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?