Tuesday, May 31, 2005

goodness, i'm popular!

ok, i'm going to respond to the myriad comments i've all of a sudden received!

Vi- ok, old broad, i'm making booties and hats for charity, for a yahoo group called AC4C. All Crafters 4 Charity. this month's batch is going to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando Florida. hence the florida team booties and hats. actually, i thought i'd make 'em for all the sheepies and goaties y'all seem to be springing up there. is that a smart assed enough answer for you?

Natalie - the plan was to make animals (kitties and bunnies, mega simple patterns) for APH as well. alas and alack, the best laid plans of mice and women. i am in progress of finishing ONE lousy stinking kitty because they put me in the mail room at work. those fiends!

Everybody else - the bootie pattern for the purple, yellow, pink, and red ones is here. mega simple. and extremely fast! why do you think i made so many, lol? i'm glad you like them.

now on to the real meat of my post.

Knitting
i got most of the kitty done except the tail, but i got sent to mail, so was unable to finish it. i'm finishing up as we speak, and the plan was to have the mail man pick up the package tomorrow, but it's pouring out right now, and i'm afraid the box will get too wet. i may have to delay until wednesday. poo.

Home
well, we survived the weekend, if just barely. the boys were absolute heathens, and with the PMS bitch from hell going on, i'm surprised i didn't murder the little bastards. i ended up pulling weeds in mark's backyard, just to avoid murdering anyone, i was in a foul mood this weekend. remind me to NEVER, NEVER,EVER do medication changes for the boys at the same time. i dont' think i can stand that much lunacy again.

mark wants to try to go to the greenhouse again tomorrow. this is to replace all the plants we bought 2 weeks ago, that we didn't get planted, and died. sigh, i think it was about $20 worth. frankly, i'd have put them outside myself, but hey, it was his money. however, my yellow pear tomatoes died, and i don't know when we're going to get my garden patch tilled, since it's pouring tonight.

i finally got my mother's new dental surgery appointment made, and it's for a monday! they recently changed the doctor's hours, so i'll have a 3 day weekend again, and frankly, i could use it! also, the appointment isn't until 9:30! i get to sleep in! what bliss! what luxury! i'll prolly still get up at 7 just so i can have some me time before the monsters, i mean, boys get up.

AND I GOT APPROVED FOR MY VACATION TIME OFF!!!!!! portland, here we come. the tickets are bought, the rooms (beachfront condo, mind you!) are reserved, and already planning my plane knitting, as well as what i'm going to take (yarn, beach chair, yarn, sun screen, yarn, hat, yarn (get the hint?)). granted this is a family reunion, but we're 2 blocks from the beach, you bet your sweet bippie i'm gonna spend some time on the beach. i am so looking forward to it, and meeting mark's family. this is gonna be fun.

and, secret pal, whomever you may be, i will do my questions as soon as i can, i promise. just not tonight, i got kitties to sew.

You might be a redneck if the last time you went swimming they ahd to use the boat ramp to get you out of the lake.
You might be a redneck if you were born with a plastic spoon in your mouth.

Pattern of the Day: Trick Cable Rib. this is too cool! the way you work the cable is you put the needle in the cabled stitches, turn the needle once clockwise, and knit them off! is that cool or what!

Have a nice day!

smelly cat, oh smelly cat, what are they feeding you? that's what i heard while i was sewing this feline up. isn't this the ugliest cat you've ever seen? hope it doesn't scare some little kid Posted by Hello

Sunday, May 29, 2005


mon petit chou. this is it, the last hat! woohoo! had to use this ball of yarn, because i didn't want to use underwear (clean, so some blogger out there says), and this fit. now i'm on to kitties and bunnies! Posted by Hello

this is the front view of the last hat Posted by Hello

set # 10! one to go! i may get some blankets done yet! Posted by Hello

all quiet on the western front

Knitting
i've finished 2 more hats to go with the booties, but i'm going to be hard pressed to finish the last 2. life just seems to want me to run in circles, and have absolutely no time to sit and knit. sigh.

Home
the tiller broke down as soon as we pulled it off mark's truck, so no garden patch. and it's raining today, so i can't even spade it. dammit.

sean decided to run away today. fortunately, he changed his mind when i told him that if he did so, not only would the state keep him when they found him, they'd probably take liam away as well. that seemed to calm him down. i also told him he's responsible for his actions. "but i'm ADHD!" bullshit. i told him his brother and sister are adhd as well, and they don't act like raving maniacs. they know they have to be responsible for their actions, and act accordingly. sometimes i feel like i'm dealing with a 4 year old. sigh. i'm also going to take away his library books. they're going back. he's not happy about that one at all, but there are a ton of books around here, so it's not like i'm depriving him of reading all together, lol.

today is a boring grey day. i don't know what we're going to do, but i need to do laundry. this is day 4 of my time off, and i feel weird.

here's a whole ton of rednecks and patterns.

you might be a redneck if your cap violates a health code.
you might be a redneck if your tv is on 24/7.
you might be a redneck if you thinka "health kick" means smoking light cigarettes and drinking wine coolers.
you might be a redneck if you've ever told a bride, "you clean upu pretty good."

patterns
fingerless felted gloves. this has potential. i hear christmas presents. of course, for those who are not allergic to wool. maybe i'll spin up some of what i've got, and use that (yeah, right. right after i gain world peace)

shimmering lace scarf. this is very pretty, but looks like the basic feather and fan pattern. it's appeal is the yarn, of course.

sure fit sampler hat. hey, i like this! simple, easy, and something different to do for the charity stuff.

What i'm reading.

i'm listening to Dune, Machine Crusade, in the car. almost done. after the first book, brian has finally found his father's rhythm.
and the boy who wanted to live forever was written by frederick pohl, not piers anthony. sorry piers. still not a bad read, just very simplistic.

just finished The Fairy Godmother, by mercedes Lackey. that woman can write! not your traditionaly fairy tale, but puts an interesting twist on it, and the guy still gets the girl! woohoo!

Have a nice day (and memorial day for those americans who read)

the last set i've finished. hope i can finish the last 2 before tuesday night, which will be laundry and packing night Posted by Hello

so much for my yarn diet. at least i have a good excuse, this is cotton ease, which has been discontinued by lion brand. i figure i can get a sweater out of the yellow, and use the other for charity projects Posted by Hello

liam with his 6th grade teacher, mrs. krause. between her, mark, and i, we got liam to raise 5 of his 6 grades. he got a B(ringing) U(p) your G(rades) award for that! Posted by Hello

liam with Mrs. Schlapia, the other 6th grade teacher who taught him science Posted by Hello

liam on his last day as an elementary student. they have all the kids give the 6th graders a high five as they walk out for the last time Posted by Hello

Friday, May 27, 2005


bootie and hat set # 8. isn't this just adorable? i've got 3 sets to go by tuesday.  Posted by Hello

mark and liam. liam cried, because he's gonna miss all these kids. i'm so proud of him. this is after 6th grade graduation, which was longer than steph's high school graduation last year! Posted by Hello

liam's 6th grade graduation. isn't he so cute in his cap and gown? he gets to keep the tassel. this is mark, sean, liam, and the rarely pictured steph. Posted by Hello

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

sunrise, sunset

and i got to watch both today. boy am i tired.

Knitting
i finished one hat, and am almost finished with another. my goal is to have hats and booties match, and in the same medium. so i'll have 4 knitted sets and 7 crocheted sets. i'm down to 3 knitted and one crocheted. then i'll kick it in the ass for blankets. i've got tons of time thursday, as my mom is having oral surgery, and my plan is to put her to bed as soon as i get her home thursday, and since they said i'd need to stay with her all day, i'll just kick back with my immense bag of yarn and watch tv til i'm blue in the face. i plan on making sure she has something for dinner, and then skeedaddle, because liam's 6th grade graduation is that night. i don't think she'll be up to going.

Crochet
i finished two hats today. i'm shocking people at work, that i finish these things so fast. baby hats are cake, that's all i can say. i'm glad y'all like my sets, btw. i was thinking, the pepto sets could go to twins, if alyssa and the nurses at arnold palmer hospital so chose. wouldn't that be neat (here i go, where's my bucket to puke in again).

Home
exhaustion reigns supreme. i should be in bed, as i had 4 hours of sleep last night, but here i sit, blogging to you, my loyal, faithful (hush vi, you know you love me) fans. i promise, i'll sleep when i'm dead. i have to take my mother to the dentist AGAIN next tuesday for more denture fittings. good golly miss molly. i'm starting to know that dentist office better than the receptionists!

i tried to make a physical appointment for liam for 7th grade (a state requirement here) and the doctor is only working ONE saturday next month, and it happens to be the same day sean and i are going to the dentist, AND the only available appointment for physicals is at 930. and our appointments are 10 and 1040. sometimes i wonder how i function. we won't even mention the fact that i'm going to have to fit one in soon, and that my mom needs one too. damned vacationing doctors.

mark will finally be getting the rv out of his driveway! ed's dad got the motor they needed to fix the rv's AC, and it will either be gone tonight, or leave tomorrow. hallelujah, sister, i swear that thing is the reason we had to buy a new mower. the old one got stolen.

there are rumors flying at work, we'll see what happens with them. they've taken away the company picnic (this is a definite) and given us a free pass to the circus (but you can't take your 19 year old kid, even if she's your dependent, not unless she comes as your "guest"). the kicker is, the only free thing is the circus itself. the concessions are pay as you go, and the parking is $6 for lot parking, and $10 for structure parking. oy. i'm still going to try to talk the IFP people in letting us have a friday night off so we can take the boys.
the other rumor is that they are going to force us into business casual. yeah, right. they don't pay me enough to dress up that much. they're just piling on, so the warm bodies can rotate out again, and they don't have to pay benefits, or raises. alas and alack. if it weren't for my schedule, i'd find a different job.

You might be a redneck if allyour kids have the middle name Elvis.
You might be a redneck if your knife is sharper than you are.

pattern of hte day: Sheep Shawl. another non pattern. this one is at least not a scarf.
pattern of the day: mitred u baby jacket. this is cute. i could do this. good charity pattern. and once i sat and thought about it, dd's are double decreases, and di's are double increases. i'll get the hang of this yet.

Have a nice Day!

Tuesday, May 24, 2005


this is the hat i started last night. it turned out relatively well, considering this pattern is warped from the same pattern i used for jenny's hat. i changed the cable, and made the hat smaller. does that make it my original design? Posted by Hello

this is hat #2 with the booties made and shown previously. i made the hat (and the second one as well) with the main color being blue, because i didn't have that much orange left. god help me, it's florida gator colors (what i do for charity's sake, sigh) Posted by Hello

this is hat # 3 that i finished today. once again, the whole team color thing, being (forgive me bob devaney, for i know not what i do) florida gator colors. Posted by Hello

Monday, May 23, 2005


these are the only blog you're getting tonight, i'm too tired, and just found out i have to get sean up extra early tomorrow. blech. this is the itty bitty sweater that i made to go with the itty bitty hat, and the itty bitty booties. this is the same pattern as the yellow sweater i made in march, only i added a picot row to the bottom and the sleeves. makes for a very feminine sweater, eh? Posted by Hello

see, i told ya the pepto booties were identical. here they are, with their identical pepto hats. aren't they adorable (coochie, coochie, cooo! (barf)) Posted by Hello

Sunday, May 22, 2005

may the knit be with you

Knitting
i bought some wild chilean cotton at String of Purls yesterday, to make the market bag pattern i posted about for thursday. it calls for a provisional cast on, which i hate, but when i tried to do a normal one, it twisted so bad i gave up (this had nothing to do with the fact that it was 1130, either!). so, i suppose i'd better get out my crochet hook, and make me a zippee cast on. sigh. not right now though, still have headache from the movie.

crocheting
i got 4 baby hats done to go with the booties i've made so far. i'm making a sweater to go with one of the hat/bootie sets, because they're so tiny, and i've got a big ball of the stuff. this is all for AC4C. i'm sure my family thinks i've abandoned them, but i ain't, lol. just in an itty bitty quick done project mood.

Home
we went to see star wars Revenge of the Sith today, hence the title of today's blog. good god, what an intense movie! some of it i felt was too over the top for my youngest, but he seemed to be ok at the time. however, on the way home, he said he was going to have bad dreams. poor little guy, i can commiserate. i cried through the last 45 minutes. you know how it's going to end, and you know it's not going to be pretty, but to actually be confronted with the sheer misery, and absolute evil is almost overwhelming. i'll be processing this for weeks to come. i'm glad i went, but i'm not sure i'll see it again. very, very, very intense.

not much else going on around here, except the usual crap. steph thinks she has tonsilitis, but when she went to see the doctor, he told her her tonsils weren't swollen, and it was just sinus drainage. he gave her an allergy medication, that, as usual, doesn't work. she didn't see our regular doctor, so i told her she needs to make an appointment with him. i think she needs to get her tonsils out, personally. when you're non-stop ill for 6 months or more, as she has been, it's time to do something about it. i can tell you from my personal experience, it's probably best. both my brothers had their tonsils out, and it helped their asthma immensely. i honestly think that's her biggest problem at the moment. we'll see.

school is out in 5 days for liam, and 10 days for sean. oh joy of joys. i'm still waiting to see if they've decided where sean is going to go, and contact me. if i dont' hear by wednesday, i'm calling the school. growl.

You might be a redneck if your favorite t-shirt is declared offensive in at least thirteen states.

You might be a redneck if you spend forty hours a week at wal-mart, but don't work there (hey, that's hitting a little close to home!)

pattern of the day: Waikiki Button Front Vest. this is kinda cute, and based on the yarn by crystal palace. i don't know if i'd make it though.

pattern of the weekend: Knillow. this is cute. it's an afghan with a large pocket on the back that when you fold it up, you tuck it in the pocket.

Have a nice day!

Thursday, May 19, 2005

KIP day!

Knitting
found this on yarnivorous's blog. so, KIPer's unite! i KIP just about every saturday anyway, lol, but i'm definitely gonna do this. even if it's renfair weekend, lol. work those needles, people!

Crocheting
i didn't get much done. i fell asleep mid bootie on the second purple one last night, and was unable to finish it at work because i was in mail all day. poo

Home
i'm getting so sick of IFP. jodie insisted on coming tonight, even though it was date night. so we did it. she did leave at 540, so i was able to be at mark's by 615. still, very frustrating. i want my life back.

No redneck for yesterday, somebody pulled it off and i can't find it. sorry.

you might be a redneck if you list "staring" as one of your hobbies.

Pattern of the day 5/18/2005: Qick and EAsy Soy Silk Stole. again, non pattern, need i say more?

Pattern of hte day 5/19/2005: Crossover Mesh Stitch Market Bag. there's a few bag patterns floating around like this, andi like em all. best part is you can use worsted as well as the sports weight they recommend. can't find hemp or linen yarn around here, so i spose cotton it will be. (VBEG) a bag to put more yarn in.

Have a good day! and don't forget to contribute to steph's relay for life fund.

bootie bonanza. finished the tiny pair yesterday morning, and put the ties in the fuschia ones. the other two were done at work. they're the team colors for Florida University (don't boo me, husker fans, this is for charity, ok?) Posted by Hello

booties fromhell. it's a darling pattern, and i may try it again, but not with this yarn. i may actually not use this yarn again, even though these took so little. it's red heart baby soft, and my god does it split. took me most of the day to make one bootie! gah. Posted by Hello

these are the pepto booties. they are a bit sparkly as well, and there's two pairs of these, exact same size, lol. the second pair was made in frustration over the booties from hell. Posted by Hello

American Cancer Society Relay for LIfe. let's sweeten the pot a bit. this is crystal palace cotton chenille, and for all of y'all who contribute, i'll put your names in for this. and it's added incentive to give me all your information, for the receipt, lol Posted by Hello

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

we interrupt this blog for this charitable break

ok, gang. i know you who read me regularly know about steph's friend jenny. she has hodgkins disease, and she's 17 years old. well, they've gotten together a team for the relay for life. they are doing this before she starts radiation, and is too weak to do this. steph is going to walk too. so, i'm asking everybody to help. everyone who wants to contribute can paypal me. this is legit, and i'm not going to stiff y'all. if you donate $10 or more, you'll get a receipt. even if i have to write it out myself, lol. so, have a heart, and contribute to a worthy cause, and help out a sweet kid, as well.

the deadline is June 2, as steph has to have it mailed to jenny's mom (who is the team captain) before the walk the second weekend of June.

ok, back to your blogging pleasure.
(my email is dragonluberAThotmailDOTcom, if you want to paypal)

now for life

Knitting
i knit a pair of booties at work, but had to stop when tracie asked me if i had any purses (le bag) for her as she has a show this weekend. ack! i can't do it. i have no buttons for the bag i have felted, and the one i have on the needles is no where near ready. sigh. i will have to tell her tomorrow.

Crochet
i finished another pair of pepto booties last night,a nd got one single done as well. and tracie* complimented my work. i had made a hand flower (i'll post a pic when i get mine back) and tracie asked if she could see it. i gave it to her yesterday, and noticed her examining it quite thoroughly. she gave me a note today saying:

"I love it. It is so nice to see someone else with excellent work :). I assume you did the tie - I'd like to know how :)" i always thought my stuff was crap, but apparently not so. i'll explain the tie when i post the pic.

Home
we told the boys about john relinquishing his parental rights tonight. liam's reaction was as expected. he's decided to move on with his life (a very mature viewpoint) and forget about him. he's pleased that he will get to determine the where and why and how of meeting up with john again. sean's reaction surprised me. he was happy. but he wants to see john, i think if only to find out why he "hated" him so much. sad that sean feels that way. john just didn't know how to parent.

and i'm gonna quit there, i'm whipped

You might be a redneck if you've ever ordered a bucket of skin from KFC (ew!)

Pattern of the Day: Array of Colors Black Pullover. this is kinda pretty, but not my cuppa. maybe if i did it as shades of blue instead of the rainbow colors. who knows.

Have a nice day!

*tracie is a co-worker who has agreed to sell my bags at her booth in craft shows, since i dont' have the time or energy to devote to such an endeavor. she's a sweet lady, that's for sure.

time to fulfill my "meme"bligation

ok, rose here we go. my 10 favorite things

1. believe it or not, as much as i bitch, my kids. i fought long and hard to get them back, and it feels so good to finally be a whole family again. (no weeping, whilst i grab a kleenex myself)

2.yarn. this is an addiction started 34 years ago by a woman who loved me so much she felt the need to pass the love on to me. my grandmother taught me to crochet when i was 5, and it's been a love affair of a lifetime. those of you who knit or crochet, can understand. those who don't, try to find something that fits. mark understands, because he is the same way about music.

3. mark. my love, my life, the light of my life. the man who pulled me out of that black pit of despair when i had all but given up hope of ever having my family again. my helpmeet, my soulmate. how did i ever live without him (i know, knock off the mush)

4. berries. any kind. any way. i'll even eat cheesy berry candy. as long as it tastes like berries.

5. cooking. i've been cooking as long as i've been crafting. i inherited the gift of hands from my father. and cooking is a huge part of it. second only to crafting, nothing stirs me like trying to figure out the seasoning in a dish, or replicating it. or improving it (my homemade mozzarella sticks put all store bought ones to shame). no wonder i worked in the industry for 20 years. what drove me out was long hours and low pay, and having hard times being with my kids. you'll notice the kids are first (not that mark is behind yarn, lol)

6. music. this is ironic, considering my parents grew up with no true apprecation for music. my mother (who is deaf, for those who didn't know) can feel a bass beat, but that's it. she sees the poetry in lyrics. there are very few sights more beautiful than watching someone devoted to their god signing hymns. theres a grace to it that's unimaginable. my father was hard of hearing, but also had a huge emphasis on bass. and people wonder why the bass is turned up on all my stereos. it's what i know, and its comforting. and mark has a very deep voice, and plays bass guitar. imagine that.

7. my cat. i haven't had a pet for years, and havent' had a cat since i was married to tim (steph's dad) 15 years ago. but now that i have one again, i'm amazed at how much i enjoy shithead (aka jimi). he's an odd cat and an ornery cat (ask steph, jimi ate her new flipflops yesterday), but he's a comfort as well. when i've been bluest, and missing mark the most (we weren't allowed to tell the boys about mark until christmas of last year, and we've been together for a little over 2 years), jimi would sleep with me (usually on my feet, the little fetishist), and make me feel a little bit closer to mark.

8. family. i love my family, warts and all. even my stinky brother. it's very possible to love someone and not like them a bit, and mark (yes, that's his name, that's why i call him stinky brother) is the very epitome of that. when people tell me i'm a good daughter for taking my mother around, and translating for her, i feel like it's not a choice, its a duty. just something i have to do like shower, and eat. it's a part of me. she took care of me for 18 years, i think i can return the favor. and in a way, maybe it makes me closer to my dad, as i have sort of taken his place, in that respect. i haven't mentioned bob, yet, but not because i haven't been thinking about him. he lives in georgia, and is a long way away, but i do still love him dearly, and miss him as well. he reminds me of daddy, as well.

9. reading. anything. any time. any place. any way. i've been known to read toothpaste tubes in the bathroom when i've had an idiot attack and gone in without a book. (that's why i keep reader's digest in there now, lol). i read magazines, and newspapers, and books. i have a huge collection of books, and that's after the purge of 2003 (i donated 132 books to the local thrift store, and gave 50 romance novels to a friend), and the books my ex got. i have 3 bookshelves, 2 4 ft tall, and 1 6 ft tall, and they're full. and more boxes downstairs. imagine that. i know how chappy's mom feels, lol. another addiction.

10. my front porch. i have a futon mattress out there that's folded up to sit on, and when i need peace, and an escape, i retreat to there. it's close enough that the boys can come get me if they truly need me, but they know if that front door is closed, i'm looking for solitude. and they can come talk to me out there, but they cannot stay. it is my space (my bedroom is storage, not space, and feels empty without mark.)


and now for 5 things i'd like to try
1.skydiving. i'm a thrill seeker
2. sailing in a tall ship
3. riding a horse like the wind
4.race car driving
5. death. now before you get all het up, and think i'm committing suicide, think on my philosphy, first. i believe that life is a great adventure, with many ups and downs, and death is just a step in a different direction. i do not fear death. it's happened too much in the last few years for me to not think about it. i think it's just a new life. i think i'm actually looking forward to being 4 years old again. such sweet innocence, and life ahead. bliss.

TAG YOU'RE IT!
Natalie , Vi (take that, for saying i don't love you!) & i don't know who will be the third victim. somebody want to volunteer?

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

revenge of the bootie

Crochet
and here i thought i'd found a simple, easy pattern that was very cute and darling. well, it may well be cute and darling, and mayhaps even simple, but not with the yarn i bought for it. blech. i'm never buying redheart baby soft again! splitty shit. amazingly so. it took me all day to finish one blasted bootie! i'm almost done with #2, but oy. i was so annoyed that when i went outside for break, i took a different yarn and hook, and made one bootie on my 15 minute break. the second one i finished after i came back in. then i finished the bootie from hell. never again, sister. however, the good news is i ahve 6 pairs of booties done.

Home
good news and bad news. i'll give ya the bad first.

remember last week griping about sean's present school district refusing to allow sean's teacher to take him to florence for a tour? well, i had to put in for it at work, and they denied me for business needs. this is school. i have no choice, i can't reschedule this, you fucking fools. so i'm taking personal hours in lieu of points. fuck em. i'm taking time for my son, dammit.

also, ihave to take my mom back to the dentist AGAIN! this time it's for trial fittings of her dentures. today was impressions, and that stuff is as disgusting to look at as it is to feel in your mouth. i felt sorry for my mom.

good news. liam was approved to go to school at lewis & clark middleschool, instead of mcmillan. hallelujiah. now the pisser part. they start school at 715. good god, who starts school that fucking early? i think it's insane, particularly since sean will still be in elementary, and not go til 855, and won't get out til 340, when liam gets out at approximately 230. who is the insane person who thought this was a good idea? this is fucked up. sigh. what am i going to do with sean for an hour and a half? for that fact, what is mark going to do for that amount of time until sean gets out of school? lunatics, i tell ya, lunatics.

You might be a redneck if you've ever hollered "rock the house, bubba!" during a piano recital.

Pattern of the Day: "life is just a bowl of cherries" felted hat. this is just too precious. i may make this for later charities. the ones i'm doing right now request no wool, due to potential allergies of the little ones.

What i'm reading (listening to)
The Boy Who Would Live Forever. By Piers Anthony. it's ok, but seems a bit juvenile. even makes the Xanth novels look adult, and that's saying quite a bit.
Dune: The Machine Crusade. i'm listening to this on tape, and the boys are irritated with me because i won't pause it when they're not with me. oh well, they'll just have to read the book.
Wicked. lust abounds.

have a nice day!

Monday, May 16, 2005

shakin' my bootie(s)

Knitting
they're having a bootie bonanza over at AC4C yahoo group. it's a challenge to see how many booties everybody can make. so, even though my intention was to make matching sets (hats, booties, and sweater if i have time for the sweaters) i'm doing the booties for now. the hats will come later. this is running through tuesday, so i've got tons of time to do the bootie thing. i've knit 3 pair since friday afternoon.

Crochet
just for a change of pace, i'd printed up a couple of crochet patterns, and i'm making one in a sparkly soft rose (ok, well it's kinda pepto looking). i've had to adjust the pattern just a bit, because apparently they're idea of worsted and mine are two different things. s'ok, i'm adaptable, particularly when it comes to crochet. you saw my granny square booties in march(actually early april, lol), didn't ya? my own pattern, lol.

Home
ok, i guess i owe you guys two days worth of home news, since i never made it back to post last night.
the gardening got put off, because the ground is still very wet. i'm worried that we'll end up too late at this pace. mark says he's gonna put stuff in the ground next week, regardless. we still haven't tilled my patch, because it's been too wet, or mark's been too busy. wish he'd till, rathern than clean my house, believe it or not.
i got my FMLA granted for may 26 & 27, so i'm having a 5 DAY WEEKEND. ok you can be jealous now. actually, since my mom's having oral surgery on the 26th, that day will be shot. the dentist says i need to be there all day with her, so i will. i'll be checking in on her off and on on the 27th, as sean's school is close to her apartment complex. i hope things go well. i'm a little worried, because they're doing an extraction, and root planing and scaling, and she's on blood thinners. they said to stop 4 days before, but still, i worry.

my mom's cousin passed away friday night. he was about her age, and deaf as well. i do his deafness was genetic, as i think he was born deaf. my mother was not. she was very ill at a young age (1 month to be exact) and almost died. they discovered her hearing loss around the age of 2. my mom has decided that she's not up to going to the funeral by herself, and i can't get time off. i'm taking so much time off as it is dealing with everyday things. so, when my stinky brother lets me know what the arrangements are, we are going to order flowers. i feel kinda bad for them. he was a funny man, and helped me to get past just fingerspelling as a kid. he even gave my folks a book on ASL. i can remember when i was about 11, when i'd talk to him, he'd stare at my hands so intently, because i fingerspelled so fast. Go with God, Dean, and forget your pain.

yesterday was run my fanny off day. liam had a dentist appointment at 10, my mom had an appointment with her financial advisor at 130 waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out in the southwestern part of the city (and i live in the waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy northeastern part, lol), and she said she needed to go to the store. so we went to walmart out there. i like their yarn selection much better, but it's a long way to drive. i'll just go to hobby lobby if i need alternative stuff. and i was a good girl, and only bought one skein of purple fun fur for le bags. by the time we got home, it was 430, andi was whipped. mark had called in the middle of rehearsal and asked what we wanted to do for dinner, but i was unloading groceries at my mom's, so i asked him to call back. and he never did. i can't really blame him on this one. he had to go to work yesterday morning, at 4. they were cleaning grease traps at his job, and he didn't get home until 730, because the pipe to one broke, and they had to fix it. he said he'd laid down to take a nap right after the guys left, and just died. he didn't wake up until 715 this mornig, which means he slept for 14 hours. i can't sleep like that unless i'm sick. goodness.

You might be a redneck if you keep a roll of toilet paper in your golf bag (my son didnt' understand this. how do you explain going in the rough?)

Pattern of the Weekend: Black Cashmere Shawl. this is very pretty, but looks very expensive as well. i might try to do it in some other medium, than cashmere and silk. goodness.

Have a nice day!

(oh, today was just laundry and lawn, blech)

Sunday, May 15, 2005


these are a lot purpler than they appear. same pattern as the other two, and these are even the same yarn as the yellow ones, but they're smaller. go figure. and yes, these are for charity too Posted by Hello

two pairs of charity booties. since there's a bootie bonanza going on at AC4C for the weekend (love it when they say you can go through tuesday) i'm making these. will make hats to match after tuesday. and these are the same stitch #, just pink is regular worsted, and yellow is light worsted Posted by Hello

Saturday, May 14, 2005

here's a quickie

i'm posting friday's post this afternoon, lol. you'll get the full scoop on today's stuff later tonight.

Knitting
i was in mail most of the day, and it made my arm hurt again, dammit. i did knit a little bit, and finished knitting a pair of booties i'd started for AC4C. i'll show pics later.

Home
mark was a whirlwind again. sigh. at least i can still find stuff. he put all my books on the bookshelf (he doesn't know about the boxes of books downstairs yet, lol), and organized the corner with the hutch. he tried to tell me i didn't need another trash can there, as the one over by the cooking area was enough, but i like it there. if i'm coming up stairs from the basement, it's a straight shot to the trashcan. and it's convenient as hell. it's staying.

he says we're going to go through all the kitchen cupboards together, because he doesn't know where i'll want things. i'm glad, at least i'll be able to find things in my kitchen.

You might be a redneck if you've ever belched into a karaoke machine.

Pattern of the Day: Leslie's Double Eyelet Socks. ah, bliss, more sock patterns. and the colorway they used for the pic on this is cool, it's black and red (remember the poncho i'm making?)

Have a nice day (lol)

(and i've had 1400 visitors! woohoo, i must be liked!)

Friday, May 13, 2005

on the way

Knitting
i'm on the way to recovery, thank god. i knit a little bit at work today, but since i left at 2, i didn't do much. i had to frog a little on mark's sweater because i wasn't paying attention (imagine that!) and put in one too many sets of increases. i have to measure before i can continue, so that's temporarily on hold. i did work on Le Bag, but once again, took it easy.

right now i'm wokring on an easy pair of baby booties for AC4C. here's the pattern. i like it because it's with worsted weight yarn, which is my preferred weight. i'm not a big fan of itty bitty yarns, although i do have some in my posession. yeah, i know, vi, snicker at me and my sock yarn collection.

Crochet
Your prize is on it's way, Lori! i mailed it today (no media rates to canada :( , fooey). i hope you enjoy it.

Home
i swear i'm going to pull all my hair out. i took my mom to the dentist this afternoon, and they told me she will have to be back on monday so they can do impressions for her partials. they didn't tell me that when we started all this, or i would have made the appointment for her extraction a little farther out. sheesh. i'm going to be taking fmla for 2 days next week, and for 2 full days the week after that. goodness. anyway. . . .

sean's teacher and i have been trying to work it out so that she and sean's prospective teacher can meet, and that sean can tour the new school. we got it all arranged, and now her principal told her, after the arrangements had been made, that she can't take sean, because it's a different district, and it's up to the parents to do such things. NOW he speaks up. does he realize how impossible it is to get out of work on such short notice? and now that everything is set up with florence, i bloody well don't want to back out, because school ends on the 27th, and the meeting is set up for the 19th. ARGH! so, i'm going to try to get out of work. if they don't give it to me, i'll take points, and come in late. that's just all there is to it. the bitchy part is that i've only got one more point falling off this year. damned work. and there's more! sean will probably not even go to the local elementary, because of his level of need may not be met at this elementary. he may have to go to a different one. so i told the principal we would like him to go to one near to where we want liam to go, which is around 69th & Dodge. we had put in a request for liam to be placed in a different middle school because we felt he could not handle the local one. it's very "inner city", and with liam being the way he his, i'm positive they'd chew him up and spit him out. mark watches these kids walk past his house on a daily basis (it's 4 blocks from his house) and he claims they're all a bunch of punks and worse. i've seen how some of the girls dress, and i dont' want my son anywhere near that, either. his therapist agrees with me, so i'm crossing my fingers. she even said she'd cast her vote officially, if they decline. i may even hire a lawyer, i feel that strongly about it.

we had king crab for supper, mark and i. mark was disappointed. he likes snow crab better, because it doesnt' poke him. it didn't bother me, because i'm used to little pricks and pokes. my hands hurt all the time anyway, so this is just a different hurt. and using a needle and thread often results in pokes. ah well. i enjoyed it.

i bought strawberries tonight at no frills. i went in to buy milk, but went through produce, and from 10 feet away, they called my name. the first box i picked up was lusciously ripe, but not moldy or spoiled, so i grabbed one, and some whipped cream, and bought what i was there for, and scrammed. my hands smell like strawberries as we speak. i cut them up, macerated them, and we're having strawberry shortcake tomorrow night. woohoo!

You might be a redneck if you think NO PARKING signs do not apply to you.

Have a nice day!

Thursday, May 12, 2005

knitter down

Knitting isn't happening today. i think i hurt my right arm putting together a bookshelf, and it was starting to bother me when i went to bed last night. it has hurt all day, so i took the day off from knitting. and crocheting. ugh. i'm so bored.

Home
i came home to find mark cleaning again. and i don't know what happened to the raw chicken hat. sigh. i'm not sure where everything is (he cleaned in my craft corner!). sigh. i love him, but i wish he'd at least wait until i get home, so i can see where he's putting things.

the storm was so bad last night they closed 30th street (one block over). it was still down to 2 lanes of traffic when i got home from work tonight. we had windgusts of 58 miles an hour. and a porch window broke. dammit, i'm going to have to go to home depot and buy a storm window.

mark and i are going to have to have "that" talk with the boys, and soon. liam is almost 13, and i'm sure things are developing to a stage where it's necessary to do it soon. mark agrees that we both need to be there, and that it needs to be soon. and it will be with both boys, because i don't want liam giving sean incorrect information. what joy.

You might be a redneck if your mounted deer head sports a baseball cap and sunglasses.
You might be a redneck if you've followed the knife and gun show to more than one town.

Pattern of hte day: Beaded Tassel. this is pretty, but i really don't have much use for tassels.
Pattern of the Day: Candace Baby Cardigan. this is made with self patterning sock yarn. very cute, but i have problems with yarn that fine, even in socks (and yes i ahve entirely too much sock yarn at hte moment, anyway). still, very cute.

Have a nice day

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

this blog has been pre-empted for this news bulletin

it's storming outside, so i'm gonna bail for now. catch me tomorrow, honest

Have a good day!

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

help!

home
mark decided to clean while the ifp worker was working with the boys. ack! i can't find anything now! he rearranged, and i'm not sure i like all of it. my crafting basket is tastefully done, it can sit out with the grownups, thank you very much. and he wants to banish all my afghans to the basement because "they have no purpose, we don't need that many blankets out." my ass, we don't! oh well. he did vacuum, and helped me put together the bookshelf, that will house my crafting books, as well as everything else that's been boxed up for over a year.

Knitting
i knit about 2 inches on the latest version of Le Bag. i still have to line the last one, sigh. i also ripped out the poncho i was making with the lion brand thick and quick, and started with bigger needles (17's, these things are as big around as my fingers!), but i screwed up on the first pattern row, cuz i was knitting on the front porch in the dark while i was talking to mark. oops. i'm thinking about casting on for Rogue for steph, if i can find the bloody needle (thanks, mark).

Crochet
i actually made an ear cozy for my headset at work on friday, because they're asking everybody to wear something, because one person ended up getting shocked, and it raised blisters on her EAR DRUM, for god's sake! another friend's boyfriend (she'd shoot me if she knew i called him that, she won't even admit they have anything beyond friendship as a relationship, even though the horizontal bop is going on) almost got shocked, but felt the tingle come on just before, and got the headset off in time. i think it's time for new headsets, gang, what do you think?


you might be a redneck if all your wedding photos have someone torn out of them (like the groom, lol?)

Pattern of the Day: Laurel Summer Shoulder Bag. this is very pretty, and the pattern is fascinating. i think i would like it, but it's in cotton, and i'm not sure how well it would hold up, since it's DK weight, or so.

Have a nice Day!

Monday, May 09, 2005

happy mother's day

you mother. lol, sorry, couldn't resist.

Knitting
i finished the baby blanket that you see below here. i need to weave in ends, and i will wash it just before i send it, in case jimi or some other thing gets to it before hand. i intend on shipping everything may 31, as usual. gotta love it.

Crochet
the blanket was a hit, gang. mom adored it, and was amazed that i sewed all those squares together, as well as edged it (i gave it to her on her birthday un-seamed and edgeless, so she would know she was getting a gift). mark even said it was beautiful. i'm just glad it's done

Home
mother's day was interesting. my jaw still aches, so i'm cranky. i was actually able to eat today, though. we had bbq chicken (my mom had a plain breast, she can't have bbq), my home made potato salad (i won't do commercial potato salad, too many onions and dressing, blech!), green salad, and corn cooked on the grill. we had Dad's birthday cake for dessert (his birthday was friday). a good time was had by all, and the boys behaved beautifully. in fact, i had more trouble with liam in the last few days than sean. i think liam's hormones are kicking in, sigh.

steph roasted herself at the nebraska baseball game she went with jenny with. i hope jenny wore a hat, i would hate to see jenny's bare head get burnt. i haven't seen her yet, but she says she's as red as her shirt. oy, that child will never learn. she put sunscreen on her face, but no where else. what's the logic in that?

once again, happy mother's day to all you moms in blogland out there and

Have a nice Day!

Sunday, May 08, 2005


i tinkered with my flash on this one, and my god, it's actually almost accurate. the first pic i took the blue looked neon, and this is much more authentic. btw, this the charity blanket i was working on last night. i ripped it, and started over. this is almost all today's progress, andi got some laundry done too! i rock, lol! Posted by Hello

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!

Crocheting
the blanket is done! yippee!!!!! yahooey! ok, now the big drumroll!!!!!!! and the winner is . . . . ..


LORI!!!!!
ok, honey, you're gonna have to give me your addy so i can mail you your prize. do you remember what the prize was? check back, lol! sorry this took so long, but i was sick and tired of the darned thing, and sewing is so hideously tedious. but now i'm free!!!!!

Knitting
i think i got about 4 inches done today, because i took the boys to get hair cuts, and i went to the dentist AGAIN. this is getting old.

i also started (and frogged) a baby afghan for AC4C, for Lincoln hospital. this is the memorial project for Jori, who passed away. i never ran across her, i just joined a few months ago, but i'll jump in anyway.

and yes, i'm mad. i bought more yarn today. i ended up buying 3 skeins of baby clouds again, to go with the 3 i bought last week, and 5 skeins of discontinued casual cotton by redheart, in manly colors. i figure i can use those for ship support (another AC4C memorial project, this one for tim. apparently this project was near and dear to his heart, because his nephew is or was on active duty in iraq)

Home
ACK!!!!! i just found a snake in the kitchen!!!!!!! good thing nobody else saw it. steph would have run screaming from the room. it was in the bag of foam rugs i bought for mother's day for Mom and Mommy. so much for jimi scaring off snakes. sigh. i heard him playing with the bag in the kitchen, and when i went in there to pick it up, i saw something wiggle inside. ack! so i carefully picked the bag up, and tossed it outside, then shook it upside down. out came a tiny baby garter snake, about 8 inches long. it ran for the hills as quick as it could, i'll tell ya. dammit, i gotta watch for snakes in the house again!

went to the dentist today, and it took forever for him to numb me, and also forever for the shit to wear off. my lower jaw hurts, and i've been very ginger about eating. so far, the only solid thing i've had has been a bowl of rice (i had a filling, so no dry socket worries). and i go back one more time for fillings. i'm a glutton for punishment.

5/5 You might be a redneck if you call your mother-in-law "Talladega" because she's three cars wide.
5/6 You might be a redneck if you think a hot tub is a stolen bathroom fixture.
5/7-8 You might be a redneck if your truck has 12 bumper stickers but no inspection sticker.

Pattern of the day:
5/6 Three Needle Bind-off Blanket: this is cute. would be excellent for multi-knitter blankets. i like
5/7-8 Mother's Day Placemats: this is convertible to a table runner and face cloth, according to the pattern. it's kinda cool. basketweave with a seed stitch border. definitely a doable.

What i'm reading
Wicked
Politically incorrect American History
The Boy with No Name by Piers Anthony. love the xanth books. i've even read some of his other stuff. we'll see how this goes. starts off particularly sad, though.

Have a nice day!

Saturday, May 07, 2005


here it is, post seaming, but before the edging was put on. looks pretty good, eh? Posted by Hello