Copy Me!!

Well, only if you want to...

My Nephew's camo hat was knit with Bernat Camouflage yarn and Perfect Match orange (randomness in the leftovers pile) Bernat makes an orange in the Camouflage label, but I had randomness and it worked.

Size 8 needles, 16inch circular and double points.
Ann Budd's the knitter's handy book of patterns.
92 stitches cast on, k2p2 rib in orange for-eh, a few rounds and a few more in camo. knit until it fit over my ears and then decreased- she uses a fast decrease, so make it pretty much as long as it needs to be before decreasing.
I used about half the skein. It fits me.
I cast on as we left my driveway and was decreasing as we pulled into my SIL's driveway in Delaware... pretty much 6 hours of knitting. I am not particularly fast and am easily distracted, so, take it for what it is.

One could argue for knitting a winter hat at a tighter gauge, but I have a hard time (pain) at too tight of a gauge. Still, you could easily go down to a size 6 (maybe even 5) needle and make a great hat with the same number of stitches, I think. You would use a little more yarn, though, and there is plenty in one skein for that.

Honest, this is what it said...

Heather -- [noun]: An immortal 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

INBA said to me the other day, "I want to be famous for helping people." I suppose that is one road to immortality. I am guessing, however, that as close as I will really come is my children.

How will the dictionary define me? or how will my actions define me? ... I suppose it is probably overthinking an internet quiz and I should go to bed now.

Welcome Back

Not that you could really tell we were gone. I just love the whole blogging "postcards" from my phone.
So what of Delaware? My SIL lives out there, we went to visit and spent most of our time at the beach. Missed connections and we ended up most of the time on our own. Which was ok in one way, but the boys would have had even more fun digging with their cousins. Whatever, I can only show up where I am told to be.

I would show you the hat that I knit on the way, but you can't see it because it is camouflage.

I finished the neighbor's graduation gift on the way home.

All the loose ends on this stuff is because I forgot my notions bag.

I left it on the couch next to where I was packing up my projects for the trip.

OOps. In Between

We stopped by Strasburg on the way home. Thomas was having a Day Out, to it was way more crowded than usual, I am sure. We still did the museum and such, but didn't ride any trains. INBA was not happy about that. But we will DEFINATELY go back.

This is Eldest on Vacation.

INBA and Eldest. Can you tell the kid (INBA) is in his element?

I am sparing you the pics (unless you beg) of all the trains in the museum (which is one of the best we have been to, and we have been to plenty.) I am going to put together a collage for the boy. He picked up a video called "Extreme Steam." All Steam Engines, all the time. I am giddy, are you? heh. He couldn't be happier. That's what counts.

I just cannot deny the kid anything when he is so excited about this stuff.

Since we were so close, we drove through Harrisburg to see where the yahoos spend our money.

Isn't the Mister handsome?

Stop drooling, girls, he's mine.

And Eldest.

In the Mail

Wednesday, before we left, I found this in the mailbox.

The June kit of the Rockin' Sock Club.

Just in time for the Summer Solstice, the Solstice Sock.

Clever, aren't they?

When we got home...

An owl had dropped this into my box!

Thank you, HEATHER!

Fabulous socks (that fit perfectly) of Regia Bamboo Color that she knit with bamboo needles!

I find that so amusing!!

Even better is that she included Crystal Palace Bamboo needles for me, too!

And, yes, Heather, I am going to have to fight the boys for the candies. They are hoping to find some booger and earthworm flavored beans in the mix.

ugh, boys.

I am anxious to try the "Exploding BonBons."

We need some variety in the BonBons around here! LOL.

Overall, very pleased with my first experience in knit-swapping.

Lacey is pleased with her package and I am estatic about mine.

Knitters are a good bunch of people.

Greetings from Delaware!

I didn t think I missed the ocean. I do. Having a great time. I found Knitty Gritty, too. Fun all around.

O K L A H O M A !

At the Benedum with the boys for another lesson in American culture. Oh... And Skittles!

Returning to Regular Program

Father's Day at PNC park was fabulous. Hot, humid and perfect. The Pirates managed to beat the Chicago White Sox and I remembered to put sunscreen on the boys... everyone wins, um, except the White Sox.

Love is flowing here at Chez Mayhem, the Mister's sweater is making progress. The Mister is devoid of sentimentality so I am trying to put as much into each stitch as possible so that he might acquire some through osmosis.

Otherwise, Eldest fell off his bike (gotta love the rights of passage to the two-wheeler) and knocked his front tooth loose which soon began dangling at an angle that gave Mommy the creeps. Aunt Peggy did the honors of yanking it for him. After the $95 dentist bill for the removal of the previous tooth, the Mister is not any more inclined to do the deed but ready to encourage others to do it for free. I am still not woman enough to to it. Thank goodness for a school nurse in the family.

My Hogwarts Sock Swap package is assembled and off to the post office this afternoon. You will have to trust me on this one, I, of course, forgot to take a picture. I will put a link to her blog if she puts up a picture. ugh. so incompetent am I.

A Moratorium is Declared

for "Heather Hates Pittsburgh."
Because in reality, as hard as it is to believe, Heather doesn't really hate Pittsburgh. She doesn't hate her knitting buddies, for example. She also does not hate her children's school or the Church she attends. Heather really does not hate Rita's, especially not the Mango Ice!
While Heather may prefer many places to being in Pittsburgh, we are going to refrain, all of us, from discussing how Heather Hates Pittsburgh, because, again, it really isn't completely true. And because we are refraining from this discussion, she is not even going to list those things which leave something to be desired here in the 'burgh.
It is enough to be said that there are good things about Pittsburgh as there are many, many good things about other places that are not Pittsburgh.

Take it from Abraham Lincoln, (the 16th President,) "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

The focus is shifting (again) at chez mayhem, only because my lenten declarations made so much progress. We are focused on what we have, not what we don't have. No further talk of the above mentioned hating will be tolerated. Heather has been instructed to leave the room until such time as she is able to participate in such conversation with humor instead of sarcasm, until she can resist the downward spiral into anger and depression, until she can change the subject gracefully.

This could take a while. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

--the Management

The Morning After

Seven +1

Being such a conscientious mom, I totally neglected to take a picture of Eldest with his cake.

I think I may blame it on the hoopla surrounding the fact that I only had 6 candles (that arranged themselves nicely into the number 7) and that I was tired after all that cleaning and PT. Either way, I didn't take a pic. But here he is. Clearly worn after a day of celebration. Inspired by Rani, I wound up some of the fingering weight superwash wool that I dyed with Laurie (this is the one that I was hoping would stay sparkley) and I am going to swatch some lace with it.

Why?

'Cuz.

I need to.

This is what is stealing my time, though.
I thought it appropriate that the heart appeared when I jammed the stitches down.
Because this is my declaration of love.
And oh, how exciting love is. I just hope I can maintain the enthusiasm and do the hard work that real love is.
His birthday gets closer every day.

A Pot of Coffee and A Clean House

Well, almost a whole pot. Now I have a few jitters... but worth it, the entire house isn't clean, but the first floor floors are done (even mopped the kitchen) the powder room and I vacuumed the family room couch and rearranged the cushions. My deputy in charge of dusting is outside playing, so that will have to wait.
What are they playing with outside?
Eldest's Birthday Present. It is called top toss and they throw a rope with balls at each end at a ladder looking thing and count points for how many times it wraps around and which rung it is on.
Oh, yeah, Eldest is 7 today. Seven. Seven. How did my baby get to be seven? He also got a watch for his birthday. He has been announcing the time every 5 minutes or so. Only because I told him how annoying it was to announce each minute that passed. I think he likes his watch. The band has flames on it. Very boy.
The cake is waiting to be frosted. Cilantro Lime Steak (his fave) is marinating.

Maybe the birthday is part of it, maybe the cronic disappointments associated with living in Pittsburgh, maybe some hormones, maybe just because, but I have been feeling restless and anxious lately. I just want to run around kicking things and yelling and ripping the heads off flowers. So I cleaned the house (fine, not all of it, but it is only 11:15 am, give me a chance.) I am thinking this is a control issue. I cannot control the world, I can control how gross my house gets... for the most part. (The boys are outside, I have complete control for a couple of minutes.) So, I will get back to it. Thinking about it is annoying me.

CLO

The show starts soon & the boys are more excited about the DOTS!

Lunchtime at the Arts Festival

Uh-oh, I just figured out how to post from my phone... guess I need to update my calling plan or 25cents a post is going to put me in the poor house.

Anyway, the boys and I went dahn-tahn and met Laurie for lunch (an experience- if way overpriced and only so-so tasting) and a stroll around the artist's market. They did pretty well. We got home just in time (2:08pm) for the torrential downpour that the weather man said to expect after 4pm. Good thing I went back for the umbrella this morning or we still wouldn't be dried out. All is not lost, however, the sun is shining, now, and barely a cloud to be found.

Boys of Summer

Party on the Trail was fun.

There was a "train" ride that the boys spent a good deal of time on.And a good long walk... close to 4 miles!

We went out to see the Pirates play the Dodgers, Eldest brought along Mr.G for a early birthday celebration.

This ball was hit into our section by a Dodger and ended up under my seat... and with me in a tussle with two other guys for the ball that was under my seat!

Well, I am still just a girl, and the guy that was determined pushed me out of the way and kicked a pregnant woman to get the ball. Can you believe some people?

What in the world? It is a ball! I mean, I wanted to grab it, but I was more disappointed by being roughed up by a man way old enough to know better and have better manners.

Fortunately, he was harassed enough that an inning and a half later, he gave the ball back to me.

I gave the ball to Eldest.

We picked those seats because he was hoping to get a homerun ball.

There you go, kid.

Every Sunday, kids can run the bases after the game.

Ruuuuunnnn!

Design Flaws

Well, I got an earful on Friday Night at Knitting. Apparently, my knock off bags had some issues.

Oh well, now they are fixed, I think.

TKR's totally lost the top seam, so I serged the edge and did a decorative stitch hem, hoping to catch more of the edge. I think this will be good.

Stacey's was hardly used, so I confiscated hers and double stitched the seams.

Laurie's... Laurie's....

Well, of course, Laurie's was the most heinous case.

Laurie uses her stuff.

Which is a good thing.

But I am making a mental note, actually, I may need to write this one down.

Laurie's stuff needs to be tough.

Not just tough, really tough.

I am not so sure that I am up to this challenge.

But what I did was give her grommets for her draw cord and double stitch her seams and hem.

Ok, my issues with this project.

1. laziness, this is purely me. I used ripstop nylon and I thought that meant that it would be really durable. Not so much. I needed to be much more careful about those lines that make the grid in the fabric, 'cuz that is where the rip stops. If I sew in between those lines and trim close to the stitching, it will fray thru my stitching and seams will be lost.
2. know the materials. If I wasn't lazy (or optomistic?) I would have known the above.
3. I need a better nylon. These are 1/4" squares and that just leaves too much room. I guess If I wasn't lazy, I could do french seams... but it is a sock bag! See how lazy I am. I am waiting to see how the serger works out on Carly's hem, that could be a good finish. I would have tried it earlier, but I am lazy and I had to plug it in to use it last night, as it was.
4. think about the grommet thing. I didn't use them originally when I knocked off the bag. The original had them, on the opposite side of the side seam. The drawcord was sewn into the side seam rather than having a full casing. That drawcord pulled out of the seam within just a week or so of my using the bag. The Mister threaded it back into the casing and I sewed it back into place. Maybe there is a better construction technique that would allow me to have the grommets on the opposite side but still have a real casing. That would keep some of the stress off the side seam...
5. I may have to make another sock bag and give it to someone to abuse for me...
   

Show and Tell

This is a completed pair of Hufflepuff Grasshoppers. I made them anklets, not kidding myself that the lace on these would hold itself up unless my pal has some seriously chunky ankles... I am giving her the benefit of the doubt on this one! Also, these are really spring and fall socks with the entire instep and cuff being P2tog, YO type lace. I really like them as they are and I hope my pal does, too.My circus socks are plodding along. I have at least started the pattern in the cuff. But I still only work on them as a carry around project. I am going to concentrate on my cardi next and get that darn thing off the needles.

We have had some work done on the house the last couple of days. Look what I found on my bedroom window the other evening!

I was concerned that he came out of our attic... we had the soffit and facia replaced and it was open for a day.

But when I mentioned it to the guys the next day, they said that it had come out of one of the ladders and flown off the afternoon before. I was really glad to hear that. I hope he found his way back into their ladder and got a ride home to his family.

I Must've Been Good

Thank goodness for what is probably the best radio station in the country and most definately in Pittsburgh... WYEP. I received the Summer in the City mailer today. Not only does it list all the concerts in the city this summer, it includes the web addresses... I will share with you, too. Oh, and these are the free ones!

1. Allegheny County Parks Department 2007 Summer Concert Series... this includes Hartwood Acres and South Park. (!)
2. Mt. Lebanon First Fridays
3. Three Rivers Arts Festival (note the Los Lonely Boys on June 10 and that there are going to be real glass blowing demonstrations on the weekend of the 16-17 :)
4. First Fridays at the Frick

Ok. I am happy now. I will relax until school is actually out... oh no! Friday at 10:30am?!?!?

I Found It!!

Lookie-here!! I found the schedule for the South Park Theatre!!! Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10am... but not free, $2 over the age of 2. But parking is free. Now I just need the Summer Concert Series calendar. One step at a time.

I have also decided that Thursdays are the big excursion day at Chez Metzger. I impulse purchased CLO tickets this afternoon. I had been thinking about it and then the flyer came in the mail and well, they have a Thursday matinee and well, that fits the rule and I called. I just hope the boys enjoy it as much as I think they will.

At the library today I checked out a pile of books about Pittsburgh and Western PA, hoping to get some leads on less popular destinations. I am only beginning to go through it, I will share any findings, soon. The problem is that there isn't a single comprehensive book of things to do that is appropriate and educational for kids in this area. So, you pick up 5 books and they have pretty much all the same information, just hitting the highlights. Like I said before, the highlights are really good, but how many times can you hit the highlights before die of boredom? Trust me, I am getting close.

I am on a quest! Whatcha doing Thursday?

Summer Is Shaping Up!

Wow, thanks for all the great ideas! They give us a good start.

We hiked a trail out of this book this weekend. It was a friend's book, so I will have to pick one up for ourselves this week. I liked it as it wasn't just a trail locator, but offered information for along the trail. We were able to identify some trees and notice some other things that we would have just stomped on past. And 60 miles is pretty much within the hour rule for easy excursions.

If you know of anyplaces that are off the beaten track, unusual, interesting, I would like to know about them, too.
For example...

• Someplace cool to eat. Novelty, fun, weird, especially tasty, cool decor, odd large plastic mascots, whatever.
• a nice park. something with great playground equipment, or water, or a sandbox, or a funky theme, something like that.
• local small museum or historical society with even the minimum of kid interest... I can talk them into a lot.
• Oh, of course anything train related. We have been to the trolley museum, Cumberland, Minerva, Ohio, and Altoona. If you know a great place to watch the trains go by (safely,) that would be cool.
• Where can I find the schedule for the activities in South Park? I googled and didn't find anything useful. I am especially interested in the plays that I hear they do in the morning one day a week (or two?) Is there a trail map for South Park? Do you know if there is an information center over there? These are questions that need answers. :)

It is another lovely day here in the 'burgh. We are off to the Library to sign up for Summer Reading and to play at the park with some friends. I will also take some updated shots of WIPs just so we all know that I am still knitting away. (I have almost finished the heel on the second Hogwarts swap sock!! :)

No Pictures, Again Today

Boy, can you tell that the weather is nice? No hanging around the computer wishing for something interesting to see or do, lately.

This weekend, the Mister was occupied with enriching himself, so the boys and I entertained ourselves. I missed knitting at the BN Friday. Celtic Queen brought over a t-shirt from MDS&W on her way, though. Very sweet and thoughtful... if only meant to pressure me into next year. :) So Saturday, fully rested, the boys and I headed out for Hockey for Eldest and then to the North Shore and the Venture Outdoors Festival and then over to a friend's house for a pizza party and then to bed. whew. Don't tell the Mister, but we had a good time.

I was questing to gather summer activities. I came up with a couple of interesting ones.

• at Boyce Park they do Orienteering. They have a beginner's course of 2-3 km and it is only $5. We are so into trying this one. It is a little far for us, but they do it on Sundays so, we can make a family day of it.
• the 4th annual Party on Trail for the J.R. Taylor Memorial Bridge is coming up on June 2, 2007. Which also seems to be National Trail Day.
• a map from the Allegheny Trail Alliance. Yep, that would be the group of trails that travels from Pittsburgh, PA to Washington D.C. I did get a bike for my birthday, after all. Wouldn't that be something? Yeah, we went for a ride to see the Lincoln Memorial. I have always thought that the ultimate 'I did it' would be to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, but Pgh to DC might work for me, too.
• donate your old bike! Earn a new one! Free Ride! is a not for profit, recycle a bike shop out at Construction Junction. How cool is that?
• a recreational guide to the State Parks and Forests in Pennsylvania. Not that I consider myself very outdoors-y, but I do like to be outside and see beautiful places... have you ever been to an ugly state park?
• Eldest is taking his friends out to the ballgame for his birthday celebration. The Dodgers are in town to play the Pirates. We got tickets in the outfield reserved, hoping that someone hits a homerun out that way. I can make a phone call and have 'Happy Birthday' put up on the big screen, too. How spoiled can a 7 year old get? He was blown away when I told him that I was 23 when I went to my first baseball game (took the BART to see the A's!) I didn't bother to tell him that way-back-when my brother got to go see the Tigers while I sat at home- I am a girl. bleh.

That is a little to get us started. But you know that isn't enough. Seriously, people, I am begging for options for things to do... within an hour of Pittsburgh, my boys are 5 and 7, free is best, cheap is ok, educational is always good, fun is a must. I am begging. There has to be more to do than the same old parks and the Carnegie Museums (which are great) and obnoxious kid arcades. I AM BEGGING, PEOPLE!!

Drizzle

Well, it is raining. Dare I say, finally? We had a nice, long stretch of really nice, mostly comfortable weather. Today it is in the upper 60's and raining. A nice rainy day. The kind with the not too dark grey sky, the hills shrouded in mist. A day that makes me long for my oil paints.
Ah, that must be it. It is like winter in San Francisco. I spent many rainy afternoons in the painting studio at City College. Just like today, except no San Francisco and no painting, here. Oh, and it is the middle of May.
But that is ok.

The boys are both at school for the moment. The school year is winding down quickly. Eldest is going to be seven in less than a month. He hasn't mentioned a party. I am hoping to distract him with a buddy and a baseball game. I love my boys, I actually enjoy them most of the time, too. But, honestly, I don't deal well with the testosterone surges that come when there are more than two or three in a group. I just don't understand it and it makes me really uncomfortable. So Birthday parties... ugh. I suppose that makes me a bad mom, to some. I see it more as, at least I am honest about it and try to keep as sane as possible-for the benefit of my family. Crazy mom is not a better mom.

And what makes mom less crazy? MMhmm. Her knitting. Productive, peaceful, and as long as I don't have too many projects on the needles, relatively stress-free. But then, I have too many things on the needles at the moment. I am working on the heel flap of the Hogwarts grasshoppers. My Cardigan hasn't been touched in 2 weeks. Neither has 2 of the 3 other socks had any attention. I am mostly done with the cuff of INBA's second glove. I want to do something for the neighborgirl and has anyone even thought about the Mister's Bauhaus Fair Isle Sweater? Yes, I have thought about it. Laurie and I even talked about it. I know, I know! I only have 6 months until xmas!! I need to get a lot of stuff off the needles. I think it is ok to have 3 projects going, not...6! A carry around sock, a small at home project and a big at home project are acceptable, not 5 littles and a big!

So, I guess the moral of today's drizzle is that Mommy is crazy and she does it to herself.

Are you Nuts? or a week's worth of blogging

I like nuts. Well, some nuts.

I like pecans, mostly. Macadamia, a little walnut, cashews, too, are ok.

The boys in the house are all about peanuts. It is slightly gross how many peanuts they eat. I have to buy them at Costco... regularly.

The Mister likes almonds really well, too.

I like pecans.

So I made a Pecan Spice Cake from the April 2007 Gourmet magazine.

Don't hate me because they are beautiful.

I am typically not much of a baker.

I had to take a picture because they looked so good in the pans.

But it gets better.

I made a cake that looks like the cover of Gourmet magazine!

I would say that it tastes like the magazine, too, but I imagine that to be rather pulpy and the cake is rather Fabulous!!

Gotta Hand It to Ya...
a glove for INBA

I Need an Opinion

Well, I am generally not short of those... but I picked this up with my graduating neighbor girl in mind. It is her high school colors and I think somewhat her chosen college colors, too. I cannot decide what to make for her, though.

A pair of socks? Some gloves? Something else?

If you were 18, what would you want?

And don't say cash, I bought yarn.

Yarn Pirate, btw, in the colorway "Shiver Me Timbers."

Who could resist?

Hogwarts Socks in Progress

*sigh* I am having issues with these socks.

Emotional issues.

The pattern is fine.

I love Lorna's Laces.

I am having issues knitting socks for someone else.

Rather small of me, isn't it?

I suppose this stems from not many appreciating my socks.
I suppose if anyone will it is another knitter.

Still.

Speaking of problems with socks...

Look at this!

Thank goodness this yarn likes to gab onto itself.

(not useful when trying to pull it from a skein, very useful to save a dropped stitch.)

I lost one stitch in the k3tog.

Laurie saved me though, told me to sew it down.

All better now.

Birthday Thank Yous.

Big thanks to the Girls in Northern Michigan for the ever lovely gift certificate to KnitPicks.

This is my gift.
A fancy row counter.

More Sensational Knitted Socks.

Magic Loop.

And, of course, sock yarn. Plum Tweed.

JUST WHAT I WANTED! YOU ARE TOO SWEET!!!

The above mentioned Laurie gave me this awesome kit to make a beaded scarf.

It is so beautiful, I am a little intimidated.

Rayon and beads.

Green.

Purely delightful.

I am a spoiled girl.

Thank you, very much.

More Overheard

My Sister calls me this evening...

"We were watching Malcolm in the Middle. The dad's name is Hal. Your Niece says, 'His name is Hal?'
I said, 'yes.'
She said, 'Hal? Like, Oh My God and Hal? Hal?'
'yes.'
...pause of contemplation...
'Mom, can we name people Dammit?'"

Ah, to be 5.