Happy Anniversary, Baby!

Oh, what 9 years can do for you.This is Notre Dame des Victoires in San Francisco.
Honest, I don't think we have gotten any older.
Ok, maybe a little.
9 more years and we will be wrestling Eldest for the car keys.
I think I will linger in this moment a bit longer.

How's this? Lady K and myself.
Quite a pair.
The Mister brought me flowers and I botched dinner. I am making it up to him tonight... with dinner done right. My Aunt sent me another huge box of apples, so at least one pie should be made this afternoon.
It was only 48 degrees at noon, so it is the perfect day to have Stew on the stovetop and Pie in the oven.

Useful Housework

Of course, I did the laundry.

I wouldn't have been able to do this, if I hadn't thrown in that load of towels!Wrecking knitting sure is empowering! I guess it really isn't wrecked, just felted on purpose. Still, it is a strange, guilty feeling that I get throwing fresh knits into the wash... on HOT. And how about that bag? One cycle in my front load washer was all it took! It is Paton's Classic Wool. Nice stuff.

While I am down there...

I cleaned off the Hockey Table, as I do when I want to do fun things with knitting, and brought in my pink foam board that the ever-fabulous Mister picked up for me at Home Depot. Then I set about blocking my sweater that has languished all summer. I need more T pins.

Unfortunately, my car is in the shop. I have been driving around for a week and a half in a car that was growling at me. Apparently, I am lucky that my alternator didn't give out on me because I would have been stranded. I guess they just don't make cars like they used to, one belt goes and you are toast. *shrug* I didn't argue with the guy when I start the car and he becomes very concerned and starts wondering where he can get an alternator this afternoon. He is an honest mechanic, so I took the ride home. Of course, I didn't realize at the time that I was going to need T pins!

I'll get my car back tomorrow afternoon- not an alternator in town for my car- hopefully, purring like a kitten.

I will steal the Mister's car tonight and make a run to JoAnn's.

Now, the paper is hoping that it will make it to 55 on Friday... very motivating to get a cardigan done!

A little weekend fun

Saturday, Laurie came over with an armload of videos. The Mister was out doing Mister-things, and we dipped spicy-sweet mustard with pita chips and gorged ourselves on Kaffe Fassett.
Check out this guy! I did not need to find this. When this is what I was looking for and is more than enough!
OHHH, I love color. I lamented to Laurie, "Could you imagine if we had time to do all the things that are in our head!?!" But I made a conscious choice to be married and have children, I made a commitment to raise my children as well as I can. That just means that I don't have time to do most of the things that are in my head. I think most of us are in the same boat. I think it also explains why we have so much stash, because when I do have time... but right now, I need to go clean the bathroom before Eldest gets home from school.

Edited to Add: I didn't go clean the bathroom. I am really a lousy wife/mother/housekeeper. Please don't tell on me, 'k? Anyway, I guess it was one of those group consciousness things this weekend, check out Panopticon's account of a real life encounter with Kaffe Fassett! Oh, I think I might be unbearable if I had a real-life workshop with those guys. Now, I guess I will go do my laundry. Hey, stop laughing. I just might.

Thank Goodness for the Weather

What else would we have to talk about? The weather man says that despite the fact that it is nearly 90 degrees today, by Friday we will be hoping for 60. Yikes. It is definately all or nothing around here.

Yes, this hat should look familiar. It is the mitts that I completed this weekend. I love 'em. But I am thinking that this set would really make a nice gift for someone. Now I just need to think of whom. They fit me and Laurie and the Mister, so size isn't an issue.

I did make up a rough pattern as I knit the mitts, so I am going to look into how one might put a pattern in the side bar. Any advice?

I Felt That!

Can you see the People?

They are supposed to be dancing.

They are a pattern from my Traditional Scandinavian Knitting book by Sheila McGregor.

And the rest of the pattern I made up by kinda mish-mashing a couple of things that I liked from a couple of other patterns.A hat plus some.

This is the simple cable hat from Cables Untangled.

I knit it isn the Highlander by Alpaca with a Twist.

LOVE this yarn.

I needed just a smidge more than one hank for the hat, so I am trying to make up a fingerless mitt to match from the left over.

Can you tell that I had to get away from the blue socks for a bit?

The Mister didn't think it was as funny as I did that, needing a break from blue, it sent me to the other side of the color wheel! Orange! Without even thinking!! Funny how the brain- and the eye- works.

I can't believe that it is Friday! Where did this week go?

My brother and his family came to visit last weekend, we took him to a Pirate game for his birthday- yes they lost- and I think he had a good enough time that he will come back.

Somehow, I managed to let the rest of the week wiz by me.

Hopefully, this weekend will be a bit more low key. Looking at the calendar, though, I am not too optomistic. Celtic Queen says that I need a bigger calendar. I say, "NO!! PLEASE, NO! If I have more space to write in more things I will be even more busy, and still not be able to tell you what I do with all my time!!"

So now, I will go watch INBA playing in the sandbox. It is 80+ and supposed to get hotter before it does anything else. Whew, some kind of October! Makes me worry about paybacks in the middle of winter... anyone seen a wooly catepillar this year? What is the forecast?

LOOK HERE. Everything is on the internet.
Have a great weekend... before the heavy rain comes.

It's That Time of Year

The boys made their own t-shirt decorations.

They started out with solar systems and it morphed into mountains and train yards. Still, they look very cute and the boys are very happy with the results.

Comfort Food

The weather dipped and I roasted a chicken last night for dinner.

Today, I made chicken soup.

Oh, I wish you could smell it.

I am going to run over to the Uncommon Market and grab a loaf of Mancini's Bread and spoil my brood to the hilt!!

I never make soup the same way twice, but it always starts with olive oil and sauteeing onion and carrot and celery. I had some red pepper today, too. Chicken broth and garlic and bay leaf go in, too. But today, I also put in Herbs de Provence. *sigh* So good. I will add some frozen peas just before dinner and it may very well be my best soup, yet.

Don't You Have Two Kids?

Uh, yeah.
Eldest is at school all day and then he comes storming into the house demanding and bossing. Honestly he hasn't done much that I would tell anyone about, lately.
But this morning, he was sitting out on the back porch listening to the radio on his little MP3 player that Aunt Melissa gave him for his birthday. He looked so grown up. Bopping to the tune in his head not knowing that I was watching and lamenting his advancement through time.
And really, it is ok. I know that this is what they are supposed to do.

Oh, and the Mister said NO *gasp* to acquiring a top-load wash machine from the pennysaver so that I can felt my bag. Good thing there is a voice of reason around here.

And lastly, we took the boys to Penn's Colony last weekend and watched the celtic group Highland Reign perform while we were there. So, the boys have been marching around the house singing, "I am Angus, the highway man! Trying to make a living any way I can." Imagine it with a marching beat and thick brogue. MMMmhmmm. Cute, but I am wondering if I will get a call home from school.

One more last thing. This weekend at Penn's Colony the are having a fleece to shawl event. They aren't shearing the sheep because it is all period. As you can imagine, it would take a good bit longer to shear the sheep with non-electric shears. It is a nice festival, you should go.

Bedtime Conversation

INBA has been full of interesting conversation and observation lately.

"Why is green so popular?" I guess no one told him that nobody likes green ;)
"Maybe because it is the color of all the plants and leaves of trees."
"No, not all. We have a red maple." pause, "And we have a sugar-free maple, so we can make our own sugar-free maple syrup!!"
"I don't think that is the way to get sugar-free syrup."
"I think so."

Good night.

Oh, Goodies!

Triple-Layer Pumpkin Spice Piefor some reason, this recipe isn't on their website. Since I picked it up at the grocery store, I am going to type it out for you.

Jell-o has a new flavor pudding... Pumpkin Spice. OMG, girls.

So here it is:

Ingredients:

2 Cups cold Milk

2pkg (4 serving size each) Jell-o Pumpkin Spice Flavor Instant Pudding and Pie Filling

1/4 tsp. ground Cinnamon

1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip, thawed

1 Honey Maid Graham Pie Crust (6oz)

1/2 c pecan halves

1Tbsp honey

Method:

Beat milk, dry pudding mixes and cinnamon with a wire whisk until well blended. Spread 1 1/2 cups onto bottom of crust.

Add 1 1/2 cups of whipped topping to remaining pudding mixture; stir gently. Spoon over layer in crust; top with remaining whipped topping.

Refrigerate 1 hour. meanwhile, cook pecans and honey in skillet on medium-low heat 2-4 minutes or until pecans are carmelized, stirring frequently. Spread onto sheet of wax paper separating larger clusters. cool. sprinkle over pie just before serving. store leftovers in refrigerator.

Makes 10 servings, one slice each.

I didn't bother carmelizing the pecans because I knew that it wasn't going to get eaten up right away and I find that carmelized nuts don't like to be kept in the fridge very long.

The Mister gave this pie very high marks.

"Better than pumpkin pie." I believe is what he said.

I should mention, he doesn't like Nutmeg. This is heavy on cinnamon. That contributes. I usually make pumpkin pie with Mace in place of the Nutmeg. It tastes the same to me, but it tastes better to him. Whatever.

Either way, this pie was ridiculously simple and super tasty.

knitting...

I finished my sister's blue socks. And I am working on another blue pair for a gift. These are of the yarn that I bought in Traverse City. It is an Opal Rainforest color. I haven't knit with Opal before (I don't think) but I like it a lot! The colors are awesome, I don't mind that it is blue (so much.) Part of the fun is that I am doing this pair on Magic Loop with Addi Turbos. Hard not to like the knitting with good tools and ingredients.

I am thinking of some more Holiday knitting. Um, don't mention the Mister's sweater, 'k? I know that I haven't touched it in weeks and could have been done by now. shhhhh.

The point is that I am getting ready to spread knitterly love and holiday cheer all around- not just in my house.

Oh, and I am getting close to finishing a bag (check out this gallery!)that needs to be felted... any volunteers for helping me with that? I am seriously contemplating asking the Mister to buy me a top loading wash machine out of the pennysaver just so I can felt. But that would be a smidge silly, don't you think?

I'm a Little Worried

INBA gets funny about his hair. Quite particular, actually. Today is school picture day. He had a lump at the crown that I was trying to flaten. Then, I brushed him a little to the side and he freaked out.

"NO, NO! Straight down and in!"

"To a point?"

"Yeah, that is how I always look."

"um, No."

I am afraid to think that they will let the kindergarteners arrange their own hair. Would a school picture person really think that I send him out with an Eddie Munster-esque coiffe?

I cannot think about it.

I guess we will find out in a few weeks...

In Praise of Tinking

Here is the current state of MS3. You cannot see very well because the short rows won't let me lay it out flat. About half of what I have done on the wing is folded under and obviously, it is suppose to be squared off up at the top. I did have to tink about 5 rows. I messed something up, although I still do not know what. Tinking actually gave me the opportunity to see what the stitches are really doing and how that double decrease is laying. I was confused and it probably led to the errors. So I am re-knitting, now and, hopefully, will have no further problems... oh, and I have sternly relegated this project to super-wide-awake status. That should help.
I was deeply concerned about my fancy toe socks walking off, again.
So I completed them.
Incredibly pleased with these girls. I started on these while the fancy toe socks were touring Pittsburgh.
These are Trekking XXL in blue multi. They are for the mother of the neice that wanted blue socks, 'cuz she wanted blue socks, too.

Busted.

Is that not classic?

The ultimate mud pie factory... a 6ft x 6ft sand box full of water.

And really, we get what we deserve for making the boys watch PBS.

We have been getting the series "Building Big" from Netflix and the boys are inspired. This is just the natural flow from building dams to flooding the sandbox.

It is good to be a kid.

It doesn't last long enough (for him, at least:)

The Weirdest Thing Happened...

I have been wandering through links lately. Just to see what's up out there and because, like me, my favorites have been posting less frequently. I wandered onto this blog and low and behold... I am in her links!
It weirds me out a little when I realize that other people lurk around my blog. I lurk most of the time, too. So, this is irrational, of course, because I toss (part of) my life out there into public, of course it is going to be seen... still. So, HI to all y'all that I don't know are there.

Wow, three people read my blog.

Oh, and if the Mister stops by, I put in a sudoku game for you to play with down the bottom, over there... you need to scroll down... below INBA'a dog.

Eldest just blew in... peace and quiet are over rated.

Can This Much Dust Settle?

Whew. Mayhem has kicked up some dust around here. I foolishly thought that with both boys off to school that the world would suddenly be smooth and peaceful. Oh, I guess I forgot to factor in volunteering, cub scouts, meetings, appointments, cleaning, grocery shopping... for some reason I think that I need to do an entire day's worth of work in 4 hours and then still have energy to be Mom and do family work all afternoon and evening.

I am waiting for the dust to settle, but I am afraid that we have kicked up too much.

So now, I am off to grab the mail on my way to pick up INBA from school so that we can have lunch and not be late for the appointment I have this afternoon because I couldn't fit it into my already spoken for mornings.

Breathe. yes. #7 on the to do list for today.

The Sock Came Back!

The sock came back the very (almost) next day. We thought it was a goner, but the sock came back 'cuz it couldn't stay away!

Ok, so I appropriated a 6th grade camp song.

But the Sock came back, Thanks to lovely Ms. A and her charming children.

I didn't even realize that I had dropped it at KnitOne until I received her message.

Of course, I thought, "That cannot be MY sock!" Oh, but it was.

But it is home, safe and sound.

These Sock Are Made for Walkin'.

Somebody stop me! So what am I suppose to do when my sock is on vacation without me?

Finish some stuff.

Behold, Ruffled scarf (thank you, Laurie)

and Steelers gloves- supposedly size 6 years but with fingers that are far to skinny for any little kid that I know. One of those moments that make you recognize the difference in proportions between little people and big people. First DING for the Handy Book of Patterns and for Me for making something other than Mittens for a 5 year old.

So, how exactly did I drop that sock?

Well, this is what KnitOne looked like on Saturday.

A fashion show of knitted up yarn from the shop.

This is what it felt like.

Disorganized, crowded, too long for what it was.

But, I brought out my socks and to support the Celtic Queen.

That Lady behind me, she knit the scarf from the cover of the Anniversary Edition of Vogue Knitting... beautiful and a hundred bucks worth of silk. Yowzers.
Laurie modeled her shrug.
The Celtic Queen modeled her Fibonachi Mobius.

And her Mystery Stole 3 in SeaSilk.

See, this was the problem. This is the look that people got at the objects. Not enough to really appreciate. CQ didn't win best of show. But I voted for you! And really, you know that everyone had done a wonderful job... next time we just need to stack the audience a little more. Maybe we could rent a bus. :)

OOps! I forgot to take a picture of MS3, too! I finished clue 4!! Now remains the wing, but I feel that it is, indeed about to take flight and blocking is no longer a dream.

I will post a picture, soon.

Now, I am off to get the boy off the bus. The dust seems to be settling. The house is clean and calendar is filling up with things to do, places to be, people to see. I don't know how some people manage to have a paying job, too!

'Til next time. Peace be with you.

Kindergarten!!

It is official, my baby is on the bus headed for Kindergarten.

I almost cried. He was so happy and smiling and I was so happy and smiling.

It was great.Now, I am going to go have a cupppa joe with my friend that just dropped her little one off at Kindergarten, too!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2nd Grade

YIPPEE!!! It's the First Day of School!!

Eldest is off.

The bus comes at 7 minutes past 8.

He had his shoes on at 7:10, stood at the door at 7:45 chanting, "C'mon, MOM!" Sat on the top step of the walk until 8. Walked down to the bus stop and tried to get on the bus without his bag of school supplies (the ones that don't fit in the backpack, paper towels, kleenex, etc.)

I don't know what I would do if I had to drag him to school.

I hope he likes school forever... So, now I am lonely.

INBA had a big kid all-by-himself sleepover with Grandma last night. The Parent's Kindergarten Orientation is this morning.

I cleaned the house (and it is still clean:) and made some pepperoni rolls. And now I don't quite know what to do.

I have a whole list of things I want to get done. I just don't know where to start.

Oh well, I better go figure it out!

Ouch

Owie. and it looks so much better here than it did.

But he still has his beautiful eyes and 7 year old attitude.

He wanted me to make sure to inclued the knee. Of all the wounds, this is the one that hurts him the most.

The pictures are from Monday. His knee is going to be gross fro a while, but his face mostly healed. I think we will live, hopefully, a lesson was learned.

Tomorrow:

Back to School, at last.

No Pictures, Please!

I cannot post a picture today of the event of the weekend, Eldest won't let me photograph him. What? Eldest doesn't want to be photographed?!?!

Let's just say that Daddy was in charge. Yes, the Mister took the boys out for a bike ride in South Park. It was an asphalt trail, they were going downhill (what isn't in Pittsburgh?) and the combination of Eldest not believing in using the brakes and the unexplained transition to gravel at the bottom of the hill led to the (you saw it coming) crash and subsequent stitches, abrasions and bruises.

Yes, my poor baby had 4 stitches in the small space between his nose and upper lip, the swelling has gone down on that lip so that it is only half as large as his head and he is scuffed from one end to the other. He limps because he took such a large chunk out of his knee. Oh, and he knocked out ANOTHER tooth. Baby tooth and it was, indeed, loose previous to the fall, but he did knock out a tooth. He scratched up his glasses (that he got last week) and did have on a helmet. Thank God. His face would have been total hamburger if he hadn't. So he survives, but has not allowed a photograph.

To make it worse, we went to a birthday party today and the birthday boy covered his eyes and ran the other direction when ever he caught a glimpse of his stitches. Poor kid... both of them.

Otherwise, Happy Labor Day, my fellow Americans. Be glad you (or the one who supports you) have a job and ,hopefully, get an honest wage for an honest day's work.

Procrastination

Gets me nowhere!
actually, it gets me into position 29,765 on the list to join up at Ravelry. I know, I know, everyone is doing it, because there are only 18,857 people ahead of me waiting to get in, too. But that is ok. I don't really have time for another hobby related, self imposed obligation. On the upside, there is one person behind me in line.

When will school start?
Oh, it feels like never. This has been the longest week of my LIFE!! It is only Wednesday!! We did go pick up the initial packet for the boys. Now we have homeroom and bus assignments and 6 more days to endure until school starts. INBA is on his favorite WHINE TRAIN. I may burst my own eardrums with a sharp pencil. Eldest is practicing ancient torture techniques on his little brother. I may not survive 'til the weekend. And THEN I realized that I have an obligation tommorw that interferes with knitting at Bloomin Yarns. Ugh.

I do have one more upside, I am about half way through clue 4 on my MS3. True, I haven't touched the Mister's sweater in almost 3 weeks, but I am making progress on little things, though nothing is getting completed.

I'm a Mazda Miata!

You like to soak up the sun, but your tastes are down to earth. Everyone thinks you're cute. Life is a winding road, and you like to take the curves in stride. Let other people compete in the rat race - you're just here to enjoy the ride.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

STR Spoilage for August

At last, a pattern that suits the yarn!

It is a lovely lace cuffed anklet. I really like it.They included a couple of temporary tatoos. The boys, who love temporary tatoos, were not impressed with the thought of Mommy with a tat. I even said, "Hey, I can be like Aunt Kati!" No, no, no.

Mommies get no fun.

boo.

A Little Baby Love

A Standard Baby Gift

Burp Rags.

This is my "every baby gets at least one" gift.

I make them out of cute and soft flannel.

They offer almost infinite creative possibilities and what a baby receives is really more a function of my mood at the moment it was created rather than degree of love for baby.

How To

1. Go shopping for flannel. Soft flannel, with a nice pile. JoAnn's snuggle flannel is snuggley, and they have nice sales on it periodically. I like to mix prints and solids that coordinate. White is an easy one, but like for the ones I made last night, I used yellow, but ended up wishing I had some of that apple green on hand. (But I have 1 1/2 yards more of the print, so that may end up happening :)

Oh, you need to buy 1/2 yard of fabric. If you are doing the same on both sides, 1/2 yard is enough, otherwise, 1/2 yard each print and solid.

2. 1/2 yard of flannel would be 18"x42-45"

Cut your pieces in half so that it is 18"x21-22.5"

I am going to assume that you are doing the print and solid combo, so you now have 4 pieces.

(Oh, a little sewing-aside, you could prewash your fabric. I don't. I like the look of washing it after. It does run the risk of the fabrics shrinking at different rates and puckers and stuff. Oh well. I don't like how wrinkled the yardage gets in the wash and it is really difficult to iron it out afterwards. You make your own decision about that, though.) 3. Next, pair up your pieces, right sides together. Now would be a good time to make them the same size. I just use an acrylic ruler and a rotary cutter and trim to the smallest piece. Do try to keep it square. I think it is tacky when you try to fold it up and it is all wonky. But then, I am not sure that anyone notices it being off a bit, so I just try to keep it square. (I think it is clear that I am not anal or a perfectionist.)

4. Once you are trimmed up, pin together. The flannel sticks to itself nicely, so you only need a couple.
5. Sew around the edges, leaving a space to turn. I use 1/4" or 3/8" seam allowance, depending on which foot is on my machine at the moment. I use the edge as a guide. (oh, and I am lazy, too. The only reason I re-threaded the machine last night is that it was black thread in there. I knew I wouldn't be able to get away with that, but I left the walking foot on, so that gave me a wider seam.) And you want to leave the opening wide enough to get your hand in and pull all the fabric through.

6. Trim your corners.

7. Turn right side out.

8. Poke out corners (a chop stick is fabulous for pointing your corners) and smooth edges. I iron it to make it smooth and crisp around the edge.

9. Close the opening that you turned through. A few stitches by hand are enough or do it with your top stitch, if you stitch close enough to the edge that it isn't obvious that you didn't close the seam (oh, so lazy :)

10. Top stitch. Lengthen your stitch length, it looks nicer.

These ones turned out about 16"x21" when finished.

These are super easy to whip out. The real fun comes with personalizing them. I have done machine embroidery on some. I do it in a corner, sometimes on point (grin) so that it won't irritate a face lying on a shoulder. I do different edge treatments, too. I use my serger to do the seams or I top stitch with decorative stitches on my machine. The leaf/vine stich in varigated thread is nice looking. I have done some with a rag finish- like a rag quilt, I sewed them wrong sides together with a 3/4" or 1" seam and then snipped the seam every 1/4" or so. Then it frays as it is washed. You need to have a top load machine for it to work, the front load is too gentle to make it work! One very obvious example of the difference in washing machines!! (I cannot felt very easily, either :(

It could be interesting to try stenciling on these, too. Hmm.

I have also made them long and skinny, i.e. shoulder width, only because I saw some skinny ones at the store and thought it was a nifty idea. Ultimately, not as useful, I don't think.

Don't be surprised that you have to sternly say to the receipient, "USE IT!"

I have had too many new moms not want to, thinking they are too pretty. Just remind her that it is not nearly as pretty as the baby.

One friend of mine used it for a changing pad and sometimes as a little blanket (when the babe was tiny in the car carrier.) It is really nice to be able to give a useful gift that you know hasn't been given by 8 other people, too.

This post inspired by:

Lacey.

Those bibs she made are too cute. Lucky baby.

And now I have 2 burp cloths made for Shizuko's baby in February! Yea!

Hello

First things first.

I made a hat for Eldest. It is a pattern by Lacey's Wool Gathering.

Instead of the 6 colors, I used brown and the hand-dye that the boys made.

It turned out pink instead of red, so INBA doesn't like it- I believe he said that the hat looked "stupid." Yes, I am feeling the love at Chez Mayhem.

Regardless, Eldest liked the hat much more when I told him that it was his (their) yarn.

What ever works, I cannot be proud. Glimpse of Michigan

One of the highlights of the trip was a trip to Lake Michigan and the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

We love the National Parks and this was no exception.
I will start with the boys and me at the lake shore.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the scenic drive. That is Bar Lake in the foreground and Lake Michigan in the background.

Here are the boys at the tippy-top of the Dune Climb. See that little speck in between the boys? That would be me.
Call me a sissy if you will, but that was one heck of a climb that I made and I felt no desire to go to thinner air. Oh, and that would be little Glen Lake behind them.

Gee, they look like little angels, don't they?

Oh, and this was another highlight. Kati (middle) Kristyn (right) and Annette (bottom) went wine tasting on Old Mission Penninsula and then met up with The Mister and the Boys on the beach in front of the Holiday Inn in Traverse City. Quite a nice photo op.

And then, of course, I didn't take any pictures of my family that I see next to never. Ugh. I always do that. Still, a big shout out to My cousins and Aunts and Uncle. Hey, DoubleE, I am totally serious about the hair of your bison. And Stacey, you need to come to visit me, again. My Aunt gave me wool, my Cousin-in-law gave me mushrooms. I came home with wine and peaches and a cool candle. Maybe a little sock yarn and I might have fallen in love with a new spinning wheel at the Gaylord Yarn Shop. But, I am not sure that any of that can be proven.

Greetings from The Road

A little look at how I endure a car trip. Only 5 more hours...

Thinking About Packing

We are leaving in the morning for Michigan. I should be packing. I will pack, eventually. Geesh, we don't leave for another 15 hours!

The Mister took the kids for a hike this weekend. Rachel Carson Homestead, I think. Up the Allegheny, he said.Eldest got to practice taking pictures, too.
So I worked on this. I have a really bad need to be sewing right now. I want to make a quilt. My fabric stash is dwindling (by design) and I have mainly Japanese prints that I want to stop fondling and make into a quilt. I ordered a book to inspire and guide me, but it will arrive while we are away. SOOO, while looking over here, I was inspired even further. No need to remind you what a bag-lady I am.
A couple of hours of quiet time and ta-da! A Whimsy Bag.

You know what the Mister said? He said, "Oh, (as in yuck) that looks like something my mom would wear." In response to my horrified expression he says, "You know, the eccentric old lady that thinks she is fasionable but isn't." After gouging my heart out, he goes on, "Come on, even some of Calvin Klein's work ends up in the garbage, they can't all be winners!"

ACK!

I like it.

I told him, "Oh well, I am still going to use it. Even if you think it is garbage And I won't tell your mother what you said. True or not."

Wait until he sees that I have some of the pieces cut from this fabric to make ANOTHER one. I may have to be a tacky-old-lady sooner than anticipated just to show him! Yeah, that'll show him.


Mystery Stole 3, clue 3 complete.

My afghans for Afghans project. I have quite a bit, still, of this Andean Silk Twist, I might make some mittens to go along with this. It needs to be to San Francisco by Sept. 21. We'll have to see about timing.

So many projects, so little time.

9 hours in the car tomorrow should allow a little time for at least one project... in the trashy bag. Oh, yeah, it is going to Michigan.

Funny You Ask...

Laurie wondered if I got caught in the storms... Uh, no. It was 'beautiful' in Oakland, i.e. sunny and so humid and hot it was uncomfortable to breathe. The boys and I were heading home, Wednesday, I guess that was, and we are cruising along Blvd. of the Allies and I look out my window and say to the boys, "Wow, looks like it is raining in the South Hills." Sure enough. We took the Liberty Bridge and Tube and West Liberty Ave. and as we drive up into Dormont it starts raining. But we drove out of it and I was amazed at how wet it was as we made our way home!
Yesterday, it quit raining before we left in the morning and it didn't start again until after we got home.
Today, no rain until we had completed our week of camp. While inside Costco in the Waterfront (on a mission to pick up the Mister's contacts and the boys favorite lunch of pizza-as-big-as-their-head) it poured! But, when we were done, it was mere sprinkles. Then we were off to Century III to get $49 glasses for Eldest. It was blue skies when we emerged! Too much good luck if you ask me. Or it could just make up for last month when we had a playdate and an impromtu storm drenched us in a matter of moments. I'll take it as make up.

Oh, did you notice that I had to go buy Eldest another pair of glasses? He lost his. Um, sometime between the last day of school and last week. I would think that if a pair of glasses is set aside and not worn for 8 weeks, the glasses would be in the same spot when one goes back to get them. This is not the case in our house, apparently. I gave up and bought him the cheapest pair I could find. The optical shop where we bought the original pair (with our vision insurance) wanted $250 to replace them. That was some sort of discount, too, yeah, right. Seeing (heh) that he is going to be going back to the optometrist in 5 months or so, I couldn't really stomach $250 bucks, 'cuz you know that means that his script would change and I would still be spending more. Ugh, do I sound like the worst mom ever? c'mon, he could care less that he lost them and he doesn't think that they do much for him anyway... (of course, he is 7 and it makes no difference that his eyes are bad enough that he wouldn't pass a driver's eye test without them... yes, he needs them, no matter what he thinks.)

Change of Subject

As far as FairIsle goes, it is not hard. Not at all. Actually it is way too much fun to have with yarn. So, your worries should not be your ability to accomplish knitting with 2 colors, your worries should be if you feel comfortable enough with your knitting obsessions to endure the concerned looks from love ones as you giggle and squeal with glee at each completed row and repeat. Of course, they don't look nearly as concerned if the object is destined for them. Funny that way.

Tonight is Knitting Night... that means an inordinate amount of laughter in the local bookstore.

Whatcha been doin'?

I guess the way to get your friends to call is to neglect your blog. Laurie said, "I don't know what you have been doing because you haven't posted." I just wanted you to call.

This is a little of what I have been doing.
Staying up late. I mean, working on the Mister's sweater. Isn't it lovely? Yes, I fondle it late into the night and even spent a morning in a cafe in Oakland working on it.
I didn't go to Oakland just to work on the sweater, although that would not offend me, the Boys are at Art Camp at the Carnegie this week. It is unbearably humid here lately, hello, August, and it doesn't make me want to roam around like I would like to do if the weather didn't suck so bad. *whew* I also spent some time in the library, knitting and looking at knitting books. The room with the International Poetry has some very nice leather chairs, fyi. Oh, and I went over to KnitOne and knit for an hour (and bought some Kaffe Fassett sock yarn :) one day, too.


So, I finished the Baby Cable Rib socks for Vicki, too. I think she will like them. The Kaffe Fassett yarn will be for my sister's pair, I think. I am sorry, but dark blue socks do NOTHING for me. The only reason these were completed is that they are for small feet. ugh. Sister will have to deal with some stripes.













And this is the Mystery Stole progress. I took all these pictures in very bad night time light because Laurie didn't know what I was doing so I had to post :)
This is starting into clue 3, I am a bit further now.
















a lovely little close up.

gotta love the bead action.













Ok, this was this afternoon. INBA likes to help me with the laundry (yes I am encouraging this with every fiber of my being.) And once it started, he sat down on the floor to watch the clothes being washed. I thought, of course, "Man, I wish I had my camera!" He sat there so long, I said, "Hey, INBA, can I go get my camera and take your picture for my blog?" Vanity always wins. "Sure," he says without looking at me and continues to hang out, watching the laundry spin.

He was fascinated by the mechanics of the machine, the way the water stops and starts and that he could see the clothes becoming wet.

It is pretty amazing. Thanks for the picture.