So, to get started on my ass kickin' mission I'm releasing another freebie, the Oops! Hat pattern.

Ravelry

PDF

I can't wait to see if anyone knits one up! 

Well, back to work :)

What a super little publication! Not only does it contain a mix of knitting and sewing patterns, there's also a recipe for "Cosmopolitan Cupcakes". In every issue it has yarn reviews, book and product reviews, and a profile of a knitter (this issue is Jeannette Cross from Madison, WI). If you're interested in purchasing a copy of the magazine, you can order through Knitcircus' web site. And I believe my 2nd and final needle case pattern for circular and double pointed knitting needles will be published in one of the upcoming issues.

Since my knitting needle case pattern is not actually a knitting pattern, I unfortunately can't add it to the vast pattern library in Ravelry. This makes me sad because I want to see how many lovely knitters have sewn my pattern. While I understand Ravelry's rules about this, and I certainely want to follow the rules and I especially don't want to clutter up their pattern library with non-knitting patterns (even though it pertains directly to knitting), it does make me a little sad.

So if you get a copy of Knitcircus and make a needle case, please let me know. I'd love to see what fabrics and buttons you used.

Crochet is gaining its name back again in the needle craft industry. This hobby started a long time ago, probably in the 16th century, but still staying alive especially with its popularity now even in the fashion industry.

Crocheting may not be that easy to learn and master. A lot of patience is needed when starting out with this new hobby. You should be able to learn how to read the patterns, understand the terms and know the basic hand moves and stitches. Also, you would need a pattern to start with. The pattern will guide you how to make those designs that you choose.

There are books and magazines available in your local bookstore that has several patterns in them. But there are also web sites in the internet that offer tons of different patterns for free. Some even have a free tutorial for beginners to learn how to make a successful crochet project.

Here are some of the free resources that can be found online:

- Craftown. This site is indeed a “Crafter’s Resource Center.” The site offers thousands of crafts projects and patterns including crochet. There is also a learning center section which offers free lessons on the craft you want, be it crochet or any other needle craft hobby.

The free crochet lessons page on the Craftown’s site shows the different chains and crochet styles that are usd in almost all projects. It has drawings that show the correct hand form, how the stitch should look like and the needle position. It has clear instructions that any beginner can surely follow.

Of course, to get you started in your crocheting adventure, the site offers a lot of crochet patterns with different difficulty levels. Thus, a beginner will surely find an easy one to start with.

- Crochet Pattern Central. This site is like an online directory of thousands of links to sites that have free crochet patterns. All kinds of crochet projects can be found here like afghans, doilies, hats, kitchen décor, baby items, ponchos, scarves, and many more. For the beginners, the site also has the Crochet Instruction Directory section where you can find a list of links to crochet tutorials and lessons. These tutorial sites are illustrated with clear and easy-to-follow instructions to make your first crocheting experience a lot more fun.

- Crochet in About.com. The crochet section of About.com also has several links to sites that offer how-to’s of different crochet stitches and patterns both for beginners and experienced alike. There is also an A-Z index of free crochet patterns available in the internet.

- Lion Brand Yarn. One of the most popular yarn brands, the Lion Brand offers several resources for free to the hobbyists which is a good marketing strategy for them. First of all, it has its own set of crochet tutorials that can either be viewed online or downloaded for offline use. It even has an illustrated dictionary for beginners who cannot fully grasp yet the terms being used in most of the crochet patterns.

And, of course, the site also has almost a thousand free patterns available that feature their different yarn products. These patterns have different categories such as adults, children, infants, home décor, and pets. These patterns are also classified according to the skill level required so hobbyists can easily determine which pattern to choose.

- AllCrafts. This web site is also like a one-stop-chop for all your needle craft needs, be it crocheting or knitting. It has several links to free crochet patterns organized in different categories. The site also offers reviews of crochet books and magazines available at Amazon.com or from your local bookshops.

- Crochet N More. This online site offers over 300 free crochet patterns for hobbyists to start a new project. There are also premium patterns available for a certain fee. The site also has links to some web sites of other people who just love crocheting, with free patterns and free advising on your project.

These are just some examples of the many resources online that are all about crochet. Even if you are just a beginner, you will not feel left out because of the different help and tutorials that you can get for free. So start checking these sites now and make your very first project that you can show off to your friends!

K2TOG, A Knitting Blog (The Oregonian): Color Me Blue: This is a fun post about the fear of color that parents seem to instill in young boys and can be vexxing for the knitter who wants to create something colorful. What to do?

I have friends whose young son lives in an olive-green nursery with black furniture, spurring me to grudgingly knit a black layette and deal with well-meaning-but-horrified questions from fellow knitters and inquisitive fellow TriMet riders. ("Yes, it's a black baby blanket. No, they're not satanists -- they're hipsters.") And I have a friend who doesn't let her school-age son wear any shade not seen on a black-and-white TV.

The Lumpy Sweater: How Knitters Will Save the World: You may have seen the recent Time article that Google is making us dumber? Well, according to The Lumpy Sweater, because knitting (and crocheting and many of the fiber arts) take so much concentration and focus, it has the potential to create (or recreate) the ability to think deeply and thoughtfully. This quote, actually from the Cast On podcast sums it up:

“Knitters, when you bring them into knitting, there is something that rises through the knitting that is…it’s like a deep hum or a deep rhythm, something primal and simple and peaceful…*”

Knit or Crochet a Scarf for Special Olympians: For the 2009 Winter Olympics, Coats and Clark and its Red Heart Super Saver yarns are sponsoring a project to provide each Olympian with a handmade scarf. You can read more about the project here. Want to participate? Here are some patterns for your Special Olympics scarf:

• Crochet Dude's Cables and Ruffles Scarf
• Special Olympics Scarf Project Ravelry Group
• Crochet Today Special Olympics Scarf Pattern (PDF)
• Coats and Clark's Free Patterns

CocoKnits.com: How to Cut Rags for Knitting: I've not knitted on anything larger than a #13, but I might have to try this. I love the bath mat!

Crochet from CraftGossip: Holding Your Crochet Hooks in Style: Some creative ways to corral your crochet hooks.

Lounge tip # 14: Crochet/Knit

We hope this finds you well on this gloomy Saturday (its cloudy and cool in Denver).  Let us remind you of how important it is for us to take time for ourselves. Being a mom is a 24/7 job, which is enough to make even the sanest go nuts.  For the last few months Kalisha has taken up crocheting.  She has gotten very good.  I'm secretly super ecstatic that she has learned not only for all the great presents she has crochet for us, but also for the sanity it grants her for even a short time while she twiddles (as Bret, her husband calls it).  Seeing how it has relaxed her I recently have taken up knitting.  It can be very challenging but very calming. 

Well how do you start? I found a really great website KnittingHelp.com, it has detailed instructions, including videos on the different stitches. It would be the first stop if to learn. Also go to youtube.com, type in learn to knit or crochet and a plethora of videos will come up. Google is a great place to start as well. There you can find how to's and tons of free beginner patterns.

Knitting or crocheting is not just for 'grandmas' anymore. So don't think you'll be aging yourself by trying a new craft.

If you already knit or crochet we would love to see any of your projects.

Come back tomorrow for Speechless Sunday!

Have a great day!
Reneca and Kalisha

Baby Cable Rib socks using Plymouth Yarn Rockin' Sox.  See that big honkin knot cluster?  That's what I'm currently knitting off of.  I started these socks Wednesday after I remembered that everything else I'm working on requires looking at a chart or working from written directions.  These are my work/I can't think anymore today socks.  I haven't had time to actually work on them on my breaks at work yet - but once our schedules settle down and we know when are breaks are - I'll be taking refuge with these  from time to time to clear out the old head.

Getting back to work went well - we have a nice class and I'm lucky to be working with another great teacher this year.  If this past week is any indication - it's going to be a fun year.  I did forget how much work tends to interfer with my free time and blog time and knitting time and basically all the time I like to do other things, but this is just a matter of getting back to balancing that all out.  I've a few unexpected things to take care of in the next week or so - I'm hoping that is all it will take to get these things out of the way - those afterschool appointments are great time suckers too.  But the sock will come along - if anything - to keep my hands busy and my mind occupied.  This soupy weekend will probably be spent just catching up on home stuff and sticking close by.  I opted not to go along with the knitting group to a fiber festival tomorrow - but I'm totally planning on going to Rhinebeck this year.

Thanks for all the kind words and support over that darn mouse problem - the room seems to be only occupied by me - the traps go unvisited and I'm thinking it might have to do with the peppermint oil - or maybe that mouse caught wind of what I was planning on the blog.....I don't know - but as long as they stay away, things will be fine.  Just to clarify - no yarn was injured in the process - they hadn't started to chew away at that - thankfully.  They were, from what I could tell, storing food for the cold winter ahead.  And we do, no matter how we try to prevent it, get mice when the weather turns cold - it's just one of the things you get with an older house in the country - those little field mice love to snuggle down in warm places when it's cold outside.  We can't have a cat to help out because I'm allergic and I won't keep an outside cat.  So it's up to us humans to control the unwanted visitors in our house.  We've lived here for nearly 20 years and this is the first time they've dared to try to move into my yarn!!!

Things might be quieter around this blog for a bit - but I'm still around and still knitting.  And planning a contest to celebrate the upcoming 2000th comment on this here blog........stay tuned and keep dry!

The rug - so far...

The felted bag - so far...

It seems that I'm on a whole 'hearts and flowers' kick, lol. I guess I am :)

The same thing in three different crafts is kind of interesting.

I got sick of my hair the other day so I let my girls (17 and 14) cut it. Perhaps a brave move but they did a fine job. Now I have a long bob type style and I like it much better. This was their first try at hair cutting, lol, they were nervous too. It was almost to the small of my back but the ends were very dry so it feels much nicer now. They did it in thin layers, starting at the nape of the neck, making each layer slightly longer than the last.

My husband is taking the kids to some car racing today so I may work on the crochet some more - it's the closest to being done. Yeah, that and the laundry that seems to have doubled since yesterday...kids are mysterious creatures with the power of neverending laundry :)

Have a great day :)

So what should I make? There's so much to choose from!

Teeny tiny Ugg booties?
The littlest Mary Janes?
A Kimono sweater? (There's some extra "Squeeeeee!" in that one, if you ask me)
A shrug for today's stylish little lady?
A very Berry Hat?
Something fruity and delicious, perhaps? (Could be turned into a pumpkin hat with minor color moderations)
Staci's ingenious Letterman Cardi? I'm thinking pink and black - so cool!
Or maybe the little lady needs a Little Red Riding Hood? (I am so in love with this one, I can't stop looking at it. I have to make this! But maybe when she's older and walking.)

This is so hard, I can't decide! Well, I'll just Squeeeeee! some more for now.

Who: MakingsbyMary

Where : British Columbia Canada for summers, Texas USA for winter

What do you like to make?:  Denim Bags from recylced jeans, Barbie Doll cothes and Crocheted scarves

What are your favourite mediums?:  I really don't have a favourite, I love to sew and crochet

When did you start and why?:  Oh my, when did I start you ask?  Well when I was about 8 (too long ago to mention) my grandma tried to teach me how to knit and I just couldn't get those two needles working together so she gave up and gave me a crochet hook and I have been crocheting ever since. As for sewing my mother taught me that and I started with barbie doll clothes and moved up to my own clothes then clothes for my two daughters.

How long have you been on Etsy?:  January 2008

Do you sell your creations anywhere else?:  Yes at markets and fairs when  I have the time and inventory.

What is involved in your creative process?:  Time

What is the best thing you love about your art?:  I love to create things, especially originals.

What is your all-time favourite piece?:  Not sure I have a favourite, I love them all equally !!

What is the biggest drawback you have found in selling online?:  Listing

What do you do to advertise?:  I hand out little match book note cards to anyone and everyone. Add my Etsy shop address to bottom of my emails.

Do you have any suggestions to others who want to sell their crafts online?:  Persistence, patience, reading and learning.

Thank you Jewelz for the interview and opportunity to be on your blog.

Mary has some absolutely gorgeous Bags and Barbie & Ken doll clothing available on Etsy!  I myself have purchased a beautiful Black Denim Bag and look forward to buying more!  To check out her shop just go to www.makingsbymary.etsy.com and see for yourself just how creative she is! 

I will be back again later with more from Etsy!

My third pinwheel is growing...which is a good thing, as it needs to be finished for a wedding I am attending in a few weeks. The rest of my knitting doesn't look much different from my last posts, so I'll spare you from trying to figure out if I knit 5 st or 25 st on my other WIPs. I do have some productivity from my kitchen to share:

You're looking at a soothing, spicy soup that did exactly what I needed it to on Tuesday: address my drippy nose, and transport me to somewhere else. I will certainly be making this again. (If you haven't checked out Heidi's recipe blog over at 101 cookbooks, what are you waiting for? That lemony stirfry on the front page is on my list this week.)

Also, a loaf of banana bread. I tend to poke my bananas every day or so to see if they are ready to be turned into bread, specifically, Mark Bittman's version of banana bread. I like the addition of a little bit of coconut -- adds texture and depth without being overly sweet. Yum!

This guy is ready for his close up. He wants you all to know that he is trying very hard to be good, but that sometimes life gest really hard. Exhibit A:

I took this picture out one of our windows, without using the zoom. It is almost too much for Boh to bear. Yesterday he may have attempted to jump through the [closed] window -- he bumped his nose on the glass and flopped onto the bed, ready to make another go of it.

This week has had more of a rhythm to it, and now that I have a pile of books to read and think about, I have less time to worry about transitioning into an academic life. Looking forward to the week ahead -- we're finally past introductions and syllabi, which means it is time for "real" grad school to start.

Happy weekend!

• Passchendaele is about  the Canadian participation in WWI - in Canada still the Great War - the big losses and how it hurts in Canadian society. In spite of this big theme and many beautiful shots it was for me a very disappointing experience: Gross is in his debut the director of the overexaggerated gesture, as he must explain every single point. In someway the theme is like in Plus Tard, je comprendas - how political tensions has influences  in the personal life of families - , but the movies couldn't been more different. The latter is the movie from what is not been said, the former the movie of everything said twice or even thrice. My rating: ** (of possible *****)
• RocknRolla. Wow, what a beat, speed, black humour,  what a different look at Ken Livingstone's London. Though I could not understand half what was said in different kinds of cockney English, I enjoyed the movie from start to finish, as the whole sold out Ryerson Theatre - many fans - did. My rating: ****
• Linha de Passe, Nominated in Cannes for teh Palme d'or, a typical 'Rotterdam' movie, about the struggle against poverty in the slumps of Sao Paulo, typecasting a single parent family - off course the mother is the only parent - with 4 different young boys,  from 18 years old Ronaldinho look-alike Dario  to the rebellious and very black Reginaldo, who melted my heart. My rating: *****
• Knitting,   a modern  version of an old Chinese tale, the immortal Weaving Maiden and the poor Cowherd. Did not convince me, but maybe because it was the fourth movie of the day and waiting again in a line. My rating: ***

Anyway, I didn't think any more about it until I got a knock on the door and found the postman standing there with this HUGE box. I opened it to find loads and loads of scarves made from fluffy eyelash wool in all different colours.  There was also a letter which said that the scarves were actually made by the lady's grandma who is 86 and blind. What a generous donor and an inspiration to all.   

And the hemp summer top

The "Oops!" in the title refers to the fact that two of my favourite cardigans met with a felting accident after my very helpful husband put them  in the washing machine (the original top down round yoke and my shell stitch wrap around cardigan). I must admit I was very upset at the time, and vowed never to make anything wearable out of hand wash only yarn again.

I have started on two more seamless garments - this time knit rather than crochet, and worked from the bottom up. The first will be a basic cardigan with either a crew neck or a ribbed collar in Texere Troon Tweed (not machine washable!)

And the second will be an adult sized wonderful wallaby in Wendy Serenity ( a very soft alpaca/wool/synthetic mix)

it's interesting working on the two projects at the same time. The texere tweed is a little bit rough compared to the synthetic blend, but it's so much more enjoyable to work with. Although the Wendy yarn is very soft, it does have a synthetic, slightly squeaky feel, but I probably wouldn't have noticed so much if I hadn't been working with the Tweed yarn as well.  I think in future I will probably stick to working with non-synthethic yarns but just be more careful about ensuring that they do not end up in the washing machine!

I don't really understand the concept but if you think making a pompom might help bring about world peace, then go ahead.  And if you're a novice at pompom making, go to my How To Make A Pompom page.

Technorati Tags: Pompoms for World Peace

Today I'm off to I Knit Day, so I'm going to re-start my alpaca scoop neck vest - which stalled last time after I decided to knit in the round instead of flat, and got as far as the armholes before discovering I'd cast on the wrong number of stitches. This time I'm sticking to the pattern. It should be a quick knit, although I will probably put it aside after today to knit a baby sweater for a colleague's new little one - still deciding on patterns for that though now that the pea pod baby sweater is no longer available online (and is trapped on my melted old hard drive)

So those are my next two projects, but given that there may be some buying of yarn today, I am looking at what is next in the queue. I can't decide though! I really like everything in my queue.

I'm actually tempted to put it to the vote.  If I get enough votes, I'll knit whatever comes top!

So choose your favourite!

Meredith:

Yogini Bolero:

Manon:

Ingenue blouse:

Queen Anne's Lace:

Equestrian blazer:

Gathered Pullover:

Chantal:

I'm making some real progress with my knitting. I finally finished "Stafford" my double-hoop-handled purse from the June 2007 issue of Magknits.com (which is no longer up, unfortunately). I even included a stockinette iPhone pocket on the inside! Brilliant! Now I just need a tiny little pocket for bus fare...

My Linen Stitch Scarf that I'm knitting out of Socks that Rock by Blue Moon Fiber Arts is coming along swimmingly! It's so stretchy & soft & delicious. The hexagonal pattern came about completely by chance, & I'm so glad that it did.

One rather unfortunate frogging did occur...
I was attempting to knit the Featherlight Lingerie Dress by Mari Lynn Patrick from Lace Style, but it wasn't turning out quite right. My stitches weren't uniform, which made it look like there were gaping holes in the skirt. Ew. One other Raveler made it out of the same yarn, Louisa Harding Kimono Angora, but she used Pure, a solid colourway. I was using a variegated pink & yellow (9). Hers turned out very lovely, but it didn't have the same weightlessness it has when knitted in mohair. The weightlessness being what I loved most about the dress to begin with. So maybe the frogging wasn't so unfortunate? I will start over using Bollicine Sissi, a 70/30 blend of mohair & nylon in a subtle variegation of white, pink, green, & yellow. Light as air. Not at all a fall project. I should have started it in spring. Oh well, I doubt I'll leave it alone until next year to work on one of the many (too many) projects better suited to the season. I think the weather is on my side here, as the weekend promises to be sunny & in the 70s. Finally a reason to like warm weather!

I spend more time thinking & talking about knitting than I actually spend knitting. I should work on that. Right now...

When I was cruising around Ravelry I found this hat and knew I had to make it for Mini. I picked up a skein of Rowan Big Wool, some huge needles and in 1 hour of knitting I had this adorable garment, done, ends woven in and she was wearing it. She really likes it and wanted to wear it out to check on the chickens. I meant to get a pic of her in it, but the night got away from us. I'll be sure to get one tomorrow, as the hat becomes exponentially cuter when it frames an adorable face.

I've been itching to sew again lately, so I decided to spend some time working on the little car catchalls that I sell on Etsy, and have been neglecting all summer. I have several folks waiting patiently for an update, so I committed to having new options up by Saturday...that is tomorrow, so the pressure was on. I seem to get so much more done when I'm under pressure. I have several that need to be ironed and photographed, as well as a couple more that need some finishing hand stitching. While I'm pleased with my progress I did not find this stint satiated my desire to sew. I have a couple projects that should do the trick and with the rain predicted this weekend, I might be able to find the time to work on them.

I abandoned the sewing for some veggie picking. With the rain that is coming, we needed to pick the green beans and tomatoes, and ended up picking some other things... about 1/2 a bushel of tomatoes, a bunch of green beans, some Kale and Swiss Chard and a couple Eggplant. I'm planning on making and canning tomato sauce tomorrow, along with the peaches I got the other day, which are nice and ripe, so hopefully will peel easily.

Don't the cherry tomatoes look stunning!?

After veggies it was time to enjoy a lovely bowl of Peach Crisp topped with some creamy Breyers All Natural Ice Cream, vanilla, of course.

Inspired by the peaches, I started a fun little hat alternative for the hair conscious among us, in a beautiful pinky/peach color yarn. I'm 1/2 done, and feeling very accomplished with 1.5 hats in 1 day. The pattern is free on Knitty, and is called Calorimetry. A quote from Katherine Shoendorf, the designer... "Calorimetry is a scientific term describing the measurement of heat lost or gained. Knit hats are a wonderful way to block out the cold, but when you have long hair it usually requires wearing it down, not often the most comfortable option on a blustery day. This headscarf allows you to wear your hair up while keeping your ears warm and preventing heat from escaping from the top of your head."

I think this one will be donated as part of my little "Knitting to Keep Warm Event". Hoping, however, that there is enough yarn left to make one for myself. I'm not a huge hat person, but I also don't like bitter cold whipping around my ears. So this may be the perfect solution.

Progress thus far:

I still haven't commented on the tractor mentioned in the title. I did not get one today...but mom and dad did! This is going to make light work of prepping the land at the other end of my property to become a garden...and the home to some lovely fruit trees! We have a lot land that needs gravel moved and then the land tilled and fertilized and such. I don't know if I'm up for an even bigger garden next year, but that's the plan! I think I've commented before,that while I'm not ready "to go off the grid", those folks don't seem quite as insane to me as they once did!

Andrea, if you are ready for an eggplant, I have one that is ready for you!

Saturday night I went to John and Victoria (Jixie)'s 1st wedding anniversary party, which was appropriately paper-themed. Everyone had to wear something paper. Well, my Financial Times (pink!) ballgown fell apart in about the first hour, but it was a good night!

Sunday was mostly spent getting over my hangover, although I did go out salsa dancing in the evening, and possibly got filmed for an Argos commercial... hmm.

Cut to an extremely busy week at work trying to get a million and one things done, and equally busy evenings.

On Wednesday I ended up having a bit of an adventure. I went with Kashmira and her friend Sim to Kashmira's friend's house in Hounslow, for the Ganesh festival. So I got to worship Ganesh, who is probably my favourite Hindu god (Lakshmi's cool, but you really can't beat a four-armed elephant man). We took a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of vermilion, threw it on Ganesh and smeared the rest on our third eye.  I even drank Ganges water!  After the festival Ganesh is immersed in water.

I studied the festival at university (I WISH I had done more history at uni!), and its place in the Swaraj or Indian indepence movement, so it was cool to take part.

Last night I met a bunch of knitters I hadn't met before and went out for dinner, getting absolutely soaked in a heavy downpour on the way!  It didn't matter that I had an umbrella, this water was coming up from below as the streets turned into rivers... The food was good although vegetarian options were limited.  The service unfortunately not so good.  I think it's a bit crap that you can go to a chain restaurant like Wagamama and get far better service than at a more upmarket place.  Oh well!

And today, I Knit...

I feel like I am on the outside of life-- everything operates independent of me and there isn't anything I can do about it.

Thanks to those who check in with me here to see how my life is going.

I'll start out with some good news (for me anyway).  Today I went to my Local Yarn Shop because she posted on Ravelry that she was having a 50% off sale on some yarn .  So I went and got six skeins of lace weight yarn and three skins of a wool blend to make the Hubbs some hats for his early morning fall PT session for work-- and I only paid 30 bucks.  Those of you who are yarnies know that is pretty awesome.

More good news: I have started acupuncture to help manage the pain of fibro and CFS. (Someone remind me to explain more about these illnesses-- i've had emailed questions about it and I really mean to do it but I forget). The interesting thing is though is that it isn't traditional acupuncture.  What I am doing (well my doc not me--but you all know what I mean) is called Ear Stimulation. Right now I am in my third week (but not really because I had to skip this week b/c the doc was fully booked).  The plan is that I go for new placement points once a week and I am give a little magent to stim the point that correlates to the part of me that is hurting.  I do this for about six weeks then I  switch to once every other week for about three or four months and then we re-evaluate. I like it so far- until the stud falls out- thats the only downside cause they last just about a week.  Another plus is that I have finally been perscribed a pain killer for those times when my regular meds and the ear stims don't work (like now).

As far as my cousin goes... im still very upset about it when I end up thinking about it... but I've compartmentalized it (at least I hope I have).  I haven't spoken to her and pretty much severed any avenue of communication.  I know where to find her if I change my mind.  I did determine though that the biggest and most relevant feeling wasn't hate (although if I am being completely honest- and this is my blog so I should be- that is pretty high up on the list) but rather disappointment.  I think. I really haven't sorted through it all quite yet.. mainly because I wanted to not think about it overly much during my brother's wedding.

Ahh, my brother's wedding.  It was crazy just trying to get there.  Let me explain.   Here in the middle of nowhere it takes a bit of a drive to get anywhere that isn't here.  The hubbs put in paper work for a milage pass (because if he isn't within 250 miles of the post and gets in trouble-- it could get really bad).  We originally thought (because he had been told) they would have off Thursday and Friday (with the four day weekend) so our inital plan was to drive Wednesday night so that I would be there to help Momma and my Dad get the house ready.  Someone then informed whomever that Labor Day was actually Monday so the days were changed to Friday and Monday for the four day.  So I call my mom to let her know what is going on and figure all is good because I'd still have friday to help.  So the hubbs goes in to check on his pass (took forever to get it signed--UGH) and finds out that they again changed it to Monday and Tuesday. ERGHHHHH(X's 100.000.000).  On Tuesday AM it went back to Friday Monday and on Wednesday it went back to Monday Tuesday.  WHAT A HEADACHE!  I was trying not to stress out but really-- how could I not?!  Stress is a major no-no for me.  It triggers my Fibro as well as my CFS (more so than the fibro).  That is one of the reasons why I can't work outside the home.  Technically I am supposed to only plan a maximum of two extra tasks a day.  Anyway, because of all this I did actually start to flare and that involved shaking, headache, fatigue, etc on Thursday so I just didn't do anything.   (I'll have to get more into that when I type about the neurologist appointment I had a couple days ago).  Friday we thought he would get out at noon, then three, then he actually got out at 4:30.  We left here at 6 and got into Lubbock around midnight.   I missed my brother's bachelor/ette (they had a joint one) party and that made me really sad.  I was worn out though so I probably wouldn't have been the greatest attendee.  Saturday was CRAZY (involving waiting for quite the number of people who didn't show up to help even though they CALLED and said they were on their way).  I had to calm my brother down a bit-- he was nervous (which is understandable) but his irritation level was rising.

As a side note: It was kind of surreal.  Calming him down, reminding him that the rest of the stuff that wasn't done in the house wasn't changing anything about why we were there.  I almost cried when I saw my brother standing there with the JOP and I saw his face when my SIL came into view- being walked down with her father (the wedding was in a gazbo at the park- very nice though the mosquito's weren't).  The tears rolled down his face and he was so *happy*!  It was a happy time.

Of course though I got the questions and the statements about how we need to get on the ball because my neice/nephew is gonna need a cousin. I am sure that I am not going to have to re-hash that because many of you who read this know the questions I am talkin about - Infertile or not.  Two of my baby cousins had a birthday party on Sunday- one turned one and the other turned two and again that was all about asking about kids.   I guess that was kind of where I started getting the feeling of just being an observer on everyone else's life because I don't feel I contribute anything worth anything to it.

Sunday we also started planning the baby shower. I really just put my heart away for that and plowed through dates.  I put my heart away and life just pulled it back out.  The only weekend where everyone she wanted to invite would be able to attend was 22 November.

That is the Saturday before Thanksgiving Thursday.

The Saturday before our 4th Anniversary Wednesday (as well as year 4 of being without a child--its great right-- but wait for it...)

Its the Saturday before the Monday of my 26th birthday.

Man... I can't finish this.  I'll have to come back to it later.

If you can call yourself a fan of anything vintage, funky, antique-y, or 'different' you will know exactly what I am talking about with this button. There are always certain items we come across in our search for the most unique and cool crafting stuff that are somewhat debateable. The terms 'funky' and 'vintage' are fraught with danger. One person's funky is another's ugly and one person's vintage is another person's dated. In this free for all world of taste what is unique and cool and what is just plain odd?

My mother and I debate these items quite frequently. With slightly differing tastes (neither is better or worse, just different) we are often caught off guard by the others opinion on an item. I will hold something up in an antique store and at the same time I will say 'awesome!' and she will make the face that can only mean one thing: ugly. Sometimes one or the other can be convinced, but certainly not always. It all comes down to personal opinions and individual tastes.

My friend Robin and my Aunt Tessa are always on the cutting edge of tres chic. They knows just what will work and be cool and what is over the top or dated. I can never keep up but I am most often convinced when they tell me that something is hip. I know they are right because whenever I have second guessed them someone on the street or at a party or in a coffee shop will comment on the debateable item. Then I know I have been proven wrong, yet again!

I also find myself second guessing my own tastes. Once I am on a kick I have to think twice before purchasing, lest I end up with too many or too much. I know that an item is good if I walk away for about a week and I can't stop thinking about it. That was the way with my debateable button.

When I first saw it at the button shop I overlooked it completely. Then Robin saw it and said 'Wow!'. That should have been a guess that it was cutting edge cool. I walked away but I thought about that button (not obsessively, just passingly, I swear!). What would I put it on? What colors would it go well with. Should it be prominently featured in the garment? The list of questions goes on. I just didn't know what to do about it. When I was back at the button shop I decided I could ponder the purchase no more: that button was mine!

Just when I thought I had made my decision on the button than someone said: I didn't know you were into old lady stuff. My button-choosing confidence took a serious blow. I put away the button and didn't give it another thought......until now. Some may like it and some may not but that makes it an interesting piece and I will walk the perilous lines of fashion! I'm planning on prominently featuring this button on a beautiful soft white Malabrigo Worsted.

"Okay," I thought. "I can handle this!"

I started last night, and realized that I was in Capital-T-rouble TROUBLE... The organization and features of the Ravelry site - especially the huge database and the ability to upload your own photos - is basically porn for a Type A personality and knitter such as myself. And I must admit that I succumbed to its charms. Entirely.

I stayed up until 2 a.m. inputting all of my past and current projects, including going through my digital pictures, resizing/editing them, and loading them into a new Flickr account so I could add them to my notebook. Then this morning I took pictures of and made notes about all of the yarn I've bought for various knitting projects, downloaded the photos and resized/edited all of them. Next it was back into Flickr to upload all of these new yarn images, followed by a major effort of data entry to input my "stash" yarn.

I can now look in one spot to easily find all of the projects I've completed (e.g., Catelyn's bunny hat and scarf set) and the ones I'm currently working on. I have an at-a-glance view of every skein and ball of yarn stashed in my bookcase, and a huge resource to help me figure out what to do with it all! I'm very excited! What can I say? I *heart* Ravelry! Are you a knitter? If so, check out Ravelry and look me up - I'm JAmber.

I managed to log out of my knitting/organizational porn with enough time to hit the gym for a workout with Darryl, and then to get cleaned up for a cooking class at Quality Street Kitchen and Catering. On the menu? SOUP! Chef Ryan Baird walked us through three different "Soups for the Soul," including Maryland Crab, Hearty Potato and Chicken Tortilla. They were all yummy, but it was the bread that really rose to the occasion (get it? bread rises? I crack me up!!). I'm gonna have to bake up a loaf one day to go with chili - YUM!

In thinking about posting tonight, I really didn't want to bore you guys with a Friday Recap. A quick read over at Mel's blog gave me some extraneous fodder though... a link to Friday5.org, which basically gives you a list of five questions to answer each Friday. Here's my Friday 5 for September 5, which is all about the color orange:

What's your favorite orange-colored food? Cheddar cheese!

What's the best way to drink orange juice? Pulp free, over crushed ice

Which candy's orange-colored pieces taste best? Starburst

What are your feelings about orange soda? Well, in high school by boyfriend drank an entire orange soda fountain drink at the county fair before we got on the rocking boat. He got sick and puked all over his feet, staining his socks orange. (He threw them out as we walked away from the ride.) I was sitting right next to him, but managed to pick my own feet up and out of the way. So, every once in a long while I'll want an orange soda, and as long as I don't think about this particular day and the way it smelled, mixed with all the other county fair smells, I'm okay. Otherwise? No thanks.

When did you last wear an orange item of clothing? Um, probably while in Utah I wore an orange-ish tank top (it was peach). The last time I wore something truly orange was last fall; I have a really nice burnt orange wool sweater.

It was a little cooler today, but very humid.  Plus, the septic guy came so I didn't really want to be outside anyway.  It seemed like a good time to experiment with an orange chiffon cake.  I have a recipe, but it makes a really big cake.  Even with our neighbors coming over, I knew it would be too much.  I wound up making between 5/8 and 2/3 of the recipe.  This is where you look at things out of the corner of your eye and squint a lot, but not so much that you give yourself a headache.   I also made an orange drizzle icing for it.  Everyone pronounced it delicious and ate a bunch, but I still have half of it left.

is pretty cool, made out of some fabric I've had sitting around forever.  I also recently bought ten skeins of Cotton Fine on Ebay, in order to knit myself a bitchin' sweater to wear to Rhinebeck.  Because, you know, all the cool kids show up adorned in their own handknits, and I don't want to be left out.  However, I am seriously daunted by the limited amount of time I have to actually finish the garment.  Barely a month and a half until the fair, and I am infamous for my delayed knitting style.  I'm tempted to just cast on for a top-down raglan to avoid the whole swatching/planning stage.  The potential for disaster kind of frightens me, but I think I'm going to go for it anyway.

Another laundry day.

Day 248, 9/05

Look Ma!  I'm knitting!