and my well being. I have been knitting lots and fighting the winter blahs with every ounce of my being. I have stopped drinking, started exercising and have tried to put on a happy face. Just as I started to think this winter might not be so bad, I realized that our debit card information has been stolen and and my bank account has been almost drained. Thieving bastards.

Damn, I could really use a scotch...

hiatus

I am taking a blog break.
I have been very uninspired lately and really have nothing to share.
If you are wondering about what is on and off my needles check out my project details on Ravelry.

Have a great fall!

Tree of Happiness

The very lovely Andrea tagged me for the Tree of Happiness meme and since I have nothing knitterly to share it gives me the perfect opportunity to blog... I am going against the grain and tagging anyone that wants to share thing that make them happy! Just leave me a little comment so I can read your list! The Happiness Tree sayeth that you must list six things that make you happy. These are my six :

1. My family- My husband does everything in his power to make me happy from calling me during the day just to tell me he loves me to buying me soap. I know it seems silly that soap would make me happy, but the fact that he knows me so well that he can be in a store and see a certain kind of soap and know that I would love it just makes me smile. I am very picky about soap. My daughter is the kindest person I know. She is such a poised young lady at times and such a silly little girl just minutes later. Everyone that knows her compliments her behaviour and has since she was a very small girl. She is my pride and joy and I give her credit for my life being what it is today. If I had not gotten pregnant with her at the age of 17, my life would have taken a very different course and I never would have met my wonderful husband. My son is my little snuggle bunny. He is very affectionate and knows just when I need a hug or kiss or a "you're the best Mommy in the whole world, if I had to pick from all the mommies I would pick you." When his Grandfather went to the hospital to have by-pass, he sent his favorite stuffed animal to keep him company and 'watch over him'. At the age of 7 he already knows he wants to be an engineer in the ARMY. I am so proud of that kid and I know he will go far in life.

Of course, all my extended family (parents, grandparents, brother, sisters, in-laws, ex-laws...) make me happy but it would fill a book to write about each of them! My family makes life worth living and is the most important thing in my life.

2. An uninterrupted night of sleep makes me happy. I have terrible insomnia and it is very hard for me to go back to sleep in the middle of the night, so if I can sleep a solid 8-10 hours it is a godsend! However, I also have very vivid dreams that tend to wake me now that my kiddos are finally sleeping through the night. Both of my kids were awful sleepers- both gave up naps right around their first birthdays and didn't sleep through the night until around their 6th birthday. Since they were born 5 years apart, that is 11 years of interrupted sleep, my friends, for yours truly because you know they were not waking Daddy in the middle of the night.

3. Homeschooling/being a stay at home mom makes me very happy. It is great to spend the day with my kids, and there is nothing like hearing them read and know that I taught them how to do it! I love the flexibility it provides our family and the bond we have as a result.

4. Wii. I am not a gamer at all. I usually suck at video games, then I sulk like a child because I get beat by even the kids. We just got a Wii and I love that thing! Boxing especially! I was just cracking up yesterday watching the kids box and before long found myself yelling, "I'm playing the winner!" Finally a game I can enjoy. I foresee lots of family fun thanks to that little machine.

5. Family dinner. I love sitting at the table with the family, talking about our day while eating a great home-cooked meal (that everyone enjoys so much that the kids volunteer to do the dishes after we eat). Being a Taurus, I enjoy any great meal and love to go out to eat as well. I am a huge fan of family owned restaurants that use fresh ingredients as opposed to large chains that get most of their entrees premade. My favorites in my town are Ajimi - a sushi/ Japanese restaurant that is better than any we have ever tried. It is great not having to drive to Charlotte (30-45minutes away) for great sushi. We go there about once a week and even the kids love it. My other favorite is Stone Table Cafe- my ex-husband's restaurant. He specializes in southern cuisine and makes everything from scratch from soups to desserts. He makes some of the best food I have ever eaten.

6. Knitting and the online knitting community brings me much happiness. There is nothing quite like that feeling of satisfaction when an object comes off the needles and has been beautifully seamed and blocked. I love yarn shopping, reading about knitting, designing, blogging, getting to know all of you through your blogs, and Ravelry (how did I exist before it??). I really credit the online knitting community for my knitting success, for every problem I have the answer is only a google search away. The answer usually can be found on a knitting blog somewhere. I am exposed to beautiful patterns and people, finished objects and techniques that I never would have seen otherwise. So thank you all. Each of you make me smile each day!

Little Bunny

The Gaming One has not one, but two, coworkers that are expecting babies soon (and they are both having boys! I just want to knit some baby girl cuteness). Of course, he asked me to make a little something for both of them. To his credit, he did give me plenty of advance warning so I would have time to knit them each a blanket. In all honesty, I just wasn't feeling it this time around. I almost decided not to make anything for either of them- I just could not decide on anything to knit. Ultimately, I decided to knit each of them wee rabbits and give them each a copy of one of my favorite kid books of all time- Guess How Much I Love You. I have been reading that book for over 12 years and I still get teary-eyed each time I read it.I originally crocheted the head and body (crochet is so much faster for me) but did not like the ears. I decided to knit the ears (increasing and decreasing when it looked right, making sure to slip the first stitch of each row), but did not like the knit ears with the crochet bodies. After thinking it over, I decided to use the head/body directions for the Middle-sized Monster pattern that I had knit for the Super Twins last year. Perfect. The body to ears ratio was just what I was aiming for. I knew the ears needed to be lined so they would not curl and honestly, it took more time to figure out how to line the ears than it did to knit the entire bunny. Eventually, I took a piece of cotton batting and a piece of cotton fabric and traced the outline of the ears on each of them. I sewed the fabric to the batting (right sides facing) using almost a quarter inch seam allowance leaving the top of the ear open. I cut away the fabric outside the seam then turned the ear lining right side out. I was then able to easily hand sew the fabric lining to the inside of the ear.

The tail was also made up as I went along and stuffed when I was finished. Although I considered the bunny finished based on my original plans- he does not seem complete. Any suggestions?

Also, My Father in Law is home and doing very well after his surgery. Thanks so much for all your prayers and good wishes!

So little time, so much to do.

Things have been crazy busy around here lately. The kiddos new homeschool year officially started which means tons of work for me- The Boy Wonder is in the 2nd grade and The Girl Wonder is in the 7th. It is worth every second to see all they are learning and to be able to give them a little extra understanding when certain subjects are difficult. It seems most of my personal computer time is devoted to checking resources, printing worksheets and general curriculum planning. This year both the kiddos wanted to move away from the unschooling approach we have taken in years past and use a more structured curriculum. The Girl Wonder especially thinks it is important since she is not too far from high school level classes and thinks the extra structure will help her get into a better college. Gah, my baby girl sure is growing up!

There has also been this very interesting reality show on TV that has been consuming many hours of my life. Perhaps you have caught an episode or two- it may be hard to find since it is only on every couple of years...I think it is called The Olympics. The Gaming One has been picking on me about having a crush on the swimmers. I keep telling him it is just their stamina I have a crush on...but now that I am thinking about it, the longest they go at it is 7 minutes, and that is just not enough...

I did not join the Knitting Olympics this year, because I knew that I would be out of town for a weekend family reunion and knitting time would be limited. I have two large projects on the needles (the Lovely Lacy Shawl and the Feather and Fan blanket) neither of which were suitable for knitting during family gatherings. The very lovely and sweet Andrea sent me (3 skeins of Schoeller and Stahl Socktina Cotton) sock yarn and a knitting pouch (that really makes me wish I had her sewing skills) as part of a blog contest prize- the perfect combo for on the go knitting. So right before I left, I decided to cast on a pair of socks to take with me. I divided the skein into two balls and started each sock on the same color repeat so I would have matching socks. I also wanted to make sure I would not lose a needle or leave one at home (like I have done in the past) so I decided to learn how to knit two socks on one circular needle. I feel like a genius! Look Ma, No Ladders! Matching Socks! No Second Sock Syndrome!

Finally, if you have read this far, there has been a little health scare over the past few weeks in my extended family and it turns out my father in law has to have heart by-pass surgery this Friday. So if you have a minute, say a prayer and send some good vibes his way.

I am hoping to be able to carve out an hour or so to catch up (and comment) on all your blogs. I have been a very bad blog friend, but hope to read you all soon!

All is not lost!

Thanks so much for all the kindness and hugs regarding my pity party. All the good vibes must have had a great effect because The Gaming One was able to recover EVERYTHING! That man is a genius! Oh, happy day!

I was able to finish the Swallowtail Shawl I started for my Grandmother. I can't believe it, but I gifted it to her before taking pictures of it. I don't know what I was thinking... She was very touched and started telling me about all the fall clothes she has that she can wear it with. I made a few mods to the shawl to make it longer. I was trying to use all the yarn- I hate having 20 or 30 yards leftover that is basically useless. I will be at Grandma's house in a few weeks and I will try to remember to take a picture then.

I go over a couple of times a month to do the cleaning that she and my Grandfather cannot do any longer. I don't think I ever mentioned it, but she was hit by a truck a few years ago while crossing the street to get her mail. She was thrown about 30 feet and broke her collarbone (in two places), leg and arm. She was in the hospital and in a nursing home for months and I really did not think she would survive, but she is one tough cookie! Understandably, now it is very difficult for her to do things like mopping, scrubbing tubs, and cleaning cobwebs. It is really hard for her to ask for help doing things she has been able to do all her life. I keep telling her I didn't ask her to take such good care of me when I was a little girl- she did it out of the goodness of her heart and I plan to take care of her now. I feel very fortunate to still have my favorite Grandparents around and want them to know how much they are appreciated and loved.

The Kiddos are gone for the weekend and The Gaming One is working, so I have two days of quiet to knit and spin and plenty of cold beers in the fridge! I hope your weekend is as good as mine is going to be!

pity party for one...

My main computer has been attacked by spyware/malware/viruses (I really don't fucking know, as I don't know shit about computers). In order to banish it for good, my darling husband has used a lovely recovery disk to return our system to our original pre-infected status. In doing so I think we have lost over 5 years of pictures OF MY CHILDREN saved only on our hard drive, all our bookmarked internet pages, and all of the knitting pattern/design ideas I have had in the works. Of course, this could not have happened at a better time, as I am so pms-ing even commercials make me cry very rational at this time. To cope, I am drinking and crying as there is nothing else I can do except break shit and yell at my husband for his oversight because I did nothing to prevent it either.

I cannot believe all the pictures I have taken of my kids are gone. Our first trip to Disneyland- GONE. Birthdays-GONE. Holidays-GONE. I am kicking my own ass now, because I thought only yesterday, "I should copy all our pictures to my flickr account in case something happens and we have to reboot our system." I decided to wait and do it today and guess what? Today all cookies were disabled on my computer and I could not even fucking log into flickr. Fuck, Fuck Fuck!!!!!

Did I mention all my bookmarks/internet favorites are gone as well? This is huge considering I homeschool my children and 98% of our materials are taken from online sources which I oh-so-smartly renamed "2nd grade spelling" "7th grade math" "science" "history" so they would be easy to find. Now, I would not recognize the actual names in a search even if I tried to find them all again. (Did I mention that I am crying to cope.) What the fuck am I going to do.

If you are reading this stop now and go back up all the files on your computer. Especially your pictures! Yes, right now. I hope you never need it, but if my shitty situation ever happens to you, you will thank me.

To make a bad situation worse, now I am stressing about the whole shebang (which I can do NOTHING about) and will not be able to sleep tonight. Thank you stress induced insomnia. It should make my eczema flare up nicely as well, leaving me unable to knit as I only get flare-ups on my hands. I should be a lovely person to be around tomorrow. yeah.right.

ohhhhhhh!

After having a look at the IK fall '08 preview the reason they rejected my proposal for the winter '08 edition is clear...

excerpt taken from my proposal "...a knitted version of the classic double breasted wool pea coat...The coat will have a tapered waist accentuated by the half belt in the back...and a wide collar..."

I guess great minds think alike...

I still like my herringbone version better and plan on knitting it this fall.

pretty tasty (if I do say so myself)

I am happy to report the jelly jelled and it is so good. It is beautiful and clear and just what I was aiming for as far as the set goes- not to firm, not too runny. If that half eaten jar of jelly is any indication, my kids are are pleased with it as well. I wonder if I can convince my Grandparents to let me have some more plums?

Adventures in jelly making

The Boy Wonder's birthday party Saturday was a smashing success! The kiddos had a great time just running around being kids. My son took the time to read each card before opening the gift it accompanied, then went and hugged and thanked the person it was from before moving to the next present. I was so proud of him. After all his guests left he came to me and thanked me for his party and the presents we gave him. Later my husband even thanked me for all the preparation, planning and cleaning I did before the party. I must say being thanked totally made all my work worth it.

When my grandmother and grandfather arrived, they not only brought a gift for the birthday boy, they brought me four or five pounds of wild plums from their plum tree. They were not the big plums like you find at the grocery store, but itty-bitty plums about the size of a half dollar. They are tart and perfect for jelly. I asked my grandmother to teach me how to make jelly this summer, envisioning standing side by side while the jelly bubbled on the stove. Her reply, "It is easy, just go buy yourself a box of Sure-Jell and follow the directions." I guess when you are almost 76 jelly making has lost a bit of the magic and just seems like work. It did make me laugh though. She did tell me that instead of pitting and chopping the tiny plums she just puts them in a pan, covers them with water and simmers them until the skins burst. I was very glad to hear this shortcut because I was not looking forward to pitting all those little plums.

So Sunday, armed with my pressure cooker, some half pint jelly jars, a couple boxes of Sure-Jell, a big bag of sugar and my wild plums I set out to make my first batch of real jelly. I could have made freezer jelly but I really did not want my freezer full of jelly- besides I think the jewel toned jars of jelly make such pretty gifts. I cooked the plums for about 10 minutes, then drained the cooked fruit in a strainer set over a big bowl. I then poured the juice and pulp in the beer making muslin bag that my husband uses for boiling hops and grain. I was aiming for just the juice so the jelly would be clear. I hung the bag from the cabinet handle and placed a bowl underneath to catch the juice. When The Boy Wonder saw this he said, "Wouldn't it be funny if I poked a hole in the side of the bag and jelly went shooting across the kitchen?!" My reply, "NO! KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY JELLY, BOY!" Silly child. While the juice drained I put the jars in the dishwasher to wash and sterilize, had a beer and spun a bit.

After the juice was finished draining I followed the instructions on the box for plum jelly. After adding the sugar I was sure that the jelly was going to boil over the top of the pot, spilling its sticky sweetness all over and into the stove while permanently disfiguring me with a horrible jelly burn. (melodramatic much? yes, perhaps a little bit.) I used a eight quart pot and have made a mental note to buy a bigger pot before trying this again. The cooking time was up just before it boiled over thankfully.

I filled the cutsy jars and put them in the pressure cooker to seal. Every time I use my pressure cooker I am afraid it is going to explode. This time was no exception. The directions on the Sure-jell read 'Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches.' So after having a few beers, I interpreted 'cover' as meaning '1 to 2 inches over the top of the jars'. After the pressure was up on the cooker I noticed that quite a bit of water was sputtering out of the pressure release valve. As I hid in the living room (and reread the pressure cooker instructions), the pot sputtered and steamed and threatened to blow up on the stove. I then realized that I was only supposed to put 1 and a half quarts of water in the canner. I had put at least twice that much in there. This is when I thought to myself, 'Shit, I am really going to blow it up this time. Glass shards in jelly is going to be a bitch to clean up.'

After consulting my friend Google and finding nothing to help the situation, I decided it might be best to take the pot off the stove, pour off the water and reprocess the jars. I quickly removed the pot from the burner and let the pressure go down. When I started to remove the jars I started hearing a familiar sound, 'plink, plink...plink,plink...plink,plink,plink,plink.' My jars all sealed! Woo-hoo! I did not process them again, so I hope no one gets botulism from my jelly. I know back in the day my Grandmother just filled the clean jars with hot jelly and let them seal without processing and she never poisoned anyone, so I think I am probably safe. I covered the jars with a towel and a big sign on top warning my kids not to touch them, since you are not supposed to move them for 24 hours while the jelly sets.

Jelly making is one of those things that I feel I should learn in order to call myself a Proper Southern Housewife. I have already mastered biscuits, pickles and canning fresh veggies from the garden, so jelly was next on my list. It was quite a lot of work for 9 half pints of jelly, but I am happy that I can finally say I have made homemade jelly. I still have enough juice for another batch and I think it will be a bit easier and less stressful the next time. I can't wait for toast and jelly for breakfast tomorrow if my jelly sets or waffles and plum syrup if it does not!

unable to remain monogamous

to projects, that is... (hi, Sweetie! Still being faithful to you!) After working only on the Heirloom Shawl and adding over 11 unstretched inches of progress since I last blogged about it my fingers started itching for something else to do. My brain started begging me for an easier project. The charts for the shawl are broken up into many small charts, with sections of certain charts needing to be repeated. IMHO this is a pretty shitty pattern- the shawl will totally be worth it, but it is a bitch to try to figure it out. The written directions contain errors. The charts contain errors. I am in a KAL on Ravelry for this pattern, but I am the farthest along in the pattern, so I am on my own for now. I got a little break making the bookmark for my Great Aunt, but I needed something totally mindless...
and quick and easy crochet came to my rescue once again. This is the same yarn that I used to start a kitchen rug with the stitch pattern from My So Called Scarf last November. Although I really liked the stitch pattern, knitting with it killed my wrists after just a few rows so into the frog pond it went. After a quick Ravelry search, I found the perfect project for my state of mind- it was quick, easy, mindless, and served a purpose. Behold, after just three days, my almost finished 9-sided Kitchen Mat. The red yarn marks the beginning of round spot, and I have white yarn marking the line of increases, so there is no thinking or counting-only the very satisfying monotony of half-double crochet, around and around and around. The funky colorway is perfect for the stuck-in-the-70's harvest gold stove with matching linoleum. Ahhhhhh, that is just what I needed. I have that one ball of yarn left and it will be finished- at the rate I am going I should have that finished off by tonight or tomorrow.Then the lace bug cast-on-itis bit me on Tuesday and I started another Swallowtail Shawl. As is my tradition in knitting this shawl, this one is also a gift. It is for my Grandmother for her birthday in early August. I managed 6 pattern repeats before putting it down for the night. I am using yarn left over from Savannah, I am thinking there should be plenty left for this. I love the idea of having a shawl made out of the same yarn as my Grandmother. She really isn't a 'shawl person' so to speak, but I am sure she will appreciate it and perhaps wear it to church a time or two! Poor unblocked lace is so unimpressive. You just wait until you are blocked and you will be a beauty for sure!

I hope each and every one of you (my USA readers) have a wonderful and relaxing 4th of July! Don't forget to remind your kiddos about the true reason behind this celebration, and say a prayer (or send out some good vibes) for all the Men and Women in the Armed Services that sacrifice so much to ensure our continuing freedom. As for me, I will be busy as a bee. My baby boy celebrates his 7th birthday on Saturday so I have lots of cleaning, cooking, and decorating to do before the party.

Happy 80th Aunt Lib!

The extended family on my paternal grandmother's side of the family gets together every year for food and fellowship. It is a time for us to "ooh" and "aah" over the new babies, marvel at how much the young'uns have grown and visit with the 'older' generation while we still have the chance. This year's celebration was moved up a few months to celebrate a big milestone in the family- my great Aunt Lib's 80th birthday. She is the first in the family to turn 80 and had no idea the party was moved up so we could all celebrate with her. She was married to the oldest in the family (Pete) and everyone just loves her to pieces. Sadly, Uncle Pete died a few years ago and he is sorely missed. Some of my earliest memories of the big Edward's gatherings revolve around Uncle Pete and Aunt Lib. (I did not realize how much I still miss him until now- sitting here replaying all those tender moments with him and I can't hold back the tears.) I can still see his twinkling blue eyes. He was one of those people that when he smiled (and he was always smiling when he was surrounded by family) his eyes smiled too. You could always feel the joy that seemed to radiate from him. He had a way of making each person in the family feel like the most important person in the room. That is saying quite a lot considering our family gatherings swelled to upwards of 80 people. When I was maybe 4 or 5 I remember sitting on his knee and him telling me, "A gal as pretty as you has gotta learn how to wink." He sat there giggling at my first fumbling attempts to close one eye at a time just the way he showed me. I think for the next month I winked at everything that moved. He was always my favorite uncle.

Aunt Lib was just made for him. She is not even five feet tall and for as long as I can remember she has had that silvery white bob. She also is happiest surrounded by family. I have only seen her once without a smile-at Pete's funeral. Her smile could light up a room. She is the most sweet and humble person I have ever met. She seemed to have magic pockets that always contained candy (maybe that was what kept her so sweet!) and the kids in the family knew that if Aunt Lib was offering candy there was no need to ask Mom and Dad if it was ok to have a piece. She gives the warmest hugs that are always followed by, "I am so glad to see you. It is such a blessing you are here and I love you." As you might imagine, she was right there on the top of my list of favorite relatives.

When my Grandmother told me we were having a surprise party for Aunt Lib's 80th birthday I knew I wanted to make her something. She is a devout Bible reading Christian and I knew she would appreciate a pretty bookmark to tuck into her Bible. She was very happy with her gift- and even more impressed that I actually made it. "Well, you are just an artist! It is beautiful," she told me as tears glistened in her eyes. It is odd, her reaction was the most touching reaction I have ever received after giving a knitted or crocheted gift and it was the most simple of gift of all. It was harder to block it that it was to crochet it. My sweet Aunt Lib, I love you so much and I am blessed that you are part of the family!

All pattern details are on Ravelry.

spreading the love

Since my Mom became a long haul truck driver almost 4 years ago, I have been trying to convince her to learn to knit. There has always been a selfish part of me that wanted her to learn, so that long after she is gone (morbid, I know, but it happens to us all) I would have something to hold and remember how much we shared. I wanted her to speak the secret language that only those that knit or crochet understand. She told me time and again that it was too hard, she did not have the patience and so on. I quickly called bullshit on all her excuses. She and I are so much alike, I knew armed with well written directions she could figure it out and would love it. Also, I realized that until she really wanted to do it there was no use trying to convince her, so I just let it go. Then around Mother's Day my Mom said six little words that made my heart sing, "I want to learn to knit."

Her Mother's Day present was never easier to pick out. I bought both a learn to knit kit and a learn to crochet kit and a couple of balls of yarn and snuggled them inside a black handbag-not realizing this little gesture would mean so much. When she saw the handbag tears filled her eyes, "There are knitting needles in here, aren't there?" Suddenly the parallels occurred to me, I learned to knit after finding knitting needles in a black handbag. I was subconsciously starting her out the same way.

A few weeks later, she calls me from the road and asks if I am sitting down.

*panic*

"Yes, why?"

"I just finished my first washcloth! All by myself!"

She then told me about the frustration of those first stitches. Her mantra "Amanda keeps saying this is relaxing. This is supposed to be relaxing. Why am I so tense." I reminded her that alcohol helps- alas that is not an option while she is on the road. Not only did she teach herself how to knit, she also taught herself how to crochet! She used both of the skeins of yarn I bought her and bought more as soon as she got home. She is speaking the language quicker than I thought! She prefers crochet to knitting so far, but I won't hold that against her.

While visiting her this week, she gave me that washcloth. There is no way I will ever use it to wash dishes, it has a place of honor on the table beside my knitting spot.

Just last night The Boy Wonder also learned to knit. When I got up this morning he was sitting on the couch knitting. Mama is so proud! He is pretty proud of himself as well!

Did I let him stay up past his bedtime to finish that last row? You bet I did!

All about lace

All I have been interested in knitting lately is lace. It is too hot to think about sweaters and sock knitting has been a disaster of late, so lace it is! I ordered 10.5 oz of Merino from Handpaintedyarn.com for my birthday. I spun it into fingering weight (or a bit heavier) with the intention of knitting the Lovely Lacy/Heirloom Shawl that kicked my ass the first time I attempted knitting it. I have learned so much since that first lacy attempt. It has only taken me a few days of knitting to accomplish what took weeks before. I am so much more confident in my skills, reading my knitting, and noticing and correcting mistakes. It is nice to come back to a project that was once too difficult only to sail through it this time around. I am knitting this as part of a KAL on Ravelry- it is nice to have help if I have problems, since the original pattern contains errors.

Slowly, I am making my way around and around and around the Feather and Fan Shawl (blanket version). The rounds are so long now I am working it on two circular needles. It is pretty mindless as there are only pattern rows to work ever forth round. I am on row 114 of 189, so I still have a long way to go, but I am oddly enjoying it!

Y'all have a great week and try to stay cool!

sock jinx

I am sure of it. I have cast on two pair of socks in the past month or so and both of them have had issues of sorts. First it was the Baudelaires knit in a poor choice of yarn. I realized I did not like the yarn/pattern combo about 4" into the pattern, and I should have frogged them at that point, but I think I was in denial. Into the frog pond they went. The yarn is off to a hilarious new home and something different is coming my way in return. (Go read her blog, you can thank me later for brightening your day.)

Then, bored with all my current projects, I decided to cast on for the Entrelac Socks. These I loved! I realized while knitting them that if I ever finished them I would be the proud owner of $60 socks (three skeins of Colinette Jitterbug). While this sounds posh, I also realized that there would not be too many places that I could/ would wear them. While they were very interesting to knit, they were a bit funky for my tastes. Did that stop me? Of course not! I knit them all the way to the heel, they looked great until I realized that the heel was actually going to be on the side of my sock instead of the bottom. I have no idea what I did to make that happen. So before I could even take a picture I frogged it too. Good news is the Jitterbug is a very hardy yarn and stood up well to both the knitting and frogging. This is another pattern that I would like to try again, just in a less expensive yarn.

Good thing it is barefoot weather and I won't be needing socks until September!

condensed blogging picture version

Here are my "dirty socks"- as you can see from the closeups, all the details are mushed. This pattern is too pretty to be lost in this yarn. It's the frog pond for these babies. I will knit them again, because I really like the pattern.
My Woolee Winder arrived shortly after my last post. Although it does not match my newly stained wheel, it has made so much difference in the quality of my spinning. Just look at that even bobbin! The fiber I am spinning is merino from handpaintedyarns.com in color Ivory. It is so soft and a pure joy to spin.
Savannah was such an enjoyable knit.
I love this section in the center that is slightly longer than the main part of the shawl. It provides just a little more coverage just where it is needed.

condensed blogging

Wow, has it really been an entire month!? I have been composing blog posts in my head for the past month, but just can't seem to find the mojo to write them down. So, instead, here is a list of all I have been up to in the past month...

• I turned 30 (in case you were wondering, yes, I did freak out a bit. There was quite a bit of soul searching on my part- the 'where am I now compared to where I thought I should be at this age'. I am a bit better now.)


• I made a few birthday purchases.... a pound and a half of roving for spinning, a Woolee Winder (I still do not have it. I placed my order before the last big fiber festival and my order was lost! I should have it by today.), a spinning book and a big bottle of Belvedere Vodka.


• I stained my spinning wheel (after a year of her being naked in my living room, I felt it was time.)


• I finally finished SOTSii- Savannah. I love this stole and have worn it so much- It is a little extra special to me because the Girl Wonder's middle name is Savannah.


• The family and I took a trip to Florida to visit family for a long weekend (Sarasota is such a beautiful city!) then on the way home we surprised the kids with three nights in Disney World. (We visited the Magic Kingdom and Typhoon Lagoon and had so.much.fun. It was worth every penny and we will go again. I can't imagine going for an entire week- we were beat after two days!)


• I knit 20" (toe to cuff) of Baudelaire (I was planning knee socks, but hate the yarn for the sock. While knitting in Disney the only comment about my knitting was from a small boy (maybe 4) that looked at my knitting, looked up at me and said, "That is a dirty sock." To his credit, it does look dirty with all the bits of tweed in the yarn. I really like the pattern and will make it again with a better yarn.


• I cast on for the Entrelac Socks. I have 4 balls of Colinette Jitterbug in my stash that I originally bought to make a striped sweater. I am about half through two skeins and am not in love with the sweater so far, so I decided to try the socks, see which I like more then frog the other one.


• Oh yeah, and all the mundane day to day stuff, house cleaning, cooking, packing, unpacking, gardening, grass mowing, ceiling painting (I almost cried over that one! As my MIL likes to say "I cussed that paint onto the ceiling!"), schooling the kiddos, and I lost 6 lbs.

I will have to show ya'll pictures another day, school starts in a few minutes and I have a ton of yard work to do today. Hope ya'll have a great week and I look forward to catching up with all of your blogs soon! I am so behind!