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!