October Knitting

About time to update my damn blog, eh?

Alright, I have been busy. I lost my jobs at APL, and I am now working at NPL, which is just really, well, nice. The people are nice, the patrons are nice, and I enjoy going to work.

DD #1's behavior has become a huge problem. I know in the coming years, it will only get worse. I am at my wit's end wondering what on earth I did to make her decide that stealing, lying and sneaking is acceptable. *sigh*

Anyway, enough family complaining. I could go on all day with that, and that's boring. Let me move on to knitting--I took a little hiatus, and have decided I'd better start moving PDQ if I'm going to get my kids some warm garments before it gets REALLY cold.

So what did I do. I bought some Red Heart Pomp-a-doodle. Seriously, what the hell was I thinking??

I HATE novelty yarn, and here I am working with pompoms on a string. But it's surprisingly, um, not difficult to knit with. And the finished product makes a thick, terry cloth feeling scarf. I'm embarrassed to say I'm pretty happy with it.


Oh and I found some Homespun that matches it to make mittens and a hat with for Ms. Emily.
Otherwise, I just finished sewing a Snow White costume (that was much more labor intensive than I'd like), and I started as an Independent Consultant with Scentsy. If I can make a little extra money selling a product I believe in (I'm all about the scents!) I'm there! So I'm excited about that new venture, pretty sure I will be horrible at it, but I'm willing to try. :)

I also tried to get a job at the local Joann's teaching knitting. It was looking pretty promising, until I rearranged my schedule to meet with the person and bring in some FO's, got pictures developed of other FO's I'd given away, etc. I called that morning to hear, "Well, the bad news is you have to meet with a manager, and I forgot to tell you that. But she's here today! But she kind of doesn't know about you or that you are coming." Now I see the sign looking for someone is down--so maybe my timing was bad. Or maybe their organization (or scary lack-there-of) tells me I didn't want to work there, even just for the discount. Ah well...it wasn't meant to be.

A Joke for my Anna

A kindergarten teacher handed out a coloring page to her class. On it was a picture of a duck holding an umbrella. The teacher told her class to color the duck in yellow and the umbrella green, however, Bobby, the class rebel, coloured the duck in a bright fire truck red. After seeing this, the teacher asked him: "Bobby, how many times have you seen a red duck?" Young Bobby replied with "The same number of times I've seen a duck holding an umbrella."

(When she was in Kindergarten, Anna's first conference involved her teacher and the school psychologist. Apparently, Anna colored her apple purple instead of red--as the teacher told her to--and this was cause for alarm. After Brian and I stopped laughing--causing the vein in her teacher's head to throb--we let her know that we pick and choose our battles with Anna, and purple apples would not be one we'd be picking. This joke reminded me of the whole incident!)

Finally...an update

I know I have been woefully lacking in posts, but, truthfully, I haven't been knitting much this summer! I seem to be working on the same project, just doing a row here or there. It's a sweater for Emily (the kids asked for sweaters for school. Oy!)

Anyway, for Emily I am trying a Cottage Creations pattern, Kyler's Kardigan in Paton's Canadiana light pink.
I SWORE I would never try another Cottage Creations pattern, but I was at Herrschners store, and I was tempted. So far I can understand most of it, but it's not moving along very fast.

I had a busy day so far. I made beef soup for tomorrow
seared beef for fajitas tonight, made zucchini cake

and creamy cucumbers....mmmmm.
So I'm still alive. I'm taking the kids this afternoon to go see Shrek 4 at Fox Cinema. We haven't been there yet, so I'm hoping it's a good time! :)

One little moth...

...can ruin your whole day.

Brian mentioned to me he'd seen little moths coming out of our room. I finally got up the courage to inspect my wool...and it's chewed to hell. I gathered up everything and put it in the big freezer downstairs, but I'm pretty upset. :(

From now on--quarantined yarn before it comes in (although it is possible my little "bug" girl brought them in the house) and rubbermaid containers. And "nuke the sight from orbit...it's the only way to be sure."

In other news, I have more time to knit, since I've lost 2 of my 3 jobs. :(

Boy, this post is a bummer...sorry about the depressing update. I'll finish some knitting and be more upbeat next time!

Spring has Sprung

After a LONG winter, a taste of summer, and then back to SNOW, it finally seems like Spring may stick around for a while. I planted some flowers, and the columbine is flourishing:
(Emily's Violas)


And the strawberries are blooming very nicely!


I got some beautiful Mother's Day gifts:
And Anna had her Civil War Re-enactment. She got to recite the first verse of "Oh Captain! My Captain!" in front of 5th graders from five schools. I'm very proud of her!!


I have been doing some knitting, and even tried my hand at crochet. Here is a little preemie outfit I knit for friends in the UK. Of course I'm scared that by the time it gets to her, she'll have outgrown it!


I think it's time to knit some socks!! I did join the Loopy Ewe Sock Club Lite, and my first shipment is on it's way!

Saturday

That's pretty much all I have to say. Trying to avoid drama...possibility of drama today is high.

We went to Lake Michigan today--we didn't stay long, because it rained. BUT we did stop to see the Lester Public Library in Two Rivers. What a BEAUTIFUL library!! It's outstanding--and I was amazed by how quiet everyone was (and how well behaved!!) And they had a fish tank! You have to love a library that has a fish tank!

Anyway, on the way there I cast on the Arrowhead Lace headband. I really liked my haircut when I first got it, but it has this tapered look that is meant to hug my face. Unfortunately now, since it is longer, if I sleep wrong or brush it wrong, I tend to have the "Shawn Cassidy/Farrah Fawcett" 70's look, with the feathering. It's driving me crazy.

Anyway, I finished a headband today--I really like it, and I think I'll find some patterns to make some more. I also found 14" not stretched is the perfect length (at least with Cascade 220)

April Snow Showers

Ah, nothing like looking out the window on a fine Spring morning in Wisconsin:

Last week at this time I was sitting at a picnic table with my friend Greta, getting a sunburn. Today....meh.

I have been doing some knitting. Working on this little project for a friend (Shhh...it's a surprise!)...

while my February Lady sweater has been in a holding pattern--but I did want to show you all it is a lot further along than the last picture I posted:

Toying with the idea of buying a Knit Kit. Problem is I already have something like that in a mini knitting bag, so I don't know that I can really justify the price. Ah well....

I went to yoga this morning. I had a different teacher than I usually do, who was very good--but lots of Downward Dog pose. It is my least favorite pose, so this morning was hard for me. I don't usually sweat so much at yoga, but I kinda smelled today.