The Dwead Piwate Wobberts is here for your soooouuuul

OK, so maybe it's not the Dread Pirate Roberts... Maybe it's just a cute little Santa Claus stocking that you promised to make for a friend of your Mom's.
You know what I'm talking about. You know about those projects that seem like they're going to be a walk in the park (No problem! famous last words) but for some reason - misalignment of planets... desertion by the knitting muse... fickle fate... - for some reason everything that can go wrong will go wrong. What should be an enjoyable time can reduce to you cowering under a blanket that you didn't knit, scowling at some cheeky Santa who insists on smiling at you from across the room, and chanting to yourself that this is an inanimate object and it's not secretly stalking you in your sleep. Right?
And how the heck do you turn a heel on something that's knit flat? I've looked at I don't know how many instructions so far, and can't figure it out to save my life. I'm going to have to improvise.
Which is the main reason that I'm only this far:

Let's not discuss how many times I've had to rip this bad boy back to get this far.
Let's also pause to note the other main reason that I'm only this far:

But, in my defense, TWO of the times I had to start over are pictured above.
(He's wearing the striped shirt.)

Please excuse me. I think I saw the Santa move...

Birthdays, toothiness, and keeping up appearances

We are settling in to the new house. Slowly but surely, the boxes are making their way out the door and into the recycling bin. Yessss! I had a deadline of sorts: Niall's birthday. I've determined not to give little man the shaft simply because his birthday falls close to Christmas, and moving wasn't going to put a dent in it either.

So he got his cake:in the shape of a Big Green Truck - as requested for the big green truck birthday party.And lots of presents. Among the favorites were the garbage truck that I snuck by him that day at the Sprawlmart, and the 5 little monkies set that Pop and Fannie sent.

---

In other news, Rowan lost another tooth, thus necessitating an extreme close up shot of his toothiness. Yes, the orthodontist does have his work cut out for him doesn't he?

---

Now that the birthday is over, we can decorate for Christmas. Of course, this has to happen on a weekend when both John and I are walking around feeling like someone has been beating us over the head with the snot stick, but get it done we shall.
Ladies and Gents, may I present our 2007 version of the tree.

And even though we are feeling a bit slack this year, what with waiting until today to get the tree up, and doing the bare minimum thus far, I carried on and got the stockings hung on the mantle. Because even if nothing else is done and you have random boxes of crap that you don't know what to do with hiding back in your bedroom... Even then, if you have a snappy looking mantle it looks like you have it all togetherEspecially if you can get the dog to lay down in front of the fire.

Merry tidings y'all. Pass me the wassail.

House!

We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel... boxes wise.
yee!

writer's strike, schmiter's strike

Someone call Hollywood. You can't make this stuff up.

Ya ya ya, I've been gone and not posting. I'm still knitting, and I have pictures on my camera. I've had other things to be doing, and as long as I'm still working on the knitting the babies are getting their pants. so essentially all is well in the world. so long as babies have their pants.

because pantsless babies can pee on your stuff, you know.

What have I been doing? What have you been doing? If you don't keep a blog, hushup about it.

We're buying a house! We close on the 16th. That's one week from today folks. And who is packing up the house where we've lived for the past 5 years? Me. And who is helping? *cue the chirping crickets* uh huh. That's what I thought. We'll do the actual move over Thanksgiving. Bring it. I am going from a rack in the corner to an acutal closet. A walk in closet. That's right. Walk. In. Closet. Hoo!

Also, Kim has been sick. She's been riding the nausea train since the beginning of August. She got her gall bladder out at the end of Sept. It didn't help and she's been bouncing in and out of the hospital since then. They weren't helping her, and even had her pegged as a drug seeker. I think if my body was trying to digest itself from the inside out that it would be a little bit painful, but what do I know? Finally she got someone listening to her, and she's now getting the care she needs to get better.

So then what does she do?

She goes and gets bitten by a freaking squirrel.

Yes. You read that right.

My sister, who has been slowly donating her organs one at a time, and is finally getting better, went and got bitten by a squirrel. A baby squirrel. And let's not forget she's on bloodthinners.

We're waiting for her to go Cujo on us.

Someone get me an agent.

Call off your dogs!

I'm alive! I swear! This is really Milli and no one has hacked my blog to post that I'm alive when really I'm just tied up in the basement.
I've been naughty naughty, knitting only as much as necessary to get the job done. I've been writing, borrowing someone else's characters and playing with them anonymously - and no you may not see it. That's what the anonymous part is about.

Abby - your pants are done, dry, and ready to send. I will package and weigh them today and send you an email.

Dimples - your pants are done and need the emboridery still. I have it mapped, just need a spot of time to sit down and do it.

Anne - your vest is nearing done, should be done by the end of the week. I have a bit of math to do to make sure the neck is good. When's the wedding? I don't want to cut it close.

Szbaby - I'm casting on for yours. I'll PM you what your total will be so you don't get a shock.

See? I'm knitting. some. And TV starts again this week so I will be knitting more. And it's FINALLY less than 90 degrees! So that means knitting too. Wee!

Promise promise. If I come out with any writing that is my own characters, I'll be sure to tell you.

Are you sure it's not Friday the 13th?

So I had to take Loki to the vet today. She needed her doggy shots and heartworm check etc. I'm ushering Niall and the very excited dog out the door (you'd think she never got to go in the car. She gets to ride every freaking morning!) while hanging on to my diaper bag and the leash - which I conveniently forgot to attach to the dog.

Loki takes off tearing down the street to see some ladies who are out walking. Niall, of course, takes off in the other direction. I slam the door yelling at Loki and scoop Niall up. We have just enough time to get to the vet on time.

Ya. Locked the keys in the house.

Sooooo... put Niall in his carseat and shoo Loki into the car, and run over to check if I remembered to lock the side door. I didn't, yay! So I grab my keys and get in the car and peel on out of there so we can get there in time.

We get to the vet, and I realize that I don't have my diaper bag with me. I'd dropped it in the driveway when I was chasing Loki down and realized that I didn't have my keys.

Soooo. I leave Loki with the vet, take Niall back to the car, and drive back home to get my bag. I had to have it because my wallet was in there and I needed to be able to pay the vet. It was at the bottom of the driveway, very dirty. Obviously I ran over it. But my glasses weren't in there so I didn't worry about it.

Got back to the vet and in to our appointment. The vet and his assistant are looking Loki over and she's being all friendly with them. Good times. Then Niall decides he wants a snack and opens the diaper bag. The inside is FULL of powder. I never took out the powder box from when we were in Gatlinburg last weekend. It was almost new. Powder was EVERYWHERE.

So now I'm home again, trip to Target was cancelled. My diaper bag is run over dirty on the outside, and powder fresh on the inside. Niall is doing puzzles and Loki is snoozing on the couch. I think I'll stay home the rest of the day!

Wait a minute, I'm a knitter?

Am I really?
Y'all, I have not been able to bring myself to pick up the needles regularly this month. I'm too busy whining and whinging about the hot. And I'm not kidding! Last night the weather guy made a special point (complete with baseball analogy) to tell us that this month is not only the hottest August on record... it's the hottest month EVER recorded for the Raleigh area.

Wee!

And yes I know that I have people waiting on me, which is why I'm poking along a row at a time here and there on my knitting, and have been generous with my time estimates for myself because I know how slack I'm being.

Never fear... I will be stuck in a car for hours this weekend as we drive to Gatlinburg for a family reunion. Hours. On I-40. I'll be knitting with the a/c vent aimed at my face.

So what have I been doing instead of knitting? Getting Rowan ready for school took some time. Sitting at the pool talking about how hot it is. Running on the treadmill thinking that I have to be insane to do something that causes that much sweating when it's hot out. Hiding from the laundry and various household tasks - that one isn't working out too well. Hiding from Niall and his screamy self - ya, that one isn't going over so well either.

It can't last forever, right?

Abby, I agree... it's all about the humidity. And I'm glad you're patient about your britches. Though you'd be even more demented than I am if you actually wanted to use them on a day like today.

Rachel, so glad you aren't leaving for the big city. Can't wait to see the new place!

A monumental day

Today.

My little guy went to Kindergarten. Wasn't I just pregnant with him yesterday?

He was so excited, he was up at 5:30 asking if it was time to go yet.

He wanted to wear his backpack the whole way there so everyone would know that he was a big school kid and not just a boy out for a walk.

Serious business.

He was there all day, from 8:15 to 3:00.

When we picked him up, he was on cloud 9 saying,
"Mommy, I was so busy having so much fun, I didn't even miss you!"

Little stinker.

I love you to pieces little guy. To bits and pieces.

walking to school

I can complain with the best of them

The other day when the high was ONLY 90 degrees, our good weatherman said that it was the second coolest day in all of August.
That's right. That means that there's only been one day in the entire month when it's been less than 90 degrees.
I wouldn't complain so much if were were someplace like... say... Vegas, or Phoenix, where it's supposed to get that hot. But last I checked I don't live in the desert. I live in the swampy south, where we've had humidity but no rain. I've really been wishing for a gooooood thunderstorm with all the effects. Alas.

So I've not been knitting much. Deanna, your britches are done except for finishing and tucking in edges. Aimee, I have your hat and britches as well - except for the drawsting. Dimples, I'm still having issues with the dye lot thing. But that should be taken care of by this evening. I will post pictures and get my head back on my shoulders. I promise. It's just been one of those weeks. Sorry!

Future Cassanova

I wanted to write this down before I forget it.
When we were at Mom's last Sunday, Kim's friend Angel came over for a quick visit.
Rowan did his cute shy excited thing.
He was too afraid to ask her himself, so he had Mom ask her for him...

"Angel, where are your wings?"

Hee hee.



Hey, it's supposed to be 76 degrees in North Dakota today. Wanna go?

y'all...

It's been 104 here. I'm not knitting. I'm not doing anything that requires any kind of motivation. I've been sitting on the A/C vent reading vampire books. Because vampires are cold and I would love to have one sitting right here with me making me freeze my booty off. I am still alive, just sweaty. And used to the sudafed now. My ears still feel like they're stuffed though. Fat lot of good it's doing.
Anyway, we're in SC visiting the family. Escaping the heat? Not even close. How long does it take to get to Alaska? 'Cause I'm about ready to hop in the car.

suda-whaa?

Soooo I decided to take down all I'd knit so far on Abby's pumpkin pie (not much, but the nurse practitioner agreed that it's nearly edible it's so pretty) because the eyelet holes were too far apart and she needed to revise the measurements anyway. It's all good!
So I've cast on, but have yet to join, because seriously I might jitter myself right off this couch. I've been put on Zyrtek-D, which contains sudafed, and it must be a whack of sudafed because OMGoodness I feel weird. Shut up Drea. You know how it is.
Yes indeedy. And I'm supposed to take this stuff for the next couple of months.
Why? I have a sinus infection. Bad enough to make my lovely NP wince and say "oh dear, your nose!" I do go for the gusto you know.
So I'm sitting here trying to breathe deeply and checking to make sure my heart is not beating too fast (it's not) and generally feeling like I'm so tired yet my eyes are wiiiiide open. Loki is doing her best to weigh me to the couch.

FO

Britches for Deanna. Already in the mailbox on their way to their new home.
I really like this colorway. It was called Yugaron from 100purewool, but then they changed the names to numbers, and now they have names again but I'm not sure if it's the same. It's pretty though!


On to my next one... Abby has asked for some pumpkin pie. She has a big guy, so the cuffs and waist will be the crust. It's really pretty, but I've only done a swatch so far so you'll have to wait and see.

Also, I'm sorting out the people for the coop at Soggy Granola. I have some nice new ladies to knit for and all my slots are filled! Yay!

I still have to do something for Odin too. Before he gets too big! Yipe!

And yes I did to some Christmas knitting in July, but there's not much to see yet. Just a big gray blob that will someday be a satchel. Patience grasshopper.

Hey, I knit too

Last night I had the fun of going to Megan's house to knit and talk about Harry Potter and watch the Red Sox (kind of) on her TV. Yay sports package!
Her little stash inspector was being his cutest naughty self. Yay for knitting with friends.
Of course I was responsible and took Deanna's britches with me, and worked on them too. Go me.
However, I have had the summer to forget how awfully long a 12" inseam is! Holy Malowly is it long.
Shown here at just a little over 11" as I'm starting to do the cuff. 80 rows baby. 80 rows.
And no, I don't do magic loop. I find a perverse pleasure in keeping count of how many rows with my clicky-do or my Rowsary. I'm warped like that.
With luck, they'll be done this weekend. Assuming I get some knitting time.

Loki helped me knit. She's a good dog like that.

I am a hillbilly

I have diagnosed myself, because the copay for a specialist is $50.
If the website for the mayo clinic is correct, I have plantar fasciitis or a bone spur or whatever you want to call it. Basically it feels like I've stepped on a rock.
Treatment - stretches and wearing shoes, and some ibroprofen once in a while.
I can totally do the stretches. They're fine. They feel great actually.
The shoes... Good Lord. This bites. I mean really. It's JULY. In NORTH CAROLINA. I'm supposed to be barefoot. or in flipflops. It's like the law or something.
but no... I have to wear tennis shoes and socks ALL DAY LONG.
Actually I have them off right now because I'm sitting here with my feet up on the train table.
But really... this bites. Kelly told me my feet will be nice and soft with no callouses. Whoopity doo!
Jenn has them too, but I think wearing shoes might be a little easier in Sweden.

wah wah wah whine whine whine winge winge winge. I'd stomp my feet but they hurt.

Finite Incantatem

I managed to knit a bit while reading book number 6, but once I got to book 7...
Well, you know how it is. I couldn't knit while clutching the book in one hand and my tissues in the other. And I couldn't not read. No no no, that wasn't even an option.

So here I am. Mentally exhausted yet elated. I will not spoil. I probably need good cry over it (yes I get too emotionally attached to people who techinically don't exist) and then on with things. The floor needs mopping and Deanna's britches are woefully behind schedule. But right now... I think I'll sit here, drink my coffee, and just rest.

Attack of the gauge beast

So... obviously I was much more relaxed than I normally am when I knit that gauge swatch for Deanna's britches... because we have catastrophic gauge failure. like 1/2 off per inch. Over 21 inches. That adds up.

At first I thought they looked small just because I'd been working on the satchel from knitty. But no. They're too small. I'm glad I had the wits enough to measure it before I got overly far into it, instead of waiting until the graft was done like I usually do.

*sigh*

I hate ripping back work.

odds and ends, and a moment

I've decided to start replying to comments in the comments. Starting with the Simpsons post. So it will be easier to keep track of all that. So if you comment, I may comment back to you and we can have a little conversation through the marvel of modern technology. Shazam!

On teaching Rowan to knit... I cast on and knit a couple of rows. Then he sat right beside me and watched while I knit - with very big and slow motions - through a row. Stick it through, wrap around, bring it back, take it off. We are striving for method and not much else at this point. Tension is non-existant - the tail of the yarn just hangs there until he grabs it to bring it round. He is wrapping with this left hand - on his way to continental knitting some day in the distant future.

Which brings me to my moment.
You know we all have these moments from time to time, when everything just feels more real and solid than usual. When everything is crystal clear. I got to have one of those last Thursday.

I was driving in the car, on my way to pick John up from work, boys in the back seat, a Dave Matthews CD (one of the shows that John plugged into the soundboard to get way back when) playing, and the windows down even though it was hot because I simply couldn't bear to be shut in the car. Sun on my arms, hot breeze, good music, laughing kids.
I was filled with the feeling of good. Of how much I love my kids and they love me, and we were on our way to get my husband/their daddy, and it was so good. Everything. So the house is not great and John is still looking for a job. So what?
I thought of the me from high school so long ago. The girl who was really hopeful that "something good" was going to happen if I just waited long enough. How happy that girl would be to see where I've landed.
Something good did happen, and I've got it every day.
So what if I'm not skinny and the boys fight and the laundry is never done and I have to come up with something to feed all these people every day. So what?

There's really no way to get that feeling down. Words just don't tell you the power of feeling all that happiness swelling inside me and making me smile and laugh and turn the music up a little louder. But trust me. It was awesome.

This is good. This is really, really good.

If we were the Simpsons

Pride

Seriously... I could just burst.

Fresh blue

This is one of my favorite purewool colorways. It's Fresh Blue, but then she changed to numbers, but I hear the names are back. I hope the names are the same.

In other news, Rowan has his orthopedic appointment today. Wonder what they'll do?

Yes I put on a counter

No I did not find the ring yet.
I'm just waiting for it to show up. I can't be that frantic about it and maintain.

Sarah's shorts are nearly done. They've been waylayed by ring searching and toddler poo issues. Wee. I would much rather be knitting.

I'll take some cute pictures for tomorrow, 'K?

one word.... NIALL

I have not been knitting today.
I have been trying to find my engagement ring.
which was on the nightstand yesterday.
when some little stank baby wandered into my room with a sharpie.

I'm waiting on my neighbor to find his pipe wrench.

especially since when I found him yesterday he was playing in the sink.

I have moved my nightstand, gone through its drawers.
Taken apart my bed - and I mean A PART. Like down to the frame.

Cried a bit.

Cried a bit more...

Remind me that I love that baby.

More anNIALLation, sports, and dirty peaches

I really should learn.
Rowan left the kitchen gate open. My bedroom is on the other side of the kitchen.
There was a sharpie on John's nightstand.
the babymonitor...my pillowcase...my quiltI later found that he also got the wall, the window, the headboard, and my lampshade.
It's a good thing I love him.

If you ever doubted that knitting was a sport, here's your proof. I sometimes have to tape my fingers. Hangnails and yarn do not mix. It's a sport if you have to tape things.

I got peaches at the farmer's market so we could make peach ice cream for the 4th.
John was delighted with this particular peach.

Especially when it's placed next to this particular peach. Scandalous!

I am 7 years old

Jenn keeps telling me of all the fun things about living in Sweden and visiting Denmark.

Like towns called Middlefart and Assens.
and

infart = entrance (for cars, it's ingang for people)

utfart = exit (for cars, it's utgang for people)

farthinder = speedbump

fart control = speed trap

maxfart = max speed

fart control! hee hee hee hee hee hee

farthinder! HEE HEEE HEE HEE!


You're laughing too!

What I do when no one is looking

John is out at trivia night tonight. Totally a man date with Rick. If they win they get free beer next week. I think the bar is on to something. Win, you have to come back to the next trivia night to claim your beer. And then you're too smashed to win again, so then you have to come back the next week to regain your glory. They have it all figured out.

And what do I do when the kids are sleeping and the hubby is gone?

I sit on the couch with my dog, knitting and reading blogs. Yes I am wild.
Don't you loooooove my ghettofab footstool/table? It is also a toybox. Shazam!

I also take my ring off so I can photograph my tan. Someone stop me before I get really wild.

This is the knitting of the day. Shorties for Sarah. Fresh blue. Love the softness. I'm nearly to the graft.

Kid news of the day... Niall will now willingly sit on the potty. He made a poo deposit yesteday, but I'm pretty sure he didn't plan on doing that because it freaked him out a bit. So now he will sit, but he will not produce. He knows about the jellybeans though, so it's only a matter of time.

I had to include this because it's so funny. Yes ladies, this is what is coming home to me at the end of the night. Probably smelling of beer. You are soooo jealous. Admit it.

Seseme Street tells me

that a square has 4 straight sides and 4 corners.

I had a problem with each of those concepts today. But I kept at it.
I'm seriously in awe of all you quilter people who can cut straight lines.
But here's my square. Now on its way to Lisa to add to the quilt.
I can't wait to see the whole thing.

In case you were wondering,
I'm lucky enough to be a part of an amazing goup of women.
One of our own lost a child. So we quilt.

Test

Your Linguistic Profile:

60% General American English 15% Dixie 10% Upper Midwestern 5% Midwestern 5% Yankee

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

To the inventor of aloe with lidocaine and menthol

Dear inventor person,

I got a sunburn last week. For the first time in 17 years I got a sunburn. The second sunburn of my entire life. Hey, I have good genes.

Why oh why in the world would anyone want to go outside after having that happen? Some people do this all the time! Fools!

We went to the beach, and Niall took off for the water before we put sunblock on my back. By the time we got it done, it was too late. I was fried.

It wasn't too bad. It's a tan now. But seriously. I'm a wimp. It hurt. Bad. Misery I tell you. Misery!

John put that aloe goo on my back and it helped. Tremendously. I loved it.

I am now healed and able to wear a bra again. While I enjoyed and loved your product immensely, I hope to never use it again. At least not for a sunburn. I know I'll burn myself on the toaster again. That appliance has it in for me. And that Emeril cookware too.

Sincerely,

Milli

Another Rowanism

There's a fashion show on the Today show this morning.

Rowan looks at it and says,

"Mommy, why are those women wearing tip-toe shoes?"

Can you tell I only own one pair, and never wear them?

The stroller that Milli knit

It took 6 months to save up for it, but man is it cool!
I had to pry the boys out of it to get them to bed.
Best part... it fits in the trunk of the car with room to spare.

The night time diaper saga

This looks like a pretty simple bit of sewing doesn't it? It probably would have been if I'd had a pattern to start with. But I didn't. I did have help from the ever lovely Pheobe, and if I hadn't I probably would have gone through even more trials than I did. Thanks to her, there were less than 15.

She's also where I got the windpro fabric for the diaper. We used night time diapers, and then went through a spate of leaky leakiness, so started using sposies. And then those started leaking, so we tried other kinds, and all of them leaked, so it was back to square one. Enter the windpro. It was covered by a knit cover, but even that only worked half the time. So I had to break out the sewing skills.

If his sheets aren't dry in the morning, I'm going to be very put out.

Quicky picture post

How is a person supposed to get anything done around here?
It was quiet. I should have known. But lately here, quiet has meant that little boys are in the book nook reading nicely. Little did I know it was all a setup.
A great big setup. Fooled you, Mom. Ha!

In other Niall news... in addition to powder, he is apparently into interior design. Or graffiti. You decide. Here he's yelling, "Crayon!" for the camera. We have discussed the merits of paper at length. I'm just happy for the magic eraser.

Rowan is still working on giving up his nap. If he holds still long enough he falls asleep right where he is. Even if it looks wildly uncomfortable.

And here's the wildly interesting sock. LOOK! A pattern! Isn't that the most coolest thing you've ever seen in your entire life? The yarn is Lana Grossa if you're wondering. I can't really read the ball band too well. It's in German.

And finally, your Ghettofab home decorating idea of the day:
If the boys are consistently up at 5am, and your 2 year old insists that curtains hanging within reach are to be pulled down immediately, then I would suggest some lovely black poster board. Just use some packing tape and stick that sucker up there. 88 cents at your friendly neighborhood Michael's - the ghettofab choice in home renovations.
It didn't work out too well this morning, but yesterday I had to go in and wake Niall up at 6:50 so we could take John to work.
And I won't be putting stickers up on it either. I thought about glow in the dark stars, but I don't want to call attention to it. I'm sure Niall could find a way to bring it down if I called it to his attention.

You always knew it was true

I'm knitting my first sock, and I'm using self patterning sock yarn for it.
I look at this pretty pattern and think, "oh how cool!"
I keep showing it to John to make him tell me how awesome it is.
I get to a repeat and think, "oh look! It's doing it again!"

I am very simple and easily amused.


Pictures later. Need naptime for that.

I'll have pictures later

But Loki is sleeping on my foot, Rowan passed out in a chair, and Niall's in bed. I have coffee and I'm hanging out on the net. My forum kind of exploded over the past couple of days. Oh the drama! It's entertaining to watch and say "ooooooohhh" over. Like a forum soap opera in real time. I've landed in a good spot.
The ghettifying of the window will take place this afternoon. As will the next and what will hopefully be the last prototype in the pull on interlock wool cover so I can finally make it out of actual wool instead of out of hideous purple with aqua stars.
Rowan has pants made out of that fabric. It's very bright.

And I have succeeded in knitting myself a stroller. Not the actual stroller, but the money from the knitting - saved and hoarded over the course of months - has finally accumulated enough for me to click the buy it now button on ebay. Woo! You'll see pictures when I get it.

And the Fantastic Ribbedity Tube of Rainbow Delight is just that. A tube. Of rainbow. Delight. It's not really for anything at this moment. Just me saying - look it's ribbed! and the colors line up! I'm so cool!

If it's long enough for a scarf, some lucky person might get it.

You gotta know that Pheobe.

I have been having issues with trying to make a pattern for Niall all day long. And in like, two seconds, Pheobe comes along and solves all my problems.
She is quite the gal. Go buy a diaper from her.

Better about blogging

Right. I'm going to do my best to do it up right. If you make a comment, it will make me feel like my efforts are worthwhile. *heavy handed hint*

Sooo. The waiting list is empty at the moment. Stacy's longies are done and drying, and they're way cute. I don't have a picture yet though, because I need to truck them outside for proper lighting, and I'm not doing that until they're dry.

You can see them here though, with my new trick. I've figured out how to read and knit at the same time. This is big folks. The lack of good TV in the summer (I'm in a reality show nightmare) and the fact that we never remember our netflix movie until it's too late to start one... plus I can't watch anything during the day since Rowan no longer naps (the boy is afraid of the Oompa Loompas - even in the new version. So anything with any amount of strife - which is almost anything that's not on PBS - is out). Had to do something to break up the miles and miles of stockinette. And voila. My library card is going to start to smoulder.So I cast on for the Fantastic Ribbedity Tube of Rainbow Delight. It is fantastic. And ribbed. And it is a rainbow. The yarn is from Tara, who got it from her dad, who got it at a yard sale or out of the trunk of someone's car or something. I think he paid $1 for a bunch of it, because he's cool like that. It's 80's Red Heart acrylic. Oh yeah! I tried to use it some in the baby hats, but it made a really ugly baby hat, so I didn't do that. What else can you do? Cast on so the colors will line up and make a tube of Rainblow Delight.
I also started on my first ever sock. See... the payment came due for the coop sock yarn from 3 Irish Girls, and while it is ok to order sock yarn while you still have some lying around that you've never knit - when it comes time to actually pay for this yarn... well you need to quit pretending and actually cast on a sock. So there. I'm now a sock knitter. Oh and I got Clodagh and Elsbeth. Aren't they pretty! Also, the above needles are the teeny addi dpns that are allowed in the courthouse. Just in case you need to know.It's pretty surprising that I have any time to do any knitting at all, what with the feeding Rowan. Here he has a sandwich for his 3rd lunch of the day. He also ate 3 breakfasts. And he's asking for a snack right now. Growthspurt anyone? I fear the teenage years.And finally, for your amusement, here is my latest venture into ghettofabulousness. I duct taped the edge of the stapled down lino to the carpet, because it came up, and I might as well because I have duct tape patches all over the thing anyway. I mean really. Who puts carpet in a dining room? Not me. Not ever ever ever. When we are not renters anymore, I will rip up any carpet that is anywhere near an eating area. Even if we're on the bare subfloor, there will be no carpet in any area that involves oatmeal. Fab! (and Rowan will still sing "In the ghetto" from that Elvis song. It's funny.)

Happy Father's Day

This is also a beard progress picture.

To John, great daddy to my kids. Good for rough housing and silly behavior. He even changes diapers.
Yes ladies, the total package.

Thanks for giving me my job (knocking me up), honey.

I love you.

Because I'm arrogant, or maybe I need a little more time, or something

I'm consolidating blogs. I kept two (actually more than that but two actually get updated) and I've been pretty bad at it. I update when I feel like it.
But I read lots of blogs. I just spent most of today feeling icky and reading blogs. And I feel mildy cranky when other people don't update their blogs. But I don't update my blog very much, so who am I to talk?
Well then. I'm turning over a new somethingorother. Whatever it is when you attempt to be better at something that you've attempted at being better at before. That's it. And because I'm so so arrogant, naturally I think that the knitting people want to know about my family. And my family people are just dying to know what I get up to with all that yarn.

For the knitting people, no worries. You'll still be right here, with the tempting glass of tea on the top of the page (ha Chelle! Go fix some tea!) But now you'll be privvy to pictures of my kids, and stories like the toilet incident and new pictures of John's beard progress.

For the family people, you now get to see what I'm knitting, and how I'm spending my time when I should be taking care of the kids and the house.

I'll probably be a bit more rambly. Because it will feel like I have more free time. Less pressure to keep two blogs going. More time to play Hassee (yes I am secretly a 12 year old girl. Totally John's fault. He showed me neopets to get me to play another game that got to be too hard once you got to the level with all the water and the rocks. I prefer feeding doughnuts to cute things.)

The old blog will stay where it is, so we don't lose the archives and all. Some day I will figure out how to get it all nicely printed out so we can have it on a shelf somewhere. No worries.

I'm pretty sure I'm talking to myself most of the time anyway.

You know what?

I looked at the calendar. July 13th is on a Friday. Remember my last Friday the 13th?
Ya.

I'm reeeeeaaally looking forward to that now.

Just in case you need to know...

The Wake County Courthouse does not allow addi turbo needles. Nor do they allow the long metal Susan Bates DPNs. But they don't mind if you have the very short addi DPNs.
If you wish to keep your knitting needles you can't surrender them to the desk because they will keep them. But if you are ultra sneaky you can go outside and hide them in one of the Free Real Estate Magazine boxes and hope they'll be there when you come out.

Doing a swatch for a sock is much less tedious when you are waiting your turn in line.

They won't tell you beforehand, but you need to bring letters from your insurance company saying that they paid for your car - AND you ALSO need to bring a letter from your insurance company saying that they paid for the other guy's car. If you don't have that they won't even look at you and will tell you, "Come back July 13th." (but at least I'll know a little bit more of what to expect then, right?)

Funny thing: I realized that my turn was next and I was halfway through a row. I didn't say it, but I did think, "let me finish this row." Old habits die hard.

Good thing: The knitting needles were still in the magazine box when I got out.

How many calories does Johnny Depp have?

According to his wrapper....

Casualty

Remember this soaker?
How lovely. How pretty. How well it fit.

Gack. I killed it.

I washed it, lovingly, in the sink.
I put lanolin on it. I let it soak.
I put it in the washer to spin so it would dry quickly in time to be worn tonight.

I forgot it.

I washed it on hot. HOT hot. With a cold rinse.

And then I threw it in the dryer.

*sob*

Now on the needles... A replacement. I wonder how fast I can knit it?

another one done

Here's the finished soaker for Chelle.
I had a little green left, but only enough for one row in each cuff. and you could barely see it, so it looked kind of dumb. So I took it out and just did the cuffs in the purple.

It's really sweet though. I just love how it ended up.

I'm already working on Stacy's rainbow ruffles, and am partway down the body with that one. I'll post a picture once there's enough to really get a look at.

Little pink cute!

You know, one thing I love about summer...
People want soakers and shorties. They're so much faster to knit. Nearly instant gratification. Especially size small.

It's not blocked and it still needs cuffs,
but Chelle needed a peek at this little pink soaker. I've got the barest smidge of green left, and some more purple for the cuffs. It's so soft I want to rub it on my cheek. Can't wait to see her little sweetie in it!