2012 Wrap Up

I like that my last knitted object of 2012 was something for me.  I don't have a lot of things I knit for myself (although I think my first 2013 items will be mittens).  I made an ear warmer out of some Malabrigo worsted my friend Thora gave me.  It's beautiful and soft, but it was a little shlubby, and I couldn't figure out what to do with it.  Turns out it makes a beautiful earwarmer, and I had just enough in the hank:

Yes this is me in an Adrian Peterson jersey.  He's da bomb.  Don't you judge me.

It's hard to see the flower, but I ended up finding a knitted one, which was relatively easy.  Not as beautiful as the intricate "sc, hdc, sc, dc" ones, but I just didn't have time to learn how to crochet if I wanted to get this done...this year.

I did manage to knit THIS much this year (Since I go back to 0.00 tomorrow):

So that makes me happy.  It's respectable for me.  Here's to 3 miles in 2013!

Knitted resolutions for 2013--MORE SOCKS!  I think I knit one pair of socks this year, and they were for someone else.  I have tons of beautiful sock yarn (and patterns to go with it) from my Yarnista sock club.  I need to use some of it.  I'd also like to do a sweater, and keep using more of my stash yarn.  I've been doing a good job of going there first lately, and I really do have some beautiful yarn laying about.  I need to use it more often.

Other resolutions:  I will yell less.  I will get my laundry room cleaned and organized.  That's it.  :)

2012 in terms of the world and my friends and family around me, was kind of suckish.  I sincerely hope our US/World leaders get their shit together this year, and the people around me that are struggling can have things turn around for them.

As for 2012 itself, it personally wasn't all that bad.  We still struggled financially, and I don't think that's going away anytime soon.  But I found a job I love, I'm going to grad school next year, we now live in a house that we all adore and are proud to come home to.  No one got seriously ill.  Anna got her crap together at school (although she is backsliding, spending too much time with her "boy-who-is-a-friend", but we're working on it.)  It's not a bad little existence we have carved out here.  I'm much more hopeful than I was last year at this time.  I did lose one friend due to personal differences that I won't even go into, but I did gain some friends.  When your friend meter is in the positive numbers, filled with positive friends, "It's a good thing".

So 2012 will likely go out quietly at my house.  We will have a nice dinner, and a toast at midnight (which reminds me, I need to go replace those champagne flutes that broke earlier this year...).  Happy New Year!  :)

Recent events in Picture captions

I can't believe it's December 30th already.  I guess I am happy it is ONLY December 30th, because I have to go back to work January 2nd, and I turn 40 on January 4th and I take the GRE January 23rd.  Let's not rush January, shall we?

Tomorrow--last finished FO of 2012 (I hope) and a summary of the year, that is not all gloom and doom.

So, a short summary of events.  I knit, and my Denise needles kept unsnapping.  Which is not fun, working with bulky yarn, and a lot of stitches.  But I did finish my 2 gifties...they need to be blocked, buttons need to be chosen and sewn.

Bad Denise!!

Our first big snow

Heaven in a Carton!

New Tardis

Brian got me something to deal with those pesky Denise needles.  They came from WEBS, so far, so good...but I really wanted to the Knit Picks ones.  No one listens to me.  These seem on the surface like Susan Bates, with the stupid key.

He also got me this, which is handy.

I got 2 cute beads for my Pandora bracelet--a kitten in a chair and a ball of yarn....

Only when I went to put them on, my bracelet snapped in half.  Figures.

We picked a nice tree

Emily made beautiful ornaments for me!

We got more snow.  This is a "dusting" that ended up being about 10".

I finished Trevor's Owl hat.

I think that sums up recent events.

Catching Up

I've been busily knitting.  Here's the summary:

I finished my Balsam shawl.  It turned out beautifully, and I didn't mess it up once.  The designer, Jessica L'Heureux, was so helpful and encouraging.  I wish all designers were as wonderful as she is (and have such well written patterns!)

I made a hat for my dad (with prodding from my mom...).  It's just Red Heart, but it's the size smaller than the one I made for him, and he loves it:

I made another ruffle scarf for Anna's friend at school (who is a Vikings fan, and takes a lot of crap for it):

And I made the Give a Hoot mittens for Anna.

I was going to make her fingerless mitts, but after contacting the designer (per her instructions), waiting weeks, and then getting back a message saying she's now charging for it, these were already decided upon, nearly done, and way cute!
Next up:  winter gear for the kids, and a few gifts for some wee ones that belong to friends.  So I am keeping busy (and out of trouble.  Hopefully!)

Finished scarves!

So I finished the pinky scarf for Emily.

And I had another stein of the yarn, so I finished a matchy-matchy one for her BFF.

I did have a slight problem, when Coats & Clark decided to throw a knot in my creative process.

This sucks!

In other news, Anna decided to spend her money on 2 male hamsters and a cage for $35 someone left at the pet store.  Well, miracles never cease and 2 males somehow had 2 babies...more to follow on this breaking story.

Pink Frills

Anyone who knows my knitting habits knows I hate novelty yarn.  I'm using hate here.  About yarn.  Fun fur, ribbon yarn, you name it.  I hate it.  So what in the world possessed me to try Red Heart Boutique Sashay?  Well, the scarves were pretty.  And Emily really wanted it.

So I went to Herrschners on Sunday, because we were out for a drive and Hey!  Herrschners is ALWAYS a good destination.  And it just happened to be--their yarn sale.  Now, I'm not a big "stash building" kind of gal.  I always need to have a general idea what I am doing with the yarn before I just buy it because it's a good deal--because I could have bought a metric F-ton of yarn had I wanted to, even on a limited budget.  But I didn't.

I did buy sock yarn for $2.  Enough to make a whole pair of socks.  I had bought it for my swap-bot partner, but then I read she hates browns and oranges, so it is my fall pair of socks yarn now:

So then there are all these pretty scarves hung up.  In all kinds of pretty colors.  And Halloween colors.  And Christmas colors.  But oh so pretty, frilly, lacy.  And Emily wants a pink one. 

So I get it home.  And I have to watch 3 YouTube videos to figure out how to knit with it.  The best video is this one.  But here is what you are looking at:

When you undo the wrapper, it looks like fat shoe laces:

 BUT when you undo the shoe laces, you find something more sinister.  Something mesh-y:

So you actually only cast on 6 stitches.  By cast on, I mean you put the needle through 6 holes in the top of the mesh.  The rest of the mesh hangs.  Then you knit by put the second from the needle "hole through the yarn and knitting that.  It makes little lacy potato chips:

 But you kind of get used to it after a while, and this is where I'm at so far:

It looks like one skein is enough to make a good sized scarf, especially since I am not even halfway through the skein, and this is how long it is already.  It's a little tedious, I don't think I could do it for a living, but it's a little fun too.  I wish I could figure out a good way to twist the ruffles without twisting the yarn all up, but that's for another day.

On the Soapbox

Stop reading now if you don't want to read a rant.

This blog is directed at another mom in Wisconsin.  Maybe it will get back to her.  Maybe it won't.  I don't really care at this point, because I need to get this out--and maybe she needs a reality check.

Using your blog as a soapbox to rip on a 12 year old girl is wrong.  I don't care if you think she's stupid, ugly, dresses like a slut, whatever.  She's a child.  You are not.  Grow up already.

Giving parenting advice when Child Protective Services has your house programmed into the GPS--also wrong.  People in glass houses and all.

And finally...ripping on your sister's parenting ability when, seriously, if there was a mom-of-the-year she'd put them to shame, is the last straw.  You don't even know your sister.  You certainly don't deign to know her kids.  She has overcome more problems than you will ever have to deal with and is still overcoming them on a daily basis.  Don't you DARE compare your children to her children, who really DO have actual diagnoses.  Don't you DARE try to mislead people into thinking that her children are naughty, because she doesn't know how to parent.  Her son has AUTISM you FUCKING MORON.  And you're going to be a nurse?  I guess at least it's not a social worker.

Your sister has more parenting ability in her little un-manicured finger (she just doesn't have time to go get a mani-pedi every week) than you will ever know in your entire life.  So go stick your head in the sand some more, get another manicure, rip on some more 12 year olds and pretend like you are perfect.  We'll all be here in real life if you make it over.

*stepping down now*

The Last Hurrah

Well, our family said goodbye to the last days of summer in grand style I think!  Here's the run down:

Menominee Park Zoo in Oshkosh

Camping at High Cliff

 BIRTHDAYS! (Anna is 13 and Emily is 7):

 Pickles!  OK, not as exciting as birthdays, but I am so grateful to my coworker Kelly for giving me cucumbers this year.  15 jars!  I'm so happy!!

I tried Ball's pickle mix.  I actually ran out--so we'll see how they turn out.

Pickle mix looks like this.  Smells very dill-ish.

 Kites over Lake Michigan!  This was great--we are going to go every year I think!

I will learn eventually that I need to bring their swimsuits and/or an extra change of clothes every time we go to Two Rivers.  This time I just said:  "Go!  Get wet."  They obliged.

 Labor Day at the Labor Temple:

WE Energies was giving rides up in their cherry picker.  I can imagine this is better than how they spent last Labor Day.

Way high!

 And then....
Back to School:

Anna in 8th grade

Nicholas in 4th grade

Emily in 2nd grade.

And me?  Well, I missed Emily's meltdown this morning because the students at work are back to school too.  But I am enjoying the kids being at school in the afternoon.  I even have time to update my blog!