It's not you, it's me

I bundled all (save the one skein I started on) the Caron Simply Soft & returned it to the store. That stuff splits faster than your typical Lounge Lizard who finds out his One Night Stand from 3 months back is pregnant. I just did not like it. So I gave it the classic "it's not you, it's me" line although it really was it, not me. Instead, I'm trying the blanket with Bernat Softee Baby; so far, so good, but I still can't figure out why I'm not more excited about knitting this blanket. Is it all that sewing together that looms ahead? I'm hoping that's not it because I knew that going in. Nikki gave me some good advice, which was to sew as I go. I'm trying to decide if I can do that or if I need everything in front of me before I can get into placement.

Also, I need to pick out another baby blanket pattern; there are 2 upcoming babies, YAY! Even more YAY because I'm not the one carrying them.

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The 32-day blanket

I really think I can knit the baby blanket in 32 days. Not 32 consecutive days, mind you, but 32 total. I can knit a block a day (at least) & it's composed of 30 blocks. Then I'll give myself 2 days to do the trim (maybe could swing it in 1 but I like to set low goals for myself--thus, when I do well, I think I'm da bomb!).

Fiber Snob Ahead: if you're one of those people who just can't get enough of your Big Pound of Love (which I've seen in such lovely colors as Old Lima Bean Green & Caution: Crime Scene Yellow), you may want to stop reading here. I just may offend.

Not that there's anything inherently wrong with acrylic. I know it's harmless, it tries to be your friend, but just when you get to depend on it, it splits. If cashmere is the Rolls-Royce of yarn, then acrylic is the Pinto. The Gremlin. The rusted out, doorless sedan sitting atop concrete blocks in the front yard.

While I don't mean to send my fellow fiber snobs into a dead faint, I have to confess that I'm knitting this baby blanket in 100% acrylic (yes, after calling it The Pinto of yarn). After knitting a baby blanket last year in a really inappropriate fiber ("baby" & "handwash" really don't go hand-in-hand), I said any future baby things would have to be machine-washable, as a favor to the new parents. The Caron Simply Soft is soft enough to pass my standards & is easy-care; I think most busy moms appreciate as much "easy" as possible.

For the cardigan I plan to do, I'm going to select something a little nicer; more than likely merino wool, but even then, I'm going to get some that's superwash.

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It's a girl!

Not for me! (Please, not for me! I love my kids & all that, but I'm done over here...C & his antics have made me so done).

My cousin is the one expecting & we now know that she's having a girl, which was what I thought. So bring on the pink! I was thinking of going non-traditional & forgoing pastels, but I want to make a pink-themed blanket. I'll probably attempt a cardigan in a more daring color (red maybe?), but for the blanket, I'm going to be predictable & do pink, yellow & white. I'm going to knit one of those block blankets.

On the plus side: it's knit in individual squares
Which means: if I mess up, I only have to deal with one square at a time & not an entire blanket.

On the minus side: it's knit in individual squares
Which means: I have to sew them together.

Still, this is the one I like best right now. Later, I'll be knitting another blanket for another relative, so something different may appeal to me then.

I'll be away for the holiday weekend (I'm packing up my knitting now) so I probably won't be able to post before next week. Have a wonderful one, fellow knitters & bloggers!

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Feeling better & I'm in this book

C & I are feeling better; thanks for all the well wishes. I need to get back on my good-eating & exercise track now because the first day that I felt ill, I didn't have much of an appetite & the next day, I was trying to cure myself with chocolate (must've worked as I feel much better!). Yeah, yeah, I know what they say about chicken soup, but chocolate has always cured my ailments.

Good news: the motherhood anthology is here! My essay ("Learning Along the Way" by Del Sandeen) is on page 221, if you ever happen upon this book in the bookstore or library. It's just full of essays about parenting & how, even when we don't do everything perfectly (oh, about 99% of the time), our kids still turn out OK.

Also, here's the pitiful front of tunic. Fortunately, I felt like knitting, but even with Addi's, I'm miserably slow.

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A non-knitting weekend

I feel seriously deprived. I didn't get a chance to knit all weekend, not even one measly row! We weren't especially busy, but we were outside all day Saturday & Sunday. I took my knitting outside, but DH & I were watching C the entire time (to make sure he didn't fall in the pool, didn't fall in the pond, didn't make off with the car, etc.) & I didn't want to work on the top while doing that (both C & the top require concentration). By the time I got C in bed at night, I was exhausted.

Last night, he didn't sleep. He's been a little under the weather & of course, when he doesn't sleep, I don't sleep. So where I left off on the front of the tunic Friday? That's where I am today. I'm hoping I can work on it today, at least a little, but if I don't finish by Thursday night, then it just won't be ready for our trip Friday; which is OK with me. I'm only making up my own deadlines here.

Fire up the coffee maker, gentlemen! I'm going to need all the caffeine I can get.

P.S. I managed to stay up for The Sopranos last night. I can't believe they killed Vito; I mean, I felt it was coming, in spite of Tony trying to prevent it, but gee...just because he was gay??? On one of the last episodes, when Vito & his friend (can't recall the name, the diner guy) kissed, DH was cracking me up because he said "I can't watch this!" So I reminded him that we used to watch Six Feet Under all the time, with David & Keith--the yummy yummy Mathew St. Patrick ----> (there wasn't a lot of making out between them, but their relationship was a big deal). DH said "it's not the same." HUH?? I asked what was different about it & he says "they weren't in the mob." LOL!

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We have a back!

Yup, this is it, the back of my prairie tunic. Yes, I worked on it relentlessly to get it done. You can ask my children (where are they, anyway?). I had one tiny problem decreasing the lace, but I can barely see it. Feel free to point it out if you dare. Only the front to go.

I was shopping for lingerie to go underneath it because I don't like ill-matched undergarments. I'm not crazy about those plastic-see-through-strap bras, but was willing to get it as a last resort. I made the mistake of taking A & K with me (we were coming from the bookstore). Oh, where was C? At home, with DH; I already know better than to take that boy to a mall. His given name means something nice, but I think the alternate meaning is "he who will kill a shopping trip." Anyway, A & K started that whining/fighting/tattling stuff that just drives me crazy, so I had to cut the trip short & will venture out ALONE at a future time.

I cast on for the front last night, but didn't do much knitting today. I was actually trying to read & browse through a painting book to get some creative ideas flowing.

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DIY when you can

I need some paintings for my breakfast nook. I've been looking forever, but can't quite find what I'm looking for. I saw a couple on ebay once that were absolutely perfect; however, the bidding got higher than what I wanted to pay. So I said to myself, "Self. You used to paint & draw all the time when you were younger. I bet you can tackle some bright, cheery paintings for your breakfast nook." I believe in DIY whenever you can.

When the family came to visit last, they were all saying I'm so "creative." Not really. I knit, but I mainly follow patterns that a truly creative person has designed; I write, so that's probably where I'm most creative, but they weren't talking about that (they were so impressed with A's tank, simple as it was). Feh, I'll head up to A.C. Moore this weekend & get some canvas. I have to get something to make a pigeon costume for K anyway--I don't ever remember wearing all these costumes (save for Halloween) that my kids have had to wear for various school projects. I don't know what the school thinks--a lot of parents work, you know. We can't all sit around making pigeons, angels & shepherds out of thin air.

Maybe I can paint while C naps since Good Naptimes Have Resumed (and all is right with the world! Hallelujah!).

I've been plugging away on the tunic. If I can finish the back by tomorrow night, maybe I can finish the whole thing before my trip. If not, I'm not going to cry about it. I have all summer to wear it--and in Florida, we have looooong summers.

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Top-in-slow-progress

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to finish this top in time for our out-of-town trip, *sigh*. I'll see what I can do. These are size 2 needles I'm working with & this is only the back. I've been cheating & knitting during the day. C has been pretty good about letting me knit here & there. Good thing about this pattern: it's relatively easy. Even the lacework in the center is simple. The rest is stockinette, so it's not hard, just tedious on these small needles.

I think the only way I can get it done is to not read this book I've been trying to finish for the last 2 months or whatever. Heck, the other book I'm reading for research has been on hold even longer. Don't even ask me what's happening with my novel. (Let's just review the Word of the Day: Pro-CRAS-tin-a-tion)

My aunt asked the other day if we plan to get another dog; I'm sure we will, I'm just not ready yet. But I like having animals in the house. K loves it, too, a little too much, which is why he's still asking for a Bearded Lizard. Hmmmm. He wants a lizard & A refuses to live in a house with a lizard. Hmmm. What to do, what to do? Speaking of our reptile friends, one of them got in the house last week. He slipped under the sofa & I couldn't reach him (while I was on my hands & knees with a flashlight, C brushed the broom across my feet--guess who thought it was the lizard running across her feet & jumped up screaming like a maniac?). A couple of days passed & of all the people in the house the lizard could've jumped on to announce his presence, who do you think he picked? Oh no, not me, scared as I was. A is even worse. So while she was watching TV one night, the lizard jumped on her arm. I think the screams woke the neighbors. Across town. Plus, the lizard looked even more terrified than she did. Thank goodness DH & K were home to safely escort our frightened guest back to the wild. I know he was like "I'm glad to be out of that madhouse."

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Wheeeeee, I'm knitting again!

Oh, the yarn & the needles & the motions...it just feels so good.

I started on the prairie tunic last night, after doing a couple of gauge swatches. I love this yarn & I'm someone who previously disliked cotton, except for dishcloths. It's the color (Bloom); I think it'll be the perfect color for my skin tone. I'm hoping I can finish in about 2 weeks because we'll be going to visit family & I would love to wear it. They're always so impressed by my mediocre knitting skills; that's what happens when you're the only knitter in the family.

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I think I'm ready to knit again!

This is the longest break I've taken from knitting since this year started. I'm feeling the urge again, though, thank goodness! However, I'm going to have to make modifications to my schedule. I need to manage my time better so that I can do most of the things I need/want to do. I have to remind myself that I can't do everything every day & I'm going to have to be OK with that (very hard for someone like myself who only sits still to knit or read).

I'm going to reserve knitting for my evenings & I may not even get to knit every night because some nights, I'll be writing (when I don't get to do much in the day). I'm also trying to work in a fitness routine because I've been feeling sluggish & my clothes are feeling tight--I can't afford a "fat" wardrobe & a "skinny" wardrobe & I'm not yet ready to just give in to the fatness! LOL. Just give me a few years. So I bought some running shoes yesterday & have started jogging again. I've always eaten pretty healthy; I just have a penchant sometimes for too many sweets. I'll never give up sweets entirely (frankly, I think that's the quickest way to The Sugar Binge to End All Binges), but I do need to cut back. Some. A little. As in, put that Big-A bag of Dove chocolates in the pantry instead of on my nightstand! Oh yeah, I tried on bathing suits the other day--is there anything like trying on bathing suits to get your butt in gear? I mean, you have the Bright Lights (that accentuate cellulite on people who don't even have it), the Bad Lights, the Fun House Mirror which makes you look even bigger...I'm surprised more women don't run out of the dressing room screaming. Let's just say that when I turned around for a back view, I shivered.

Anyway, my UPS guy just delivered this so I think I just may pick up my needles tonight & cast on for that prairie tunic at long last!

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What happened to the good naps?

Strange things are happening in my cosmos & the most disturbing is C's sudden lack of good naptime. People, I need this break in the day when this child sleeps. Need it like an addict needs a fix. There's only so much whining, fussing & demanding that I can deal with before I start to get loopy. You know, momma-crazy.

Prior to last week, C was a very good napper (like his siblings). I could look forward to at least 1 1/2-2 hours of quiet & I'd fill that time in various ways: knitting, reading, writing, whatever. Point was, I had that time. Suddenly, he goes to sleep for 30 minutes & then he's up. 30 minutes is not enough recovery time. Yes, I said "recovery time." Sometimes he'd fall asleep in the car when I went to get A & K from school, but what is that?? That's nothing!

Yesterday, he was exhausted, but instead of giving in to fatigue, he decided to wear me out by screaming his fool head off until he fell asleep in my bed. I'm OK with that once in a while, especially if that seems to be the only way he can sleep (which is odd because he favors his crib so much, but hey, whatever works). I just don't want this to become a habit because as any parent knows, bad habits are so much harder to break than the good ones.

I'm hoping this is a phase that ends around the same time that I get the urge to knit again. I keep looking at my projects, but don't feel like picking them up.

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Obesessions, obsessions

I'm obsessed with making the Prairie tunic, but I can't yet make the prairie tunic. Why? Because I don't have the right yarn for it. I know, I know...I only bought a tiny amount of yarn here recently (*sniggle*), so I should have it in my stash. I checked the pattern & saw that the yarn used (Jaeger Siena) is a fingering weight & I didn't buy that kind of yarn. See, I've never used the same yarn that was used in a pattern I knitted (& I'm not about to start), but I know I should at least buy a yarn in that same gauge. And I didn't. Don't worry, I've already ordered the proper yarn from Yarnmarket (did you think my recent tiny purchase was going to stop me from buying more yarn?). I settled for Rowan 4-ply cotton. Oh man, I hope this delivery comes while DH is at work because when he saw me lugging in that bag from my LYS last weekend, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Poor man.

Then, while I was perusing the Web looking for the right yarn, I stumbled across this beautiful espresso color yarn that I can't find again. I must have that yarn! I don't even know what kind of fiber it was, but now I want to make something in that color.

As it is, I've been buying, but not knitting. I mentioned this recent sadness at the Knitters Review forum & was reassured that it's normal for me not to want to knit due to grief. This just isn't what I expected, but at least when I'm ready to pick up my needles again, I'll have plenty of yarn to occupy my time. I tried to start on a couple of things (this is how I discovered I didn't have the right yarn for the tunic, through making a gauge swatch) & they just got so bungled, I put everything down & haven't had the urge to knit since.

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Clean-up on Aisle 5!

I have to make this Public Service Announcement after a recent grocery store trip.

*clears throat*

If you are a middle-aged man whose job in life is bagging groceries at my local store, please, please, please, for the sake of any smidgen of self-respect you've been able to retain, do not flirt with 20 year-old college students whose groceries you are bagging (I don't mean "flirt" in the innocent, cutesy way some older men can do it if they're rich, but "wandering eye & stupid comments" type of flirting). Please. It's embarrassing. For you. I feel embarrassed for you. Then, when you see me & strike up a conversation about baseball & say that you're friends with Jason Giambi & Johnny Damon, it just makes it that much worse. Yes, I'm a huge Yankees fan. But you don't know those guys. Please. Yes, I was polite & said "oh, really?" but I was actually thinking, "He's lying." Oh, and "don't bag those soup cans with my eggs."

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SCORE!!!

Hey, I'm not a member of the Proud to be a Yarn Addict webring for nothing! This is my haul from my LYS this past Saturday.

As you can imagine from recent posts, this past weekend was really something. I had relatives come in town for A's birthday & at first, I was thinking it would upset me to have a houseful of people with the current situation with Diamond going on, but it actually helped having all those warm, friendly faces around. Especially because my niece brought her 4 month-old son & also because I was able to give MIL the shawl in person. She loved it, by the way, which made me feel even better. She kept saying, "I can't believe you made this."


Back to Saturday: C woke up at 5:00 a.m. & for the first time in a long time, I wasn't burying my face in the pillow & moaning that I was being awakened at that ungodly hour. I jumped up, got dressed, all but singing a tune (so as not to wake company) because I knew that I was leaving at 6:30 for THE SALE. I handed C off to hubby at the appointed hour, went to Dunkin Donuts & got my medication coffee & went to THE SALE. When I arrived at 6:50, there were about 10 other knitters milling around the door, waiting. We chatted & we were all soooooo very polite. They opened the doors at 7 a.m., we filed in in an orderly fashion & they tied green ribbons on our wrists (this was the 40% off color). My first stop was the needles--I needed size 1 & 3 circulars, so I sprang for the Addi's (hey, this is A SALE). Then I headed for the Wall of Yarn. I grabbed some sock yarn first (can I admit here that I already had every color Regia Cotton that the store carried? How embarrassing!), then some Cotolina yarn & this beautiful 100% bamboo yarn (bright mango on the left), which I'd been coveting since my last visit (these are going to be tank tops for myself). I grabbed this Noro & this is the only yarn I don't have a definite project in mind for, but who could pass this up?? I could only afford these 3 skeins, so more than likely, this will be a scarf for myself--I'll feel like I have the ocean wrapped around my neck; just look at those colors.

After 1 hour, I took a spot in line, which was the longest line I'd ever seen in this place. I kept thinking I should go back & get more yarn for sweaters for K & C, but after standing there for 15 minutes, I decided I'd just stay put. If I got out of line, I was looking at an extra 30 minutes wait. But I wondered aloud if it was worth getting out of line for me to go grab 3 more balls of sweater yarn & the lovely lady behind me said, "Go ahead, I'll hold your spot." See, aren't knitters fabulous?? I zoomed back to the wall, grabbed 3 balls real quick & came back into line, but one good turn deserves another. When I made it to the cashier, they handed me the last crochet flower pin--all of us early birds were supposed to get one. The lady behind me said "ohhhhh" like she really wanted it, so I turned around & gave it to her, thanking her again for saving my spot.

I stood in line for 45 minutes, but the entire trip was worth it. With the discount, I saved over $150! (I'm sure there are some math whizzes out there who are now calculating what I spent & what I would've spent if I'd paid full price--heh heh, knock yourselves out, I have the receipt!) I actually had more, but put back a few things. Believe it or not, I have a project planned for everything I bought, with the exception of the aforementioned Noro.

I bought all this yarn because I'm a total yarn pig in anticipation of a lot of therapy knitting, but the funny thing is, ever since I made the appointment with the vet, I've barely picked up the needles. In the meantime, we're trying to decide when and if we're going to get another pet. This is not counting the turtle & fish & snails we currently own. I want a cat...of course! I'm a knitter. Unfortunately, I'm about the only one in the house who wants a cat. Soooo, we'll see. I'm all for going to the Humane Society & adopting one...purebred, mixed, only-mommy-knows-for-sure...it's all the same to me.

Thanks, everyone, for your kind words during this recent trying time. Knitters really are the best!

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Goodbye, good friend

Diamond
January 1992-May 2006

DH bought me this 9 week-old Cocker Spaniel puppy before we got married. I named her Diamond because while a dog may be man's best friend, diamonds are a girl's best friend.

She, like most other dogs, was extremely loyal. She never bit anybody and even when she barked, her tail would wag.

Diamond, may you get all the doggy biscuits you like, sleep on the fluffiest cushions & eat all the table scraps you can stand. Rest in peace, old girl. We miss you.

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If you don't see me for a few days...

it's because DH & I are making the decision to put our 14 year-old Cocker Spaniel down.

This is pretty difficult since I've had the dog since she was 9 weeks-old, before I was married or thinking about having kids. I always said she was my first baby.

I'm sure this may seem perplexing to people who've never owned pets & welcomed them into your home as family members. So I'm just going to keep this brief. My mind is set--I don't want to prolong this whole drama or keep the dog alive out of selfishness. She's declined rapidly over the past year; she's simply old and I don't believe her quality of life is very good.

I don't know what I'm going to be like when it happens, so if I'm not around for a week or so, it's because I'm grieving my loss. Thanks.

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Getting my priorities straight

I've been scouring my knitting mags, books & the Web, checking what projects I'd like to do & writing down the needed supplies. With my current list, I'd probably need about $1000 for the sale Saturday (with the 40% off!). I'm going to have to scale down. You think??

With whatever I buy, however, I'm bracing myself for the realization that my new yarn will sit for an extended period of time. Perhaps until next year or even longer. I also realized (and did a while ago, but did nothing about it) that I put things in front of my writing, things that I shouldn't. After all, writing is my first love & my livelihood. I could've finished the first draft of my novel months ago, but I spent so much time knitting instead. Why? I think as a stalling tactic & I'm not hurting anyone but myself when I do that. Even times (especially on the weekends) when I had plenty of help around here with C & could've locked myself in the office & wrote, I was busy knitting, sometimes until my hands ached. So I'm going to have to stop procrastinating & get my butt in gear on this book. I want a fully polished, ready-to-publish manuscript by the fall--if not sooner.

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Little gray sock & first draft

Here's hubby's first sock-in-progress. I would've been further along, but I had a little mishap over the weekend--you know, one of those mishaps where you're doing everything you're supposed to do, but the yarn & needles decide to rearrange themselves while you're asleep. This is my first patterned sock. My previous ones were plain stockinette & even this one isn't so fancy--just a very basic, twin rib pattern out of Sensational Knitted Socks: easy enough that I can do it without undue concentration, but interesting enough, too. Besides, it's not like hubby is going to wear socks with falling leaves on them (but I will, one of these days).

And, the sock is sitting upon...drumroll please...a completed first draft of my novel!!! What, did you think I only knitted?? Yes, I actually accomplish other things, too (sometimes). Yes, I'm very excited, although I have a lot of revising & editing ahead of me. But just to be able to type the words "The End" after a year is thrilling!

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