Memorial Day Weekend

I've been trying to keep myself busy--honest! I rediscovered my sewing machine after seeing that all the little girl's shorts this year were on the "I'm going to show my underwear I'm so short" side. So I made Anna a pair of shorts...white with pink polka dots.
They turned out great. They come above her knee, but not up to her crotch. And I fit the waist so they don't slide down and show her butt crack all the time (which is an exciting moment around here!)

I am also making a Baby Surprise Jacket for Anna's teacher, who had her baby the 12th.
I am thinking that as long as I get it done by the end of the year I'm good to go, since I won't see her and it might be sitting in her classroom. Darn early babies!

I also have to share this picture of my little boy riding away--without training wheels!
He had his buddy down the street take them off, and they broke in the process. I was thinking about how many times Anna wanted hers back on (Trying to teach Anna to ride a bike...oh the drama!) and I told Nicholas that he'll have to ride a two-wheeler or go without a bike for the summer, because we're not buying him new training wheels. So he got on his bike. And rode. Within an hour, you would never have guessed he just learned. Today he is riding all over. I am amazed.
Oh and to end with, last night I finally got a picture of the Oriole down on the trail.
So far I haven't coaxed him up the hill...but I do have beautiful Gold Finches now. I also have blue jays AND bluebirds. And a robin took a bath in my birdbath yesterday. So that's kinda fun too.

No big plans for this weekend. All the campsites in the area are booked, because nobody wants to spend $4 a gallon to go anywhere (us included). So we'll have a cookout this weekend and probably go to the parade on Monday (and enjoy not going to work anyway)

A Little Down...and some knitting

I had a nice Mother's Day. Brian actually shopped ahead of time, which means a lot (he never does. For anything.) I got a Sudoku cube (like a Rubik's Cube, only Sudoku. It's really hard), some massage lotions and the best--an entire set of bamboo circular needles!


Of course Mother's Day turned into cleaning and catering to our mothers. I told Brian next year we should go out of town for Mothers Day...then I can actually do something with my kids besides entertaining.

I also finished one half of a pair of socks. Again. But it looks nice.

Of course I made the mistake of buying a book about knitting 2 socks at the same time (I recognize my problem. And it is becoming a problem. Then I read how to fix it. And try to work up my Fearless Knitting skills to try it out.)

I also whipped up some baby booties for Anna's teacher.

I emailed her 2 days ago (Anna stayed home today, since she was up all night coughing) and she didn't email me back, so I'm pretty sure that she probably had the baby, and I'd better get working on that baby surprise sweater (and hope I have enough yarn left! It's from my stash.)

I've also been so blah about Ravelry lately. It seems there is something in the air there. I know it isn't everyone, but yikes. Nearly every group I go in (except maybe MCY--what does THAT tell you??) is crabbing and sniping and just down right mean. When the Knitters for Obama aren't getting along, there's a problem. Some people in the NASCAR group don't want to go in there because people are bashing their favorite driver (although they openly say they hate another driver.) It just makes me down--I've already been here, done this, you know? So I need to step back for a bit, use Ravelry for documentation and pattern finding, and stay out of the groups and forums for a while. I just kinda don't need it. I have enough going on "IRL".

I'm Not The Master of My Domain

Just like on Seinfeld, I'm out of The Contest, "I'm Out!". Of the SKP contest anyway. I had to have my Jacobean socks done and posted by today and was too damn intimidated and didn't get them done.

But I have been working on socks. The first sock for "Down the Garden Path" (last month's SOTM at theknitter.com) is working up nicely.
I really love the yarn--Trekking XXL in pretty spring greens and pinks. I'm nearly to the toe decrease.

I always get so crabby that my SOTM comes late. I pay with Paypal, and everyone who doesn't gets their sock sometimes 2 weeks before I do, and I have to sit and read about it on Ravelry. So every month I say, "That's it! I'm going to get my yarn and pattern and cancel." and then every month it comes and I change my mind.
This month's sock comes with Regia Mosaik yarn...VERY nice. So...maybe next month I'll cancel.

Nicholas had his last day of preschool yesterday. I can't believe he is going to be in Kindergarten next year. He's so expressive and fun when he sings

--but he is a lot like the kid from the Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life", when there's "No talkin' while the music's playin'". Nicholas can't stand when anyone else sings. We were watching his end of the year slide show and they were playing "You've got a Friend in Me" and he was getting twitchy. I asked him why and he says, "I HATE SINGING." But if he's singing...you'd better enjoy it!

We're sure going to miss his teachers.
Emily noticed all the girls wearing pretty dresses. I told her she needs to get on the "potty train" and lose her Nuk and she can have a pretty dress next Fall too!

Emily is but 2 years old and is a "Barbie Girl".
It's fun to have a girl that likes Barbies, because that was my staple plaything as a kid. And Anna doesn't like toys, and Nicholas likes boy toys, so at least I have one girl to play Barbies with.

I checked out some old (recent) episodes of Knit N Style from the library, and found a few sweaters/summer sweaters I would like to make. Now I have to decide which one to do. It's such a major time investment, and I have become such a sock-maker (whether I really wanted to or not) that I have made nothing else for a while. And after over 8 years of knitting, it is about time that I made myself a sweater, don't you think? So any suggestions work for me...I'd like something semi-fitted, but not tight. And it has to hide my gut while not drawing attention to my boobs. So if you have anything in mind, drop me an email at annasmommy AT gmail DOT com. I was thinking the Cable-Down Raglan.

We're off to Chuck E. Cheese in about an hour for a play date with Emily and Nicholas' friends, Gretchen and Andrew. Always an adventure! And tomorrow is the Girl Scout office to pick up the badges and pins for the girls--the bridging ceremony is Wednesday! So my little Brownie will be a Junior!

I'm getting old....

Lacy socks

I finally got one of the Ariel Socks done. It seems like it took forever, and it's very "pattern-rific" 30 different rows (not a nice 4 row repeat or anything...)


I just have no enthusiasm to do the second sock. And the yarn, Soxx Appeal, is odd. It's got a nice twist when you knit it up, but it untwists easily, so I'm not thrilled with it. Not that I'm not saying the sock isn't pretty or anything, it's just a pain in the yang.

I think I will put off doing the second one and do a different sock first. I know this is going to be a bad idea that will bite me in the arse, but I really don't think I can bring myself to work on the second one right now. And I need SOMETHING on my needles. I mean, as you can see, I could clean my house, but it just gets messy again, so what really is the point of that? hehehe

I am absolutely THRILLED that Knitting Daily had the Cable Down Raglan as one of their Reader's Choice Winners. I've wanted to knit this sweater for a while. So maybe I'll get started on that. I also promised Anna a sweater, and I think I am going to get familiar with my Ultimate Sweater Machine and see if I can whip it up on that.

Whatcha Knittin'?

So, what are you working on?

I'm back to my Mermaid sock. Yes, I put down the Debbie Bliss bag after 4 rows. Maybe I will finish it. There is a better chance that I won't. But I am enjoying my sock!

Here's a picture of Emily in her sweater.

The edges are still curled...ah well, it's still a cute sweater. And nice and thick!

And out my window today--snow. But of course, I mean, it's April right?
Everyone is sick here. Fevers, coughs. It's just not fun. And it was just this sudden thing, and now it doesn't seem to be going away. At least we have lots of family bonding time, right? Oy!

My 2 Cents on Magknits...

OK, I was going to stay out of it. It's not really my business, right?

Well, I figure, it's my blog, and if I want to say something, I will.

Magknits is now gone. Kerrie, the editor, has decided that it doesn't make money and she isn't going to be involved with it anymore. "Oh you wanted those patterns? Sorry (but not really) about your luck."

The back story? Some things were said about Kerrie's business, Hipknits, on Ravelry, regarding lost orders. Quite a few lost orders. IMHO, maybe more than can be construed as a "coincidence". There was some more piping in about "Hey! I never got paid for my Magknits submission." and the whole thing spiraled out of control.

Now, I have not lost an order from Hipknits. In this area, I am completely neutral. I have never ordered from them. Every once in a while I'd go to visit her blog and look at her cute kids and oogle her yummy yarn.

I was, however, a fan of Magknits. I loved when the new issues came out. Hell, I was even a member of their forum on Ravelry.

But somehow, I knew. When they disappeared last month for "overhauling" something in the back of my head said, "Save the patterns you want, Lynnette." Only I didn't. And I was pleasantly surprised to see them up last week. And now, they are gone.

I don't begrudge Kerrie ending an unprofitable venture. That is, of course, her choice. But I do want to say in doing so, she just alienated hundreds of knitters. Her pulling the site the way she did smacks of "I'm going to take my ball and go home." It was done out of spite, a knee jerk reaction to what she saw as people saying bad things about her.

I feel bad saying this, but now I will not order from Hipknits. Why do I want to do business with someone who acts so unprofessionally?

That's just my 2 cents.

I've got a sweater that was for Easter...it was done on a Monday night...

With all apologies to Sheryl Crow, that IS the scenario. Finally, the damn Easter sweater is done.



I ended up doing the rest of the body on size 5 straights (making my wrists scream...) and the bottom green edging and the green around the outside on my size 6 circulars. It took 2 boxes of T-pins to block it, and it probably won't work since it's acrylic.

I guess I will do the best I can and when it's dry, it's dry. At least it seems to be Allegra approved.



Now I am onto the "Birds" bag from Debbie Bliss' "Kids Knits for Heads, Hands and Feet". It's written in Debbie Bliss' completely clear style (oy) so it should be a real treat. I bought the yarn, Patons Grace, ages ago, so I am hoping I have enough.