So Here is the Knitting Part

First we have Nicholas' Cardi - Yes, it is for my great-Nephew (I think). You see I have been getting differing opinions on whether or not these are appropriate "boy" colors. He would be wearing it this fall as a less than one year old. Any further opinions are greatly appreciated.

Next we have my Monkey Sock from Knitty (free pattern) that I absolutely loved knitting. It is one of the fastest patterns I have ever knit up. The yarn is from e-bay and I think it is a Merino type yarn. It definitely has a bit of 'sproing' to it, and so, while the sock looks kind of small and stubby:
... it fits like a dream(US size 8/8.5 EU size39). I prefer my socks a bit snuggy and this is great. I did change the heel to an Eye of Partridge and the toe decrease I extended a bit. Now all I have to do is finish Rick's first sock so I can knit MY second sock. I am an equal opportunity knitter (giggle)

Speaking of Rick's sock, here it is thus far. It is the Gentleman's Sock, by Designedly Kristi. It has a twisted rib leg pattern and an Eye of Partridge heel (reinforced I might add). It is just that an 80stitch sock takes alot longer to go around than a 64stitch sock (my sock above). So far he is liking his sock.

Hope you have enjoyed your little stroll down knitting lane. See You All again soon.

Yes, Life has been in my way -

Hi everyone!!
First sorry I have been away from my blogging...I tell you when life gets on a roll, it really takes off. There has been so much going on, yard sales, parents visiting, boys here, birthdays to celebrate, and much more. Alas, today (even though I have to go to work in a couple hours) I shall try to up date my blog. I think I may do it in multiple installments. That way if you get bored you can move on to the next one.

First - I finally blocked the beautiful lace shawl that my Dear Friend Viv knitted for me at least a year ago if not longer. It is called the Edwardian Lace Shawl from Heirloom Knitting.

This is the shawl before blocking on the left (it takes up the space of approximately 1 1/2 seating spaces) at the dinning room table and I was able to stand next to the table to take the pic.












Here is the shawl (to the right) after blocking but still on the blocking blocks and me standing on a chair looking down. The picture below is the shawl just after removing the pins (yes, I did it with pins) but more about that later.

I must say though, that since my Birthday on Sunday I am now the proud owner of a set of blocking wires from Knit Picks. My Beloved took my instructions to heart (as well as saw the box of pins that I was working from) and ordered them for the Boys to give me.

Now, as for the pins I was working with - I made a small error in judgement and was using Applique pins that are approximately this__ long (think from the 't' to the end of the underscore line). Yep!! it was a learning lesson for me.

I may even try to reblock this with the wires so that it is more even and then use the pins to block out the scallops.

THANK YOU VIV!!!! for such a georgeous work of knitting talent. One day I may even try one of the Heirloom Patterns.

Now for another very important Thank You - to my Secret Pal - She is most awesome. Arranged it so my package arrived within 24hrs of my Birthday (not bad since B-day was on a Sunday this year) and what a package it was.

The sock yarn she dyed herself and I Love the colors (still trying to decide what sock pattern will best show it off) ; The Chocolate and card are just full of Nursing Humor (which I can totally appreciate); The sheep ornie is just too cute, and the Lavender Body Butter is just heavenly. The hand made cloth is the most luscious color of purple/lavender/periwinkle - and all the Mary Englebrecht bits are really cute. Thank You again my Fellow Nurse & SP

Must take a short break to go feed the girls finish the laundry and then I will be back with more pics and news bits.

I am still knitting...

Hi everyone, yes, I am still here, and yes still knitting. Life has been crazy (which is nothing new for me), but I have fit some knitting time in here and there.

I have hit a block with the baby cardigan - for some reason, I just don't seem to want to work on it. I am so close to being done... Although I must admit, it could be because I am having so much fun working on my Falling Leaves/Monkey socks. The yarn is great and the pattern is quick.

As for Rick's socks, I have made it to the heel, but alas, again I am having more fun doing my socks and so his have gone to the bottom of the bag again.

My oldest came last night for a visit, he is now back at home at his mom's house, but it was really great to have him come here for a night. I am ever amazed at how long I have know these boys and how far they have come. But before I get too remeniscent, I must get on my way to my Accupuncture appt. I think it may be working. More later

So Here are my 5 ?s from Viv

1.)If you could choose anywhere in the world, where would you live? Why?

This is really tough, because, as, my blog title indicates I am always Dreaming of Germany…but I also have a place for the Desert of the Southwest – particularly the Phoenix area. So truly if I had my choice and $$ was not an issue I would live in both places.
Germany because I love how clean and neat and uncluttered it is. The western/central areas remind me very much of where I grew up in Pennsylvania only better. I like the lifestyle and the pace of life in Germany. It is much more laid back than here in the US. When it all comes down to it there is just something about arriving on German soil that makes me take a breath and think “OK all is well I am here and life is good” I have so many fond memories and some truly wonderful German friends that make it such a draw for me to live there.
As for Phoenix, it draws me for many of the same reasons as German but with more sunshine and different landscape. The fact that you can live in Phoenix, and in the winter time, drive 2.5hrs and go cross country skiing and then return home to 65 degree weather and take a dip in the hot tub if you like. Everything there is very casual (except the traffic congestion). The fact that I married my Beloved in Sedona (Red Rock country) holds a very special appeal for me to live there as well. Sedona is a magical place and with such good energy you cannot help but feel good just by driving into the area.

2.) You like Germany a lot - what's the thing you like most about it?

Well, other than the things I stated above, I would have to say the superior Beer, Wine, and Chocolate as well as the CLEAN food. What I mean is the purity of the food, unlike here the only way to get clean food is to buy expensive organic foods, because of all the chemicals and drugs used by the suppliers here. Oh and also the openness to alternative and complementary medical treatments.
I guess that is more than a “thing”, but ah well….

3.) If you could keep any kind of "exotic" animal as a pet (thinkwallabies, platypuses, wombats etc.) what would be your choice? Why?

Wow, an exotic… I am stumped on this one and will have to come back to it.

4.) I'm turning 4-0 this year, hence the question - do you think this isa milestone age in a woman's life?

Since I seem to be someone who is not particularly conscious of ‘age’ (my friends are both younger and older than I, my Beloved is 12yrs older than I) I am not sure I would consider this a Milestone Age for a woman. I must admit I certainly did some looking back, some evaluating of where I am and where I thought I would be at this point in my life. I also spent some time trying to figure out where I want to go in life. I would have to say I think it is more of a contemplative age in a woman’s life than a milestone. If you were to ask me about this at 60, I would probably say that is more of a milestone. By that point we have made it through some pretty incredible changes and processes in our life and have much knowledge and wisdom to share, as well as accomplishments to be proud of. I actually find myself looking forward to that time of my life more so than I was looking forward to 40.

5.) If some unknown rich person (whom we all dream of meeting) gave youa huge amount of money to spend on knitting or stitching stash, whatwould you buy?

What ever yarns my little heart desires, without thought of “would I really pay that much for a sweater or socks, or whatever?”. I think more so than buying stash, I would by “time” to knit and stitch. Right now my life is so busy that I often feel like I would like for some one to pay me to just enjoy myself doing what ‘I’ want to do. That way I don’t have to feel guilty about not contributing to the household, and there aren’t a ton of things that I need to do because I will have time to intersperse them with my knitting/stitching time.
The more I think about this the more I wish we could win even a reasonable size lottery (I am not geedy –$500 to 750,000 would be more than plenty.

If anyone should like me to pose 5 ?s to them to answer (I believe this is called a meme) I would be most happy to put some thought to it and oblige.

As for my knitting these days, the Baby Cardi is coming along well, I am currently working on one of the sleeves. I am amazed at how quickly you cover ground with these miniature clothes.

Rick's socks are coming along slowly - I am over the 'manly - man' color of both his and Dad's socks, so they are not moving as quickly as he might hope for.

I have started a pair of socks for ME from some yarn that I bought from e-bay last year. Since it was a hand-dye and not labeled I am REALLY hoping it will be fine for socks, but from the way it feels I think it will be just fine. The pattern I am doing is the Falling Leaves pattern from Knitty. Rachael made a pair and I saw them somewhere else and decided to try it. I love how quickly they are knitting up. Plus, wait until you see the color. The more I knit with it the more I love it. Pictures will follow in the next day or so.

Must run off to work... oh where is that person who is going to give me stash $$ or the Lottery win????

Spring in FULL bloom

I just could not help myself. Our Azaleas are looking so lovely I just had to take some pics and here they are. Don't they just scream SPRING TIME???

In fact I took the first picture and made it my desktop image. It is really cool.

Oh and here is the promised picture of Dad's Socks. I must admit, my paranoia of running out of yarn created one sock that is smaller than the other. The good thing is Dad has one foot a whole size bigger than the other, the bad news is, that means the socks will wear out soon from not rotating them. I shall keep the tiny bit of yarn left over to do mending when the time comes.



Here is the Baby sweater in progress. Yes, I did take a DPN and weave it through the hood to creat a 'seam', and then add a ball lace yarn as a "head", but all in all it is looking pretty cute.













No, Viv, I did not forget about my 5?s I "promise" I will get them up here very soon. Honest!!

Have a great one everyone!!!

They're Done

I finished Dad's Socks!! Yippee!!!! I tell you these men with their big, wide feet... I used a 100gm ball of Regia Havanna and had probably 1-1 1/2 yards remaining. Infact I think I may have shorted one of the socks abit when I was doing the toe decrease because I was afraid I would run out. I must say though, I now have a better visual on how much yarn I go through when doing a toe decrease on an 80-stitch sock.
I will post a pic either tomorrow morning, or early Tues. Tomorrow is a busy day for me with one job from 6:30am- 12:30pm followed by the other job from 2p - 8p.
Then Tues I will have some time before I go off to my first Accupuncture appt. I want to regain some balance in my health. This last time that I was sick is the 2nd time since January and this is very unusual for me. Especially since lately I have been eating better and trying to walk on my treadmill at least 3-4days per week. Since my blood pressure is still not responding I am loooking to Accupuncture to help my body do it's work. Mainly because I really do not want to go on blood pressure medications at this point in my life.

I wish everyone a good start to their week and .....

Keep on Knitting!!!!!!

I guess this just proves what lots of people have told me

You Are Cookie Monster

Misunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth. You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around. You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and usual way of speaking How you life your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!"

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

I have had several people describe me as the Cookie Monster over the course of my life, I guess they were all right - "who'd a thunk it??"

I am finally beginning to feel like myself again. Been away for a few days. Some sort of 'buglet' crept up and jumped me from behind. There I was enjoying myself on Saturday - outside in the sunshine, working in the yard, transplanting flowers and trees and then - ALL OF A SUDDEN - BAM!!!! I am laying on the couch feeling like I have been run over by a truck and 3hrs later I have a fever of 101.2 (which for those of us who usually run 97.6 is close to death). So being the naturalist that I am I try to burn those little buglets out for my system for a bit and just let the fever do it's thing. Only trouble was, I was so hot that I could sleep, sit still, or do much of anything with out everything (including my hair) hurting. I should remind you all that this was a Boys weekend - and the boys do not like it when I am sick - life just isn't as fun when Cheryl's not either around, or feeling well (it is so good to be loved).
So anyway, by about midnight I decided to go for the Tylenol. Then spent that whole night not sleeping, of course neither did my DH. Sunday comes and goes - I call out sick to both my jobs - very unusual for me, especially these days ($). Lots of Echinaccea, Hyland's Homeopathic Sinus and Insomnia formulas and then a little bit more sleep. 2hrs at a clip was better than none. Still could not get the temp below 100.0 . Monday comes and I call of sick again to my job at the store and the sniffles, sneezes and coughs start. DH comes home from work and promptly goes to the Vitamine Shop for more Echinaccea, (between the 2 of us - me trying to cure and him trying to keep from getting what I have) we ran out AND some Hyland's Flu formula. Let me tell you with in 1hr of my first does life was already beginning to improve.

So here I am today at 98.8 (still up for me, but much much more liveable), and with a bit of cabin fever so I think I shall go do a few errands just to ge out of the house for a bit. Good thing the weather has been gorgeous the last few days and I could have the house open. It doesn't feel like such an icky place when the house is open while someone in the house is sick. I guess if I have my druthers I will choose getting sick at this time of the year instead of during a time when the house is all closed up for either heating or air conditioning purposes.

Yes Viv, I did get your email with my "meme" in it, and now that I can actually think clearly I think I shall work on that after I go outside for a bit.

Stay well everyone, and if you must get sick - open the windows and let the fresh air blow through.

Here it is - the new ME

I took the leap and got my hair cut... I must say I am loving it. Excuse the funky picture, I used my web cam to do it, as I was impatient to post for my friends.

On the knitting end of things, now that my sweater is finished I am working on a little cardigan for my Great Nephew. Once I get a bit further with that I will post.

Yep, I did finish it finally

Hey Everyone, here it is - the Neck Down Weekend Pullover from Knitting Pure and Simple. The pattern really knitted up quickly and fairly easily.

Would have been easier if I had followed directions, and not had to cast off 5 times in order to get the body correct. But alas, this is how we learn in life. The Plymouth Baby Alpaca yarn is just wonderfully soft and I haven't even blocked it yet.

Luckily my LYS (the one that is "going out of business" but not really now that someone else has purchased the store) had another batch of the Baby Alpaca - enough for me to do another sweater (maybe for my DH or not - haven't decided yet), only this time it is burgundy and only one color. I think I need to figure out how to knit a bit tighter with this yarn, since the pictures indicate quite clearly what color bra I have on. DH says you really don't pick it up in person but it is very obvious in pictures.

So next on the needles is the baby sweater for my new great-nephew who just arrived 2 nights ago. Yep, I am already behind with this one, but I am hoping that since he is still small the sweater won't take too long.

You will all notice I now have 'functioning' buttons on my side bar. My wonderful friend Que at my Meet-Up mtg this morning enlightened me on the how-to's of getting them to work the way they are suppose to. Now I am really dangerous - look out world - here I come.

Well, I am off to work on my baby sweater and maybe even finish Dad's socks this weekend. Wish me luck.

This Time For Sure....

Yes folks, it took not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 5 attempts to cast off the bottom of this sweater correctly. Correctly meaning it made it past my arm pits, over my belly and able to rest on my hips AND have a bit of 'sproing' to it, so that when the day comes that my hips and belly are not the size they are today the bottom of this sweater will still fit me. I am putting it out there for this to mean that both will be smaller.

Yes, I admit it, I did a Viv. But let us face it folks, it is Saturday, and I have been frantically trying to get this right (icluding a run to the LYS for advice - and yarn of course), so I am not really looking my best. I will save that for once the sleeves are on. I can honestly say I am hoping that will happen really soon, so that I can wear this one once or twice before it is time to put it away. After all we have had SNOW off and on all day here in Viginia Beach. Can you believe it??!! You could have nocked me over with a feather. Infact yesterday I was telling people they were nuts for actually listening to the weather guessers. But alas now it is just sunny out and windy and not a flurry in sight.

Well I am off to go start on my sleeves. Have a great weekend everyone!!
Remember Life is what you make it....so make it GREAT!!

OOooooo I am such a Lucky Girl!!!!

I have a wonderful Secret Pal. Last evening I recieved on my doorstep a lovely little box filled with all kinds of marvelous things. Thank You so very much my Secret Pal!!!

This is my best attempt at a still-life photo grouping. I guess I really need to talk to my son to get some tips.
The yarn on the left is absolutely scrummy. The Wooly Washers in the middle, all I can say is the soap smells soooooooo wonderful, and the wool it comes with, I don't know - it almost seems too pretty to make into a soap-y thing. Let's see, on to my lovely Lantern Moon 5" sock needles. This will be a first for me. I have only used 6" and thought they were little, but my SP tells me once you have used 5"ers, 6 seems huge. On to my wonderful Chocolates, she really knows the way to my heart. My name stitch markers on the left came just in time for me to start working on the repeats in my lace shawl and the oriental case just above them is perfect for storing stitch markers. Last but certainly not least is the treat she enclosed for my four-legged daughters - peanut flavored dog biscuits with 1/2 dipped in carob. As you can see from the pics below the girls LOVED them. Thank You from Misty and Naya for our treats!!!!









Can you just see the sisterly concern Naya (the silver one) has for Misty - wanting to make sure she got all the crumbs. The the final shot with Naya offering to help Misty vacuum the carpet really well. I do promise we feed our dogs twice daily and these shots occured AFTER breakfast.

On to some knitting stuff...the promised pic of the Baby Alpaca Neck Down Sweater need just a bit more time. I casted off the bottom edge of the body this morning just before rushing off to work only to realize that I bound off too tightly and could not get said sweater past my arm pits. Errrrgggg Arrrrggggh!!! So that my dear friends is what I am off to do right now.

Have a lovely weekend.

Just to let you all know

YES, I am still among the living. It has been quite crazy this past week or so. My girlfriend came to visit, then my DH came home after being gone for a month. and then the new Summer Floor set arrived this week at Coldwater Creek.

Needless to say, I have not gotten much knitting done, nor much sleeping, but I am hoping I will get back to my routine here very soon. Maybe tomorrow after I get home from work I will be able to post a pic of my Baby Llama sweater.

Take Care Everyone and enjoy the Spring time

Catching up with SP

First of all

THANK YOU TO MY SECRET PAL for the lovely postcard I recieved this morning. I have been on off my puter for several days now and not always keeping up. It was so lovely to see the roses she sent (I am a sucker for roses). Yes, the first few days of spring have been great.

Next up....
My contest entry is the sweater pictured in my previous post. I absolutely love working on it. It is from Knitting Pure and Simple and is called the Weekend Neck Down Pullover. I am working it with Plymouth Yarn's Baby Alpaca Grande. It has got to be one of the softest sweaters I will ever own. Yep you saw that right, I am making this for me. I have been a bit selfish with my knitting lately what with my Einstein Coat and now this sweater... but I know there are many pairs of socks already on the list (and the needles for that matter) that will go to others.

This will be my first attempt at a sweater, so I am really hoping it comes out well. Plus it seems to be working up fairly quickly (as long as I get chance to work on it).

Must run now and go visit with my friend who is here visiting, and then it is off to work for me.

Tootles

I am in Love....

... with baby alpaca wool. Oh My Goodness, it is just so soft and squshy, and soft, and I can't wait to be able to wear it. Never mind the fact that it is already 70+ degrees here today!! I am going to have to wish for cold weather when I get back from my days away (which are - oh btw going to be in a warm climate). So what is it that has me all aflutter for Baby Alpaca wool

It is just the prettiest blues I have seen. It is a very loosely twined dk & lt blue, but as you knitt it, it just becomes totally lovely. This is the neck portion of my Weekend Neck Down Pullover from Knitting Pure and Simple. Silly me, I thought the title meant I could knit this in a weekend - yes Viv I had you in mind (silly me thinking I might be fast enough to make this true) - It took me nearly ALL weekend just get these 40 stitches cast on and connected and knit in the round (which I might add I have done in the past). I tell you everyone, after the umpteenth attempt at this, I was ready to throw myself off a cliff and just join in with the dumb rocks below. But alas, I finally go a bit smart and went to Knitting Help and watched the video a couple times and low and behold I was able to not only cast on, but also join in the round and subsequently start actually knitting my sweater.

Here we have my sweater after just the first skein of wool. It looks kind of goofy in this picture, but I still have it on the small circular needles with all the little markers and such. I am just about ready to split off for the sleeves, but I need to join a new skein of wool (but first I need to wind it into a usuable cake)

Of course this also means that I have not been working on my Dad's or DH's socks. I figure I will keep those for my plane rides.

Oh and the other exciting news is..... I just got my Secret Pal assigned to me and she is a sock knitter (whoo hooo). I have my SP too, but I will not say too much about that or I am sure I will give something away. I am so excited to have a SP, I have not ever done something like this before.

Off to do some laundry and wool winding, and maybe even some knitting.

The Pics I Promised

So here they are....

First me looking 'sheepish' in my Einstein Coat. Although I must admit I am very proud of it. It is so toasty and comfy. I sometimes come in from outside and don't even remove it.

Then we have my oldest who was here last night on a stop-over for spring break. I took him to the airport this morning and about now he should be arriving in West Palm Beach, FL to visit his Aunt & Uncle.

Lastly we have my lovely Daffodils. They were looking very chilly and huddley the other day, so I went and snipped them and brought them into the warmth. By the next morning this is how they thanked me.

Today was a great day, in that I got to spend a bit more time with Rich, and then went to my monthly Knitting Group mtg. We are called Yarn for Breakfast. This morning there were about 10-12 of us, and we really raised quite the din in that little coffee shop. I think the computer users were glad to see us finally leave at about 1230. As I wrote in my comments for our mtg - Chitty- Chatty; Chitty- Chatty ... KNIT KNIT KNIT. For those of you familiar witht he muscial The Music Man, there is a tune that fits just perfectly.

I am off to go do some more knitting.

...and then there is this

Here it is my very first Dish Cloth/Rag. It seems strange to be calling my hand knit item a 'rag', but that is what it is and what it is meant to be. Please excuse the center glitches near the top. After all this is my first attempt, and oh by the way I did it in 4 separate sessions of walking on the treadmill for 20-30 min at a time. I have found that I am capable of walking 3mph while knitting (in a controlled environment). Plus the use of 5mm bamboo needles helps too - a) they are big enough so not too hard to keep hold of and b) the bamboo isn't so slippery like aluminum.

Since this seems to be my most recent way of motivating myself to get on the treadmill I guess everyone can look forward to Dish Cloths through out the year. Plus it is a really great way to satisfy that desire to finish 'something' when working on other projects.

As I live and breath my dish cloth knitting will NOT travel anywhere with me unless there is a treadmill to be walked upon.

I am hoping to be able to wear Einstein to work tomorrow or definitely by Tues so there will be modeling pics soon.

Heeeeerrrrrreeee's Einstein.....

Yep Here she is!!!

Completed with buttons.

Really pretty pewter buttons with a little Edelweiss flower on them.

I am very please with my first BIG project. Now all I must do is block her. I think I will save that until tomorrow morning when I am fresh. Once she is blocked then I will model her and have someone shoot a pic for me.

Time for sleeeeeeeeeep

Here is Einstein

So here is Einstein thus far. Actually she is just a bit further along, as I did some knitting at my meet up this evening and so the sleeve that you currently see without any dark blue on it, now has some dark blue on it. I will post again after I get it seamed and cast on the collar. Maybe I will even get buttons when I go to class.

The Secret Pal Questionaire

Yes, I have finally found the Secret Pal site and am very excited to finally be a part of one of these. So without further ado, here is my Questionaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
So far I cannot say I have a 'favorite' yarn so I guess any and all are good for me. I have found that I am not really into the ribbon yarn type fibers.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
A Burt's Bees Demo Bag (sock needles), and original packaging for all others

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learned to knit Christmas of 05' and I would consider myself intermediate. I have taught myself lace knitting, and enjoy doing all kinds of socks. Have not yet tackled cables.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I think I have an Amazon whish list, will need to check on that.

5. What's your favorite scent?
Fresh Lavender

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
OH BOY do I!!! My favorite candy is European Dark Chocolate especially Ritter Sport Halb-bitter and Dunkel Voll-Nuss. In a pinch Dove Dark Chocolate is a good stand in.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I do counted cross stitch but not cutesy things usually more involved projects.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like New Age type music, Classical, Country, and Celtic. My computer can play CD's but not sure about MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I like blues, purples, colors of Sedona Red Rocks, and mauves - the can't stands would have to be neons, primarys, and especially orange and green

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am married to my Beloved and we have 3 sons that live with their mom. We have two 4-legged daughters Misty and Naya.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I do like scarves, but more accessory type than warmth type (due to where I live) not so much mitten, and no hats. Ponchos if they are light in weight might be nice.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks and Shawls (right now)
13. What are you knitting right now?
I am finishing my Einstein Coat, I have 2 pairs of socks on needles and a lace shawl, oh and a sleeveless top for me.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Oh yes, as I know the love and care that goes into them.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I like both straight and circular needles and both bamboo and aluminum but not plastic.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes to both and am very willing to share its use with anyone.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Probably the sleevelss top it is about a year on the needles.
18. What is your favorite holiday?
I would have to say Christmas as I am a Santa collector - anything neat or unusual
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Santa's and unique ornaments, and of course sock yarn
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
No subscriptions, (trying to keep the clutter at bay), books any of the Yarn Harlot's would be lovely, and Alton Brown's I am just here for more food.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I would like to be able to get better at what I am doing and learn cabling.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes to being a sock knitter and my measurements Leg Length 3.5-5inches; Heel to toe 7inches; Toe length 2.25inches; Heel flap length 2.25inches; Foot circumference 9inches. I wear a size 8-8.5 shoe (US) or a 39 (European)

23. When is your birthday?
May 20th - by the way Emerald Green is the only color green I like, but only in small quantitites.

So that should cover it all.

I Promise...

Yes, I know I have not posted anything except news about appliances lateley. That would be because my life has been ALL about appliances lately. You have seen the washer, the dishwasher was installed the day before my Beloved left for a month. Although along with the dishwasher came a brand new garbage disposal, because when he disconnected the old dishwasher from the old garbage disposal it basically crumbled in his hands. Unfortunately the locking ring that held it in place did not crumble it had just corroded into place. So after 3 hrs of fighting with it (gently of course so as not to damage the sink) he used his 'saws - all' and cut it out. Installing the new one took all of 15 min.
The hotwater heater from h**l is due to be replaced (yes, the new one is being replaced with another new one) on Wed Mar 7th.

So if we put it all together chronologically it looks something like this:
Dec - New Hot Water Heater
Feb - New Washing Machine
Feb - New Hair Dryer (mine chose to grab a good size chunk of my hair and then burn up)
Feb - New Dishwasher
Feb - New Garbage Disposal
Mar - New Hot Water Heater

SO FOR GOODNESS SAKE CAN WE PLEASE BE DONE WITH THE APPLIANCES!!!!!!!!

On to the really good stuff. I promise later this morning I will take a picture of Einstein where I am currently at and post it. It really is looking like a coat. I am almost done with the sleeves. Tomorrow evening I go to my knitting class to seam up the arms and shoulders and probably cast on the collar.

My LYS is going out of business!!! Bummer. She asked if I wanted to buy the store... much as I would like to have that kind of access to all the yarn I want I think the price would be too high. So I will continue to knit from stash and find other places. Good thing I have my groups.

Off to my busy day, so more later...

OUT with the OLD.....

This poor old washer has done quite well by me. I personally have been washing clothes with it since I met my beloved back in 1996. He got it from his Aunt some time after she passed on, but it sat at his parents ranch until he needed it for a couple years. The guy who swapped them out said this old girl is at least 15yrs old. Gotta love Kenmore - but they just didn't have what I wanted for my new washer.
You will take notice to the wing nut that I have been using as a knob for oh so many years (at least 6)
May your rest in peace and go to the happy resting grounds of wash machines in the sky (or wherever it is that washers go to their final peace at).

...and IN with the NEW
Yep, I got a new washer, I got a new washer, (du de du de du du - can you hear the sing-songy joy in my voice??)
The girls had to check everything out just to make sure it was all up to snuff and could be allowed to stay in "their" laundry room.

Bosch was sweet enough to include handy little magnets with tips and trouble shooting items (in both english and french I might add) and also a little lingere bag.

Now if I only had time to actually start playing with my new toy today. But alas work calls and one needs to do something to pay for said new toy (especially since there will be a dishwasher joining it soon). The cool part is, this one had a tiny little dent on the front therefore it was 10%off and then Bosch offers their annual green sale discount of $100 rebate. All in all a very good deal.

Rachael, just one more way for you to feel right at home here in VA Beach when you come.

Romance isn't completely dead

See, I got quite creative yesterday during my wildly romantic day (not exactly). For me Valentines Day consisted of doing laundry, researching Dishwashers and Clothes washers, until I was absolutely bleary eyed. Baking, as can be seen above, cleaning up the kitchen from the last 3 days of ... well we won't go there.
Then my Beloved came home. Now right in front of this lovely little message brownie made by moi was 5 sheets of paper fanned out, all with Dinning Certificates for our favorite restaurants. He literally had to be encouraged to look at the table as he blithely passed by and what did he focus on first.... the pieces of white paper, and then walked toward me. I could tell by his eyes, he had not even registerd the plate with the brownie so nicely positions 2.5" from the papers. So I said HEY!! go back to the table! So he turns and it still takes him about 3 seconds to register what else was there. Once he figured it out I hear "Wow that is a brownie" (to myself - 'do ya think???' "You have been busy today".

I guess it just never ceases to amaze me that men figure if you have made a brownie, and printed out some pages from the computer you have obviously had a busy day. I am lucky enough that he often asks "so how was your day and what all have you been doing". It gives me the perfect opening to say "...well there are the six loads of laundry washed/dried/folded/& put away, the vacuuming, the cleaning of the kitchen, and oh by the way the 5hrs worth of research so as to get the exact wash machines I want at the best possible price." The good thing about my man is he is very adept at then saying .."you have had quite a busy day, sounds like you got alot accomplished. I guess he knows the more he fluffs my feathers the more likely I am to fluff his.

So with all of this said...My beloved gave me a book of photos with captions titled Why I Love You. It is really quite neat. After oohing and aahhing over everything he asked me, so what do you want to do with our evening??? I very honestly looked him in the eyes and said "Honey can we go take a nap?"


PS - I must add, a great dinner of left-over Taco Guaca-Salsa Salad followed our nap. All was well in the Griset House (and yes there was brownie for desert - he claimed the part with the heart and I claimed the 'I')

Oh Dear not another online yarn site.....

Well, this is what I get for sitting at the computer instead of sitting and knitting. I came across another really nice online yarn store. The Loopy Ewe . What I really like about them is they still carry Inox sock needles and in the odd sizes (2.25mm and 2.75mm), as well as they have these sizes in 6" needles. While I totally realize that I am still quite the Newbie to sock knitting and such, I have already decided that I really only like 6"needles. Mainly because I can handle them comfortably.

So if you would like to go and check them out, please feel free to do so. If you register on their site, not neccesarily buy, but just register they give me some credit as well.

I plan to have some pics later today to post. Almost done with Einstein's right sleeve and have made more progress on Rick's sock.

See you all later.

Yes, I really do have a family.

Since I have in the past, (and in my profile) alluded to the fact that I do have a family - I have finally decided to post some pics and news about said family. No I did not pay these people to pose as my family. Unfortunately the only one missing is my oldest who is off and away at college, but not to worry, because next time we are in his prescence I will snap his pic and plunk him down here so you can all see him in his glory.

But until then, here is my rag tag crew in all their glory.

1st in line is Rick (last night while he was preparing an absolutely fabulous dinner called Taco Guaca-Salsa Salad). Said recipe can be found on www.foodnetwork.com under Rachael Ray's Recipes.

2nd view would be Josh, my 6'2.5" (almost)18yr old. Accepted into George Mason University for the fall of 2007. He was being his ever so pleasant self as usual.

#3 is Matt, getting Math homework help from Rick (while he is working on above stated recipe). Believe it or not he is (almost)15 and at least 4-5" taller than me.

Then of course is the Oh so cute Misty. Quite the camera princess. Don't let all that cuteness fool you. She is full of vim & vigor (enough for all of us and then some).

Last but certainly not least is the Queen of the household - Naya. These days her age is showing, and we all know to bow down to her wishes lest she should not be with us forever.

So there you have it, my rag-a-muffin crew in all its glory. Loveable and laughable, and totally great. That is mom speak for I love them dearly even though some days they make me want to tear my hair out by the roots.

Hope you enjoyed the show.

Updated Knitting Pics

Here are some updated pics of the current knitting situations.

First in line is the newest start - which is Rick's requested sock. Mr Kranky Pants wants socks that are long, snug, warm, and that don't fall down - and if at all possible double thickness around the foot, but still fit in dress shoes. Nooooooo he is not too particular - especially for someone who up until a few days ago wanted nothing to do with hand knitted socks.

I am hoping that this pattern will cover all those bases. It is an 8 stitch Twisted stitch ribbed pattern that looks decidedly "Gentlemanly" In other words, it won't bore me to tears while making long socks for a very wide foot.
Next we the ever present Einstein coat at the end of Phase 2. 2 separate views of the very wooly coat. (Pretty fancy getting these pics to sit side by side don't cha think...huh? huh? huh?)

Now we have the said coat as it is aquiring a sleeve. The only 'sewing' required on this piece is to seam the sleeves/shoulders together, and to sew on the buttong (of which I have not obtained yet). I know what they look like in my mind. Now I just have to find them in the real world.

The mere fact that I am able to get these pics from the camera to the blog is just amazing in my world.
Hope you all enjoy them. Next there will a new post with pics from the family and some family news. Be on the look out.

Happy Knitting!!!

New Pics

I decided that I will post my new pics before I try to change over to the new beta version of my blog. So far everyone has had no troubles making the switch and I am counting on their experience.

So here are the new pics you have all been waiting for with baited breath (humor me OK?)


This is Dad's Sock #1. Yes it is true, my Dad has little boxes for feet. Believe it or not these socks fit him perfectly. I must say that from now on, the men in my life will have some sort of patterning on their socks, as every single one of them has either really long feet (size 13) or really wide feet (EEE). All but my dear Husband want socks. You will notice that all the lovely color changes in this particular yarn (Regia Havanna Color #4177) are on the BOTTOM of the foot. Go figure!!




So here are Mom's Socks - modeled even. Actually Mom wore them home the day after I shot this pic. She has decided that she likes them. Although I think that is because she is a Mom and that is what Mom's do. I must say they really are a nice sock and work up quite nicely. I think I will make a pair for me very soon.




Last but not least here is my Einstein Coat at Phase 2. The big long blue part is the bottom of the coat that goes around the hips and thighs. The light blue part is the Right front portion. As of today I will be starting the back section. By next Thurs I need to also finish the Left fron portion (complete with button holes). I really love the color and I already know it is going to be toasty warm. Hopefully it will stay cold enough for me to wear it this year.

Well that is it for the photo shoot for now. I have more knitting to do, an errand or two to run and more friends to chat with on the phone. I am really enjoying this 'day off' thing. I think maybe I should do it more often. What a concept. I must admit it does feel strange, and I have this nagging feeling that I have forgotten to put something important on my calendar for today. Alas, what ever it is, I will not be doing it.

Have a Marvelous Day!!

Now I have the Pics on my puter...let's see if I can post them

This is the lace shawl I have started. I am really enjoying it, although it is definitely a challenge. For the most part I have to work on it only when the house is quiet, and there is nothing else going on to distract me. One day hopefully I will get a bit better at the lace knitting thing.




This is Dad's Sock. Actually it is his Christmas Sock. I went with the measurements of his foot and used the guide in the sock book. So this weekend when they come by here I will have him try it on. I may even be much closer to done with it by then.


These are Mom's Christmas Socks. I know hers fit, as I was able to give her the completed one at Christmas with the promise of the pair being completed before she left here this weekend. No pressure there. I really liked doing these socks. They are a great pattern and I plan to make a pair for myself as well.

Now that I know I can post pics I will take a new and improved pic of my Einstein Coat from Sally Melville's The Knitting Experience Book One - The Knit Stitch. I have just started working the front right side of it in the complimentary color that I chose. I am getting more excited about it the more I work on it. I hope the cold weather holds out until I finish it so that I can wear it a bit. Just don't let my DH hear that.

Will post my updated pics as soon as I have them.
Have a Great weekend!!!

Goal Accomplished!

Although the goal of having pictures on my blog has not yet been accomplished because said DH has finally replaced his long gone (since June) laptop, he is quite busy creating that tight bond between laptop and user. Hence, hopefully this weekend - basically at my request (read demand) - I am to be taught where he keeps the camera cords and such, as well as how to put pic 'I' want on 'my' computer.

I DID finish my class portion of my Einstein coat in time. Just in time... class was at 1730, I put my needles down at 1715 and packed it all into the bag. Although I did manage to get ALL the laundry (8 loads) done (but not folded - just neatly laid across the washer and the dryer), the poor kitchen was literally a disaster area. I even heard Rick ever so quietly suck in his breath as he walked in and saw it. I promptly told him don't worry about it, I will deal with it when I get back from class.

Having now started the second color on the coat I am quite the envy of my class mates as they love my color selections. I am getting more excited about it. I have even decided that I am going to use the darker of the 2 colors for the bottom 4-5 inches of the sleeves to create a cuff look.

The real issue is, I must put the coat aside for just a few days and try to finish my parents Christmas socks. I am almost there with Mom's, but Dad's is a bit farther away. Maybe this afternoon after work.

On the not so pleasant front...DH contacted a lawyer in AZ about our issue with the VA courts and the wench and so on....she does not think AZ will want to touch it because both parties live in VA and the laws in AZ are totally different. The kicker is she is beau coup expensive. That could have something to do with she is licensed to practice law in AZ, Washington DC and the Suprememe Court. Rick was most unhappy (read down right pissed). Especially since she intimated that we might only get the alimony reduced by about 200/month. It is just all very ugly and nasty. I must admit for once I think my hormones came to the rescue, as, instead of being totally pissed and wild about the outcome, I was very calm and reasonable about the whole thing. You can just never tell what those silly hormones will do from one month to the next.

Enough for now, I must go feed my starving girls - get ready for 5hrs of fun and excitement in the stock room and maybe even run the vacuum.

Have a great weekend, and look soon for my pictures.

I did it!!

Yes I did. I took pictures of my knitting... now I just have to wait until DH comes home from work, to a) find the cord that connects the camera to the computer, and b) show me how to make them go from the camera to the computer. Once they are here on my computer then I think I remember how to make them show up here on my blog.

I am officially 3days behind on the Einstein Coat knitting that needs to be caught up by class at 5:30 on Thurs evening. At that time we will learn how to do the button holes and then start knitting the top section (or so I think). I have decided that I love the colors I have chosen, I just hope the coat (which is considered to be "an oversized" pattern) won't be so over-sized that it looks bad. Although the good thing about wool is, I can always shrink it, but you can't make it bigger.

When taking the pic of Dad's Christmas sock - I must admit it looks strangely out of proportion (I just keep telling myself that Dad really does have wide feet). Mom's 2nd sock is almost done. Maybe with a little luck she will be able to take hers home with her. They arrive Sunday afternoon on their way home from Myrtle Beach. We are the stop-over point between Myrtle Beach SC and Conyngham PA.

It is offical...we have hit the retail wall of after holiday non-shopping season. Which translates into payroll cuts and therefore cuts in hours. Which I have been looking forward to since about the beginning of Sept. Unfortunately with things not have been settled in court with the Wench we are still shelling out huge amounts of $$ and the new hot water hearter fiasco (which has also not only set us back lots of $, but has forced us to move out of our bedroom into the guest room because of the noise) I can't really afford to be out of work. So I am definitely hoping that my corporate intiative with the Coldwater Creek higher ups will come to fruition and I will have some more work heading my way. It would also entail some traveling which would most certainly not break my heart in the least.

Anyway... I will try to post the pictures as soon as possible (with a bit of help from DH)

It is back completely

Hey Everyone, my voice is completely mine again!!!! Yahooooooo. As of yesterday it returned sans raspy-s, squeaky-s, or any other strange sound that could come from ones vocal chords. This also means I finally feel like I am back to the business of getting on with my plans for the new year.

So with that said, I have been knitting madly on my Einstein coat (although right now it just looks like a very thick wooly table runner). As of right now I am 1 and 2/3 days behind. So if I take the chance today (unexpected day off) to catch up that will be good. The thought of maybe even getting ahead by one day is a good thing.

The socks are coming along, but a little slower due to Einstein. Last night I decided I wanted to try to do a bit of my shawl (especially since my next one just arrived via the post yesterday), boy was that a mistake. I was obviously not in the place that I thought I was. I must admit though, that due to a bit of an emotional shake up by a friend - maybe last night was not the ideal time to launch into the one project I have going that requires absolute attention.

As for my attempts at decluttering...they are showing up in little bits here and there. Several (ok lots of) bits of paper from my desk. Little chatchkies that are just sitting about and a few bits of clothing are actually making it to the trash. My sock yarn stash has a promise of relief from my knitting group - who is very excited at the opportunity to poke through and pick some lovely skeins for a very reasonable price. Especially since I have not yet mastered getting pic from DH camera onto my computer, it makes selling things tougher.

Well today the only thing I have going is an eye doctor appt - to which I must get ready to go to.

Have a wonderfully peaceful day everyone!

So Now it is Official

I now sound about 97% like me. Although the cough is still pretty impressive, for the most part I am feeling more like me as well.

Today was suppose to be the start of a lovely few days off spent with my best friend from high school. She was to arrive later this evening (after my Einstein Coat Class #1) and we were going to spend some girl time, and friend time and just enjoy ourselves over the next 5 days. With the word "suppose" being key here, alas, her poor Mom (who is battling Dimentia and Alzheimers and who still lives at home with her Dad) has taken to falling lately, and this last time has broken something in her lower leg. Therefore my dear friend needs to stay with family at this time. Her poor Father is getting no rest, and not much sleep as well. While I would do the same thing if I were in her shoes, I must say I am a bit bummed.

This means that I am available to work and extra shift on Sunday night, as well as go to a Breakfast and Yarn Meetup group tomorrow morning. I have been wanting to go to a knitting group for a long time now. Just a chance to get out and meet new people and do some knitting.

So today I will do some much needed cleaning and a bit of organizing/weeding things out to give/throw away. I will also take the time to knit on my lace shawl (which has been terribly ignored lately) and then tonight go to class.

I am off to write an email to a friend and then on to my plans.

Have a great day!!!

I'm Back (says the little voice)

Yes, my voice is finally pretty much back. It has only taken 10days!!! I still have a bit of a cough, but for the most part am feeling more like me these days. I actually had a phone coversation this morning. A very important one, and could be heard as well - not just squeaks and raspy sounds.

I have decided that I am now officially done with being sick for 2007. That means the rest of the year is to be a healthy one for me. Including getting back on track with my food habits and exercise. I must admit the exercise is a habit I have yet to create. I am thinking I will get back on the treadmill and find some good books to read. That seemed to work for me previously, plus I actually got some reading time in. Although I must say it will probably not get started until Thurs. as tomorrow is my very early work day (must be out of the house by no later than 0630) and won't get home until 4:30.

This is just a short little update and hopefully soon I will get some pictures into this dreary little blog.

Moving Forward

Here it is Monday... I can honestly say I have regained, each day, a bit more of my voice. I am sure it would have come back sooner if I had taken some time off of work, but since current circumstances don't really allow for that.... I shall take what I can get.

Rick was quite the dear this weekend, and very busy as well, put more dirt in my flower garden, and then fenced it in, so the girls would stop digging it out. He made the most scrumptious Turkey soup with the turkey legs and such left from our Mesquite smoked Christmas turkey. It is just heavenly - especially when you have a terrible throat and cough and such.

We are currently in a holding pattern about the whole legal issue until we can contact and retain a divorce lawyer in AZ. Which translates into - yes, we will continue to pay her big buck, while we slide deeper into debt each month. Really sucks the big one, but life will go on.

I have decided I must always remember that no matter how poor we are we will always have the one thing that she cannot buy or obtain... we have an incredible Love for each other that refuses to waver. We have each other and no matter what we can build a life together and be happy. (although we may end up poor as church mice, we can figure out how to be happy). We also have friends, and those friends are not our friends because of $$. Luckily we have people who support us and are there for us because we are there for them as well.

We will prevail to the best possible outcome in this situation.

Well, with all of that out and about, I guess I really should get some laundry done and work on my portion of the household finances before it is time for me to go to work.

Take Care All and Keep us in your thoughts

From Rocky Start to Landslide...

While I know I should remain as positive as possible in the public's eye, today takes the cake. The long running saga of our dealings with Rick's ex have come to a head that we never even imagined. Apparently - unbeknownst to either lawyer - there is a law on the VA books that states if a divorce is settled outside of the state of VA then there can be no changes or amendments to that divorce decree in the courts of VA. Hence, we now have to go to AZ where the divorce was settled all those years ago. Don't you think it would have been helpful to know this before the last court appearance that ruled against us. As in, it never should have been in the court in the first place, and we could have already had a settlement done and over with by this time. At least then we could already be digging ourselves out of the ever deepening hole that we seem to be in habiting.

With all of this, I am still without voice, and doing enough coughing that I slept on the couch downstairs last night so that poor Rick could get some much needed sleep in preparation for this, this, "fiasco" today. I feel like Ka-Ka, and cannot seem to kick this nasty cold thing.

I have talked with my friends and the ones in AZ are out scouting lawyers for us, the one in PA was just there for me, and supporting me as best she could while I squeaked into the phone.

I must keep on going. Today is catch up on laundry (not sure exactly when I last did it, but there is ALOT), and vacuum up the dust bunnies and their bigger counterparts the dust jackalopes that have come to inhabit my home over the last 2wks. This business about not being well enough to clean and do the basics is definitely troubling me.

Then there is some much needed knitting time. More work on Mom's socks (which I have now caught up to where I was when I had to rip it all out), and maybe even some work on my shawl.

Rocky Start

This has definitely been a rocky start to a new year of fun and excitement. While I managed to kick the stomach virus that took me down the 27th-30th (with a 7lb wt loss that I have maintained I might add) - throat monster stepped up to the plate and took over by the 31st and has been in full swing for 3 days now. The bummer is I really can't afford to take any more time off work (both because we are quite busy and because of $$).

The good things are I am about 2/3 done with Dad's first sock. These fellows with big feet definitely make sock knitting a challenge in keeping it exciting. Especially since they don't really seem to be into have cute and interesting little patterns in their socks - go figure. Plus I am also re-attacking Mom's second sock. Had to do some major un-knitting since I made so many mistakes that I just couldn't fix them anymore and still have a decent looking sock. As for my shawl, I have not done anything on it lately but am hoping to get it back into the rotation of daily activities (4 rows each day). We shall see. Then there is the Einstein Coat I am to start next Thursday. The nice thing about that is, it is just knitting. Means I can do it when I am doing other things (like chatting, watching tele, and so on)

Well, here is to keeping to plans made and do the work to keep those nasty little pounds from creeping back on - infact here's to doing the work to make even more of them go away for good!!!

Hope everyone is well and do what they like to do most.

Welcome a new year of possibilities

Here it is, a new year of possibilities before us. A chance to make some improvements in my time management skills, my decluttering efforts, and my hand crafting projects.

I don't think I am going to call this my resolutions, just things I hope to acheive. Knowing full well, I must keep up a pretty steady work schedule due to financial issues out of our control, I must work to make the rest of my life what I want it to be.

So what is it that I hope to achieve?
1. Finish Dad's Christmas Socks
2. Finish Mom's Christmas Socks
3. Finish my first attempt at lace knitting in the form of a shawl
4. Start and complete an Einstein Coat
5. Declutter my relatively large home
6. Organize and sell off some of my Counted Cross Stitch Stash

I think this is a pretty good start for my year. I hope to keep up on my blogging somewhat regularly and maybe even get proficient at posting pic to help show my progress.

Here's wishing you all the very best for the coming year