August 2007

Teachers Be Blessed
I was so excited for this summer to start and to be honest, we have had a great time.

Call me a horrible Mom; I can deal with it, but I'm ready for them to go BACK TO SCHOOL.

Some of you know that we decided that over the sumer, the TV would be off between noon and 8 pm. This is necessary as the first two weeks off, we noticed WAY too much laying around in front of the TV. It's the first time in my parenting life that I realized that sometimes doing the right thing for your kids is miserable! They are driving me insane. Some days they just stand in whatever room I'm in and stare like this. It's annoying. Don't they know I'm trying to work or knit?

Remember when you were a kid and if you lived in a small town (which I did) or the country, you would hop on your bike in the morning, maybe come back for lunch, and then be back when the street lights came on? You probably did watch some TV, but your parents got priority on the TV when they were around and heck you only had three channels anyway. No one had to give you ideas what to do; YOU WERE FREE! Lordy, things have changed. Apparently a neighborhood full of children your age, a house full of craft and art supplies and sports equipment is just not good enough. Yesterday I just sent them outside and closed the curtains so I could pretend they were at school. Denial is a beautiful thing. I highly recommend you all try it.

In other news:

I finished a sleeve of the eternity sweater and I am SO SWEATING whether I have enough yarn. I mean i'm scared here people. Compared to knitting the front and back, the sleeve just zipped out. I have to get this sweater done before Mid-September so my darling husband can wear it on the motorcycle. I am also on my second Swan Lake stole in hot orange with gold beads - this will be a Christmas present for a family member who I sure hope is not reading my blog. On top of all that, I've joined two more Mystery Knit Alongs but neither is starting for a month so hopefully I'll be done with this one and the sweater by then. Cross your fingers!

Oh and my sister is visiting for Labor Day weekend so I won't be around but feel free to leave comments, contact via email etc!



August 22
Knit Nights are lucky!
Well last week on Tuesday night (Knit Nite) I was at the coffee shop where we go every other week and LO AND BEHOLD! My mom called me and she had rented my house. I have a one year lease signed and the first rent check already.

This week on Tuesday night - Knit nite again, Coincidence? I don't think so, My hubby got the lease signed on his house! We are now paying just one mortgage woo hoo!

I swear I'm planning on winning Lotto next Tuesday night while i'm knitting. No wonder John never bugs me about buying yarn and needles. The other ladies say their husbands complain but mine NEVER DOES so Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffft!

I know you want pictures. I'm still so busy with the kids and houses that I haven't had the energy but soon. I will be blocking the Swan Lake Stole soon and will take some pics of that prolly.,





August 21
10 things
1. We've leased a house. Woo hoo!

2. I've finished five hats for the Dulaan Project which my DH just recently was explaining to someone and confusing it with The Red Scarf Project. I didn't correct him. It's bad enough that he has to pretend to care when I talk knitting as much as I do. I'm pretty sure my knitty blather just sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher to him, but he really tries, bless him. The hats were knitted from stash (good girl, Bammies) AND I donated a box of stash to my mom who is crocheting cat mats for the human society. What a good example my mom is huh?

3. I'm almost half done with the first sleeve of the eternity sweater. (slightly terrified that I have not bought enough yarn from the same dye lot, but using my advanced denial skills, knitting along pretending not to be afraid)

4. MS3 is ready for blocking. Please note I've bought enough yarn for three more stoles which would not seem to contribute to my pledge to knit from stash, but shut up.

5. The "furnace guy" is showing up today at one of the rental houses to (yes i can call it a rental now since, Oh, did I tell you? IT'S RENTED) do the obligatory furnace inspection.

6. I am way too lazy to post photos of the MS3 even though I took some, but just trust me. It is GORGEOUS. The little tiny sparkly beads on it are perfect.

7. I'm selling a lot of books and have finished Chapter 2 of draft one of my book.

8. School starts two weeks from today and even though I have loved having the kids home, I think they're ready. They seem to be getting a bit bored, and its really hard to clean house with kids home all the time. They can mess faster than I can clean. I clean very slowly when I'm knitting. It's so slow you almost need to use time lapse photography to see anything getting done and frankly even then: Good luck.

9. Joe and Jessica are getting married on Saturday. That's John's oldest for those who have not read the old blog and learned the names of our (sometimes numbered) children. Joe is number one when I just use the number system. With a brood like this one, I can see why the Romans numbered theirs.

Last of all

10. I'm exhausted. Granted, I am a pansy, but I could use a vacation from summer vacay!

I promise photos all the time and I really never mean it, but

Photos soon!!

Your Score: Joe Normal
34 % Nerd, 30% Geek, 17% Dork
For The Record:A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.You scored less than half in all three, earning you the title of: Joe Normal. This is not to say that you don't have some Nerd, Geek or Dork inside of you--we all do, and you can see the percentages you have right above. This is just to say that none of those qualities stand out so much as to define you. Sure, you enjoy an episode of Star Trek now and again, and yeah, you kinda enjoyed a few classes back in the day. And, once in a while, you stumble while walking down the street even though there was nothing there to cause you to trip. But, for the most part, you look and act fairly typically, and aren't much of an outcast.



August 14
Sign me up, buddy!
Well once again, my power of self control astound.

I've signed up for another lace knit along, but hold onto your hats: This one is going to be in German. Yes, I mean the language. Knitting is the same in all languages.

I hear the instructions will be in English as well and the KAL is called Secret of Chrysopolis. How cool is that?

Check it out here: (if you speak German)




August 12

So I'm going to my first Knit Night with the Group from Lizzie Ann's . I'm pretty excited, but sort of nervous too. I have been working on so much stuff.

First of all I finished the front of The Infinity Sweater. That's not the real name of the pattern, but the length of time it seems to take to knit. It's a good thing I'm creating a freakin heirloom here, or I would have given up.

Second, my new garter carriage is cranking. It is currently (and I do mean while I type) knitting a scarf to go with the red and white striped beanie (see "Is it just Smee?) entry from a few weeks back.

Third. The Swan Lake Stole, formerly known as MS3. It is beautiful!! I finished Clue 5 in two days so I'm waiting to start Clue 6 (which came out Friday morning) until Tuesday night.

I also charted a lace scarf for my mom's Christmas gift. (one of em) I've knitted up a swatch and haven't made up my mind yet if its perfect.

I've done four hats for charity knitting. Haven't decided yet if it will be Afghans for Afhans or the Dulaan project, or maybe even something local. They are all pink and purple except for one blue baby hat. I know you all deserve photos but I am just toooooo dang lazy right now.

Here look at this. Its a Christmas photo of John and me at a neighborhood party. It was casual, but yes we do know how to get really dressed up. I will get some more photos on soon. Maybe of Knit Night!!

You know I'm kinda scraping the bottom when I'm posting photos of us, but i now feel obligated to post SOMETHING to look at besides text every time!