Bammers Knits and Blabbers

Not PC

2009-12-08T21:52:00.002-05:00

So we're not the most politically correct couple in the world. In the car on the way to son's first band concert. Something happened and I was jokingly telling me I was upset about something very lame.

So he was laughing.

And I said "look, your wife is upset! This is not time to titter."

Of course he said to me, " huh huh huh huh . . . . You said tit."

How can I not love this man?

So, A Dilemma!

2009-12-08T13:04:00.003-05:00

Awhile back, in summer I guess, I bought a really nice Romney fleece on Ebay. The fleece was gray, but all shades from a silver to a dark charcoal. It's really pretty fabulous. This lady had a super awesome crimp and a nice long lock. I bet she had all the rams bothering her.

Anywho, I washed the fleece as soon as it got here. Then I put it in fleece storage. (it's nice there - lots of friends and whatnot) So I pulled it out to process last week. I picked about two thirds of it and carded a bunch of the natural fleece. The batts spin up beautifully with a longdraw. So now comes the dilemma.

I've been reading the Ashford book of carding. It's fabu. It made me want to try all different stuff with all different junk floating around in my stash. In fact I pulled out a dyed four oz. batch of Suffolk to spin up some sock yarn, but I didn't love the dye arrangement (mine) so I thought I'd divide it up, card it all together and make more of a tweedy thing. Pictures of that tangent later (which incidentally, I love). So I was spinning up a sample of this romney and I thought, gray and blue would look fantastic blended up together, and hey maybe I should dye the last third of that fleece and blend it.

On Sunday, I dyed up that batch of unpicked locks. It turned out all shades of blue, from nearly black to a nice cobalty color in the silver. (There is quite a bit less silver than charcoal) The dyed fleece is just gorgeous. I carded up a straight batt, split it, blended about half of it with gray and then compared.

People I don't know what to do!! Once it's blended, I can't unblend it, and it is BEAUTIFUL. So damnit!

I can't decide what to do!

Oh and I knitted a swatch with the dark blue and the blended blue and gray. Still didn't help me decide. So, you know, not any help.

Anyway, I also have some finished projects to show and maybe a WIP, but later for that!

Uncle!

2009-12-03T17:13:00.004-05:00

Even though things are hectic this time of year, we're having a blast.

I finished my Darling Hubs' sweater. It fits him just wonderfully and it is his THIRD sweater this year. What a lucky man. Here he is, in his famous 1978 JCPenney catalog pose, just for you all.

Personally, I think he's the greatest, but nobody gets him like I do.

We had a very nice holiday and did all our Christmas decorating and even some of the baking already. I love the holidays. My mom helped The Chief put up the tree while I was making dinner.

Ignore the devil eyes. I've always had my suspicions, but enough said on that score.

The kids helped get the decorations on and i did the rest of the house decorating the next day (after they all went back to wherever it is they go for the day). The house looks fabulous, and it's even snowing right now yay!

Moving on . .

The other night I happened to glance out the window and see this really pretty sky from the family room so I ran out and snapped a quick photo.

Yeah just a random thing to share.

I have spinning and a wee bread mishap to show you soon too. Thanks for stopping, and sorry it took so long!

A Meme? From Me? Me?

2009-11-20T14:03:00.005-05:00

I don't usually do the Memes. I don't know if you you are even that interested in what I do around here unless it's knitting related, but THIS is just way too "something I cannot pass up trying for"!

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?

I just told my mom I would be fine and happy if people made donations in my name to a good charity, but I can think of stuff:
a. My sister's cancer to miraculously GO AWAY
b. Our children to have another happy, healthy year
c. All the wool I can spin and knit for a year (and clearly a bit more since I seem to come out of every year with more than I went in)
d. A self-cleaning house
e. A huge craft studio!

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?

-A bracelet my son made me in pre-school. It has wooden beads and pinwheel noodles. I mean what mama doesn't love some pasta jewelry?

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?

-There are so many! I would love to make a funny family T-shirt for everybody

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?

-When i was in about third or fourth grade, i got a ton of books and I was so excited about them. Some of them are still faves to this day.

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?

-Well they haven't finished their lists yet, but they want all kinds of different stuff!

6. What is your favorite holiday food?

-Mashed potatoes - and cookies!

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?

-I already did two dozen cards and am knitting up a storm. There's never enough time to do all I want to!

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?

- Elf and Love, Actually (sorry two favorites)

9. Favorite holiday song?

-All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey

10. Favorite holiday pastime?

- Baking!

This meme is from the Todaysmama holiday giveaway. I hope you enter too and I hope you even win second place to me! Hehehehe.

Thankful Thursday!

2009-11-19T13:11:00.002-05:00

Audiopost soon, but I do have something grande to be thankful for.

I have two sisters and the oldest of the three of us has been battling breast cancer for more than three and a half years now. We recently got news that her markers were way up and that she would be trying a chemo pill. The odds of efficacy were less than 50%, but she was still wanting to avoid a port an IV chemo so she did it.

She needed the results early and got them today.

Her markers are down more than 25% after nine days of this pill. That is FABULOUS NEWS!

I am very thankful.

I am thankful for both my sisters too. This is the three of us oh about 32 years ago or so. And yes, that is me with the braids.

I sure did hate to put on a dress back then.

No Socks For You!

2009-11-16T08:35:00.002-05:00

Leaf Sucker

The Chief's sweater. You can tell the front is blocked, but not the sleeves. What a difference blocking makes when your stockinette stitch is uneven, like mine!.

The Merino/Tencel laceweight. now I need to figure out what I can knit with it. Of course I have to finish Queen Silvia first.

Hate On Me

2009-11-12T10:39:00.002-05:00

I finally decided to start audioblogging (um yeah I'm slow). It will get better once I get used to it!

New Socks on the way - Boyfriend Socks

This pile is just about as long as my car (which is not a big car, but still), however it is not as tall as my car. Unfortunately, I need to make another pile that big at least from the rest of the yard!

Hate on Me by Jill Scott

Talk soon!

Hey! Guess Whose Husband

2009-11-10T20:38:00.002-05:00

Carded up his very first rolag last night. Muahahahahahahahaha!

And yes, I am aware that it looks quite a bit like it came straight out ofa 1970s Playboy, and no, it is actually just Romney wool. But yes, you do have a gross and perverted mind!

I forgot to take a photograph of the socks I finished and gifted during the retreat so Poop on that, but I am just a few inches from finishing the sleeves on my darling husband's gansey, so pictures soon maybe?

I'm getting close to finishing the merino tencel laceweight singles that are taking FOR FREAKING EVER.

I don't have any socks on the needles which is super weird.

I am already engaged in planning the next retreat, because I had a good time and i am a little slice of crazy pie.

I need to make myself some kind of spinning goal for the winter. Spin down stash or something. 15 minutes a day spinning? Maybe 30? I need to do like four hours a day. I'm going to include prepping time for anything I prep too. I gotta spin this fiber stash down!

You Know It's Fun When. . .

2009-11-08T20:09:00.003-05:00

People fall asleep on the couch because they don't want to go to bed.

I had lots of fun meeting new friends and hanging with the ones I already knew.

Hope you all had a great weekend, and I hope I get to see all these friends again soon!

Gone Fishin'

2009-11-05T07:34:00.003-05:00

I'll be at the Fiber in the Forest Autumn 2009 retreat until Sunday. I hope you have a great weekend!

I know I'm late

2009-11-03T08:05:00.002-05:00

So here are the boys. Mine is the hobo. He insisted on being one even though I feel like it's kind of a cop out. Just put on a bunch of old, dirty clothes and beg for candy. It seems too easy that way, but I have let him choose his costume since he was three, so this year is no exception.

And the girls - they are stick people. That's why I'm giving you the dark version.

It was a fun Halloween.

Also, if you've read my blog with any regularity at all, you know I hate people. I do. In fact if I meet a new person, I've noticed that I assume they're going to be jerks until I find out otherwise. Isn't that awful? You know why though?

Have you ever noticed that a lot of people feel free to give advice or judge you when they have no right? For example, morbidly obese people (and let me tell you I have no problem with people of different weights, that is NOT the point here) giving out weight loss advice? Or someone who has never married a person with children telling you how you should handle it? Or maybe someone who lives in something akin to squalor giving you advice on how you can be a better housekeeper. . . I know it's happened to every single person who reads this blog, and I know that's way more people than comments. Do you just laugh it off? Are you ever tempted to say, "Gee thanks, Dr. Phil"? I am tempted to laugh in the face of these people, but I never do. Why can't I kindly point out that I would rather take weight loss advice from someone who appears to have some experience in weight loss? Or someone who has blended a family as a parent and understands the foibles and pitfalls therein?

I friggin hate people. They are largely fuckknuckles and asshats. And it ain't getting any better out there, folks.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T11:33:00.003-04:00

I am actually having kind of a rough day, but it's ok. I am shaking it off!

Last night The Chief fixed this most favoritest Halloween decoration of my sons. From the first year he could walk he would toddle his buns over and start this thing over and over and over. The poor bobble head was broken and my husband wired it back together last night.

(notice how I slipped in a sock for knitting content. This is a knitting blog after all (kinda).

I took a better pic of the socks here too.

Just in time to be packed up and mailed off to one of my sisters for her November 7th birthday.

And last: Just for you, Carrie.

I even put on my horrible fleece just to complete the picture. You can actually tell I had just put it over my head if you look really closely, because my eyebrow hairs are all caddywumpus from pulling it over my head. Fun fact for ya.

Someone new subscribed to my blog yesterday. I don't know why that makes me so darn happy, but it does. I'm weird!

and now, time to try to pretend we don't have a ton of candy in the house!

Behold! The Jackass or No Knitting Content

2009-10-29T14:44:00.003-04:00

I had a bit of a rant today about this idiot neighbor of mine. He is very yard obsessed and we love in a neighborhood full of really humongous beech trees. Now that means that this time of year, I have to go outside and move piles of leaves as big as my car. I do have a smallish car, but I'm not exaggerating about the size of the piles here.

Every time I go out to work on leaves, he HAS to come outside and start mowing up leaves in his yard. He's freaky anyway. He never looks you in the eye and tells you what's going on with each family on the block (which makes me wonder what he thinks is going on in my house and tells people about even though he has no clue). he also does that thing where he talks to you, then you answer, and he goes on to some other topic without even acknowledging that you answered as if he was thinking about his next statement the whole time.

I hate this guy! And i kinneared him just for you.

It was a very Pink Panther moment with me hiding behind one of the rhodos. Boo Hiss! Hate him from afar for me!

Also, Carrie wanted a picture of my head. Oh and my mom left me a phone message. She said her bowels are working properly, but I'm not sure if that means she DID shit or didn't when she saw the last post.

Pay no attention to the crazy swirlylike thing on the top of my head oh and the hideous lumberjack fleece I've had since before I had my 11 year old child. I didn't exactly prep for the picture.

Have a fabulous Thursday! Oh and knitting content soon!

Wanna See Something Creepy? or My Mom's going to Shit!

2009-10-27T20:27:00.002-04:00

Guess what this is!

No it's not a serial killer trophy (but clearly I'm watching too much Dexter)

Nope, I didn't scalp a Barbie!

I'm sending my hair to Locks of Love. For those of you who aren't in the U.S., Locks of Love makes wigs for kids who have various illnesses and conditions and either can't grow hair, or their hair has fallen out permanently. They can have it. I'm glad it's gone!

It's kind of freaky having them cut that ponytail off your head. the whole salon was rapt.

I've been boring. . .

2009-10-26T08:42:00.002-04:00

It's been raining here a lot, and it just makes me want to nest. I've been cleaning, getting rid of things we don't use anymore. I've been getting ready for the retreat in November too. Busy busy!

Although I have been spinning! This is a Merino/Tencel blend dyed by Hungry for Handspun. Isn't it pretty?

Also, I finished the front and back on the Chief's gansey. They are currently blocking while I work on the sleeves! I figured then I can attach the front and back at the shoulders and get a better idea on sleeve length for DH, aka ape arms. I am always surprised at how much better my sweater pieces look once blocked. I hate blocking and tend to just leave it for far too long, but it really is like magic. It can take a piece that looks a little uneven and funkay and make it look perfect! It can make a piece of lace that looks like a hot mess of grody ramen that's gone a very wrong color into something really beauteous. (Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself that blocking doesn't suck? Yep)

Pics of the blocked front and back soon!

Moondance Anyone?

2009-10-21T08:35:00.003-04:00

Most days, I get up and fix my husband some breakfast before he heads off to work, and he needs to leave the house by about 6:10 am so it's pretty early for most people.

About two weeks ago, as he was finished and in his truck to leave, I decided I needed to bring out a bag to the dumpster, and while returning through the headlights of his truck, I stopped and mooned him. Yep, I just thought it would make him laugh. Well, he did chuckle, then backed down the driveway, turned his head to the left, and saw a neighbor of ours standing on the corner in the dark with her dog.

No charge on the show, lady.

Anywho! I'm knitting that same DH a sweater. It's a gansey from Arans & Celtics. Someone liked it enough to take a wee snooze on it yesterday.

I know, he looks possessed, but when the camera comes on, it makes a little beepbeep noise and wakes him.

Also, last Friday, there was no school, and this time of year, no school looks like this more often than not.

Lord of the Rings movie marathon.

Last, I finally finished spinning that Jacob fleece! Say hello to Clarissa!

Her fleece came from Sweetgrass Jacobs (a Michington farm) and her mama sent along a photo of her. I think that is a super cool thing for us spinners.

You see I bought my very first fleece, which was a Jacob lamb, from this same farm and contacted her for more awhile ago. Clarissa was picked out especially for me, and her fleece was fabulous. It was springy, soft and lovely to process and spin. Now it's 1888 yards of DK to worsted (not sure yet, must thwack and dry and count wpi, but honestly my guess is worsted). She'll make someone around here a very fine sweater!

Proof

2009-10-13T20:45:00.003-04:00

That Goofiness is indeed hereditary, but clearly skips a generation since I am goof-free.

Further proof that I finished the sweater that started out being for me and ended up being for number 5.

See a Penny

2009-10-11T19:51:00.002-04:00

My husband picked up a lost penny today. I guess it really was sort of a lucky day because . .

I finished the handspun raglan. It's blocking right now and I'll get a photo tomorrow. Yay!

Next I am planning an experimental sweater for my husband. it might be interesting :S.

The better news is that my DH went over to fix a little issue at my old house which we currently rent out. We have fabulous tenants. They have never missed rent, they only call me when there really is something going on, and they are just really nice people. Plus they're having a wee bebeh which I always like.

Awhile ago we mentioned that we would be willing to sell the house if they wanted it. I guess I figure they're in their third year there. They like the neighborhood and have made friend. Plus with them having a baby, I guess we felt like they might be thinking "hey it's time to buy". I'm not saying it IS time to buy, but that whole baby thing does tend to make people want to make grownup kinda moves.

They told my husband they are considering it based on that tax credit this year for first time home buyers.

I peed! I would love to sell that house! Wish me luck!

It's Official!

2009-10-09T16:59:00.003-04:00

Fall is definitely here when my husband gets a load of firewood delivered and we get to snuggle up in front of a nice warm fire.

It does NOT suck!

Tomorrow I hope to do something similar after the football game, but it will include a new accessory in the photo.

Oh yeah, and the handspun sweater had some problems. One sleeve is finished, but i feel like the cuff is too loose, so will be frogged back six rows and just the cuff reknit and bound off again. I also intended it originally to be a turtleneck, so the neck opening was fairly tight, but since it's going to number 5 instead, well it needs a bigger headhole. So perhaps tomorrow I'll be doing the frogging from the start end. Is that really frogging? gorfing? Whatever, I'll rip out the neckhole, knit some short rows on the back of the neck and then do some ribbing rows instead. I think it will be a bit more wearable and I'll like it better and that's what counts. Besides - lurning experiensh.

Plus - clue two of Through the Loops Socktoberfest KAL is out so lots to do and no more time to type!

Miscellania

2009-10-08T11:34:00.003-04:00

Well first of all, let me say that KNITTER WON!!!!!!!!!!!! Please email me your mailing info to inspiredandinsane@gmail.com to claim your prize! I'm sorry I don't have more to give away though!

(but don't worry, SexyThroughAdversity, there is a chance that Santa will bring you a twin)

To Colin: You are right, he is the cutest thing in the post. He is my sweet boy and just got a nice belly rub!

To BethanyG: It makes me look like this guy

Which was not the look I was going for. He's all I could think about when I was trying to arrange it on my head so I didn't look stupid.

In other news, I'm nearly finished with the raglan, but it will be going to my son. The weird part is, it actually does fit me. When he grows out of it, I won't be bringing it to charity, but keeping it. It's very strange to have your little baby wearing stuff that fits you.

The ribs make it look skinnier than it is, but blocking will straighten that out a wee bit and even out the stitches. It does fit him quite nicely. I just started to feel like maybe the yarn was more manly than I wanted in a sweater for myself and I was pretty sure it would fit him as is, so NEW PLAN!

And this weekend we decided to cook up the turkey from the freezer. My husband REALLY knows how to cook a turkey, but I was a little taken aback by the fact that the ankles seemed to have been stuffed through what used to be what we like to refer to around here as "the poop chute". (that's more because the kids think it's funny, but whatever) I've cooked turkeys before, but I never saw that. Usually I have seem them with that little plastic thing that holds the ankles together.

Anywho so I was commenting and we were all staring down at this beauty after it came out of the oven and with a straight face and quite off-handedly my mom mutters, "you'd think you'd trip."

Oh man I just laughed so hard. Well heck yeah you'd trip! But the turkey was fantastic. It was already another dinner with plans for turkey soup with what I have left over the weekend!

And yes, I know that's not technically the exit, but just a big flap of skin that the legs are shoved through. I was just being funny.

Excitement Abounds

2009-10-01T13:59:00.003-04:00

Oh yeah

I've been knitting!

I made an Anemoon. This is a super cute hat and a well written pattern that just so happens to look hideous on me :D. I need to point out too that I do not ask that kid to model for me. He gets home from school and I tell him I finished something. He immediately puts it on and poses. I'm not even kidding!

Man, I love that face!

If you'd like to own this lovely hat, just leave me a comment. If there are more than one I'll choose at random and mail you the hat. Tempting I know :|.

Also, it's Socktober! That's right people! Time to have the pants scared off you by ghouls and goblins and time to knit ya some socks! I'm participating in a Mystery sock Knitalong hosted by Through the Loops. I haven't been in a real knitalong since the lace knitalong debacle of 2007, so I thought it was time. Exciting so far right?

Pay no attention to that size 1 aluminum needle in there. I snapped a bamboo needle this morning. EZ says it doesn't matter and even though I'm not technically a disciple, on this one I'm going with her.

Happy Socktober!

Autumn Woo hoo!

2009-09-29T09:05:00.002-04:00

I like fall. It's very pretty here in Western Michigan and although it sometimes feels like we are living in the center of a crumbling piece of our country, we keep on truckin'. There are houses for sale on every corner and people without work everywhere you go. I'm not talking about people who are trying to stay out of work. I honestly mean people who have never been without a job before in their adult lives. Even though we are nowhere near the Detroit automotive part of Michigan, it's been a sad thing to watch and be part of.

But!

There's been knitting.

Last year I knitted up a hat for the boy (you know, when he lost one AGAIN), but I still had a pretty big chunk of the handspun camo from it. I pulled it out of my stash to find a use for it and ended up making some gauntlets for him! Perfect.

Just look at those meathooks! I'm tall, therefore long fingers, reasonably big hands for a woman (don't conjure up pictures of Jerry Seinfeld's manhands episode. They are still distinctly female) and his hands are only a tiny bit smaller than mine. He's only 11!

Also, I've been asked for modeled pics of Vivian. I can't take photos of myself and actually it's only basted shut for the zipper. When I showed him, he put it on immediately. I didn't ask!

Oh man it was very funny. Although it did make me think he needs a cardigan. It looked pretty good actually

Sooooooo since Viv is almost a wrap, i started a new sweater with my Tour De Fleece Handspun (knit from tomato red Shetland blended with Jacob lamb to get it all lovely and tweedy). I'm working on the incredible custom-fit raglan. It's one of those formula type patterns instead of straight instructions. I seem to like those an awful lot. I am modifying the pattern to be a nice turtleneck with a 3x2 rib. I will definitely be doing waist shaping and hopefully the ribbing will help with shaping. The yarn and pattern should be kind of a snuggly, rustickish look and I hope will be nice with jeans . .

Which brings me to my last point of the day. I was noticing yesterday that my shoulders are less flabby than they were. I know that's weird, but I was feeling the bones and muscles as i reached to scratch it. I decided to try on some jeans I haven't been able to wear since I was dating my husband about five years ago and THEY FIT. I wore them comfortably the rest of the afternoon and evening! I really still have a very long way to go and the weight loss has not been fast, but it felt like a victory. Wish me luck on the last 74 days of the program I'm working!

Fabulousness . .

2009-09-24T10:13:00.003-04:00

Thy name is, Teh Cookie! She sent me a box of sock yarn blanket (in kit form of course) that she pulled out of her stash. Thanks again! I really appreciate you offering to contribute your leftovers.

Oh and my mom thanks you for the leftovers that needed winding. It's awfully good for her OCD.

The blanket is growing slowly and is getting pretty. I am being pretty random about color choices. Basically I am trying to keep the colors broken up a bit, but that's it.

Also, it turns out I can still knit stuff that's not socks. I found out because Vivian and I made up. The construction of this sweater is not like any I have knit before. I love it, but I don't know if it's new or just unknown to me. The pattern is good, but I have messed up twice. Both messups were big enough to make me frog. Basically 75% of this sweater has been knitted twice. You have to really like it for that.

The best part is this: I have lost some weight (not loads or anything) and I was wondering if it was going to fit me once I finished. So I realize I've made the second big mistake and will have to frog back to the arm joins. Well CAHRAP!!! Anyway, I bit the bullet, frogged, reknit and then was like - WTF! I don't have enough stitches here to do all the decreases! This is terrible! Am I going to have to frog again?

Turns out I decided to make a smaller size after I frogged the body (you know, after the first major screw up) and forgot. I knitted nearly the whole sweater, and forgot what size I was making all the time worrying that I had chosen a size that would end up too big. Yay me.

I'm on the hood now. I will knit this again someday which is a real statement about how much i like it. I don't knit many things twice.

It will benefit from a good blocking, but seems to fit fairly well at this point. The sleeves are long, and since I'm 5'10'', that doesn't happen to me very often, but I will block them a tiny bit wider, and lose some length I suppose.

Finished football socks too! Pictures when I remember where I put them after I finished them.

Still Hate People, but I Made Socks

2009-09-23T19:08:00.003-04:00

People are still annoying the crap out of me. I'd elaborate, but there are just so many reasons and my blog is only so big.

BUT (and that's a big but)

I finished the Oak Leaf Socks! The first picture is a better representation of the color. They are knit from a blank I dyed made from Ashland Bay Panda (a favorite sock yarn of mine).

The stitch pattern gets lost in the yarn, but I don't mind. I was dying to knit a NONvanilla pair of socks, so I did it, and I'm NOT SORRY!

Oh yeah, and I've started the hood on Vivian. Pictures soon? Your guess is as good as mine!

You Have Now Entered Panther Country

2009-09-22T16:15:00.002-04:00

Hey! Guess who won his very first ever football game?

Oh yeah, it was this guy! He was even on the line when they scored, and then when they stopped the point after for the other team to win. It was quite the nail biter!

We were pretty happy, he's making a face, but I always look like that.

Honestly, I do not care if they win or not. When I say that I will be proud of him if he has a good time and works hard, I really mean it. But it sure was fun to win the season opener!

Back soon - with knitting even!