KnittnMama

Moving and clumsy

2011-12-12T07:44:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm moving to Germany in the spring. Really excited about that! I love to travel and just adore Europe so I'm already making plans for what I must see. In other news, I severely sprained my ankle in what could only be described as the worlds lamest dunk attempt on the ball court. Never known for poise and grace, my ankle is bruised all the way up my shin. Somehow, I avoided a fracture which is a huge surprise considering that I normally sustain maximum damage with minimal effort. Sigh. Oh well, nothing to do but heal. In the meantime I will continue my obsessive list making and finish some abandoned projects. More posts with pics to follow. Later!

On bullying

2011-05-04T13:37:00.002-05:00

I was lazing around today, surfing the web and checking out the news when I came across a piece on the Phoebe Prince story. For those who don't know, she was a 15 year old girl who committed suicide after being intensely bullied by six of her peers at school. This brought up a huge wave of emotion in me. I was bullied throughout all of my school years, most intensely in grade school and junior high. I had the unfortunate circumstance of having a birthmark on my nose. I've since had it removed as an adult but it was the source of lots of grief. There were many days when I felt cursed. The name calling, people going out of their way to chase you down and taunt you. It was almost too much. I hated school. Dreaded it. So, when I hear of instances of bullying, I have no sympathy for those who are the aggressors. What kind of horrible person is so vile and hateful? Who on earth raised them? Bullying is not very different from stalking, which by the way, is illegal. I'm glad that many states have laws on the books that prevent bullying. However, there are no shortage of tales of schools who are reluctant to do anything real to prevent bullying. Schools can host seminar after seminar but until they get really tough, it will do no good. I had teachers witness instances of bullying and not step in. My dear friends' daughter was bullied and school officials simply shrugged it off. Here's the bottom line, if your child is a menacing little heathen, they should be expelled. It should be up to you, the parent, to either pay the fee for a private school or homeschool. No one should be subject to the little monster you've produced. If that sounds harsh, well, so be it. I'm sick of perpetrators having more rights than victims. No adult would tolerate such treatment in a work or personal environment without demanding action be taken to prevent it. If you harass someone at work, you're fired. If you harass someone in your neighborhood, the police will be knocking at your door. Why should our schools be any different? Our children deserve to be treated with the same basic dignity that we expect. So, to Prince's tormentors, I have to say, you should be horribly ashamed Sadly, you likely are not because the same wretched parts of your souls that allowed you to bully likely prevent you from feeling remorse. Rest assured that the higher power in the universe will be wanting answers for your behavior when you stand in front of him.

Lunar Eclipse and Winter Solstice

2010-12-21T12:34:00.003-06:00

Last night I stayed up to watch the lunar eclipse. I've always thought eclipses were magical. It's such a reminder of how small we are in this great big universe. I'm still scheduled to fly into London so let's hope that doesn't change. In the meantime, I must pack and clean. Here's a shot of the eclipse! Yep, it's tiny and you can see better images on the internet but I'm sharing it just the same. Now, time to quite procrastinating. I have a lot to do!!!

Into the fray and other thoughts

2010-12-07T21:23:00.002-06:00

Normally, I avoid politically charged topics but I feel the need to post today. Today, Elizabeth Edwards passed away after a long struggle with cancer. She was 61. For those of you who don't know me, my Mom passed away this year at 62 after a two year struggle with terminal brain cancer. News of Elizabeth Edwards' death is especially poignant to me since it is so close to the death of my own mother. I find myself thinking a lot about her children and how very sad they must be feeling. I've also read some of the reader comments on major new sites in response to the news of her death. Some of the comments about her estranged husband are just so incredibly inappropriate. Whatever he was and whatever their relationship was, there is a family who has lost a loved one. Right now, they just need support. So, I guess I just wanted to say that I wish the Edwards family the peace that only time can bring. Somewhere, long ago, I read that there is a Vietnamese saying that a grief takes a thousand words. This is so true. Talk about her. Remember her and share her legacy. Some days will be unbearably hard. Some days you will feel okay. I think about my Mom all the time. Sometimes it makes me smile and sometimes I sob, overcome with feelings of loss. They will likely never read this blog but I would like to extend my sympathies to the Edwards family.

Topstitching and fair isle

2010-12-01T20:52:00.002-06:00

Here are the pics of what I'm working on. I'm making a Vogue sheath dress to wear to London for Christmas. That's the plan anyway. Hopefully it will come out looking nice enough to wear. This is the most complex sewing I've done in a long time and the pattern is rated easy!! I'm still plugging away on my Primavera wrap. This week is so busy for me schoolwise that I don't have much time for knitting. I have two papers due this week and a ton of reading. That's how it goes! I ordered a bodymedia fit armband today. I should get it Friday. It's this neat little gadget that you wear and it detects the calories you are expending. Love that. This should make it a little easier to really track my progress. Later!

Guess where I'm blogging from!!

2010-11-27T14:41:00.002-06:00

An airplane!!! A friggin' Delta flight!!!! Apparently, Delta has teamed up with Google to provide free in-flight Wifi on some flights. Oh yes, I am loving this!!! I KNEW it was possible!!! Hopefully they won't screw this idea up with charging like 5 dollars per MB or some such nonsense. I recall when they tried that inflight phone business. It died out because of bad reception and sky high (hee hee!) prices. My Dad was also generous enough to buy a camera for me on this trip so I will have some images to post on Monday. In the meantime, I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. Later!!!

Dumb tv rocks!!!

2010-11-21T22:31:00.002-06:00

Confession time: I love the World's Dumbest on Tru TV. I feel like a friggin' genius every time I watch it. So, the next time you are feel a little less than fabulous, I'd highly recommend that you watch it or something like it. On the needles, I"m finishing up my Primavera wrap from Virtual Yarns. Yep, that's by Alice Starmore. Love her! And yes, it's been on my needles for three years. I've gotten sidetracked. On the sewing machine, I just cut a Vogue pattern by Kay Unger. It's a great sheath dress that I hope will look fab when I'm done with it. Once I figure out where the heck I left my camera charger, you'll get the photo! Till then, take it easy!

Sockage!

2010-11-02T12:22:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm getting this blog back up and running after an email from a friend advised me it was disabled. I imagine blogger disabled it due to no posts! Eeek! So, here's the status on what's up in Aliciaville:

-formulating a business plan with my sister
-working on my MBA
-raising 2 boys, 2 cats, a dog and 2 hamsters
-whipping my body into shape via the eat clean diet
-knitting when I can

Speaking of knitting, the only thing off of my needles recently has been my firestarter socks. If I told you how long they had been on my needles, well, I would be ashamed. Let's just say I lost my notes on the first sock so the second sock looks a little, urm different. I've put in a, gasp, photo! I know! It's been awhile since I've done photos. I'm trying to rectify that!

Fitness-wise, I'll just put it out there. I entered the third annual Eat Clean Diet Challenge. Since Mom passed, I sort of let it all go and gained a lot of weight. I mean a lot. Now, it's time to engage in life again. So, I figured why not take the challenge. I have nothing to lose at all. So, I took some seriously unflattering photos of myself and posted them to the contest page. OMG! I had no idea my butt looked like that!!! It was like the scene from Psycho where Janet Lee is surprised in the shower and starts screaming! Still, nowhere to go but up so here I go. I'll keep you posted on my progress. I may even become brave enough to add the photos!
Till later, Alicia

Now that you have a drink in your hand...

2010-06-15T22:28:00.002-05:00

When you hear that phrase, it's never gonna be good news that follows it. My husband and I decided to help out a relative with a real estate issue. The skinny of it all comes to the fact that because of a bureaucratic issue we will end up losing 10k. It's a long story and hard to explain but it's done now. Still, what can you do? That's the nature of risk and we knew it could happen. Regardless, I'm down two Irish coffees and am having a third as soon a i get done typing this post. As soon as I can find my digital camera I'll get back to posting projects with pics. Till later!

Faith restored

2010-03-02T21:05:00.003-06:00

Sometimes, when I'm at the end of my rope, I really become convinced that there are some really not nice people in the world. It's funny, though, whenever that happens, some kind soul or souls always seem to come into my path and restore my faith. Right here, right now, I want to say thank you to those folks. I so very much appreciate all of the condolences for mom. There are no words that can express how much comfort that has brought me. Never underestimate the power of a simple smile or kind words. They heal nerves that are frazzled; comfort the grieving, and provide solace to those in need. This might sound melancholy to some but it's true. All of us have the power to be kind and compassionate. The world would be an infinitely better place if more of us exercised that power. Till later, Alicia

Bitter endings and new beginnings

2010-01-22T20:36:00.002-06:00

Today, my Mom passed away. She had a Glioblastoma Multiforme brain tumor. This is such a little understood type of cancer. It is truly truly a horrible disease. We knew this would be our end result but somehow that brings so little solace. This part of our journey has ended and now grieving has begun. I will grieve. I will grieve and go on because that is what life is about. I must go on because nothing good can be had from marinating in one's own sorrow. I would like to take a moment to say what a wonderful woman my mother was. She was creative, caring and always encouraged us to go after our dreams. I will miss her and her wisdom.

Ugh!

2009-10-18T19:40:00.002-05:00

Okay,
I'm needing to do an update especially since I'm a fickle blogger. So, while I try to find my digital camera to upload my most recent escapades I'll post this as a "bridge" until then. Apparently, though I earned my GI Bill, the veterans' affairs department is so overwhelmed that I'm going to experience an indefinite "delay" in getting my claim processed. That really sucks because it screws up my plans to go back to school at least for the moment. Ah well. Sooo, in the meantime, after much thought, I've decided that it might not be a bad idea to go back to work since the kids are a bit older and don't require my constant attention. I've got several ideas but I'm not completely committed to any one of them just yet. Then, there's the fact that I've not worked for quite awhile since deciding to stay home with the kids. In the current economy, I'm feeling a lot less than competitive in the job market. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful I don't HAVE to work but it would be nice to get back out there and the extra money sure wouldn't hurt. Soooo, if any news ever develops on the "Alicia would really like to be gainfully employed again" front, I'll post it. If not, I'll continue to post about what the heck ever it is that I'm currently up to. Here's a snapshot till I get the camera from the depths of whatever bag I've managed to put it in:

In my glass:
2007 Sebeka Cabernet-Pinotage

In my ears:
George Washington Biography audiobook by A&E
Tao of Healing by Dean Evanson and Li Xianting
Koyasan Reiki Healing by Deuter
Sacred River by Gandalf
Reiki Whale Dreaming by Kamal

On my needles:
Bed Jacket by Jennie Atkinson
Military Cardigan by Red Dog Knits (test knitting)
Firestarter socks by Yarnissima

Books and other stuff:
Veil of LIes by Jeri Westerson
Many paper related and screenprinting projects
Jeans pattern by Sandra Betzina

2009-10-18T19:38:00.001-05:00

Socks and stuff

2009-08-21T17:09:00.002-05:00

Okay, soooo I've been supah busy with back to school and all. Back to school means a new, faster paced routine. Kai is doing tackle football this year and everytime I turn around we have practice. The upside is that they have a criterium course around the practice field that tons of cyclists use to warm up for the velodrome on. Ding-light bulb moment!-Let me start bringing my bike so I can ride the course while Kai practices. Tomorrow we're apparently supposed to ride a 50 miler with our bike group. Lord I hope we stop at an Ihop for some pancakes at some point during that ride. My body is pretty sore from getting back to a more intense weight and cardio routine. So, now that all that is established let's talk crafty stuff. I've finished yet another pair of socks. These are a heavy weight cabled pair.I'll post pics this weekend along with another post. I'm been asked by a friend to host a stamping birthday party for her daughter in October so I'm really looking forward to that. In September, my buds and I are getting together to do a Halloween treat camp. Our goal is to get all of our kids' treat bags put together in one (or more) sittings so we have it done and ready to send to school with the kiddos. The plan is to do things early this year. I'll be hosting a Christmas Club in November for the same thing. Speaking of Christmas, I've made mention of a blog candy "contest" so to speak. I'll hash out those details and post on them this weekend. Later ya'll, Alicia

Sahara is done!

2009-08-02T21:24:00.003-05:00

Well, I finished my Sahara yesterday and I'm really happy with it. I confess that I did mess up a few times due to not paying attention to the directions. Still, I enjoyed knitting it quite a bit. A new goal of mine is to knit up what I have currently residing in my house before diving through my garage for more yarn/projects. Not sure what I'll move on to next but I'll make up my mind tonight. Take care ya'll! Alicia

Mojo Monday card # 97

2009-07-31T19:06:00.004-05:00

Okay, here is my Mojo Monday card as promised! I finally sat down this afternoon and got my creative cap on and cranked it out. Funny, I actually started out with some old buttons as inspiration but ended up going in an entirely different direction. Still, I'm pretty happy with the final product. Okay, now for the deets:

(all stuff is Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Cardstock:
Earth elements--chocolate chip (I think) textured
So saffron
razzleberry cardstock and DSP
faux croco paper I got from Michaels-don't remember who made it

Other:
square fire rhinestone brads
canvas cuts elements circle
chocolate chip classic ink pad
soft suede classic ink pad
razzleberry stampin write marker
melon mambo stampin write marker
barely banana stampin pastel
chocolate chip stampin pastel
pretty in pink stampin pastel
gold glitter glue I got from michaels
SNAIL adhesive, zyron adhesive and glue stick

Whew! That was a long list!!! Dinner is on the stove so I'll save my knitting post for tomorrow. Later ya'll!

Bread and butter

2009-07-29T18:14:00.004-05:00

Hey all! It's been rainy rainy here in Colorado Springs. I don't really mind it though. Still, I have been a bit behind in my Mojo Monday submission. Okay, I haven't even started it yet. But, I will have it done by Friday and posted. In the meantime, let me show you what has taken my attention. There's a little blog I like to read call Farmgirl Fare She makes awesome stuff! She has a recipe for some raisin bread which I whipped up Monday. Baking is so therapeutic and so yummy! So, I got on a bit of a baking jig and the kitchen was a complete wreck. Tuesday was pretty much dedicated to getting it back in order. I'm also almost done with my Sahara top. When it's finished. I'll post a pic and a link to it on Ravelry. In the meantime, I'm planning to showcase a number of handmade Holiday projects here on my blog. I have a big handmade goal this year that will be easier to tackle if I start early. If you want to join in, please feel free. Who knows? There could even be some blog candy involved!!! Later ya'll!

P.S. Almost forgot, Hope made a great comment on my raw mohair posts in regards to yoke. Do read her advice in the comments section in addition to my posts if you plan on doing some fiber processing with mohair. Thanks Hope!

Wednesday Round up

2009-07-22T14:23:00.004-05:00

Thanks so much for the comments! It's nice to know that someone reads the blog! Well, I was going to do a Technique Tuesday post but spent the whole day in bed sick as a dog. Since I'm feeling better today, I'm going to do a longer post to make up for it. First, let's talk about stamping with bleach. I hadn't done this before but really wanted to give it a try. The resulting Best Wishes card is what I made. Here's how I did it:
Tools:
a plastic container and a very old rag soaked in bleach (not dripping though)
stamps
cardstock, ink, ribbon. pastels and adhesives.

Once I assembled my card the way I liked, I decided to stamp a bleached background for my sentiment. I simply dabbed my stamp onto my rag and stamped onto the cardstock. Don't worry if it takes a minute to show up, this is normal. And, voila, that's it! Now, it's very important to clean your stamp off properly right after. I use my stampin mist and stampin scrub to do that. I'll definitely be using this trick again. I'd like to try it on some darker colors for a more dramatic effect.

Now for the bonus item. Recently, I breezed through Michaels and picked up some $1 journals in the most fantastically bright colors you can think of. I love journals. I love notepads. I'm a bit obsessed with them. After seeing the spiral punch, I decided this little tool would allow me to make some great journals out of dollar store finds. I was right. Introducing, the Poe journal!
Deets:
(all materials are Stampin Up unless other wise noted)
Cast a Spell DSP
Perfect Plum cardstock
Black Grosgrain Striped Ribbon
Square " Fire" rhinestone brads
Canvas Cuts
Stampin Pastels
Stampin Write Black Marker
Blender Pen
Snail adhesive
Sticky strip
Tombow removable adhesive
Spiral Punch

Basically, I simply measured , diassembled and reassembled the journal after covering it with my chosen paper. Too easy. I love the Cast a Spell paper more than I thought I would. I didn't want the journal to be too Halloweeny so I almost didn't use this paper unitl I saw the sheet with the birds. It made me think of Edgar Allen Poe. Thus, the Poe journal.

Hope this inspires you to make your own journal and try a new technique! Thanks, Alicia

Monday Mojo Card

2009-07-20T22:18:00.002-05:00

So, time for another submission for Mojo Monday. I'm digging this because it's getting me to use my paper and stamp supplies. My husband is not digging this because I've commandeered the dining room table. So, we've been eating picnic style on the floor. Still, I'm doing some sewing stuff Wednesday and he's lined me up to do some hemming for him. I've decided whether school is in the cards for me in the fall or not, I'm the type of girl who needs a schedule and some concrete goals. So, today, I've established some workout goals to last until school starts in August. I've been floundering a bit since the triathlon at the end of May. Perhaps I'll do another triathlon in September before the season is over. We'll see. I"m contemplating moving my blog and renaming it to more accurately reflect my interests. If I do, I'll keep this one live and link the new site. Till then, here's my Monday card. I used all Stampin up supplies. Deets as follows:
Cardstock:
Apricot Appeal
Walk in the park DSP
Mellow Moss
Ink:
Whisper White Craft Stampin Pad
Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin Pad
Ribbon:
some vanilla colored ribbon I got on sale ages ago at Michaels.

Mojo Monday card

2009-07-19T09:54:00.004-05:00

Hmmm. Okay, here is my Mojo Monday card. I can truly say that I inherited none of my grandfather's ability to take photos. Something about cameras I just can't figure out. Ah well. So, now that we've established my non photo taking ability, here are the deets for the card:
All supplies are Stampin up unless otherwise noted...
Cardstock: Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Razzleberry, and dusty durango. I also used a tiny bit of the Razzleberry Designer series paper as well.
Other stuff: Canvas cuts (sadly now discontinued!), and Stampin' Write markers in razzleberry, crushed curry, and bermuda bay. The ink I used for the stamping was Classic stampin pads in Soft suede, dusty durango, and chocolate chip.
Stamps: Rustic rooster (now a retired stamp set) and fundamental phrases.

The new holiday mini catalog coming out in September has some great stuff in it. I can't wait to make several things. Can you say big August preorder for me!!! I'm also, in knitting news, working on Sahara by Wendy Bernard. I'm using knit picks shine worsted in Wisteria. When I have more progress, I'll post a pic. Most of my knitting stuff though, will likely be on ravelry with the exception of the big projects. Well, I'm off to enjoy another cup of coffee before we head off to the Celtic festival. I earned it after a pretty grueling (for me anyway) 26 mile ride yesterday that consisted mostly of climbing. I rode with the "enthusiastic" group! They hand my arse to me everytime!!!! Still, it's good to ride with folks who push you. No other way to get better! Take care ya'll!!!

First Triathalon in the books!!

2009-06-10T11:33:00.002-05:00

Well, I finished my first triathalon and am quite proud of myself. I finished second in my age group but must confess that there were less than 50 females in the whole thing so I'm not sure that's such a big deal. Still, I'll claim it! My total time was 1:25:06.9. My swim was 13:20 for 400 meters. Definitely slow but I also made a very conscious effort to pace myself so I wouldn't gas out. I'd like to take some swimming lessons when the kids go back to school so I can improve my stroke. My bike was 35:54 for 11.2 miles. Slower than I would have liked but I'm still pleased with it. My run was 29:58 for 3.1 miles. Very slow but considering that I'd only been running for about a month and a half prior to the event after a several year hiatus, I'm happy. The thing I like about first races, well, any race. It gives you a nice yardstick to try to improve. How can you set goals if you don't know your current limit? So, my goal is to do another sprint triathalon and then an olympic one. Long term, before I'm 40 I'd like to do an ironman.

Stuff I've been doing

2009-04-18T14:49:00.003-05:00

Okay. Not sure if anyone still reads this but I'm going to update anyway. I've relocated to Colorado Springs and except for the wind I really like it. My time is very focused right now on training for my first ever sprint level triathalon. Since I am a really bad swimmer this is a big goal for me. Really, I just want to finish and not require any emergency service in the process. So, that said. here are some pics of my projects.

Raw mohair up to my armpits part 2

2008-10-09T11:07:00.011-05:00

Let me preface this post by saying that I am assuming you have some basic knowledge of fiber processing. How to use hand combs, etc. My intent in this tutorial is to give hope to those who have purchased some really dirty fiber that they are considering tossing. You may end up tossing a good deal of it but there may be the opportunity to salvage some really lovely bits of it. Before you toss it, at least try to process a small bit of it to see how turns out. I can't guarantee you'll be able to use it but you may. My first raw fiber purchase was on ebay before I knew much about buying fleece. It was hopelessly felted and filthy but I learned a lot from it. This batch of fiber I recently purchased was like a diamond in the rough in many ways. It was seriously filthy but I knew that there was some real yumminess underneath. For a bargain price, I was willing to put in the work. If you're willing to put in some work, you just may get some great fiber from that "what was I thinking" purchase. I recommend hand combs and flick carders in this process because they really help get the fleece much cleaner post wash than hand cards. You can always blend your fiber later using a drum or hand card knowing that you won't be getting it dirty or causing damage to your equipment.

Okay, here goes for part two of "really dirty" fiber processing. Sam (Mrs Pao) adds vinegar to her wash to cut the sheepy smell. I am definitely going to try that because the wet animal smell can be really overpowering!
So, you've scoured and dried and things still look a little full of vm and not so wonderful. Here's how to go about processing the rest of your fiber.

Step 1:
Shake that dry fiber like a polaroid picture to get out any extra vm. Really give it a good look over to see if there are any parts which are just incredibly still full of vm or even tangled. For those really nasty parts, just toss them. Now that your pile of clean fiber is waiting to be processed, let's gather our flick carder and combs.

Step 2:
I personally use a cat brush or a wider tooth metal hair pick to open the locks to the fiber. This helps me get out any tiny vm that the wash didn't and makes my fiber ready for combing. Grasp your fiber at one end and begin using a flicking motion with your wrist to brush out your locks.

Once you get one end brushed out, brush the other end of the fiber out. This fiber is now ready to lash on.

Step 3:
Lash the fiber onto your hand comb taking care not to stab your fingers!!

Step 4:
Use the hand combs to transfer fiber from one comb to the second. Paradise Fibers has a wonderful video tutorial for this as well as some excellent and affordable hand combs. Pull the fiber from the combs. You can use a diz if you like.

Step 5:
Admire your results. In front of the yarn in the photo are two "puffs" of mohair that were handcombed using this process.You went from icky to lovely! Enjoy your fiber!

Raw mohair up to my armpits part 1

2008-10-08T08:29:00.005-05:00

Okay, so I decided it's time for a fiber related post. Long overdue. I got some (well, a TON) of raw mohair, llama, and wool from a local farmer recently. What can I say? I love fiber! During the scouring process, I sort of wondered what the heck I was thinking. How on earth was I going to process all this? This fiber was really really raw (which was disclosed to me prior to sale so I'm not griping!). Had I just bitten off more than I could chew? How much of this fiber would I be able to process into something useable for my purposes? So, I took a deep breath and decided to take a few samples of some of the fiber that was already dry to process. Turns out, it's really nice once it's combed. So, for all you fiber fanatics or fiber beginners who might have scored some really really raw unskirted and not coated fiber, here's my tutorial on how to make it work so you don't throw it out as a loss.

Step 1:
Take a deep breath and get organized! You can do this!! First off, you must skirt the fiber. I like spreading out in my driveway to do this. Trust me, you have to do it outside. It's going to be messy. Go up and down the fleece removing large bits of bugs, vm, and possible matted areas. Set your trash to the side. Grab the fleece and shake it out very well to get more vm and dust out. This may need to be done more than once depending on your fleece. Put all your "keeper" fleece in a clean bag and take a big long break. You earned it.

Step 2:
Okay, get yourself a plastic storage bin. I use a medium size one, a long handled spoon, and some liquid detergent. I recommend dawn. You might also want to have a mesh sink drain insert handy. Place your bin in your tub and fill with the water all the way on hot. Be careful not to touch in order to avoid burns. You might want to wear a pair of heavy duty dishwashing gloves to protect your hands. Fill your bin about halfway full and shut off the water. Squirt some dawn in and gently swirl it around with your spoon being careful not to create suds. Gently place your dirty fiber in the bin and use the spoon to dunk the fiber under the water. Be careful not stir in order avoid felting. Now, leave the fiber alone until the water is cool to the touch. This will take much longer than you think.

Step 3:
Once the water is cool to the touch, secure your mesh sink strainer around your tub drain (just in case) transfer your wet fiber to an empty plastic bin and dump the filthy water out in the tub. I recommend the sink strainer to protect your drain. You should also wear crappy clothes because you're definitely going to get messy. I personally use a handheld shower head to rinse my tub after each water dump to make clean up easier.

Step 4:
Fill your empty bin again with hot water but this time, do not add the detergent. Simply place your wet fiber gently in the bin and again allow to cool to touch for draining. This step should be repeated until your water is basically clear. If you still have some vm bits in the fleece, do not fear. We will handle that later.

Step 5:
You have a few options here. You can use your spin cycle to help drain water from your wet fleece or you gently press the water out of your fleece to aid in drying. A word of caution, if you have a very fine fleece (like merino) which is prone to felting, you may want to err on the side of caution and skip this step. It will take longer to dry for sure but that's better than accidentally felting your fleece. Find an area (in the sun if you can!) to spread out your fleece on a large sheet or even on old clean cardboard boxes to dry.

I'll follow up with a tutorial on processing that raw scoured fiber using a flick carder and hand combs on my next post. Above are some pics of my really raw fleece drying after scouring.

Long Hot Summer

2008-07-13T16:10:00.002-05:00

Summer has been scorching hot and unpredictable in my neck of the woods. I drove down at the end of May to help Mom finish up her chemo/radiation and move back to Kansas only to stay longer than I thought. Mom's platelets and white blood cells dropped to the point of having to completely stop her chemo and radiation. It turns out, she is unable to tolerate the temodar (chemo) so she will not be able to continue that. At the end of June, she had three seizures in one day. We ended up in the ER and an MRI showed possible tumor growth but definite swelling. She was put on anti seizure medicine and her decadron (steriods) increased to counteract the swelling. Thankfully, the doctors gave her a blood transfusion and chose to continue radiation. We finish radiation next week. The following week we will be in Houston for another follow up. From there, we will go back to Kansas. The setbacks were disappointing but Mom's spirits are definitely up since we've has some visitors over. In Houston, we'll find out what our other alternatives are since Temodar is off the menu. The boys have learned how to swim since we've been here. My cousin, Renee, has been a saint. She has helped out with the kids so much I can't even begin to repay her. This has been a summer of melancholy reminiscence and bittersweet new memories. Still, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Updates

2008-05-20T17:06:00.002-05:00

Well, I know it's been awhile but things have been strange and fast paced here. Mom underwent a successful surgical resection and 90% of her brain tumor was removed. The surgeon confirmed that her tumor was indeed a glioblastoma multiforme. She's currently undergoing oral chemotherapy and radiation. Alan and I have moved into a new house on post that is handicapped accessible. Once Mom finishes her chemo and radiation, she'll move up here with us. Right now, she's in a wheelchair but is working on using a walker. Her goal is to be able to go back to her house by the time we move from Kansas in December. Will that happen? I don't know but I think it's a great goal. Life is now divided into "before cancer" and "after cancer" for all of us. What will it be like having Mom under our roof? I know how much she values her privacy and we certainly have a routine of our own as well. Will her treatment stop the tumor from growing? For how long? What's going to happen when the tumor does regrow? Glioblastomas are uniformly terminal. How do you deal with people who can't understand that this is terminal? If I hear one more "miracle" story about someone who knew someone blah blah blah I'm going to come completely unglued. Right now, I'm just struggling to be positive for Mom and yet maintain a realistic perspective. She bounces back and forth between acceptance and denial. I guess we all do that. Right now, this is an exercise in living in this very moment because that is all we have. That is all anyone really has.

Cancer sucks.

2008-03-20T10:59:00.002-05:00

I saw that on a button today on a woman at MD Anderson Cancer Center. That's where I am right now. My mother was diagnosed with a primary brain tumor, probably a glioblastoma multiforme, about the 3rd of March. Time has become too quick and yet slow all at once. We were fortunate enough to get her in at MD Anderson. If you don't know, MD Anderson is the #1 cancer treatment center in America. Mom has brain surgery tomorrow to remove as much of the tumor as possible. That will likely be followed by chemo and radiation. There are so many concerns and issues that I can't begin to name them all right now. For today, I can only focus on the surgery. We can't begin to make any plans beyond that. I've journaled about this and contemplated posting those thoughts to the blog but have decided against it. Right now, I need a place to record my thoughts and fears in a private way. I'll keep the blog updated with Mom's condition and the usual stuff. I guess not much is usual these days. Mom may have to come and stay with us in KS if she is unable to care for herself. I'm not sure she wants to do that but I don't know what other alternative there could be. I know I'm rambling but it is just so unreal. So, tomorrow we wait and pray. Till later, Alicia

Tour de Hamster

2008-03-04T19:20:00.003-06:00

The first race is in the books ladies and gents!! The weather was warm and windy. The riders were nervous and excited. Yet, we all did a great job and had fun. Now, I have a baseline to work from in order to improve. Okay, my improve list was really really long but that's okay. Everyone starts somewhere. A few highlights from the day.

Those cat 3 dudes are really fast.

Apparently there are enough men in Cat 5 to sort the groups into over 35 and under. That is not the case for the ladies. We cycled with girls who still had acne and braces. You have no idea how much that sucks.

When an 8 year old on a bike cheers you on while rounding a corner, you will indeed feel old and fat even if they were really sincere and cute.

When you get dropped by the peleton at the very start because you're screwing around with your clipless pedals, don't get an ego and think "I can catch up!" when you are fighting a 20 mph headwind. It ain't happening.

Gear selection and drafting matter. I was spinning like a hamster on some stretches while I screwed around with my gears. Apparently screwing around with gears and pedals was a big part of my race. I should have gotten over myself and drafted with my teammate Paula.

When your teammate is panting like a dog and her heartrate monitor is beeping like mad, she isn't trying to psych you out, she's reached critical mass but can't slow down for fear of not finishing. I had to explain this to Paula who thought I was a little nuts.

When your team captain/coach tells you to warm up until you are nice and sweaty and fairly winded, he means it. It shocked the hell out of my body to go from zero to 90rpm in 6 seconds flat. That might explain why I was panting and beeping all the way around the course.

FYI to the guys on my team, I WASN'T smiling while racing--I was BREATHING!!!! Also, I appreciate the tip on zipping up my jersey. I wasn't ignoring you when you told me that, my bike shorts were hung up on my seat so I was completely unable to sit down and was trying not to plant my face into the pavement before the race even began. This is a terrifying thing to someone who just pushed off towards the lineup. Rest assured, once I "unhung" my shorts, I was able to zip that jersey up.

Just sayin'!!!!
Till later, Alicia

Cha Cha and the first ride

2008-02-11T13:44:00.000-06:00

You know how you have a great idea and get some encouragement to go for it; then when you do, you got a lot more than you bargained for in the process. Not that that’s a bad thing, it just takes you by surprise because you’d not been expecting it. That’s how my first ride with Cha Cha turned out. I got this itch to ride “for real” after I became a certified spinning instructor. It was an itch I never scratched till we had some money available and my husband told me I should take the plunge. That’s how I ended up with Cha Cha.
Cha Cha is my new and first “big girl serious” bike. She’s a black and pink Specialized Dolce road bike. Very beginner friendly but with some cool features and women specific stuff that makes her fab. You might wonder why I named her Cha Cha. I’ll give you the background on that before you hear about our ride. Growing up, my cousins, sister and I loved the movie Grease. My secret favorite character was Cha Cha. The trashy girl who rocked the hand jive with Danny. Remember her? I loved that character because she was a bawdy and unabashedly in your face character. Okay, mostly I loved her because she was trashy. Still, whatever. So, Cha Cha became my bikes’ name.
Friday evening I rode 25.3 miles on the bike shops’ indoor trainer. I was feeling confident and comfortable and somehow got bamboozled into the Saturday morning 25 mile ride. Sure, it would be the first time I’d ridden since I was a kid but I was confident I could do it. Sort of anyway. I got plenty of rest Friday evening and got up bright and early for the ride. Once I got all geared up and got myself to the shop, my nerves didn’t have too much of a chance to set in before we were outside ready to go.
I got off to a very shaky start. I instantly fell behind as I wobbled my way toward our intended route. Seriously, I wobbled like you wouldn’t believe. Immediately I wondered what the hell I’d gotten myself into. Then, I remembered how much I’d paid for the bike and inwardly groaned. I couldn’t give up this soon. I figured I go just a bit longer but truly, I was unable to imagine how I would accomplish all 25 miles. I continued to wobble and not stay near far enough right as I should. Plus, I was slow as all get out. I mean SLOW!!!
We got past the in-town stuff with all the stops and starts. Finally, I got less terrified by the vehicles passing and did a better job of keeping as far right as possible. Most folks gave a nice wide berth and just a few honked their horns as though we shouldn’t be on the road at all. Assholes. Still, I wobbled everytime I moved my hands to change gears. That was a lot because I changed gears more than most folks change their panties. Aerobically and muscularly as a whole, it wasn’t so taxing I couldn’t do it at a faster pace for the majority of the ride. The reason for my slowness? I was terrified I would be completely out of control. Shit, I felt pretty out of control already. The unstable feeling of the bike was so incredibly unnerving that my only goal became finishing without having a wreck or endangering anyone else. It was a big mental obstacle for me.
I was so focused on that goal I didn’t feel the cold wind or the steadily numbing crotch I was getting until about halfway through. I ignored it and it went away--mostly. The dog that ran out and gave chase got little notice from me. I was on autopilot and he would have to find another impromptu chew toy. I just needed to finish. Finally I was steady enough to change gears without wobbling, at least on the right hand side anyway. The left hand gears almost screwed me up twice so I’ll definitely have to work on changing those gears while on the trainer Monday. The owner of the shop and the other riders were great. The owner stayed with me the whole time and one of the more experienced riders followed me out of town to make sure I got out to the country road okay.
The thing I learned is that pedaling with very little resistance left me feeling out of control. As long as I kept the gears so I could “feel the road”, I felt more in control. Back at the shop after the ride, the shop owner demonstrated on a wheel how the faster you go, the harder it is to actually tump over. Conversely, the slower you go , the more likely you are to crash. That made me feel better. The downhills will still probably unnerve me a bit but I can get over it. If I don’t, my brake pads might need replacement in record time. I made my ride in 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 54 seconds.
I didn’t set the world on fire. I might have been the last person in but I finished. I finished when I wanted to cry and give up. That was about 1/4 of the way in but I didn't want to look like a big baby or spoil anyone else's ride. I kept going when I wanted to turn around. Okay, mostly I wasn’t able to turn around because the turn would have pretty sharp so I’m not sure how much that counts but I’m claiming it anyway. I rode. I rode when I felt like the bike was riding me. I kept riding until I felt like maybe, just maybe, I might be riding the bike myself just a little. By the time I reached the shop, my crotch was numb; my toes were cold and my legs were appropriately sore. The shop provided a bagel and cream cheese. Let me tell you, a bagel never tasted so good. I'm on tap to do it again Saturday. Here's to being new, being humbled and always learning even if you have to stuff down your fears. Later, Alicia

Finally here!

2008-01-20T17:02:00.001-06:00

Okay, so, I took some pics of our house in Texas in all its' chaos during the move. Our house here in Kansas is still in chaos but we're slowly making heads or tails of it all. We arrived here to snow and freezing temperatures! See how glad I am that I know how to knit?! No shortage of warm knitted clothing around here. Once I get the craft room in order, I"ll be posting my done stuff more regularly. I do have a few things I managed to get done that I'll post about week after next. Why that long? Well, because I fly out to NC tomorrow to help my sister with an unexpected move overseas. She's darn lucky I'm in "moving" mode!!! Hope everyone had happy holidays and a good new year! Till later, Alicia
P.S. These pics should be titled, " Why you seriously do not want to move over the holidays. Seriously."

Crazy.Busy.Moving!

2007-12-18T10:37:00.000-06:00

Things are nuts! We are PCSing (that's moving for non military folks) to Fort Leavenworth, KS! The movers are here today packing us up so I'm crazy busy! Promise some post holiday pics. Maybe when we are at Mom's for Chrismukkah (we do both-blended family so that's what we call it)? Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for the comments to the blog--I'll be back once I dig out from boxes and craziness! P.S. DH has come to accept the yarn (as if he had a choice!) but swears I own the most stuff in the family. Whatever!! Happy Holidays everybody!! Alicia

Apparently, you can have too much yarn!

2007-11-25T19:01:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I haven't blogged about it much. Only a phrase or so but DH was deployed to Iraq for the past year or so. He just got back and so we are steadily getting back into the swing of things. Let me describe this. First, you have the initial honeymoon period. Oh, I missed you so much, etc etc. This lasts a few days to a week. Then, you have the he/she's really beginning to irritate me period. Give that a month. Mostly it goes like this: Why does he put unrinsed dishes in the non-garbage disposal side of the sink?? Grrr! Finally, you have the okay we won't kill each other because we have a good time together period. DH and I are currently in the Irritate period but that's okay. We've been thru this before and once you get past a month or so, you get to being back to normal. As proof of the irritation period, I offer you the following tidbit from DH to me in regards to yarn.
DH: "You know, we really have to talk about the amount of yarn you have."
Me: "What?" Feigns look of complete innocence and ponders current rate of knitting and potential hiding spots.
DH: "Um, it's a lot of yarn." Looks at me earnestly.
Me: "Hmmm, I guess it is." Avoiding eye contact like crazy.
DH:" Okay, here's the thing. You just can't buy anymore yarn until you've used up most of what you have. Your yarn is taking over the house. Also, when you go in Barnes & Nobles, you need to only leave with a cup of coffee and one book or magazine."
Me: Stunned silence. Mulling over amounts of yarn while thoroughly disregarding the low blow B&N comment. In a moment of rare concession, the following phrase popped out of my mouth before I could stop it. I was feeling all diplomatic and crap. : "Okay, I"ll concede I need to use at least 75% of my current stash before I get anymore but that doesn't preclude yarn gifts. As far as B&N, we don't have one here locally so I refuse to address that at this time."
Now, I have to quit blogging because I apparently have agreed to use a buttload of yarn up before I can buy more. Must quit typing and begin knitting. Later, Alicia

On death and life.

2007-11-18T17:46:00.000-06:00

All day Thursday I had a prickly uneasy feeling. Something wasn't right. Bank accounts were okay, kids and hubby were okay. I hadn't forgotten about anything really important. The prickly uneasy feeling wouldn't go away. I pushed it aside and waiting for the inevitable moment I would find out why I had it. The next morning, about 6:15 am, my mom called and I found out what the feeling was all about. My grandma had passed away in her sleep the night before. Her health had been bad and it was a miracle she lasted as long as she did after the stroke. Still, I'm not sure why it hit me so hard. Today was her funeral. I don't want to talk about it too much. I just want to say some stuff about my grandma. Her name was Leitha Powers nee Bryan. She was a very accomplished gardener. I don't think there was a thing that she couldn't plant that wouldn't grow. Her home was always meticulously clean. She worked hard as hell all her life. Despite the fact that she never learned to drive, she traveled more than anyone I know. She made beautiful quilts for all of us granddaughters by hand. She loved a good soap opera. She could fry up fish, make biscuits and cookies. She was a great lady and I miss her. That's all I have to say today.

As the world turns..and turns, and turns

2007-11-14T09:03:00.000-06:00

Okay, been awhile but that's really nothing new! DH will be home soon!! Yay!! That's the good stuff. The bad stuff, my grandma had a stroke and is recovering. Well, it's not really all bad because they initially did not expect her to survive. She's starting to come around though. That's my grandma. She's tough! I cannot tell you the tears I shed and the anxiety I've had over this. I know that she's had a great life and all but she's my grandma. I would go to her house in the summer time and snap purple hull peas while drinking iced tea and eating fried apple pies. I really have to learn how to make those pies. She rolls the dough paper thin and fills it with the cooked apples and fries them up. Yeah, we can even make fruit fattening in the south. We haven't met a food yet that we haven't found a way to fry. Best part is, those pies are good!! See, this is why I exercise. I'd be as big as a house if I didn't. Let's face it, I'm not giving up fried pies any time soon. My grandma also hand quilted quilts for all of us granddaughters. My Mom still keeps my quilt. Apparently at 33, I'm still not responsible enough to have it. My grandma is a great gardener too. She loves flowers and plants. I used to play in her rose garden and pretend I was a princess. I have a zillion other stories about my grandma. She's really a neat person and incredibly resourceful. I can only hope to be just a little like her. Okay, before I start getting all teary again, I'm going to move on to knitting news. I've finished a good many things up since I last blogged. Let's start it off with the Somewhat Cowl. Okay, I dig it a lot. I used Elann's yarn--I think it was highland silk. Anyway, it was a nice yarn even if it was a bit splitsy. It has to be nice and cool for me to wear it though. Any sign of heat and I get itchy. Now, the pattern is nice and Wendy has added some changes to get a better fit. That said, you have to use your brain when you knit this if you want a good fit. That means stopping and trying it on to determine if you need to make any pattern adjustments. I like that because I get a custom fit. If you want some mindless knitting, this may not be it. Don't get me wrong, there are mindless parts of it because it is stockinette but you do have to watch it in some criticial areas for proper fit. Overall, I like the pattern and the yarn. I'd recommend it. Next up, Not your standard issue sweatshirt. Okay, I'd been dying to knit this for awhile. I used Knit Picks Main Line for the yarn sub. Okay, let me say now that I really like most of knit picks' yarn and haven't been dissatisfied yet. This particular just isn't my favorite though it does have some good qualities. The colors are nice and it is reasonably soft with good stitch definition. The down side is that it seems to show wear very quickly. My sweater has a soft fuzzy halo to it already. That might be okay to some it just wasn't what I expected. So, while I love their other yarn, this particular one is not my favorite. I dont' hate it but I can't say I love it. On to the pattern. It's well written and an interesting knit. The only part that I didn't like was the hood so I left it off. It came up too short and was very pointy. Has anyone perfected the knit hood? There just has to be a better way. I had to do a do over on the seaming but that had nothing to do with the pattern. Let's just say I remember why I prefer knitting in the round. Overall, I'd recommend the pattern sans the hood. You can decide whether you would use main line or not. It was an economical alternative for my purposes but I'd recommend buying a skein and swatching it to see if you like it despite the drawbacks. So, what's on my needles now? Well, lots of stuff! To my kids' amazement, I'm knitting them some stuff. Yeah, I normally only knit for myself but the kids are big martin mystery fans so I've designed a cardi based on his shirt. I'm using Knit picks Swish in red pepper and some bare I dyed yellow. Let me tell you, this is the softest yarn! Even my youngest, who screeches if he touches wool, loves it! The pattern is my own so I'll let you know how it goes, The other kids knit is EZ's moebius vest. I'm using some handspun from a CVM named Andy. I got his fleece from Shepherdchik (her fleece rocks!). The fleece is really springy and is knitting up nicely despite my beginner's thick and thin spinning. I dyed the fleece a blue color that didn't turn out at all how I expected. I actually hated the color but my oldest liked so I decided to make the boy's a vest from it. I've also started the icelandic lace shawl using a kit from Sarah's yarns. I love buying from her. She ships so fast! I'm mulling over which of my own designs to get going on next. I might put the names in a hat and draw them out. Who knows? So, until later, take it easy! Alicia

Out golfing

2007-10-13T10:24:00.000-05:00

Yep, I've been knitting, spinning and crocheting. I've also been golfing. I took a beginners clinic in September and October. I suck but I like it. I even have a set of (cheap) clubs and a (expensive) pair of golf shoes. So, I'll post a pic this afternoon/late evening with my log cabin afghan that I finished. Yay! I love it! I'm almost done with my Somewhat Cowl and hope to finish it this weekend. I'm planning on sewing and embroidering a pair of gauchos to go with it. No, I don't care if the gaucho is out of fashion. For us pear shaped gals, the gaucho is a classic friend which should never go away. Skinny pants, on the other hand, are our bitchy arch nemesis sent here to make us look huge. Take heed curvy ladies, skinny pants are not your friend. They will make your thighs look huge and your hips even huger. Who let those things come back into fashion anyway and how much do they hate women with hips? If you don't know, Kristi of Red Dog Knits is shutting down blog shop. I'm going to miss her. Really, I do understand. She's got so much going on not to mention two little babies. How she kept it going so long I don't know. So, stop by and wish her a fond farewell. She and her hubby have set up a family blog so we can keep abreast of her boys' growth. Bookmark it cuz those boys are cute cute cute!!!! Well, my mom has arrived with breakfast in hand so I"m going to run eat. Later ya'll!

Because I'm not a total sour puss!

2007-09-07T12:42:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are some pictures of knitting stuff! First, these are my socks from Amy H., my sock pal! Thanks so much for the beautiful socks! I've worn them several times and they hold up to machine washing and drying beautifully! I'm pretty rough on socks so the ability to hold up in the wash was really important to me. I've finished my Fifi for the Sexy Knitters club KAL. I loved working on this top even though I had to frog it twice because I was on the fence on size. Then, I failed to cast on enough underarm stitches so had to rip back and correct that. It was a great learning experience and I highly recommend it. My somewhat cowl is close to finished and I can't wait. I ripped the bind off out to add length. I'll either do a tubular double rib bind off or a suspended bind off. Suspended is quicker but not as elastic. It's probably better to take the time to do the tubular. Sigh. I'm also crocheting a lapghan. Yep, it's acrylic. Any blankie in my house better be machine washable AND dryable. I'd love to do one in a luxury yarn one day but honestly, it would likely get ruined. Still, I'll give a review of the yarn I"m using which happens to be Vanna's Choice by Lion Brand. The price is reasonable at $2.00 per ball and about 220 yards. It's fairly soft and comes in a range of "grown up" colors. I'm finding it a bit splitty but not to the point where it's difficult to work with. As far as pilling, I'll have to let you know after I've laundered it a bit. The pattern I'm using is from Vanna White's new afghan book which complements the yarn line. The only modification I made was to use 4 colors instead of 5. In good news, the man next door paid up. Apparently it's just his wife who is a complete heifer. Really, she was angry with him and not me. Still, whatever. Oh, even better news, I got my ravelry invite yesterday!!!!! I spent half of the day on there. I still have more stash to enter. It's really neat and well worth the wait for the invite. Later! Alicia
PS I threw in a pic of some roving I spun up. I'll get the info on where I got it put up on next post. It's a merino/tencel blend and the colorway is called banded iguana. Thank you Lime and Violet for enabling me to get that.

Ommmm, Ommmmm, Grrrrr, Grrrrr

2007-08-23T18:06:00.000-05:00

Sigh. Where to begin? This has been a long summer for me and for the kids. Here we are now with school beginning next week! Tonight we went to meet their teachers. Yay! I really hope they have great teachers. They seem very nice. This week seems to have been jam packed with landmines. On Sunday, my neighbor inadvertently sprayed my husbands' truck with paint. Yeah. That was a joy to wake up to. Of course he sweared up and down he would take care of it. So, I had a truck detail guy come by and clay bar and buff it out and put a new protective coat on. The total damage was $200.00. Much less than a new paint job. Instead of honoring their responsibility to pay, my neighbor is now refusing to pay. Lovely. F***ing assholes! Sorry. I normally try to keep this blog clean but right now I am livid. Just livid. Now, I have the money to cover this repair but that's not really the point. If my neighbor had been responsible and asked me to move my vehicles before painting, we could have avoided this whole mess. Instead, he got paint on our truck. Now, he doesn't want to own up to the responsibility of paying for his mistake. His wife had the audacity to act angry and pissy with me! Uh, hello! Not my fault!!! This has just got to be the universe testing me. I'm trying to transition to a vegan diet and get more in touch with myself etc etc. Why is it that when you try to get all spiritual every crapbutt thing in the world happens to completely piss you off? Now, a lesser me would say screw it all and munch on some cheese toast and down some wine while grousing away. The trying to be spiritual me is still going to grouse (hey I'm pissed what can I say?) but I'll avoid the dairy and wine. I wish I had the wine. I'll just make a vegan curry instead and drink some green tea. Then, I'll knit a bit and think about all the reasons that this, while unjust, is truly just an annoyance. There are bigger things to feel indignant and upset over. This just isn't worth the energy. Lest you think I'm all negative, let me throw some positives in there. I got my sockapalooza pal's socks and they are so lovely!!! Thanks Amy H! I love the rain hat as well! I have to send a thanks out to Alison of Blue blog who organizes this whole thing. You rock girlfriend! Oh, side note to Sam, hope you are doing better and getting ready for your vacation! It's been sort of crazy here. I'm seriously considering a potential destash sale on ebay. I've acquired more than I can knit. The big question is what would I part with? I have issues letting go of stuff. Pack rat-itis runs in my family. I promise some pics on the next post. Ones of my beautiful sock pal socks; my Fifi in progress; my somewhat cowl in progress, and my crochet blanket in progress. You get the idea. Lots of stuff in progress. Must force children to learn to knit and do my bidding! Alas, they show no interest. So, I"d better get on that curry and bust out some yoga and meditate. It's the only thing that's holding me back from making a mad dash to the store for some wine and cheese. I still haven't ruled out the wine. Butthead neighbors. Till next time, Alicia

The week of Mondays

2007-07-14T13:37:00.000-05:00

This past week has been like Monday repeating itself over and over again. You know those kind of weeks. The kind where you can't manage to be on time even when you get up early; the kind when the car just seems to suck up gas like water in the desert; where no matter how much you clean the house is dirty in the next two minutes. It's just been that kind of week. Whatever. Last night I watched the season premiere for Monk and for Psych. I love those shows. I have to say of the two, I enjoyed Psych more. Not that Monk was bad, I just really loved Psych. My feelings have been a bit on my sleeve lately so it just felt like such a relief to just laugh. Laughter helps after a week of some expected disappointment that stung a lot more than I thought it would. My husband sent me a great email that made me feel so much better. My sister was also a great encouragement too. Happy Anniversary to my hubby! 10 years and we're still going! I love you hon!! My cousin and her daughter are coming to visit next week so I really must clean my house. Hopefully it will stay clean. Yeah, right! In knitting news, I've completed my pals first sock and am past the heel in the second. My goal is to get it done by Sunday. I've got the Somewhat Cowl on the needles and have done my gauge swatch for Fifi. Now to cast on for Fifi. Did I mention that I love Rowan Calmer?? I do. I love it so much I've composed an letter to it. Here goes:

Oh Calmer, I love your Rowan-y goodness. I'll confess I was skeptical and did not believe in your sproingyness. Indeed you are the most sproingy wonderful yarn ever. You, Calmer, are like a marshmellow without any stickiness. You're spongy, soft and surprisingly fun to knit with. Why, dear Calmer, must you cost $11.95 usd per ball? Why? Don't realize I must knit with you and can only afford discontinued colors on sale? Please consider lowering your cost to $9.00 per skein! BTW, I know that I can get you for $9 usd per skein but that's from overseas. Now, I'm not above ordering you from an overseas source but I lose that lovely discount with the cost of shipping. So, my dear Calmer, you must somehow consider making yourself available at discounted price in the US, where I happen to live. Also, do you think you could manage some tweed and heather selections? If not, I'll manage. You know I'll knit with you anyway even if I have to sell other belongings on ebay to do it. Sincerely, Alicia

Hot Summer

2007-07-03T22:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been around and very busy lately. I've just decided I won't ever get unbusy so I'd better make the time to blog regardless. DH was home for two weeks in June so that obviously took up much of our time. We went to Sea World again which was lots of fun. Let me tell you, we stayed there for 10 hours. Yes, 10 hours. Our legs were actually sore from all the walking. Still, we had a great time. My friend Carolyn moved to Colorado. Boo. I miss her very much. I made her a pair of socks to wear when the snow touches the ground. Sigh. Her daughter, Cady. whom I taught to knit, graduated high school so I made her a necklace that I hope she gets much enjoyment and use from. (Yep, I ended my sentence with a preposition. My English teacher would cringe!) That is such a special age. Damn I feel old!! My friend Samantha sent me a birthday present from England. It arrived at the perfect time. I was in a bit of funk with Al leaving and sort of sitting around here just doing the same old thing. The summer blues are still here but that's just because I have too much time on my hands. Too much time to contemplate and dream. Time is so funny that way. One day you think there just isn't enough and another it seems to drag on mercilessly. I'm working on my sockapalooza pal's socks. The pattern I've chosen isn't particularly difficult but I'm concerned it may not look as attractive as I hoped. Really what I mean is that I don't want this lady to think I'm some dunce knitter who can't do a complex pattern. I'm a bit scared that the simple pattern I"ve chosen will look too simple. It's a baby cable rib pattern, I chose it for it's elasticity to make sure of a great fit. The yarn I'm using is variegated so I"m concerned it won't show very well. I'm reluctant to break away from knitting for fear of making a too big or too small sock. Maybe I'll whip up two pairs of socks and then decide between the two. I just don't know yet. Well, I'm off to watch some Shark Week stuff I got off itunes and drink the rest of my Merlot. Good wine and sharks. What more could a gal want? Here's some photos of what I've been up to. The fleece in the bag is some CVM from a sheep named Andy that I carded into roving. Dreamy. Andy, you rock. Oh, the couch is my new couch. I ditched the couches I painted because hell, they were old. Also, the new couch was on sale. I love a good sale. I love my new couch. Sorry if the whole post is choppy and rambling. I'll get back in the groove of things shortly. Till then, knit on. Alicia

Happy Belated Mother's Day

2007-05-14T18:37:00.000-05:00

One word. Gastroenteritis. So, that is why I'm sending a belated Happy Mothers Day to all the Moms out there. Hope you didn't spend your day barfing up cinnamon rolls like I did. I will be back once I can keep food down. For the record, I won't be eating any cinnamon rolls any time soon.
ps. Got my sister's bday gift in the mail today. The primavera wrap kit from Alice Starmore. IT ROCKS!!!!! Love ya Lea!

Yarn inventory and public humiliation

2007-04-22T17:06:00.000-05:00

How much yarn is too much yarn? Do you buy yarn as you use it or do you collect and hoard it? Apparently, I am a hoarder. Last week, I inventoried my yarn stash. This took me two hours. TWO HOURS! I have, officially, 419 balls of yarn in my stash. This does not include fiber that can be spun into more yarn. We won't discuss that. The next two hours consisted of me entering all of the yarn info into an excel spreadsheet. This is how I discovered the actual total once I summed up the quantity column. At first, I misread and thought I had 719 balls of yarn. I was so stunned I believed this to be true for a full 24 hours before I looked at my spreadsheet again. Now, 419 doesn't seem so very high. In fact, I was quite relieved to know I did NOT have 719 balls of yarn but only 419. What's the end result of this knowledge? I have to knit, weave or other wise use 200 balls of that yarn before I allow myself to buy anymore. Moving on now. In other knitting news, I have purchased a copy of Alice Starmore's Tudor Roses. I MUST KNIT CATHERINE HOWARD! Why? Because it's purty and challenging. I must also knit several other items from this book in order to justify what I paid for the book. Trust me, you really don't want to know what I paid. Ridiculous I tell you but if I knit damn near everything in there (and I probably will) it will be worth it for me. In completely non knitting news, my digital camera has died and I've ordered a new one so this post will be photoless. I cannot bear to put up another crappy phone camera photo. Should be here next week so until then, no pics. Now, for the public humiliation news. Thursday morning my oldest son woke up sick to his stomach and had to stay home from school. Magically, by mid morning he felt better so I had him accompany me on many errands. He hates that beyond words. One of those many errands involved me scouring local libraries for other Alice Starmore books. At the final library stop, my son sat behind me while I perused the bookshelf. Keep in mind he had been impatiently whining about going home at each and every stop prior to this. So, when I heard a whisper behind me begging to leave, I naturally assumed this was my son. I went into this long spiel about not whining and leaving when I was done only to turn around and see a stunned little girl sitting beside another grinning mom. No hole was available to crawl into so I apologized profusely as the other mom said that my response to her daughter sounded good to her and to not worry about it. I was mortified!!!! Note to self, ensure child you are scolding is actually your child. Thanks for the understanding to the other mom!

disbelief

2007-04-17T11:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I was going to post yesterday a really tongue in cheek piece since I inventoried my yarn stash and all. Then, I watched the news and decided it just isn't the right time. I'm at a loss for words about the whole Virginia Tech massacre. Stunned. Just stunned. I'm so sorry for the victims, their friends and families. I'm also wondering what in the hell would motivate a person to do that? How do you get that damn crazy, brutal and filled with rage? It just is beyond my comprehension. Unreal. At a more appropriate time, I'll be back with my yarn stash post but until then, I'm keeping it to myself. For now, I'll be watching, along with everyone else, to try and figure out just what the hell happened and how to keep it from happening again.

Blocking saved the day

2007-04-12T22:16:00.000-05:00

You know those pink tube socks that I was afraid would be too small? Well, I finished them last night and blocked them. I love blocking now. I will block whenever I can. My pink socks don't have to be gifts. They can be for ME ME ME!!! Yes! It's the yarn. I love the yarn. Fleece Artist in some pink and creamy white color. Purty and girly. I also finished about a week ago my Scottish Wave Scarf from Cat Bordhi's Treasury of Magical Knitting. Okay, my shawl is really more like a capelet because, ahem, I didn't check gauge. Now, gauge is something I normally check. In fact, I usually plan one extra skein of yarn just for that. Why not this go round? Well, the LYS I got the yarn and needles from had it as a prepackaged kit. I don't have an LYS so when I was on vacation at my Dad's, I went to the one there. Normally, I shop online. I had to buy the needles special since I don't normally have circulars that long so I was rather stuck with those needles. Okay, I could have bought new needles but I wasn't going to do it. That would have required waiting for a pair from mail order and I've been dying to do that pattern for awhile now. I love it even though it's a capelet and even though I messed up the stitch pattern a few times. No, I did not rip it. It's moebius knitting for crying out loud. I was too afraid to rip it and end up with a mess. The mistake isn't that glaring and if you're that close to me that you'd notice you'd better be my husband. And believe me, he is sure not gonna notice. So, the end result is that I'm likely going to end up with some new knitting needles with really long cables. I might give the knitpicks set a try. So, here are the socks and the scarf/capelet. Ignore the nonmatching pajamas with the capelet. Still using the crappy camera phone but I'll get some new disks for my camera next week. Till later, Alicia

Beads and Wool

2007-03-27T17:06:00.000-05:00

Better frame of mind today. Much better. I have an appointment to get my teeth cleaned tomorrow. No cavities I hope. Here are a few pictures of some jewelry I'll be listing for sale on Etsy in May. Why May? That get's me through birthdays and is towards the end of school. Plus, it's enough time to get a nice amount of items made. The pictures are really not great since they were taken with my phone camera. I need to get my digital one some new disks. Till then, the old phone camera will have to do. The shell bead necklace was made with beads I got while in Virginia on Spring Break. They had two bead shops there and it was heaven!!! If you like yarn shops, you'll like bead shops. So much color and texture! Also, I wanted to include a picture of some wool fleece that I bought from SheperdChik. I loved it so much I ordered more. The chocolate brown is from a Romeldale named Pepper. If Oliver (my cat) were to meet her in person, he might be her boyfriend. He loves her fleece. He actually frolicked in it until I caught him and shooed him away. Scandolous little devil!! The grey is from a CVM named Andy. If I had a farm, I'd ask to have Andy come for summer visits. Like Oliver, I would have frolicked in his fleece if I could have. I also got a small bit of black Shetland wool. A bit advanced for a beginner like me but I've been known to throw caution to the wind on occasion. The way I figure, life's short so go for it. If you screw it up, at least you can say you tried. BTW, if you spin, SheperdChik has lovely fleece and I highly recommend her. I'll link to her blog as soon as I, techno doofus, figure out how to do it. All of the fleece I received was so nice! I even ordered a drum carder because I realized that hand carding all of it would drive me batty. Now, for an update on what's on my needles/hook/bead board/etc.:
Somewhat Cowl--I'm waiting on replacement needles since, after consuming two glasses of wine, I sat on my needles and broke one. That sucked but at least I wasn't impaled on the needle.
Tube Sock #2--I'm sick of knitting these even though I like the pattern and yarn. Maybe I'm sick of it because I know they won't fit me and will end up being a gift. Damn.
Crochet Afghan 1-
Crochet Afghan 2--
Scotland Wave Shawl--There is an error in the pattern that the errata doesn't explain. Must sit down and figure it out. Crap!
Coral Necklace--Need to order extra sterling beads and I can string her up and be done with it!
Plus, so much miscellaneous other stuff I may never finish it all. Best get back to work!!!

Spinnin' the Night Away

2007-03-25T11:59:00.000-05:00

Okay. I'm channeling the song Tubthumping here. Hit your itunes and search it if you can't remember it. They're an Irish band who had a hit with that song some years back. Not sure why I thought of that but I did. Spinning is such a relaxing thing for me. It is as calming to me as yoga. Probably one of the few times I can smile at my mistakes and not feel overly critical of them. I need to spin right now. Need it like you can't imagine. Why is it that when you move forward in life something comes along like a speedbump from hell to remind that nothing can ever be easy? I have to confess. DH and I have been in the midst of a legal wrangle amongst his dad and uncles over his late Grandmother's property which all of them inherited an equal portion of. The fact that DH inherited an equal portion of that property which seems to have his dad and uncles in twist. To make it worse, one uncle sued to be bought out and that's the legal wrangle. You don't even want to know the drama that caused all that. Dh was willing to do whatever his dad and uncles wanted at first. They want to keep the house at this point. You cannot imagine the grief we've had over this whole thing. They've tried to get us to be part of a loan on the house and even suggested Alan just sign away his portion of the home to his Dad without being bought out. To make a long story short, it looks like we are going to have to retain our own attorney in this matter. Dealing with this while DH is deployed has been a nightmare. After the correspondence I recieved this weekend, we are just insisting that they buy us out. I've had it with dealing with these people, who have no interest in us and only call when they want something. There is so much to all this, so much that it would take more room and energy than I am willing to expend to explain it all. I just wish it would be done with. I want to say, "Buy us out and leave us alone. Don't call, ever again. Don't pretend interest in our kids, whose names you don't even know and whom you tbought were girls until we corrected you. Just go away. Our lives are fine without you and will continue to be fine after you leave. You have only brought stress and frustration to us to this point." But, I know for DH's sake, I cannot say those things. So I will write them here and I will spin when I'm not writing. And I will knit and make jewelry when I am not spinning. I have some jewelry to show you but that will keep until tomorrow. Tomorrow I will be more positive and in a better state of mind. Tomorrow I will not let this stress seep into me like poison. I'll process it today and plan how I'm going to deal with it all. That way, I can enjoy the rest of my week. I'm going to spin up the rest of this fiber(pictured as yarn on the bobbin). It's a superwash merino tencel blend in tamarack spruce colorway. It came from Susan's spinning bunny. I love her fiber. Look her up on ebay. She is a dream to deal with and has lovely fiber and yarn if you happen not to spin. Spinning this blend is so wonderful. It's soft and silky. The colors are better than I even imagined. Susan, can you tell I'm going to be ordering more from you in the future? I'm also going to finish the mate to this pink tube sock. The yarn is fleece artist and I love it. The pattern is from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks. I love that book!! The socks a little tight on me so unless it loosens up with blocking it might be put away as a gift for next year. I really hope not because I love that yarn which is odd because I at first thought the color was too girly. Now, I can't bear to part with it. Guess I'm just feeling girly after all. Till tomorrow and in the hopes of better spirits.

Wicked

2007-03-08T19:14:00.000-06:00

Well, here is a really crappy picture of my Wicked. I wasn't actually going to do this one with the SKC but I saw Jeanie's and decided to give it a go. I used Rowan's Cashsoft Aran from Webs. Webs, you are evil and I spend more money with you than I care to think about. Please stay in business forever. Jeanie, quit making things you know I'll want to make. You are also responsible for my making the Simple Knitted Bodice too. Do you know how much that Tilli Tomas cost me??? Still, this was a quick knit and just what I needed for some instant knitting gratification. Now, I don't normally have folks flock to me and pet my knitting but this time they did. This sweater I got tons of compliments on and everyone loved the softness of the yarn. Rowan, don't ever quit making Cashsoft. I love it as much as I love Noro Silk Garden and that's a lot. If it were possible to marry a yarn, I'd marry Silk Garden and maybe date Cashsoft too. If you like casual knitwear and can wear a pocket around your middle (though you don't have to add the pocket), Wicked is nice pattern. I'd recommend it and definitely recommend Cashsoft Aran too. Let me add a note, I was a bit off on gauge even with one needle size smaller (6 I think) with Cashsoft Aran but not by much. I didn't change needle size down more than one size because I felt the fabric would be too stiff. Instead, I compensated by sizing down one size in the pattern which worked nicely for me. If you do this, check your fit often. Oh, a mistake I made was to accidentally use the size 7 needles for my pocket. I liked the larger pocket and didn't feel the difference was so obvious that I had to rip back and change it.

Rumpelstiltskin and straw spun into gold

2007-01-11T14:15:00.000-06:00

When I was a girl I loved the story of Rumpelstiltskin. You know the one, where the dwarf, Rumpelstiltskin, agrees to help the miller's daughter spin straw into gold but for a price. She has to give up her first born child for the spun gold. When Rumpelstiltskin comes to claim her first born, the miller's daughter is now the queen and offers her entire fortune to save her child. Rumpelstiltskin agrees to relinquish his claim if she can guess his real name. The queen eventually does guess his name and Rumpelstiltskin jumps up and down and sinks himself into the ground in a rage. Well, I didn't jump up and down in a rage but neither did I spin straw into gold. Instead, using a Spindolyn and some Romney wool roving, I spun wool into some seriously lumpy bumpy yarn. Still, it's yarn I made so that makes me happy. I've been spinning everyday since then. What started all this? Well, Shannon Okey's Spin to Knit , a gift from my sister, started it! Funny, I recall that another gift from my sister, Stitch n Bitch, got me started knitting. I'm sensing a theme here!!! So, here's what my yarn looks like. Recently, I bought a majacraft Suzie and I love it. More spinning pictures will come. Right now, I'm busy spinning! I've also finished a good many projects that I haven't blogged about since I went on vacation. Instead of backtracking, I'll just update you on what I've finished and what is on my needles so far. Just finished, the Simple Knitted Bodice--smokin'!!! I love it! I used Tilli Tomas yarn which was very pretty but I have to say I found more knots that I think acceptable for a yarn of that cost. Would I use the yarn again? Probably so. I believe you have to give a second chance to see if the knots were an anomaly. I also finished Lady Eleanor from Scarf Style. I used Noro Silk Garden. I love Noro yarn!!!! I also just finished Wicked with Rowan Cashsoft Aran. It was a quick knit and just what I needed to satisfy my need to finish a project quickly. My other new love is jewelry making. I have several designs I'm working on both in jewelry and in knitting. I'm not a particularly fast knitter so you will likely see the jewelry before you see the knitting! Till then, here is some yarn spun on my spindolyn and a pic of lady eleanor while she was in progress. I've also included a pic of some lorna's laces sock yarn that I hand dyed with a tie dye tshirt kit I got on sale for $4. I love to do my own dyeing! It's pretty gratifying knowing you have something that was made just by you! Till later, Alicia

Oh yeah,
On my needles/hook/bead board:
Somewhat Cowl
Tube Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks
Cherry Blossom Top (my own design)
two crochet afghans
Prissy Powder Room Towel
Zebra jasper and coral earrings and necklace

Finland is lovely!

2007-01-01T09:52:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures from our trip to Finland. The boys and I had such a great time! It was so good to see my sister again! Finland was so much more than I'd expected it to be. It was so very beautiful. Like a winter wonderland. It reminded me of how I see Narnia in my mind when I read the book. The snow was like sugar powder. We did so much while we were there that it would take days to describe it all so I'll just hit the highlights. We went to Santa's Village and perused around while the kids slid down the ice slide. I even joined in the fun and slid down too! Later, we went snowmobiling. That was a first for me and I pulled the kids behind me in a sledge. It made me so nervous to drive that thing towing them behind because it was so dark outside! We were on a trail and it had lots of bumps and turns so I drove slowly just to be cautious. I totally want a snowmobile! At the reindeer farm, Kai (my oldest son) got to try his hand at snowmobiling on a mini snowmobile. He loved it! We got pulled in a sled by reindeer and they are much faster than I thought. Did you know they run faster than horses? I got to walk a reindeer as well. They are really lovely animals and their history with the Sami people is very interesting. The Sami are the only indigenous peoples of Europe and learning about them was fascinating. I was so inspired by their dress and customs for many designs. We also got to go to the husky ranch and get pulled by a team of sled dogs. Now they are fast!!! It was just like in the movies! The dogs were jumping and barking desperate to get going to pull the sled. You could see that they enjoyed what they did. We did and saw so many things that were so once in a lifetime. The only thing I didn't see was the Northern Lights because it was never clear or cold enough to do that. I know that I'm surely missing some big bits and pieces of our experience but there really was just so much. Thanks to my sister for inviting us! If you get the chance to go to Finland, I highly recommend Rovaniemi and Safartica tours. You should plan some time outside of the tours too because the tours really are full day affairs. It was a great time and I'd definitely do it again! Here's some photos from our time there.

Back from Finland and I've been tagged!

2006-12-29T13:31:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'm back from Finland and exhausted. The boys and I had a wonderful time and I'll post with pictures once I collect my thoughts about what I want to say. There was so much there it was amazing. Till then, Thea tagged me while I was gone so I'll respond and tell a few of my strange things. Snicker! Happy New Year!

RULES: "Each player of this game starts with the "6 weird things about you." People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1.) I had a houseplant named Stella whom I fed beer and water.
2.) I clean my kids' ears obsessively because I hate ear wax.
3.) I CANNOT eat/drink after anyone at all-even family--sharing utensils grosses me out.
4.) I can do a tarot reading and know a few hoodoo spells.
5.) I'm a total hypochondriac.
6.) I still like for my Mom to do the little piggy rhyme with my toes. You know, this little piggy went to market, etc.

Since I'm an HTML moron, I have absolutely no idea how to get a link in here I have to bend the rules a bit. If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged!

Encounters with an ostrich and other animals

2006-11-29T16:21:00.000-06:00

Mom visited the boys and I for Thanksgiving which was really nice. We damn near didn't get the turkey cooked because it was still partially frozen. Once we managed a quick thaw, I actually forgot to turn the roaster on. After an hour, Mom discovered that mistake. Still, we ate high on the hog and had a great time. I've seemed up the teal sweater and am working on several projects. Today, I am not going to show you those :) Instead, you're going to see pictures my son took from our visit to Fossil Rim in Glen Rose, TX. Fossil Rim is a conservation park where you get to drive through and view free roaming animals from your car. We had a wonderful time and learned a lot about the animals we saw too. Still, the most memorable part was our first animal encounter. Directly after driving in, we stopped to look at this ostrich who promptly strutted and swayed his way to our car. The next thing I knew, I was face to face with this lovely big bird who was looking quite insistently at me. Apparently, I was too slow for the impatient bird because before I knew it he had stuck his head IN THE CAR and tried to yank the bag of feed out. I sat flustered and uselessly telling the ostrich to shoo. Mom, on the other hand, grabbed the bag of feed threw some to him and told me to hit the accelerator and move on. If it had been left up to me, I would probably have sat there till he got in the car with us. So we moved on past numerous deer and wildebeasts until we came to some zebra. Let me tell you, they are bold and quite used to getting fed. As the car ahead of me pulled forward, I noticed one particular zebra parked herself directly in the middle of the road. She had a very determined look on her face and was pregnant to boot. She absolutely would not budge until we threw her some feed. Let me tell you, the look on her face meant business! Next, we came to the giraffes. I have decided I love giraffes. They're so interesting and majestic. That was something I didn't realize until I was looking up at one up close. Nothing makes you feel like you are very small in the grand scheme of things than to look up into the eyes of such a big animal. We also saw a wolf (the wolf was in a fenced in habitat). It's so easy to think of those animals unrealistically when they are so eager to come close to you in order to get a treat. With the wolf, you had to be extremely quiet. (Of course we could not get near him and certainly no feeding was allowed) He was interested but very weary of human interaction. It was a poignant reminder that these animals are wild animals. Unfortunately, we have this opportunity to interact with them because their habitats have been encroached upon by development or they have been hunted into near extinction. That makes me very sad because we are losing a valuable part of our environment. All in all, we had a wonderful day an the kids learned a lot about the animals and why conservation is so very important. So, if you have a conservancy nearby, go to it, If you can't go, make a donation to support it. It's worth it. Here are just a few of the photos my oldest son took from our visit there.
(By the way, just to be clear, the conservancy at Fossil Rim had strict rules about our interactions with the animals. No touching or hand feeding was allowed, People were to stay in their vehicle at all times. No horn honking or driving off of the trail. One very small bag of feed per car with no exceptions to avoid overfeeding. Of course, we were reminded that all of the animals were indeed wild and not domesticated just because they were familiar with human interactions.)

Till later, Alicia

Mom says it's like Mork and Mindi

2006-11-20T18:56:00.000-06:00

That's what my Mom said about my pants. She took the photo so you won't be regaled with fuschia thighs but if you look at the hip area you definitely get the idea!!! In other news, I've whipped up some more washcloths. I totally prefer to crochet these. It's way way faster and I like the texture. The teal sweater is my own pattern, if you can even say that because it's ridiculous basic and simple. Still, I'm learning from each of my own knits and that's what's important. My Mom is here for Thanksgiviing so I'm super happy about that. She's helping me get organized which is very nice. Apparently, I'm not very organized. I prefer to think I'm just overwhelmed with projects right now! Oh, since my sister said I wasn't updating my blog nearly enough I am pledging to do better!!! Must throw in gratuitous cute kid shots for the family. Love you guys! Till later, Alicia

The babies are here, the babies are here!!!

2006-11-20T18:53:00.000-06:00

Kristi of Red Dog Knits had her babies! Yay!!!! They are super adorable so go check them out! Congrats Kristi and Noel and good luck with your babies!!!

Strange days indeed...

2006-11-02T17:49:00.000-06:00

It's funny how a day unfolds sometimes. You think everything is going to happen a certain way but instead it all just pans out differently. That's how my days have seemed lately. Nothing has happened how I envisioned it to. Really, it all started out with the fushia ski pants. The boys and I are going on vacation to Finland for the holidays with my sister. She is graciously ordering most of the clothing and footing the bill for the trip. (We haven't seen each other in a few years.) I thought I'd help out by purchasing the ski pants for the boys and I. The boys' pants arrived and all was good. My first pair of pants arrived and fit nicely. Now, here comes the fuschia pants dilemma. You see, el cheapo here ordered the stuff off of ebay because I refuse to pay full price. I saw this pair of fushia pants in my size for sooooo cheap. I figured even with overdyeing I'd still come out on top. I figured. Uh huh. Right. So, the day comes when my pants arrive and I eagerly put them on. The good news is that I didn't have to suck in to zip them up. The bad news is that all I was lacking to make my outfit complete was a Farrah hairdo and some of the shiniest lipgloss this side of the Mason Dixon line. Topping it all off would have been some serious 70's theme music to add that cheesy touch. Can you say snug? I looked like I was in hot pants ready for the disco floor! Oh, don't worry. I'll post a picture. Eventually. I can't quit laughing long enough to focus the stupid camera lens. My dear sister, (seriously, thank you lea!) is kindly ordering me a new pair of ski pants. In black. Only on the condition that I bring and model the fushia hot pants/ski pants. Me, being a cheapo, has agreed to do it. After the arrival of the pants, the kids have been rowdy. The pets have been rowdy and I 've had crazy dreams about the cycle class I teach. The only thing that hasn't been strange has been knitting. I've done a bit here and there. I'm working on a simple sweater, a hat for a friends' daughter, and just lots of other random things. I may never be able to knit up all the yarn I have. Well, I'll just die trying I guess! Till next time, Alicia

Bed sock, absorba and what's on tap

2006-10-04T20:49:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's been rather hectic here. The kids and I are settling into a routine. Our furry family members, however, have other plans. Last night, or early this morning actually, Chloe the wonderdog woke me up. She did this by pouncing on my bed and trying her level best to get the cat to play with her. He was having none of it and neither was I. I love Chloe but you should know I refer to her as ," My Little Pony". She's just 70 pounds of wiggly doggie love which would be fine if she weren't convinced she was a lap dog. Arggghh! Oliver is steadily assaulting any pair of legs he sees. That little guy is fast! Hopefully, they'll settle down soon enough. In needle news. I finished Tempting II awhile back. It turned out okay but I'm concerned it might grow a bit. Time will tell. From Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush, I finished the bed sock. I used Cherry Tree Hill Superwash Merino. I love the silky feel of this yarn. The fact that I can machine wash and dry it is such a bonus! I might be in love with superwash wool. The Absorba Bathmat is finito as well! The ladies at the Mason Dixon KAL are right. It is like wrestling alligators to knit this thing. For my next one, I'll be crocheting it instead. My idea of looming it did not work at all. The cotton was just too inflexible to easily loom knit. I've also finished some other odds and ends that I'll post a bit later. Right now, I'm hard at work on about four different projects. Big time startitis. I need to develop some finishitis. Oh, before I forget, I have to unveil my first original did it all by myself knit top. I think I ended up naming it the classic white shirt revisited. It wasn't complex but I did have to fiddle with the neckline a bit before I got it right. For my next original design, I'm going to use a lovely textured stitch pattern. I'm fiddling around with the design a bit more to get it exactly like I want it. Till next time, Alicia

Long time gone

2006-10-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

I'm sure that some of you might have given up on me but I promise I'm still here. I've had a lot going on lately. DH has deployed so I'm getting into a new routine around here. I promise a post with pics this week. I actually have completed some projects and have a ton on the needles. I've also been doing some writing. I'm contemplating moving my blog but I haven't decided yet. Until Friday, when I absolutely promise to post. Alicia

Yarn Harlot visit and big time catch up

2006-08-15T13:18:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm way way behind in my blogging lately so allow a little bit of catch up on this post. I was fortunate enough to see the Yarn Harlot in Austin, TX on the 29th of July. If she's speaking anywhere near you, it's totally worth the drive to go. She is very funny! I met up with some other bloggers there whose sites I'll be posting on my sidebar in the near future. What a great group of ladies! I don't have an LYS in my area so the knitting community has always been a very virtual reality for me. It's so neat to meet fellow bloggers in person. Once I get the links up to their sites, drop by their blogs and take a look see. I met everyone from college students to grandmothers; sock knitters to lace knitters; and everything in between. The talent at Hill Country Weavers that weekend was amazing. By the way, if you happen to be in Austin, Hill Country Weavers is a must. I swear the first time I went in that store I drooled. The yarn selection is wonderful and of course, I came away with quite a haul. All in all, it was a fabulous weekend and well worth the drive down to see the Yarn Harlot speak. Since then, I've joined yet another KAL. This one is called UFO August. I was hoping to get my UFO list completed before I move on to other projects. I've finished a pair of rustic loomed gauntlets of my own pattern. Right now, I'm trying to finish Tempting II before completing my original white shirt. I'll have to knit like the wind but I think I can do it. I'm also working on a novel I've been kicking around for awhile. My synopsis is due to my Mom (editor) like yesterday. As you can see, I'm quite busy so I'd better get back to work! Till later! Alicia

Toes in the water

2006-06-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

Many knitters come to a point in their craft where they feel restless. You've got the basics down; you've branched out and you're learning more everyday. Somehow, it just isn't quite enough. Something is missing. You crave....something. You're just not sure what. I've been restless in my knitting for awhile now. Branching out into lace and cables has helped expand my horizons but I've been needing something more. Awhile back I posted about my favorite white T-shirt and designing my very own homage to that old shirt. Well, I've gone and done it. I've calculated, swatched and decided for long enough. So, this weekend, I cast on and now, I'm just past the underarms. There's something very liberating about doing it yourself. Making your own path so to speak. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed designing. I haven't designed since college. Back then, I sketched clothes I dreamed of creating. Now, I'm working on sketching knitting and crochet that swirls around in my head. I've got four other projects in mind already. Yarn is sourced and the sketches are being fleshed out. Hopefully, my restlessness will be eased. Really I just hope the sweaters turn out the way I see them in my head. That's the real challenge isn't it? To envision something a certain way and mold your materials to make it become real. Speaking of challenges, I'll issue one to you, dear readers. Whatever your medium, push yourself past your current boundaries. If patterns are what guides you, toss them aside, outcome be damned. It doesn't matter if what you render works out, it's the process you take along the way. What did you learn? What worked and what did not? Get where I'm going here? Sometimes, shaking it up a bit can bring life back to your knitting (or sewing or crocheting,etc). Feel free to drop me a line and send me a photo of what you did and what you learned. I'll be posting my progress along the design route as I go. Till next time, I'll leave you with a few pics of some of my finished items. A felted box, a refashioned cami, and progress on the nosegay doily.

Mr Robot-O

2006-06-19T22:06:00.000-05:00

Okay, let me start with a quick aside to Jeanie--since you asked, I've modeled the car coar. Notice how I'm not showing my face. That's because I'm dying of shame! No way on earth I'm being photographed in those bloomers either!! So I was feeling, well, a little off my mojo for awhile and really needed something to convince myself I was able to create something that wasn't a home-ec reject looking thing. Eureka! A fellow CP'er issued a challenge on creating a nosegay doily. Now, I'm not a doily girl but the challenge was to interpret it in your own way and do your own thing. That I can dig! So I whipped out the pattern, my yarn and hook and got ta goin'! I now have a newfound appreciation for all things doily. My interpretation is going to be a shawl in mercerized cotton. I thought about doing a purse but I really would have to line it and just wasn't sure I wanted to do that. Maybe for another doily interpretation eh? Feeling really jazzed over my progress on the doily shawl, I convinced DH to wrap me up in duct tape. Oh stop it! It's not what you think! He was kind enough to help me do my duct tape double dress form this weekend. Glad I did it, not sure I'll be doing that again, thank you very much. As DH was wrapping, he said, "Hope you remembered to go pee cuz this is gonna take awhile.!" Once you get going, there's not turning back. You can't even sit down! Gyaaahhh! Towards the end , not only was he singing his own praises about his uncanny ability to mold the duct tape perfectly he was doing his own rendition of the Double Origato Mr Robot-O song. Still, humiliation aside, it was worth it. I've cast on for squash blossom. 462 stitches. I cast on 462 freakin' stitches. There is not enough wine in all of the world to get me to cast on that many stitches again. I had to di it twice because I messed up the first time. A woman can get dangerous after casting on that many stitches twice. Needless to say, I'm only on row one. We'll see if this one makes it to the FO pile. On the sewing front, things are going much better. I've refashioned many things and actually used the dressform already. Two of my grandmother's shirts are now retro aprons. One of my old maternity sweaters has recovered my office chair. So, all in all, it worked out okay!

Bloomers are for girls and some yarn is just crap

2006-06-12T14:32:00.000-05:00

Oh my what a productive weekend I've had! I jumped right onto a pajama outfit I'd picked out to sew. Feeling ecletic and basically because it looked comfy, I picked out a junior pattern that was a baby doll shirt and bloomers. Big. Mistake. You know that nagging feeling you get that something just isn't going to turn out as you'd hoped? I should have paid attention. I had that feeling as I was sewing the top. Noting to myself that I looked like I was with child when I tried it on, I thought, "Well, maybe with the bloomers it'll all come together." I decided that the bloomers needed length because my butt hanging out is not my idea of cute or comfortable. Never ever lengthen bloomers. I looked like a cow caught in cotton flannel. Is it possible to look thirty pounds heavier? Oh yes, it absolutely is if you wear this outfit. At least I dissolved into hysterical laughter before I felt very much my age. Still, I'll wear the top to sleep in, maternity look and all. DH actually asked me not to even go out to check the mail in it. I sewed quite well. I just picked a doozy that's all. Add to that my crochet car coat disaster. I whipped it up as part of the stashalong. The yarn was LB colorwaves and I'd had it forever intending to make this coat. Let's just say it wasn't all I'd hoped; that I think colorwaves is craptastic and I'm not frogging it. Why not? Well, for starters it took too long to make. Also, I doubt the yarn could withstand the frogging, it barely withstood the crocheting. Plus, it does actually fit. It's just really ugly but I do see myself wearing it around the house to keep the chill out. Just never ever in public or around guests. In mason dixon warshrag news, I've finished another washrag. Oh how I love that pattern. I'm going to have a whole drawerful by the time I'm done. What next? I'm deciding today but I know for sure that I've got the following on tap:

Nosegay Doily challenge from a fellow cp'er (crochet list)
Shirts into aprons (Wardrobe Refashionista)
Tempting II (upcoming SKC KAL)
loads more warshrags
doing the gauge swatch and starting my own sweater
should I throw in socks? maybe I will!

Ball winders and wash rags

2006-06-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

Okay, hopefully blogger will cooperate with me this go round and allow me to post though my post won't be nearly as witty and well thought out. I just finished my first washrag from the Mason Dixon Knitting book. Please go and run to the store to get this book if you don't already have it. It's rare to find so many useful and pretty patterns in one spot. Not to mention that these ladies have a wonderful, reader friendly way of writing. Hold a minute...I'm having a psychic vision..yes, I see, I see...why.. it's me doing lots of projects from this book. Specifically, I'm lusting after the nightie and robe. Oh August come soon so I can go and buy the yarn!!! Till then, I will use my stash to make lots of washrags. In the spirit of recycling, I dug out a cotton/linen blend vest I got at the thrift shop a few months ago to use for some prissy powder room handtowels. I just love that word prissy. In stashalong news, I used my yarn enhancement day for June to purchase the yarn for my first ever made it all by myself with no pattern top. I chose Elann's Esprit in bright white. I like the texture and already have an idea of what I'm going to do. Now I just have to crunch the numbers and get gauge. I've got two sewing projects and an embroidery project in the works as well. It'll be a busy summer at the Bal casa for sure. Sam, the pic of the ball winder is for you! I love mine and highly recommend it. Till next time! Alicia

It's done!!

2006-06-07T06:31:00.000-05:00

Never again will I sew plaid anything! Initially matching the plaid wasn't so bad. The trick is keeping the plaid matched while you sew. Apparently this is something I'm not too skilled at. Still, I'm happy with the end result. Now that I've finished the couch, I'll share the how to paint your couch info.
1. Choose a fabric paint and decide on a color. Order three times the paint you've estimated you'll need. Plan on the painting taking about five times as long.
2. Tape up any parts of the couch you don't want painted.
3. Lay a tarp down and put on clothes you don't mind ruining.
4. Buy a bottle of wine to be consumed after you paint. You'll need it.
5. With a paint brush and a sponge brush, alternately paint and do a dab press method to ensure full coverage. If you're back isn't killing you by the time you're 1/4 of the way through, you're probably not doing it right.
6. Let it dry for at least a week. No really, let it dry! I got paint residue on some clothes because my seat cushion was still a little damp when I put it back on the couch. Patience was never a virtue I possessed.

If this all sounds a little daunting then I've accomplished my goal. By the time you consider paint and labor (oh the labor!), you might rethink being cheap and just go get new furniture. By the time I was done with these couches, I would have sold everything that wasn't nailed down just to buy some new ones. It sucked that bad! Mrs Pao, I promise a pic of my yarn winder this afternoon and a further explanation of my duct tape dress form!

The death of a shawl

2006-05-21T16:16:00.000-05:00

Why didn't I trust my instincts and cut a new, longer lifeline? I'll tell you why. I was overconfident. Yes sir, I believed I had it down pat at this point and wouldn't make a mistake in the final repeat before I did the edging. Hah! How foolish!!! I looked down to admire my handiwork only to find that not only had I made a mistake but I had lost part of my lifeline as well. In vain I tried desperately to locate the stitches necessary to pick up once I frogged back but it was no use. I was hopelessly lost. So I frogged the whole dang thing. That shawl had the audacity to break a few times too. I'll start over but not until at least June 15th. Why June 15th? Because it'll take me two weeks to get over the case of the red ass I got from making such a stupid mistake. Should've, should've...paid more attention, cut a longer lifeline instead of being a cheapy and trying to reuse the previous one just one more time. Grrrrr! What next? I'm not sure but I'm thinking Squash Blossom. (see pic above)I like it. I have the yarn and it's summery. Maybe I'll go do a gauge swatch now. It'll make me feel better!

Edit:
Okay, I did the gauge swatch for Squash Blossom. I need bigger needles which I've ordered. So in the meantime, I spent the weekend sewing nine, yes nine, pillows and a wall hanging. Picture to follow soon. I don't care to sew that much ever again in one weekend. I couldn't have done it without Mom and the wine she brought. Okay, I didn't drink the wine while I sewed, I drank after! I've cast on for a cotton throw for the couch too. I've decided to do my own thing and not follow a pattern. Hopefully it'll come out okay. I'm sort of keeping track of what I'm doing so when I'm done, I'll post about it. DH is helping me make a duct tape double dress form next weekend. Yeah!!! If all goes smoothly, I should finish up the crocheted car coat I'm working on this week. I'll confess that I something doesn't seem quite right about it. I hope that's not the case since frogging this yarn would be next to impossible. Till next time! Alicia

Half full or half empty? Half full I say!

2006-05-21T08:51:00.000-05:00

Ahh the ebb and flow of life. One step forward; one step back. Our a/c went out again and we just broke down and bought several fans and an inexpensive window unit since the temps were above 90 degrees. The a/c repair should be out here tomorrow but I'm not holding my breath. Three FO's to call my own. Two one skein wonders done with kool aid dyed yarn. One fat bottom bag in Noro Kureyon #88 (I think)--see SnB crochet Happy Hooker. I love both patterns! They are quick and easy. Instant gratification. I'm still plugging away at my lace shawl and have a confession to make. I've been ignoring it. Don't get me wrong, once I'm knitting it, I enjoy it and am so happy I learned to do lace. It just feels like it's taking forever and I'm not a patient person. Technically, I could just start the edging now and have a nice shawlette but I'm feeling stubborn and don't know if I want to do that. So in the interest of compromise, I've decided to finish the skein of yarn I'm on and then maybe see if I want to do the edging. Until then, I need to find some way to avoid the siren song of other projects. You know the feeling. If I just put this down, I could whip this up in no time; have something really cool and get back to the forever project soon enough. This is what makes the forever project the forever project in the first place. What a viscious cycle!! On the couch painting front, I've got one down; one to go. They were previously ivory, a very stained ivory at that. I'm not beginning the next one till the air is fixed due to the humidity in the house. Ignore the pillows, I'll be recovering those shortly (as in next weekend)and promise a full before and after set of pics. Till next time!

Lilac Orangina off the needles!

2006-05-08T06:45:00.000-05:00

Well, I finished my Orangina Saturday and seamed it that night while watching Ultimate Fighter 3. I can't get enough of UFC. Orangina was a surprisingly fast knit and quite satisfying. Not too challenging but not boring either. I chose to do the smallest size since cotton and I have a tenuous relationship. The very first top I did was in cotton and though I picked my actual bust size, it seemed to grow by at least two inches. The end result was a top that was cute for two wears and now is saggy and baggy looking. Picovoli was my first successful cotton knit since then. The only change I would make would be to knit the lace pattern an inch to an inch and a half longer and then begin the ribbing. I like a little more tummy coverage than most blouses offer these days. We'll see how I feel two wearings from now. It might be juuussst right by then. In embroidery news, I demolished one shirt and put a leopard smack dab on my breast on the other. Nothing like leopard boob to spice up your day. Note for the future, placement really is important when you embroider. I was working steadily on the fat bottom bag from Deb Stoller's Happy Hooker, SnB Crochet when I got to thinking it just wasn't looking right. Sure enough, I had messed up and had to frog it completely. I chained again last night and started over. That's what happens when you don't pay attention to detail. Apparently I just kept increasing and increasing. That's what happens when you lose track of your stitch count! On the needles now are many things. Among them a cotton dishcloth knit continental style. Funny, I know it will be quicker to knit that way when I get the hang of it but right now it feels so awkward. Also, I'm still working on the lace shawl and the goal is to complete it by the 15th. I better get cracking on that since my couch paint just came in. The goal is to wrap that up by the weekend. I'm sick to death of the whole couches in transition look. Time for completion already! Oh yeah, the hat on the stuffed horse is another stashalong project. I had a single skein of yarn hanging out and the pattern to go with it. I crocheted it up in one night. Love that!!!

Stashalong and other great things

2006-04-29T18:14:00.000-05:00

Today is a very sleepy Saturday here in the Bal casa. We woke early anticipating two back to back baseball games and a party only to find that both games had been cancelled due to bad weather. We had a terrific storm last night that actually didn't scare me at all. It was really fascinating. I'm not sure why I felt so mesmerized. It could have been all the lightning. It's almost surreal to watch nature behave that way. DH and I watched King Kong (the new one) last night. Now, I've never seen the original so I have no comparison but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I've made progress on my Orangina in lilac and have the picture to post as well. It's coming along quite quickly--more quickly than I thought even. In light of that, I've decided that I must organize myself! Enough with a closet overflowing with yarn! Enough with two, wait, I mean three unfinished quilting projects and countless sewing projects. Have I touched all the thrift store recycling stuff? I didn't think so. Oh yeah, there's also the novel(s) I've been puttering around with for ummm over two years. No, I don't have writer's block. I have a complete inability to focus on one thing at a time. So yesterday, I dragged the kids to Target and got a project notebook. The goal is to get myself on some type of timeframe. Last night, with wine in hand, I began listing all the projects I have on tap and the order in which I'll be doing them. I've even assigned some tentative timeframes. Today, I felt so motivated I actually got up the courage to tackle some machine embroidery again. For my birthday, I got a Singer Quantum Futura 200 CE. I'd been a little discouraged because it's a fussy machine. God forbid you don't thread something right. The darn thing wants you to do it correctly. Imagine that! Today I decided I would not be beaten by a sewing machine. I don't give a rat's butt if it can embroider. I had a discouraging false start and finally- success! I'm really proud of that. I haven't sewn in ages so this is very good thing. I'm dipping my toes in the water again. This week I also got my card from my Project Spectrum pal Mrs Pao. What a lovely card and a great person! Thank you so much!!! I'm not sure I told you, but I'm fourth generation Irish on my Mom's side so the Gaelic Blessing is very special to me. Also, the envelope had a Paddington Bear postage stamp as well--I LOVE Paddington. I had a Paddington bear as a child that I positively wore out. I can recall reading the books to my children as babies. Yes, folks, I do the voices--it's the only way to read! Accents and sounds make it much more fun and exciting. Mrs Pao's card has a special place in my home office beside my computer. I've been missing Thomas very much lately and this card really puts a smile on my face. Thank you again Sam! Oh, I'm also including the yarn and books I picked up while in San Antonio. I've decided Blue Sky Alpaca's 100% dk Alpaca might be heaven. It's soooo soft! The coral piece on the sofa is a wrap I crocheted. The dishtowel is, well, a dishtowel I crocheted. Both were for the stashalong I'm participating in. Till next time! Alicia

Sea World for the weekend!

2006-04-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

We just got back from spending the weekend in San Antonio. I'm glad to say we had a great time even though we bought more than we had anticipated. No one could ever accuse us of not getting lots of momentos on any trip we take! We left Thursday morning and apparently missed quite a storm that rolled through here. So bad in fact it blew a panel of our fence down but hey, they fixed the A/C while we were gone so I'm happy! The drive was very scenic and reminded me of the small towns that my Grandma Leitha likes to visit so much. If she were with us, she would have been stopping at every house along the way asking for a pinch of whatever plant she saw. My Grandma Leitha has a deep love of all things floral and is a true green thumb. She also makes the best fried apple pies known to man. It's my personal goal this summer to take lessons from her so I can make them too. Anyway, we finally arrived and searched in vain for the Alamo. At one point I questioned whether it was really there at all and then DH suggested we get settled into the hotel and regroup. That sounded good to me! Once we got settled in and actually looked at a map, we realized we hadn't been far from the Alamo at all. We got gussied up, snatched the kids up and headed back out. It was very interesting to see that place. I didn't really realize how the battle fought for Texas changed the face of America and helped shape it into what it is today. While we were there, I got my Dad the book he'd been asking for. Now I just need to ship it! I'll do that Friday or Saturday. The kids and I were so excited we could barely sleep that night. The next day we got up and spent the whole day at Sea World. We had a wonderful time and I've decided I might need to get a Clydesdale horse one day. Of course, we saw the shamu show and sat in the splash zone. Those are the most majestic creatures I've ever seen but I have to say I'm not really convinced they should be bred and held in captivity. They are wild animals after all. Seeing marine life is always amazing to me and reminds me of how small I am in the grand scheme of things. The kids had a blast and Brandon even asked to go back. I'd kind of like to myself! The next day I found the yarn store (of course)! If you've never been to San Antonio, it is home to The Yarn Barn off of McCullough Ave. Great store and such friendly staff! It's not just for knitters, they have quite a needlework section as well. The owner helped me out and even searched for a book for me. I'm now on their mailing list and happy to know that they will take a phone order (even a special order) and ship to me. I'll have some pics posted of my purchases on my next post but I'll just say now--three words--Cherry Tree Hill!!!! We then hauled on down to the riverwalk and I took some great pics of the local architecture. Later, we had the best Indian food and just stuffed ourselves fully. The next day, we got the kids haircuts on the Air Force base and headed home. By the time we got back, we were just done! It was really great to get out of here for the weekend. Now, we're back to the daily routine and I'm proud to say that I've finished two things for the stashalong I'm participating in. Yes, I did get yarn on the trip but since I'm participating for three months, I get one stash enhancement day per month. I'm also feverishly working on my Orangina for the sexy knitters club KAL. I've decided that I definitely couldn't do both Orangina and the Somewhat Cowl before the end of the KAL so I chose to do just the Orangina. The Somewhat Cowl is next on my to do list though! I don't see a big issue with finishing it since I'm participating in the Stashalong! I was very glad to hear that Sam got my postcard intact! I'm expecting hers anyday and will post a pic as soon as it arrives. It's been very nice to get to know someone through Project Spectrum. It's expanded my horizons and helped me step outside of my comfort zone. I can be a bit of a hermit sometimes and get very routine oriented so I can resist change more than I care to admit. I'm working on that everyday! I better run now and promise to post more later!

Crazy is as crazy does....

2006-04-19T16:02:00.000-05:00

Wow. Somedays, that's all that really goes through my mind. I've been wondering lately why I'm so very sensitive or if the world actually is being taken over by people who are just plain nuts. Why would I say such a thing? I'll tell you why! In the past two weeks, between tailgaters, rude people, and crazy landlords I'm so freakin' done with it all! Now, I know that there are folks out there who follow too close and on occasion I've done it myself, but when you are in a school zone and heading to drop off your kids at school please don't drive so close to me that you could be sitting in the third row seating of my car. This really tends to tick me off. Not so much the driving that close, (well, okay that too) but the fact that if I weren't in front of you, you'd be speeding through a school zone. As a Mom, that makes me friggin' crazy!!! I really thought that that was seeing it all. I was wrong when yesterday I witnessed a driver tailgating a police officer. What??? Maybe I need more chutzpah. Never in a million could I do that. Then, in my thrift store shopping spree, there was the employee who literally grabbed an item out of my hands and said she'd "chosen" it already. I was so stunned I was speechless. Finally, the icing on the cake was the air conditioner going out. As of right this instant, I'm still waiting on someone to call me to come fix it. Our landlords are so proactive!! Okay, enough of my rant but thanks for letting me "go there"! On to bigger and better things. My sister recently sent me some "just because" gifts from overseas and they rock!!! I love love love them so I've put up some pics. In the interim, I've finished a crochet project I had going on from some yarn that had been sitting in my stash for over a year. I'm participating in the stashalong and let me tell you, going without purchasing yarn for three months is like getting a root canal on a daily basis. DH will be glad though because it will allow me to use up the ginormous stash I have. Today I hit the Goodwill and got some new with tags on swimsuit bottoms. I'm planning on crocheting a cotton top to wear with them as a swimsuit. I also scored a Dana Buchman short sleeve 100% cashmere top for five dollars. Can't wear it in this heat but I'll be busting it out in the fall for sure. Tomorrow we are headed to Seaworld so I'm really looking forward to it. I need a break!

Car 54 Where are you?!!

2006-04-13T16:56:00.000-05:00

Long time; no post. The kids have started ball season and we've had a lot of back to back practices lately. Plus, I've been extremely lazy. Well, not really but sort of. I've started painting the couches and they look nice. That's the good news. The bad news is that I ran out of paint. So, I'm now waiting on three liters to head my way. It's still cheaper than replacing the couches but let me tell you, hell might actually freeze over before I do that again. It looks great ( I think) but boy is it a lot of work!!! In the meantime, I've finished the socks on two circs. Still not digging that method. Call me an old curmudgeon. What can I say! I'm finishing up a crocheted wrap but seeing as how it has just turned scorching hot here I'm wondering why I chose that as a project. Duh!! Mom's coming to visit tonight and I'm ashamed to say the house is a bomb. No one has ever accused me of being the queen of clean but even by my cluttered standards things look bad. No excuses, tomorrow after spin class I'm cleaning up. No knitting or crocheting till I do. And no, self, I don't care that I've not yet even done a gauge swatch for the sexy knitters KAL. No needlework till the house looks presentable. There, I've scolded myself enough for one day. Pictures to come of the couch painting progress and a detailed how I did it if anyone is interested or drunk enough to decide to tackle this project themselves. Hee Hee.

What a week!

2006-03-31T06:35:00.000-06:00

This has been such a crazy week! Between astronomical water bills and baseball practice, it's a wonder I'm still standing. It all started with the water bill. We had a leak last month. Leaks are the work of the devil, let me tell you. $200 poorer, the leak is fixed and the water bill is paid. Still, I called the utility company to make sure they double checked that bill. Of course they did and the nice lady told me how to check the meter myself to make sure we weren't still having a leak issue. So, still sweaty from my workout and donning flipflops, I trotted up and down the street in search of our water meter. I had no luck and succeeded only in looking like a mess while possibly muttering "evil bastards" during my search. DH later found it and everything's okay. Fast forward to Brandon (aka the little guy) and his t-ball practice. I got everyone dressed, fed, loaded up and off to the ballfield in record time. I should have known it was too good to be true. For 30 minutes, I had that child practicing with the wrong team. Of course, no hole was available to jump into to die of embarrassment in. On the upside, I did a pretty nice job of coloring my hair yesterday. See, a ray of sunshine no matter what! I got some pretty neat gifts in the mail from my sister and will post a pic a bit later!

Project Spectrum

2006-03-22T17:02:00.000-06:00

Something red, something pink! Here's what I've got so far. The yarn was dyed with kool aid. As a quick note, if you get a hankering to dye your yarn after 10 at night--restrain yourself. It took me forever! The pillow I made quite some time ago from some fabric remnants I bought on ebay. The pink flower on the pillow is from a favorite but very worn sham on our bed. The picture of chloe is just because she wanted to take one! A great big Hi to my project spectrum postcard swap pal Mrs Pao!

Fickle and Fickler

2006-03-22T16:24:00.000-06:00

Impatient and unsatisfied. That's how I've felt this week. Not sure why but I've felt like a teenager peering into the fridge and not seeing anything good to eat among the load of food available. The lace shawl has been sitting untouched since, wow, last week. I'm not planning to revisit it until at least Friday. That said, I've been promising a picture on my progress and so I shall finally deliver! I've made a few boo-boos here and there but I'm still pretty darn happy with the shawl so far. Every mistake has been a learning point for me. Now I understand charts and stitches so much better. All that understanding made my head hurt so I took a week off. I was feeling restless. I tried to satisfy my fickleness with some two on two circular socks. Better, but only a little because I'm getting these awful loose ladders on either side of the sock where the two circs "join" no matter how tight I tighten the yarn while making the next stitch. I'm really not digging that at all. It might be quicker and I know some knitters swear by that method, but I think I'll stick to my dpns next time thanks. So last night in yet another effort to quench the impatience, I picked up a crochet hook and some yarn and started a new project. Okay, it's a wrap from some LB Homespun (I know!) but I like wraps to wear around the house and whatever anyone may think of Lion Brand Homespun, it's really really soft. Plus I just got Deb Stoller's new book stitch n bitch the happy hooker. BTW, I highly recommend it! Something about the texture of crochet has always attracted me. I'm not a very skilled crocheter but I do enjoy it regardless. I guess for some things, crochet appeals to me more but for others I find knitting more appropriate. For example, I'm not a huge crocheted sweater fan. Far too bulky for my taste. On the other hand, crocheted socks are a big no no for me. They don't seem to have the same drape and snuggly stretchy fit. Just one woman's opinion. Both are really relevant and have their place. Today, my mind wandered to knitty's Mrs Beetons wrist warmers. I have the perfect yarn for them. I absolutely refuse to start them until I get those socks off the needles which, by the way, I plan to do this weekend. I'll figure out how to fix the loose parts then but somehow I see myself darning those areas. Maybe I should just frog them and do some socks on dpns. I'll think about it. Nah, maybe not. That might drive me over the edge! Thanks for the book suggestion Mandella! I'll definitely have to pick up a copy! We'll see how the top comes along. I'm looking for the right yarn and have a few ideas in mind. I'll post a pic when I get it sourced and sketched!

My favorite white shirt and other things

2006-03-18T08:02:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had a piece of clothing that looked fab on and you wore it until it was worn to bits and couldn't be worn anymore? I had a white shirt like that. It was great. I was 22 years old and single. That shirt looked hot! Hell, I looked hot when I wore it! It had a deep u neck and was made of some stretchy fitted material that hugged my body appropriately. Not too tight; not too loose. I felt like Goldilocks. It was just right. That shirt is long gone now. I have no idea when I finally tossed it. Marriage and two kids later, I'd almost forgotten about it until last night. Last night, I joined project spectrum. Since I'd committed to knitting two tops already with the KAL for the sexy knitters club, I really wanted to use project spectrum to expand myself artistically. That in mind, I pulled out my sketch pad and colored pencils. I sketched up several different designs for tops to knit or crochet. The first was in pink, which is the color for March. (I'll be taking a photo of something red (also for March) in honor of my late grandfather who loved to take photos.) The second was in blue because , hey, I like blue. That's when I got to thinking about that amazing top and how cool it would be to knit one up for myself. Keep in mind the original was a store bought machine knit spandexy blend in an impossibly small gauge. Still, I thought, why not pay homage to it and knit up something in a similar profile that makes me look and feel amazing? Why not? I've toyed with the idea of designing my own knits before but have never pursued it. Well, today is the day I put pen to paper, take some measurements and begin the rough draft of a pattern. I can't promise I'll finish it soon but my goal is to get the top done by the time summer is upon us. I'll likely source the yarn next month so this is the month to do the math. I'm pretty excited about it! In the meantime, I'm finishing up my lace shawl for the class I took a Needlecraft University (needlecraftuniversity.com). It's been slow going but I'm taking my time too. I'll post an in-progress pic later. I've just started on some socks for the two up at a time on circs pattern I got from knitpicks. I needed a quick project to work along with the lace to satisfy my impatient side. Today we're trekking to the Barnes and Nobles in Waco. I really wish we had one here but it's only 40 minutes away so I guess it could be worse. So far, I'm really enjoying teaching cycle class. I did a 70's mix (thanks to Stephanie at Nakedie knits on blogger for the cd ideas) that really went over well. I plan to do a couple more new cd's soon. Meanwhile, I'm looking for ideas to expand my workout in ways that will be fun. I've layed off the weight training so I know I need to pick that up at least twice a week soon. Maybe I'll devise some type of obstacle course type drills. Something dynamic and fun to do. Till then, I've got a load of knitting and cycling to do. Funny, this is something I enjoy even though I get paid for none of it. Knitting is just fun and I volunteer my time for the cycle class. It's at the gym on post and the classes are for soldiers and their dependents. I don't remember getting this much satisfaction from work I got paid a lot of money to do. You know, I'm just glad I'm able to do my bliss. How many people can say that?

Knitter Down! Knitter Down!

2006-02-16T06:19:00.000-06:00

Okay,
After many mathematical calculations, numerous cast ons and frogs, I have to admit the agony of defeat. Ene's has whupped me. Big time. I thought I had it figured out. I really did. Actually, I almost did. One side was right. The other was off causing me to want to pound my head against the wall in frustration. What the heck was I thinking when I decided to tackle that? However, in the spirit of those athletes who fail to take home a medal, I've come up with a game plan to prepare for my next round with Ene. I signed up with Needlecraft University for an online lace shawl knitting tutorial. I'm also planning on buying a couple of lace knitting books. Lace knitters of the world, if you know some good ones, let me know. I'll have another go at Ene. She hasn't beat me entirely, only temporarily. Until then, I'm scaling back. I'm going to cast on for a lace scarf from Lavish Lace called Ocean Moods. It's a smaller project with a much simpler design. I think I can finish this in time for the end of the KO. It just won't be the same though. *Sigh.* Oh, Sandy J, you caught me! I'm too cheap to buy a skein winder as well!! I'm always meaning to but it takes away from the yarn budget. Which is crazy because I'm up to my elbows in yarn right now. Funny, I'm always wanting more. I know, I'll ask my Mom to get me one for my birthday!

Lace Knitting: The Battle Begins

2006-02-11T11:52:00.000-06:00

Gyaaahhhhh! That's how I feel right now after casting on last night and struggling through Ene's scarf. I patiently wound my yarn (knitpicks Alpaca Cloud in midnight) into balls two nights ago. This task took me over two hours and I am convinced I need a skein winder. The night before the knitting olympics began, I checked my gauge. Good thing since I was a size 4 needle. Note to knitters all around, buying cheap needles is like throwing away good money. I didn't happen to have a nice pair of size 4 needles that are circular so I thought I'd just get the boye knitmaster ones where I could change out the cords and needles. They were inexpensive and my only option locally. Pieces of crap. They snag the yarn at the joins and come unscrewed. So today in complete frustration, I visited the scarf style kal blog for tips. One recommendation for a more suitable substitute was Knitpicks pallette or other fingering weight yarn. As it happens, I have some knitpicks essential in a nice fawn color. Now, this is actually a sock yarn but I believe it will work fine. Why am I switching yarns? Because I can' t continue to knit on those crap butt needles and have no LYS near me. The knitting olympics would be over by the time I got new needles in. So, in the interest of continuing my lace battle and competing in the knitting olympics, I am going to change yarn and check gauge again. I think I'll be able to use my size 6 circulars (the nice bamboo ones) with this yarn. Okay, they're 29 inches instead of 32 inches but I think I can make do. Note to self, buy some more nice circular needles in smaller gauge. I'll use the Alpaca Cloud later on the branching out scarf if Ene's doesn't drive me completely mad. My stitch count is off already and I'm definitely going to have my work cut out for me. Is there some secret to lace knitting that I don't know about? What in the heck am I doing wrong? Does anyone know of a lace knitting book or dvd that can help a complete lace doofus? It's like I follow the chart and end up with not enough stitches for the chart. Acck. Back to the drawing board for me. Wish me luck as I cast on with the new yarn and give this another go. I just refuse to believe that this is beyond me.

Recycle bargain time baby!

2006-02-05T12:40:00.000-06:00

Thrift stores are wonderful things. If you're willing to pick through the cruddy stuff, you can find some real bargains. Big bargains. I've taken a keen interest in recycling yarn lately. I mean, hey, my monthly blow money allowance only goes so far. So on payday, I took my bargain hunting behind to the thrift store on post. Oh joy of joys! I found some real gems. An XL sweater of 100% supersoft merino wool; a vest of shetland wool; a cardigan of lambswool, and another cashmere cardigan. My total price spent was less than $15.00. Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! I could never buy that quantity of yarn anywhere else for such a small price. Not sure what my plans are for the fiber but I'm mulling over some ideas. I will definitely be dyeing the merino and may even try my hand at hand painting it and turn it into a wrap or shawl. We'll see. I definitely see a trip back to the thrift store in my future. Some other great potential was there but I had the strong suspicion that those sweaters were slightly felted from improper washing. Dang. Hate it when that happens.

Picovoli, How do I love thee, let me count the ways...

2006-02-05T12:13:00.000-06:00

Ah the joy of a finished object. What began as yarn recycled from a previous knitting disaster has been molded into a really really great shirt that is quite flattering if I do say so myself. This is one of the few things I can see myself knitting more than one of. I'm thinking Luna yarn next go round for a nice color change. Elann.com sells it in a pretty pink color I like. I'm very into pink lately. Picot edging is highly recommended as I see myself having several more goes with the steam setting of my iron for the hem of this. I chose not to do picot with this one because for some reason it seemed intimidating to me. So, in the interest of not overcomplicating my knitting life, I chose the straight edging which, like all good stockinette stitch, is quite adament about its' desire to curl. Okay, I also got overly excited and should have blocked more thoroughly and carefully but I wanted to wear my Picovoli like now. Serves me right for lacking patience! I added length to mine since I happen to prefer a good amount of belly cover. Actually, this accomdated the curl of the hem quite nicely and even the curl didn't look so bad because of that. Grumperina created a real winner with this pattern. It fits like a dream. It knits up fairly quickly and you can even do it while watching TV. I know because that's how I knit it. You seriously do not want to know how up to date I am on The Flavor of Love on VH1. Seriously.

Picovoli for Sexy Knitters Club KAL

2006-01-22T17:20:00.000-06:00

Okay, I thought at first I wouldn't be able to do this knit along since I have a number of projects on tap. Then, as I was trolling through my stash and creative closet, I came across three recycle sweaters that I've been meaning to frog for the yarn. One of them was a failed knitting project in Berroco Cotton Twist. Beautiful concept that went horribly horribly wrong. Why? Well, it makes me look HUGE. That alone is reason to frog in and of itself. However, a second reason made it impossible to look at my FO (finished object ) without cringing. I dorked up the lace pattern. I mean really really screwed the pooch. In that moment, lace knitting became my evil nemesis. The Darth Vadar to my Luke Skywalker. The Lord Voldemort to my Harry Potter. You get the idea. Since then, I've determined I will conquer lace knitting, just maybe not today since this post is about Picovoli. So, I mustered all my strength and grabbed the demon FO and proceeded to frog with great abandon. After all, that yarn was freakin' expensive and I'll be damned if I am going to let it remain in the form of a sweater that frightened me AND made me look like a pastel cow. Thus, the start of Picovoli and my participation in the Sexy Knitters Club Knit Along. I gathered my needles and rewound my yarn with growing anticipation. What if the gauge was way off? What if the yarn wasn't going to work? As the gauge swatch came together, I realized YES! Eureka! I can do it! Here's a picture of my progress. Okay this pic is a hair old since I just am getting past the armholes now but I don't plan on another photo till try on time at just below the bust. I take photos in bulk. I'm very regimented that way. Anyway, I'll keep my progress posted here and on the SKC site. In the meantime, I'll prepare to document my ongoing battle with the evil nemesis lace knitting. I'll be a lace knitter if it's the last thing I do!!!

I'm finishing my asymetrical sweater today!

2006-01-22T09:44:00.000-06:00

I'm so psyched! My asymetrical sweater is almost done and I should be able to finish it today. I'll modify the post later with a picture. It has knit up very quickly! In my official opinion, Teva Durham is a knitting genius. This sweater has been fun and quick to knit but it has also been educational for me. How she came up with the shaping, particularly of piece 2 in the side seam, is very unique. I hope to have enough yarn left over to make another gauge swatch hat for afghans for Afghans. As usual, I over-ordered since I subscribe to the "buy an extra skein, you won't regret it" theory of yarn sourcing. Right now, I have so many projects on tap and so many I want to do. I wrote a list out this week and I was surprised at how long the list was. The next project of priority is finishing my Picovoli top for the KAL with the Sexy Knitters Club. After that, well, it's just a toss up. Maybe I'll write all the projects down on a strip of paper; place them in a hat, and draw them out to put a priority order to them. Then again, maybe I'll force DH and the kids to learn to knit and do my knit project bidding for me.

As you can see, I've finished! Yeah! Ignore the hair and white bra peeking through. It's Sunday and that means I have a free pass on bad hair and poor foundation garment choice. Everyone does. It's an unwritten rule, kind of like yielding to other shopping carts when exiting an aisle. Carts on the end have the right of way. :-)

Closer Look

2006-01-14T14:22:00.000-06:00

Here's a closer look at the hat I knit last night. This is actually the gauge swatch hat from Teva Durham's Corrugated Asymetrical V neck sweater in Loop d Loop. I love that book! This hat knit up very quickly in Knitpicks Sierra (color: coal). No, I didn't block it. I tend to leave hats and socks unblocked unless it just must be blocked. Probably lazy of me but that's what I do. Good thing Mrs Durham leaves this particular sweater unblocked. I'm going to enjoy knitting a sweater I don't have to block for a change.

kai and b model the hats

2006-01-14T14:17:00.000-06:00

Okay, just finished another hat for afghans for afghans last night. So,
I figured I would sucker the boys into modeling them. You can see the
enthusiasm. I'm planning to ship these off Tuesday priority so
hopefully they will warm the head and ears of a child in need. I have
to say, knitting them was fun. I love hats because you can really get
decorative or keep it simple. Besides, who couldn't use a good hat?

Why you should never knit to Star Wars

2006-01-09T18:43:00.000-06:00

Okay, I've taken the plunge into casting on for multiple projects. This is a very big step for someone who is as OCD as I am. Last night, DH wanted to watch Revenge of the Sith and since no true crime shows were playing that I was jonesing for, I approved his request. As I gamely sat on the couch with needles in hand, I worked on my sock while Annakin was lured to the dark side. Apparently, I was lured to the big dummy side during this time. Eyeballing my work, I thought it looked, well, enormously too big for my foot. Turns out, I kept increasing and knitting without counting my stitches per needle. I should have had 15; I ended up with 22. Yeah, while Annakin and Obeewon battled it out, I frogged back to 15 stitches per needle cursing Sith lords and the dark side the whole way. Next time, I'll be sure to watch what I'm doing instead of what Darth Vader's doing. I have two more projects to cast on for and the I'll list my wip's and provide some pics. Till then, knit on!

Some much yarn, so little time

2006-01-06T11:27:00.000-06:00

My stash is now officially taking over my life. It's true. I'll never have enough time to knit everything I want to knit. So, in the interest of efficiency, I have decided to teach myself how to knit continental style. In the meantime, I do have one project on the needles and am making plans to cast on for a second one. On the needles right now is a simple feather and fan afghan. Why you say? Because lace knitting has been my evil nemesis to date, confounding me and foiling my plans to knit beautiful things. So I figured, why not take a step back and choose something very simple on large needles to grasp the rudimentary concepts. So far so good. Don't laugh at the yarn choice. It's really not so very hot and not what I would choose for most projects but I wanted this to be functional. To me, that means DH can machine wash it and not turn it into a nice placemat. History is behind me on this because he has turned two pairs of socks into booties. Once payday hits, my plan is to run gleefully to the store and purchase two pairs of size 3 24" circulars so I can cast on for my socks. I'm trying this pattern that allows you to work both socks at once toe up. I don't get why socks are so intimidating so the whole toe up thing didn't appeal to me as much as the two at the same time thing did. It's almost too much for my overcaffeinated self to handle. 'Scuse me while I knit for a bit!

Charity Knits

2006-01-02T12:30:00.000-06:00

Not long after I took up knitting, I decided I wanted to knit for more than just me. Afghans for Afghans was the perfect choice for a lot of reasons. First of all, my sister has been over there twice already and is now there again. She related a lot of stories of absolute abject poverty. Not the kind that she or I had ever known but poverty so great that parents were unsure of whether they would be able to feed, clothe, or provide shelter for their children. The pictures she took were mesmerizing in a unique way. It was like looking into some alternate universe. I googled charity knitting and up popped afghans for Afghans. I've sent them two shipments already and am working on my third. Right now they need hats. 500 hats to be exact. These hats will provide warmth for children who may go cold otherwise. DS can tell you firsthand, winter in Afghanistan is bitter. If you happen to knit or crochet, please consider putting your current projects on hold and whipping up at least two hats to send in. You can go to the website at afghansforafghans.org and get the guidelines and mailing address. Please note that you need to use all wool or 75% wool for these items. They do accept lower percentage wool blends for other shipments but not this one because it will be keeping little heads warm. I am planning on putting some earflaps on mine and will post a pic while in progress this week. Thanks for letting me get a little preachy. This is very close to my heart.

2006-01-01T17:02:00.001-06:00

Chloe the wonderdog

Here she is, the wonderdog!!!That thing around her neck was for Halloween. I can't see dressing her up so I just got her a little neckband. She actually stole the little catnip toy on the floor from Thomas. She just has a real thing about stuffed animals. I gave her a bath today so she smells like a princess again. That'll last about a day, if that. She has a real itch for rolling in funky stuff.

2006-01-01T17:02:00.000-06:00

Dad and the boys
Alan and the kids on the way in an old pic. He was off that day so took them in to school. I love it when he can do that. I'm definitely not a morning person. He and my oldest are very much early risers. The little guy and I could sleep through just about anything.

2006-01-01T16:57:00.000-06:00

The boys on Dad's truck

Here's the kids on Dad's truck. They are enjoying the break so far and will no doubt be sorry when it's over. They go back to school on Tuesday. Yey!!

Hey and Happy New Year!!!

2006-01-01T16:24:00.000-06:00

Hey all! Hope everyone has had a Happy New Year and isn't too hung over!!! Enjoyed some champagne and wine last night and watched a movie with DH. Not too exciting but I woke up in my own bed and not headachy in the least! Next week I start my cycle/spin classes (teaching them) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm really excited about that and am planning to burn a couple of cd's this week and coreograph (sp) them. I promise to post some photos in the next few days of knitting WIPs, my kids, DH, me, my doggie and cat. I can't believe it's the new year already. So little time, so many things I want to do. I'm not sure I'll be able to fit it all in really. Here's to trying like heck to anyway! Till later! knitncycle (real name: Alicia)