Do You Want a Piece of Me? Well how about a Piece of Elizabeth

I finished the front, or the back, of Elizabeth last night.  And, wait, don’t fall over, I actually took a picture! 

Elizabeth Part 1

I think this will probably be the back because I did make a few minor errors in the pattern.  You can’t see them, well I can’t, but I figured it’d be better for the back.  So I casted on for the first sleeve, but only was able to knit 3 rows before bedtime. 

Up Close and Personal

Here’s a closeup of the center panel. I can’t believe this Silky Wool actually looks pink in this picture.  In person its kinda a champagney color.  But the color on the label is light pink.  So here’s an odd-ball case of the color on the computer being more accurate to the label then the visual eye.I absolutely love the shaping to this sweater.  The sleeves I think will annoy me because of the flared nature there is much more to knit, but I have a feeling this will be a favorite sweater.  I’m already thinking ahead though to the fact the neckline is soooo wide.  I have narrow shoulders.  So I’m thinking I’ll knit two triangular pieces to sew as an insert for the neckline.  When I get to that point I’ll have you all help me decide if it’ll look okay.I’m also extremely excited, my third sweater I ever knit fits again! I finally shrunk back into it.  Now I need to wash it so when the cool of fall and winter hits I can wear it. Its wool, but its fairly light-weight knit so I think I’ll be actually able to wear it fairly often. 

Mommy Its Raining, You Shouldn't Leave Us!

The dogs were being their normal goofy selves this morning.  It was really cute though last night, I came home from work and Django and Abner started eating

My Brother is a Wimp, I’m embarassed for him

their dinner.  We were all in the kitchen.  I went into the living room to knit.  Django was not happy about me not being near him, so he took his dinner mouthful by mouthful into the living room to eat.  I finally went back into the kitchen so he could finish eating without all the back and forth.

There is a lot of overtime in my future, so knitting and time with the dogs will be quite lacking.  But at least the paycheck will be nice.

Learning to Spin

Not me, but when I was up in Iowa I helped show my niece how to use her spinning wheel and learn to spin on it.  Unfortunatley though I don’t think her wheel is complete.  The body of the wheel appears to be an AShford Traditional, an older one.  But the flyer and bobbin seem to be too short for the wheel.  I have a newer Ahsford Traditional and when comparing the two wheels it appears that is one problem.  It also seems to me that they have a right-handed wheel with a left handed flyer and bobbin.  But that is more a speculation not an actual fact.

My Niece Learning the Ropes

The bobbin would spin as well as the flyer, but it would hop out of the mother of all, and wouldn’t pull the spun yarn onto the bobbin.  It was also in dreadful need of oiling, so I’m hoping that with tender care she may be able to get it to work.  But next time I visit I’m going to bring my bobbins and flyer and see if it helps.  At least they’d no where to begin to get to use it.

I’m still busily working on Elizabeth as I have time.  But don’t have a picture yet.  As soon as I finish the back/front, which has about 30 more rows or so, I’ll take a picture. 

Not to much is going on.  Well I have a CT Scan scheduled for next WEdnesday.  Don’t worry, its nothing serious I”m sure.  I’ve had a pain in my side for two years.  It comes and goes, sometimes its awful, sometimes its non-existen, and sometimes its annoying.  I went to my OB/GYN thinking it might be girl related, but ultrasounds didn’t show anything, she thought it might be ovarian cysts.  So she changed my birth control, but it still hasn’t gone away.  She finally told me to go to my regular doctor.  Which I never did.  Finally this week, when it came back yet again (although since I’ve changed my eating habits and started getting healthy it has diminished) I finally caved and went to my doctor.  He’s perplexed as where I point to the pain, he says I have no organs.  But to rule out anything serious, although he agrees with my hypothesis that if it hasn’t killed me or gotten worse in two years it can’t be anything too horrendous, he ordered a CT with contrast, then if that comes back clean which he suspects it will, I’ll be sent to a gastroentologist for a dreaded colonoscopy.  And then if that comes back fine.  We’ll chalk it up to mystery pain. 

Maybe I should just eat some of this yummy ice cream and all will be better.  This was a sign in Strawberry Point, IA.  Too funny I thought.  That flavor of ice cream, I would not like.

This is where I wanted to get married

Sorry I have no pictures of the kids today.  But I thought I’d share this picture of Nick and I.  Back when we got married, this is where I wanted to have our wedding.  I thought it’d be gorgeous to get married on a bluff overlooking the MIssissippi River.  But my mom caboshed that idea, as we were to be married in August and well, the weather could have been awful.  AS it turned out it was an absolutely gorgeous day with the highs only in the upper 70’s, sunny and beautiful.  Oh well.  One cannot predict the future.

Well back to work I must go.  Have a good day.

Randomness

Do you ever feel that you have so much to say and absolutely nothing to say at the same time?  That is how I’ve felt lately.  Of course I have a cold right now and my head is completely congested, so I’m not processing thoughts very well.  But anyway, that is all besides the point. 

I haven’t been posting much because while I feel like I have so much to talk about, the truth is I don’t.  Life is pretty mundane.  I get up, work out (except for this week with the cold), go to work, take a walk, work the rest of the day, go home and either go on a bike ride, go to my church meeting, or knit.  We haven’t been bike riding as much in the evening though as the days have been full enough and we have other things to do in the evening.  I need to start a regimen of cleaning each night when I get home too.  I’m trying to pretend I’m an adult.  But when there is always so much to do, but yet its the same exact thing, it leaves me feeling like I’m bubbling forth with things to say, but yet when I try to say them they are extremely boring.

Nick and I did recently go on vacation, last week.  Nothing to grand as with everyone finances are tight, but we went to Iowa and saw my family.  We visited several places I used to go as a child and loved. 

Motor Mill, Elkader, IA

One being Motor Mill.  This mill operated from 1869 through 1880.  It is thought to be the tallest structure of its kind in the Midwest from that time period.  When I was little you could get into it from a copule of passages down by the water, but they have since been closed up and its now actually looked after by the State.  They are in the process of restoration.  I used to love going there as a kid, as because of the little passageways we would get into it, I figured they must have been secret passageways and was convinced it was used in the Underground Railroad.  Obviously now as an adult I know it wasn’t, but the romantic notion of secret passageways is still a favorite of mine.

On our vacation we also did some bike riding.  We rode 45 miles on the Katy Trail in Missouri.  Next year we plan to ride the entire trail which is about 225 miles long.  But that won’t be until SEptember 2010. 

Hopefully by then I’ll be in a size I’ll stay in and can purchase some actual biking clothing.  Its so expensive I refuse to buy any until I’m at a size I’ll stay at.

Biking the Katy Trail

Nick would kill me if he knew I posted this picture, so shhhhh please don’t tell on me!

We intended to do another 46 mile ride on Saturday, which was supposed to be absolutely beautiful, but of course we woke up to thunderstorms.  By afternoon it had started to clear off and I had started to get sick.  But Sunday morning I was feeling absolutely horrible.  I’m on the mend now though, still stuffed up but that is to be expected.

I also took the opportunity to start a “i’m going to be thin someday sweater”.  I casted on for Elizabeth from Tudor Roses.  I’m using Lavold’s Silky Wool in a “light pink” color.  Which you can’t tell is pink at all.  I’m about half way done with either the front or the back of the sweater (they are identical).  Once I finish the first piece I’ll take a picture and post it, as right now its really hard to get a picture as its all scrunched on a straight needle.  I’m really enjoying the knitting of it though and look forward to wearing it maybe even this winter. 

The dogs went to Nick’s parents while we were at my parents.  They always enjoy their time there, but apparently barely relaxed while were were gone.  Once we came back to them though, they slept for days. 

Is this a Cat or a Dog?

 

Nick finally got a picture of Django in his super tight curl position.  I swear he was raised by cats.

Abner loves anything with a pillow

And ABner just loves anything with a pillow attached.

Well that is about all, I will have knitting pictures here eventually.  Although as you have undoubtedly noticed posting is rare and infrequent.  And probably will stay that way for a while.  I considered shutting the blog down again, but figured you know its free and I can blog when I want and not when I don’t feel like it. 

With that all done, I’ll say toddle-pip and start thinking of other things to say that I’ll never actually say.

Unfaithful

I bow my head in shame, infidelity has become my curse.  I for a short time was very faithful to the projects laid before me.  Knowing precisely at which stage each one was at.  I held firm and would not cast on a stitch.  But then I did need to knit the panda hat, I had promised for years to make a hat for Violet and had not yet done so.  And I needed a car project so making a square here or there for the Great American Aran Afghan seemed like a step of love for the sake of knitting and not cheating on the bedspread and the afghan.  Then I really felt that I should be true, at least a little, to my spinning and do something with at least some of the yarn that I had so lovingly spun, so the fake Dr. Who scarf had to be started.  Then I received my Fall IK and just couldn’t stop thinking about those socks, and that wrap.  I knew that they had to be knit at least at some point in my life.  I went yarn diving last night and found the sock yarn to make the Bandelier Socks and found some yarn I think the shawl would look lovely in, and I just couldn’t help myself and cast on for the socks.

No matter how hard I try to control my whims, it just doesn’t work! I have fallen so far away from project fidelity that I’m not sure I can come back.  My list or projects in progress:

1. 40th 50th Wedding Anniversary Bedspread
2. 50th Wedding Anniversary Rose of England Tablecloth (still need to actually cast on – but I have 3 years)
3. 25th Anniversary Afghan (about 1/5 done)
4. Log Cabin Afghan
5. Great American Aran Afghan
6. Fake Dr. Who Scarf
7. Bandelier Socks
8. Every Way Wrap (not actually cast on)
9. Cora’s Winter Hat

This isn’t even including the works in progress that I’ve long since abandoned. 

1. Owl Socks – one done, one partially done
2. Flame Socks – not sure where I left off on these – probably will frog at this point not even sure what the pattern was.
3. A Wrap from Twists & Turns that I was knitting with my homespun.
4. A vest (I’ll be frogging this)
5. Other odds and end socks (all need frogged)
6. Sweater of Insanity (I’m gonna frog it)
7. Probably some other things I can’t remember.

But you know what, knitting is my pleasure not my work and thus I don’t care.  I can have a million prjoects and work on whatever I deem worthwhile at the time.  My knitting time has become so minimal that when I do knit I need to knit on something I want to work on because otherwise it isn’t joyful.  So the more projects the merrier. 

The sweetest Puppy in the World - Abner at 7 Weeks Old

Is there anything cuter then a 7-week old labrador puppy.

I found a lot of old pictures as I was going through discs and consolidating them onto a hard drive, thought I’d share an oldy of my baby Abner.

So today at lunch, instead of walking because I’ve apparently pulled a litle muscle in my leg, and it looks like its gonna storm, I’m going to work on my Bandelier Socks. 

But then, I’ve lost 30 pounds now, so taking a day off from walking should be fine. 

Toodle Pip.

Fall Must Be Approaching

I feel like knitting.  Or maybe its just that my Fall Interweave Knits just arrived and I’m in love with three patterns.  Bandalier Socks, Every Day Wrap, and the Farmer Market’s Cardigan.  I’ve already opened up my Excel Spreadsheet of my yarn stash and identified yarn for the wrap and the socks.  The cardigan I don’t have any yarn in my stash that is calling out to become it, most of the yarn that speaks to me is of a different gauge then the pattern calls for, but I’m not quite yet in sweater knitting mood anyway, and I really love pullovers rather than cardigans. 

But the Every Day Wrap and the Bandolier Socks, casting on will commence soon, well that is if I can figure out what  Box 1 is and how long it will take me to tunnel down to reach it.

Violet's Panda Hat

I did just finish a little project.  I’ve been promising our friends a hat for their little girl now for a couple of years.  She loves Panda Bears, so what else then a Panda hat.

She loved it, I hated knitting it. The yarn was pure torture.  In fact I have a lot of extra yarn leftover because I planned to knit mittens and a little scarf, but I couldn’t bring myself to self-torture.  So I think its going in the trash and I will be free of it. But at least Violet has her panda hat.

you know I just realized I didn’t put a nose on it!  Oh well.  I don’t think the pattern called for a nose, but I think it may have been cuter with one.

Abner’s ear is all better.  His other ear now has a slight infection, but we have new drops and he’ll be better soon. 

Sorry no picture, for some reason my computer won’t let me upload another picture to WordPress, so alas I am going to give up, publish this post, and maybe just maybe go knit something.  Although first I have to change the laundry around.

1st Square

Its time to go back to the bedspread, I have finished the first square of the Great American Aran Afghan.  I’m going to save the GAAA project for car rides, as obviously knitting a bedspread in the car, or a full-size afghan would be quite difficult. 

Square 1

In other news, the dogs went to the vet this past weekend.  Django for his annual visit, but poor Abner has a terrible ear infection.  Now he’s on ear drops and a oral antibiotic. 

Django, of course, would not sit on the floor like all the other dogs do, he had to sit in the waiting chairs as a person would.

Until you prove otherwise, I am a person.

 

In further other news the All-Star Game is well under way, downtown is an absolute mess.  You can’t get anywhere. I’m very glad that although I do park in one of the stadium garages, the location is right near an interstate access and going home, hopefully shouldn’t be too bad.  But then again the President is coming and who knows what craziness that will bring.

Red Carpet Feet

 

At least now I can’t say I’ve never been on the Red Carpet. If only I would have had some knitting with me, I could have put the knitting on the red carpet.  Sigh.  Oh well, too late now.

Pup-peroni Pizza

Absolute proof that we spoil our dogs way to much.  Tonight we decided to make pizza for dinner.  The boys love pizza night as they get to eat my pizza crust.  They also love pupperoni sticks.  Every now and then we’ll buy them a bag, and we happen to have a bag right now.  So today, when planning our dinner, we got the crazy idea of making the boys their own pup-peroni pizza. 

After chopping the pup-peroni pieces into bite size pieces, then you must place them on a crust, with suace made from straight tomatoe pieces and beef stock made espeically for dogs.

A very small amount of cheese, and the pup-peroni goes on the pizza.

Then it is baked for about 6 minutes on the pizza stone. 

The best part for the dogs, is the eating of course.

the hard part is getting a picture of the boys actually eating the pizza, because it doesn’t take long.  But they are really enjoying pizza night tonight!

Have a good evening, and a great work week.

In Honor of Agnes and Christy

Thank you both so much for contributing to teh Walk to Defeat ALS.  I met Christy for lunch today and delivered her my thank you gift, a copy of Suss Cousins Knitting for Your Home.  It has some neat patterns in it, I think she’ll at least like looking at, if not making.  I am attempting to convert her to a full-blown knitter, we worked together and she just was so sick of me talking about knitting she gave it a try herself!

Agnes, I’m pulling together a yarny gift for you, so could you please e-mail me your address so I can mail out your yarny prize. 

For several years I’ve watched and loved seeing Agnes knit the Great American Aran Afghan, and several other similar type projects.  I finally couldn’t take it any longer and broke down and bought the pattern, as well as the Great Northern American Afghan.  I already owned the one she’s currently knitting up, however I’ve never knit it.

“Its Bedtime Right”

So I decided I’d frog my Diamonds & Lace afghan I’ve been occassionally working on for Nick and I, and start the Great American Aran Afghan.  I think I’m just procrastinating the bedspread as I know there is no way I’ll be done with it my July, 2010.   I really should work on my sister’s afghan too, but I’m just taking a little time right now for me.

I’ve been working so hard on my body, by the way 16 pounds down, that I need to have a little treat for myself.

Django is always waiting to go to bed.  At night, around 7:30 p.m., he heads to the bed and waits there for us.  He loves bedtime.  We think the poor guy must have been tied up outside when he was a puppy, because he sure loves his household comforts.  Well that and when we put him on the lead in the back yard, he acts like he was born on it, knowing exactly what to do, and not to pull on it, etc.

Well back to the knitting!

Plans Never Go as Planned

Why is it that plans never work out as one intends?   So I was supposed to take tomorrow off and become reacquainted with my spinning wheel, but instead I got sick over last weekend with a cold, had to miss Monday of work because I had a fever, and decided I didn’t want to take any more time just to get reacquainted with my wheel.  But alas, all was not lost, last weekend after I cleaned up my wheel, I couldn’t resist and started spinning, and have done a little each day since.  And then, I decided another fun project, while I was avoiding knitting the bedspread, was to start making myself a Dr. Who scarf with my homespun.  So I hunted down my previously spun yarn from the same batches of roving and started the scarf.  And I finished up two bobbins of single plies, and I plied the batches together last night.  So the yarn in the spokes of the wheel are my newly spun yarn.  I say this is a Dr. Who scarf because I intend to make it over 20 feet long.  I’m using a color sample bundle of roving I purchased ages ago from Paridise Fibers and plying it with some nice cream.  The effect kind of reminds me of fruit stripe gum.  I should have taken a closer pictre of the yarn, but alas I didn’t.  I always envision taking this gorgeous artistic photos.  I never do.

I attempted, not so well, in this picture to show you how Django often sleeps, with all his paws together in a pile.  And usually his ears are pointed directly up when he’s relaxed and when he’s awake they flop over.  He is backward boy.  Well its time to get back to the Dr. Who scarf, while I avoid for one more day the bedspread.

Time to Get Reaquainted

I have a day and an hour and a half I need to take before the end of June, for vacation time.  I can’t really go anywhere, so I didn’t know what I’d do.  I figured I’d better actually take the time off, as I work so much overtime taking time off sometimes seems like the absolute luxury.  Then I received my most recent issue of Spin Off.  I must admit, I haven’t spun yarn in probably 2 years.  well, it as at least been over a year.  I was flipping through the magazine, when I realized, that is exactly what my day of luxury should be, I day I get reaquainted with my wheel.

So that is exactly what I’m going to do.  This weekend Nick will be off “jamming” with his buddy Joe.   So I’m going to do several things: 

1. Go Clearance Shopping at Kohl’s, because I have a coupon for an extra 30% off of whatever I buy, and I need to buy some new work pants.  And I need a pair of tennis shoes and brown sandals.
2. Clean out my closet.
3. Knit
4. Prepare my spinning wheel and fiber for spinning extravaganza.

Perfect Rythmn

While we were setting up Nick’s kit at our friends’ house, their little girl, had to help out.  She has perfect rythmn!  We didn’t notice it until later, but after the set-up Nick and his friend were jamming, this little one picked up one of NIck’s other percussion intruments, and we could hear her playing it in the background, she was in perfect synch with Nick and her dad.  She’s not quite 3!  A musician in the making no doubt.

Basil The Tunneler

 

Last but not least a picture of my Basil.  He loves to hide in blankets and tunnel through them.  For some odd reason this is fun, we had to finally put a grate down in the bottom of his cage, as he was going under the paper and tunnelling through it, and then shredding the paper and throwing it outside of his cage. 

So now he just gets to tunnel in blankets.