Jul 31, 2007

Go Away! Grr.

I am feeling horribly horribly crabby. All I want to do is hide under the bed...and sleep sounds really awesome too. I also want to throw away the socks I am working on--short rows are kicking my ass right now. Grrr. This mode hit me out of nowhere at around 3.30 pm yesterday--and it has survived two cat naps and fitful sleep last night.

In the midst of my crabbiness--I realised in less than two months Lorelei will be three. Yes, THREE! How did that happen? She is getting so big--and soon she'll be... Nope, I won't even think it.

We have a Silver Stars game tonight--that'll be interesting. Crowds and idiots--it'll be a cakewalk, I am sure. I am also aggravated because now that my socks are giving me problems I have no mindless knitting to take with me to the game.

I blame stupid girly hormones. I hate stupid girly hormones!

Labels: daily rant, knitting, Sports, whine

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Jul 30, 2007

Weekend Update

I had a quiet weekend-Jamey worked so mostly it was me and the kids. I finally was able to get Micci to clean his room. He did an excellent job and did it by himself--I came around toward the end and picked up trash. Next is Lorelei's room--that's going to be me picking up her room with her putting a few dollies away. So next is really the living room--getting all the toys out of that room.

Phil and Ashley (we think) are moving to Arizona and my Mom is helping them. So they should be passing our way next week. It'll be interesting to say the least--the last time Phil and Ashley came our plumbing went to hell. I am seriously considering posting signs on proper toilet usage and providing a HEB grocery bag for all non human waste JUST to make sure my pipes don't get over stuffed again (with 2 rolls of toilet paper and a sanitary napkin). They are planning on spending the day to hang out with the kids. It'll be interesting.

I dropped some stitches while transporting my MS3 on Friday...8 rows right in the middle of a lace motif. For the non-knitters read--that was bad very very bad--most knitters would have ripped the rows back all the way to the dropped stitch because knitting up k2tog and yo is difficult. I took our my tools and set about painstakingly pinning and separating and worked myself back up backwards...and now no one can tell there was every a problem. It's immensely rewarding--I should have taken some pictures---but I was in the moment and wanted to get it finished.

On Friday we met up with some friends that we haven't been able to see in a while--I was worried it would be awkward. But it turned out alright and our kids had fun. I am hoping to get together again before school starts--when everyone schedules go nuts.

Labels: daily rant, Just For Fun, Kid Antics, knitting, Mystery Stole 3

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Jul 25, 2007

Navel Grazing

I just deleted a post I was writing that was full of self pity and way too much introspection and a wee bit whiny. You can thank me now for coming to my senses.

I finished Clue #2 on my Mystery Stole 3 last night--pictures forthcoming. I know I keep saying how much I love this project--I just wanted to make sure y'all know it. Grin. I wish I could take a picture to really show off the beading--it's gorgeous.

Today was Jamey's day off so we did some errands and stopped off at Lakeshore Learning Store. Mic loves their catalog--he calls it his Dream Book. I got some things for his first year of "official" homeschool: an awesome font program to make hand writing exercises (plus loads of other things), a teacher organiser, a writing workbook, and a beginning reading workbook. I want to get a ton of other stuff, but I need to do some more planning. I wish we had a basement or a spare room--I would LOVE to put up posters and maps for the kids, but we have no wall space. (I am afraid to put up stuff in Mic's room in case he and Lorelei tear it down when they are playing in their room. I might be able to trust Mic now...perhaps.

Onward.

Mic loves pictures of dogs with things on their heads. Luckily my favourite blog, takes funny pictures of her dog everyday. Today we were surfing her back pictures and we came upon Mr. Studious, a picture of a dog reading a paper (check it out it's totally cute). Micci of course thought it was totally silly and funny. So I asked him, "Do you think it's a dog with man's hands or a man with a dog's head?" After a moment, Mic replied, "A man with a dog's head!" LOL

In case you were wondering, NO San Antonio hasn't sunk into the aquifer yet. Luckily, there's limestone between us and all that cavernous water. But man it feels like we are sinking--it's so wet and so muggy--half the time I feel like I am swimming. Thankfully my area hasn't flooded and my heart goes out to all those who ARE actually swimming.

Labels: daily rant, homeschooling, Kid Antics, knitting, Mystery Stole 3, weather

4:16:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 1 Comments

Sinking

Honestly I am expecting San Antonio to sink any minute. It's been raining for days...and days before that and days before that. We've had a a few days of dryness, but mostly steady pouring rain. The rain is also keeping the temperatures down too---usually it's in the upper 90s....we've been in the upper 80's if we're lucky.

I am expecting August to get back at us with 110 degree temps.

All this gloomy weather is making everyone exhausted. Poor Mic fell asleep after lunch--he rarely takes naps...unless it's in the car. Lorelei hasn't sucummed (sp anyone?) yet, but I am sure she will soon. Right now she is amusing herself by hanging upside down on the couch. I've never seen anyone hang upside down as much as she does...must be part possum or something.

Yawn.

Labels: daily rant, Kid Antics, weather

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Jul 24, 2007

Mysterious

Many many knitters (about 6000) world-wide are knitting on a Knit Along (KAL) called Mystery Stole 3--we are given pattern clues every Friday, usually about 50 pattern rows at a time. I normally hate a bandwagon (or at least admitting to it), but it IS a free lace pattern and I don't normally say no to FREE. So I signed up, but I wasn't all in a tizzy to buy my yarn and beads and start the thing. I really don't like knitting something I don't know what it'll look like, my time and yarn money are too precious. But on vacation (the one time I had access to internet while in D.C.) I saw the beginnings of the stole and I was HOOKED. Here is a flickr photo pool of various MS3s in various stages.

The very next day I bought yarn at Knit Happens--refer to previous blog entry for my adventures there. Where I promptly bought yarn and needles.

They were out of the white or black recommended for the stole, so after tossing aside a icky brown, I picked out a grey blue yarn. It's Misti Alpaca, 2 ply 50g/437 yards, in color way Sea Mist (7120). This yarn so far is heavenly! It changes colors depending on the light. I also picked up Add Turbo Lace needles in 3.5 mm (US4). Expensive, YES, but very very worth the price tag....knitting with them is fantastic! I also picked up beads at A.C. Moore in a clear iridescent color.

This is clue number 1 finished. I didn't expect it to start out like a triangle. Isn't it breathtaking? I love the loops and scrolls. I love how the stole changes colors depending on the light. Right now it looks grey (it's storming right now so no light except my table lamp), by sunlight it's blue.

My camera can not take very good close ups, so forgive the fuzziness, but you can make out the beads. The beads really set sparkle with this yarn.

I am over half way through clue number 2 right now...a bit behind...clue 4 was released this past Friday (it was a double clue since HP came out and where not having a clue released this upcoming Friday). I am hoping to catch up with the pack.

Labels: knitting, Mystery Stole 3

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Jul 23, 2007

Not So Bad

This is a little late, but heck I've been busy reading Harry Potter. Our bus trip on Thursday wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's a bit confusing at first...I liked the Austin bus system better and luckily there were no scary drunk people (had enough of them up in Austin).

We took two buses to get where we needed to go. And Lorelei made several new friends with her silly faces. Mic actually fell asleep on the bus. It's amazing the places kids can sleep. I also got some knitting on my socks.

When we met up Jamey at the park and ride, poor dear had a migraine. So he really didn't get to enjoy the Silver Stars photo op. Lorelei had fallen asleep in the car on the way to the AT&T Center so she missed out on the ice cream. Luckily she woke up in time for pictures. The Section Leaders (a type of booster club) all got together and took pics with the team. And afterwards we gave each player their adoption certificate (each section adopts a player and hangs signs and such for them). The gals were tickled pink. Several of the players tried breaking down Micci's shyness barrier. All of them of a thing for tummies it seems...LOL.

I of course took no pictures because I am an idiot.

Labels: daily rant, Sports

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Jul 21, 2007

Finished

10 hours--perhaps a little less. I have had 2 hours of sleep. But I have finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. And now I have no one to talk to it about it...poot. The curse of the obsessive and a speed reader.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ROCKED and I cried buckets---throughout the entire book. I am SO glad I bought tissues at the same time I bought the book.

Micci and I headed to our local grocery store to attend the Harry Potter release party and buy the book. Yes...it IS a weird place to buy the book--but the party was small...maybe 20 people were there all total and it was fun for Mic and he wasn't overwhelmed or overshadowed. I had drawn a lightening scar on Mic's forehead and also drew one on a little boy that was totally decked out in Wizard robes, but was missing a scar.

As soon as I got home about 12.15--I read Mic the first few pages until he fell asleep and then read on...two hours past I was 1/4 into the book...just another chapter....next thing I know it is nearly 5 am and I am half way through with the book. So I go to bed--well actually I sleep on the couch, with the book by my head. 2 hours later I wake up, sleep is elusive and I finish the book a few minutes before am.

I am emotionally drained and elated. It was a great book and a great ending. Sniff. Only bad thing was that it ended...

Labels: Obsessions

11:43:00 AM -- Email -- Link -- 0 Comments

Jul 17, 2007

Slipping through the cracks

I really need an IPhone or a Treo. There are so many fun things I want to blog about when I am not right near the computer that slip through the holes in my swiss cheese brain.

Micci and Lorelei have been dazzling me with one-liners--and poof gone--into the ether between my ears. Although I do remember a cute think Ivy (my niece) said when we were on vacation: "My head is creeping me out!"

Like I did with Micci, I am trying to train Lorelei to be polite--you know asking for things instead of demanding them in a high-pitch-only-dogs-can-hear voice. But somehow she also inherited a smart ass gene.

Lore: I want milk NOW!!!!!

Me: How do you ask?

Lore: (With a tilted head and a sweet voice) Nicely!

Oh--I am wondering how much our Health Care would be helped if the AMA stopped limiting how many people could go to Med School (thereby limited how many Doctors there are)? I also believe the health care prices are unneccessarily jacked up. Right now I am really feeling for my poor BIL who crashed his motorcycle and is now faced with 10s of thousands of dollars in medical bills (he's got pins in his leg and an over night stay in the hospital without health insurance).

That was my soap box rant for the day. (I am against Universal (i.e. like the UK and Canada has) Health Care in the US because I don't see it working in this world we call reality. Now if you leave a comment--I'll elaborate if you wish...

Labels: daily rant, Kid Antics

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Jul 15, 2007

Stash Enchancement

I am using Crazy Aunt Purl's caption technique--I really like it and I may be using it in the future (esp. since I don't take the best pictures). I figured I'll tell my yarn crawl stories before I spill the beans about the total vacation. I hit 3 yarn shops while on vacation---it pays to do your research first...maps are handy. I should have taken my own advice and printed out a few maps. Oh well...next year, I'll know better.

Myrtle Beach: Knitting Up A Storm

I was a total idiot and didn't take pictures of Knitting Up A Storm (no webwsite), even though I lugged in my camera. You would never know I had at one time wanted to be a filmmaker and owned a blog for 7 years. So instead you get this pic of my sock on the beach...my sock had a good vacation too.

The owner (I totally forgot her name) was extremely helpful and super nice. She didn't mind at all that I had to wonder around aimlessly for a bit and didn't mind my chatter. The store is large, she had just moved to this location (she's been around for about 3 years), so she hasn't yet had a chance to really fill up the store with yarn yumminess.

I really agonised what to buy--silk had my heart, but I was afraid of ruining it--even though it was so so soft. But I put the artsilk back...poot. I also was fondling some jitterbug sock yarn---but I put that back too (although I am regretting it...I liked the colors but I didn't want stripes and I was afraid it would stripe)I ended up getting about 800 yards of rose colored laceweight, Alpaca Twist Fino. I also bought bamboo DPNS in size one--yep for more socks!

I really enjoyed this store and I am looking forward to going back to it next year (let's hope I remember to take pictures next time).

Washington, D.C.: Knit Happens

Actually Knit Happens is in Alexandria, Virginia--in old town. Very cute locale.

Just after I took this picture of all that yummy yarn, I was spotted by this gal--the one in the middle, I think is was the owner, Kristine (Update: This is Elspeth and she has a delightful blog. I found her blog by pure accident in a comment by Nicole in response to a post from Go Knit In Your Hat) She offered to take my picture. She asked if I had a blog. The problem with my blog is the horrendously long internet address (I am planning to rectify this) which is NOT easy to tell people without a business cards.

Knit Happens is a really cool, small store, packed with yarn. Oh I was in hog heaven. Once again I was fondling the silk. The day before I looked up the MS3 Clue #1 picture and I HAD to start it ASAP. So I was on a mission: lace weight and Addi Turbo Lace needles. Because over 6000 knitters are participating in the KAL, there was NO white, offwhite, ivory, cream, black, or navy lace weight in the store. At first I picked out a brown--but I couldn't see myself working with brown yarn, so I picked up 3 skeins of Misti Alpaca in Sea Mist.

Kristine (or the blond one) Elspeth renamed me Madam Clapotis when she saw me struggling to reach some lace weight. I liked that. One of the other gals (I think the gal on the right--if you clicked on that link above), helped me pick out the Sea Mist--since there was only one small sad skein of white lace left.

After picking up my Addi Turbo in size 4, 24 inch circulars, we were out of that store--before I bought anything else and broke my bank. When we got home I realised that not only was the circ too short, but the join was very rough. I begged my Mom to go back and see if she could exchange it. She was 5 minutes too late, but thankfully they opened up for her, their computers were already shut down so I couldn't get the longer circ, but I did get a replacement needle. THANK YOU!! I can't wait to visit the store again when I visit my parents next summer.

Hoodwinked in Falls Church!

After Knit Happens we stopped at the Noodle Company for lunch--YUMMO! And as I rounded the car after we parked I saw this:

Oh joy another yarn shop!!?! Joy joy!

NO! A clothing store--pfft--what a fraud! What a complete and utter letdown--I was totally jipped.

Staunton, Virginia: On The Lamb

On The Lamb was my favourite yarn shop. When I left that building I felt like I had left a big hug.

I didn't get a decent picture of the front, so you have to imagine it. It was a remodeled home (perfect!!), the first floor was the shop; the second floor was apartments: imagine living above a yarn shop. I bet the tenants don't even appreciate it. Could you IMAGINE a knitter living above a yarn store: yep it would be a very poor knitter, but ooo they would have such a great stash!!! And it has a bay window (I LOVE bay windows).

This is the first room (off the hall that you walk into). I met Angel and she is awesome. She walked me around the shop told me about all the yarns. Showed me a finished Swallowtail Shawl (it's the yellow shawl on the chair) and admired my Clapotis (and how can you wear that on this hot day!!? Cotton baby cotton).

I would LOVE to sit in those chairs and just knit at the bay window! I wondered around a bit and Jamey let me spend a lot here: so I brought home some cute sock yarn (pink TOFUsises), two hanks of blue lace weight Malabrigo and yet another Addi Turbo lace circs--this time in 32 inches). I am NOT sure what the blue lace weight will be, but oh it will be so soft and beautiful. The socks will be my own pattern (presumably) after I finish the never-ending socks.

I am SO glad I bought two pairs of Addis even though they were 32 dollars combined--they are HEAVEN!! I am sure every time I mention my lace knitting I will be waxing poetic about the wonders of the Addi.

We were on a time crunch too...I hated that--because I could have spent ages at the store talking to Angel and Joe, the owner. I totally felt at ease...which I why I took tons of pictures. Angel also put Kisses in my bag too...what is better than yarn--yup chocolate!

Joe is actually from the Texas area. His family is H.B. Zachery here in Texas...a huge construction company--we see their signs everywhere. I had a great chat with him. I am hoping when we go to VA next year on vacation I can go to their knitting night. Jamey was actually very miffed at me because I spent too long chatting and we had to be back at the house to meet his sister.

When I left, I really did feel like I had left a huge hug--even though there was no actual hugging. This store has SUCH a great vibe to it. I feel so sorry for my SIL and MIL that don't knit--they are missing out on such a wonderful store and great people.

Flashin' My Stash. I didn't mention my stop at A.C. Moore---it's a craft store--so not technically the yumminess of a yarn store will all their natural fibre goodness. I did pick up some more cotton (they were on sale) for some cloths and such. The Marble is a really pretty variegated yarn with a interesting green twist--not sure what it's gonna be but it's gonna be pretty.

Labels: knitting, vacation

8:36:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 1 Comments

Jul 14, 2007

Me Procrastinating?

I've editing maybe 10 vacation pictures--out of 200 hundred. Yeah baby I am on a roll. And I have yet to compose any travel-log.

But my MS3 looks awesome and I even got over that horrid hump that was row 65. I also have made good progress on my mystery sock (it's a mystery until later).

Bee Fields was released yesterday...I have been salivating this pattern when it was just swatches. But the Knitting Bunnies got to me first...so in addition to those rascals (some of which have deadlines)--I have 2 lacey things on the needles. No more room for the Bees!

Have I mentioned I love Addi Turbo Lace circular needles? They're expensive---$15.95...but wow---it's like good sex. Smooth and satisfying. This might be why I can't put down these lace shawls.

I guess I am trying to say--I'll be finished with the pics someday--maybe--and

Labels: blog, knitting, vacation

8:47:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 0 Comments

Jul 11, 2007

There is no place like HOME

Folks, we've been home since 8 o'clock last night. We had a terrific vacation. On my part it was relaxing and the two weeks seemed to stretch ands stretch. I got to see all my brothers before they go off to war. I got to enjoy Kimmy being a grown up finally (working a part time job has given her some pleasantness she didn't have before). I got a tan (ha! you say--it's a Birdy tan which is still very very pale in comparison to the average Caucasian bear) and more freckles. I also got YARN--very pretty soft pet worthy yarn.

I deleted over 4000 spams from my inbox and uploaded over 200 hundred pictures from my camera. Give me some time and I'll put together a very nice travel diary for y'all to enjoy--with a special diversion at the 3 yarn shops I visited.

We saw the Harry Potter movie today--totally freakin' awesome and I of course cried like a baby at the end. On vacation we also saw Ratatouille and Transformers...both rocked. So that means--only TEN _more_days till Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out. GRIN.

While I was gone Kottke became a Daddy--how awesome is that. Ollie is so cute. I missed a lot being disconnected form the 'net. Heck while at the beach we didn't even watch TV--missed all the rain San Antonio got (our lawn looks like a lush green jungle) and the searing fires and temperatures in the West.

I've got a lot of work to do now that I am home: knitting work, web design work, blog work, and teaching work...never mind the ever present cleaning work. Since this vacation was so energising for me and restful--I am totally ready to jump in a get some work done.

Labels: cleaning, daily rant, vacation, weather

4:51:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 2 Comments

Jul 2, 2007

Vacation Update

Miss me? I recently returned to civilisation, i.e. a computer with DSL. I just spent last week at Myrtle Beach and perusing the numerous outlet shopping. Saturday found us at the Lakehouse in Bracey. And now we're in D.C. spending the day with my parents.

The beach was so much fun! Craig even came down for a day to suprise me (he's stationed at Ft. Bragg, SC)--we found out though last Monday that he is being deployed to Iraq this month--due to an unexpected pregnancy over there. Oops. It was SO awesome to see Craig and spend time with him. He showe dme all the pics he took of severed fingers, slashes, and whatnot he fixes up in the ER (he's a medic)--apparently he's quite the cutman and does some wonder suturing.

I found my yarn shop (bought yarn and had a lovely talk with the owner) and got a manicure and pedicure (seonc mani first pedi), I feel all fancy and classy. LOL.

I took loads of pictures and will upload them once where home (just in time for The Movie). I have loads of stories too--but I need to spend some time with my mom after all---tata.

Labels: vacation

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