Rubber Socks?

DH: "Is this rubber?"
ME: (I glance up from my knitting & notice DH is pulling & stretching on the top ribbing of my completed sock. I give him a strange look but don't respond.)
DH: "Is there rubber in here?"

ME: (I start laughing so hard I think I may pee my pants!)
DH: "Well how does it do this?" he inquires while stretching the ribbing back & forth.
ME: (I continue laughing fighting back the tears & explain how it works which in no way requires me to knit with rubber.)

Well my socks are FINALLY done & I promise I will never knit them again. I frogged them more times than I am willing to admit to myself. I'm not quite sure what the biggest problem was, but for only being my 2nd pair of socks EVER, I probably shouldn't complain too much. I figure...third time's the charm (and it should be since I'll be knitting the Jaywalkers)

Yarn: KnitPicks Essential in Cocoa
Pattern: Columbine Peak from Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi
Needles: Size 1 Addi Turbo circulars
Modifications: None

Saturday: The List

I was reading the While You Were Sleeping blog & a question was proposed:
Did your mom force any "skills" upon you? If so, what? Were you glad? Do you use that skill today?

I started to write a comment, but it got so long that I thought a post on my blog was better suited...so:

The one skill my mother had to literally FORCE on me was cleaning...and in my mothers eyes it was a skill. There was a right way & a wrong way. We had daily chores to do & that was one thing, but on Saturday we got "the list". The list was about 10 or so chores that were written on anything my mother could find to write on. Typically, mine seemed to be on the back of an envelope.

The list was a dreaded Saturday morning item. The only requirement was that the list had to be completed on Saturday. Mom stated: "You can complete your list in an hour, or you can spend all day working on your list, but you're not leaving the house or playing with friends or anything else for that matter, until you've completed everything on your list & I've checked to make sure everything is complete". (she actually meant she had to check it to make sure it was up to her standards)

The list was evil in my eyes but looking back now I know it was my mothers saving grace. We had a very large 4 level home with 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, living room, kitchen, dining room, family room & HUGE basement playroom. The list was my mothers way to get all the items cleaned in her house before Sunday. It contained all the mundane tasks you wouldn't do on the weekdays such as polishing all the wood furniture in the house (which was a lot), or washing windows (ick!). If the list contained the phrase: "polish the kitchen cupboards", then there was a specific way we knew in which they were to be polished. Always with a product called Liquid Gold, always with a soft cloth & we were instructed in the precise manner as to how much Liquid Gold to apply to the cloth & how to apply it to the cupboard. I think I only got yelled at once for over polishing the cupboards (too much Liquid Gold).

Since I've been away from home, my house cleaning skills are great, if I'd use them. However, I'd much prefer to knit & play with my dogs than clean, so I'll leave the clean house up to my mother!

Gorgeous Yarn & a Good Book

Today I officially become a yarn snob! I just received my Socks That Rock yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts & the yarn is Gorgeous with a capital G!!

The only sock yarn I've used up until this point has been Lion Brand Magic Stripes yarn that cost me $8 for a pair of socks. I'm currently knitting with KnitPicks Essential yarn for my Columbine Peak socks & I have some KnitPicks Simple Stripes yarn waiting to be knitted (and now I think it may be waiting forever)! The KnitPicks socks are only costing me $6 for a pair, so the yarn is very inexpensive which is why I purchased it in the first place. At the time I thought it would be a good "test yarn" to see if I liked knitting socks. For heavens sake, now I realize that maybe I haven't completely enjoyed knitting socks because I wasn't using the best yarn!

I must also note here that the yarn for STR is 100% Superwash Merino medium weight & the LionBrand & KnitPicks yarns are a blend of 75% superwash wool & 25% nylon. This may make a difference, although I'd venture to guess that if Blue Moon Fiber Arts made a 75% wool/25% nylon blend, it would still be nicer than the others. I could be wrong....or could I?

I also received my books I ordered from the library: Dyeing to Knit by Elaine Eskesen & The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber. I ordered Dyeing to Knit because I thought it would be interesting to dye my own yarn, but after thumbing through the book, I may be over my head & I think I'll wait on that for awhile. The Shop on Blossom Street is just a regular old novel that is about a woman who opens a yarn store in Seattle & the relationships of the women who take her first knitting class. It struck a cord with me because obviously I love knitting and since I'm from Seattle, I thought it would be a fun read.

Oh the horror!

First of all....I didn't want to post this photo of my poor excuse for the Girlfriend Shrug. If the designer ever saw my FO, I'd drop dead of embarassment! Personally, I don't even like it & I'm just glad that I won't be there when my neice opens up her present on her birthday & finds this ugly shrug. I should have thrown it away, but then she'd have no present from me (and she knew she was getting something made by me because I had her mommy take her measurements. Oh the horror!

My flaw is in choosing yarn unsuitable for the project. (with my head down & eyes turned downward) I must admit it..... I used 100% Acrylic yarn. There, I've said it!I feel like I should be standing up in front of a group of knitters to admit my flaw....

"Hello, my name is Kristie & I knit with 100% acrylic yarn."

Knitting this project was one of the worst experiences I've ever had & I'm blaming it on the yarn. It couldn't have been me. I was using my very expensive Addi Turbo needles & using my expensive moisturizing hand cream & STILL I could feel little callouses building up on my fingers & the yarn kept splitting & didn't behave at all. If anyone ever catches me buying this yarn again....please put me out of my misery & strangle me with it!

Busted, Sweet Tee & DeStash Burn

I'm busted by DH. Today he confessed that he reads my blog. My response.....

Dear DH,
Whenever you read my blog, please make sure you're sitting down.....you just never know how much money I may spend.
Love, Me
P.S. Thanks for the money

My Sweet Tee # 3 is blocking now & I hope to be seaming it this weekend!!

Word of caution to anyone who reads this ( I think there's 3 of you now?) Purchasing from the Destash blog has bit my in the arse twice, so be forewarned! (Actually, it didn't bite me in the arse until the 2nd time, but I'm mad, so I'm saying twice). Also, it's actually not the blogs fault, it's one particular person on that blog. The first time I tried to purchase from her she emailed me back that the yarn had already sold. It happens, no biggie. But, the second time....

• I emailed her I wanted to purchase her yarn.
• She emailed me that it was available & to send her my zip code.
• I did.
• She emailed me back that s&h costs were $3 & that I could paypal her.
• I did.
• She emailed me back that someone else had already purchased the yarn.

EXCUSE ME!! WTF? Anyway, I'm never going to attempt to buy yarn from her again even if she does have more yarn on that site that I want.

Scatterbrain

There's just no denying it...I'm a scatterbrain.

How is it that I have a calendar that is posted where I look at it EVERY day, but I still don't notice that I need to complete a knitting project by May 22nd that I haven't even started yet!

Today has been a mad knitting dash knitting the Girlfriend Shrug by Wendy for my neice (my very first neice) who is turning 10.

I'm knitting it in pastel colors so that she can wear it this summer in the cool evenings & it should match with anything since it's variegated yarn. Personally, I think she'll either love it or hate it.

Meanwhile, I am on the home stretch with the Columbine Peak socks. I'm not thrilled with the pattern - too much ribbing for my taste on the heel flap & the sides of the front foot, but maybe they'll be comfy?

I just can't wait for my real sock yarn to arrive in the mail!

Sock Yarn Guilt

I finally broke down & "busted the bank" on this in the Ruby Slippers Colorway. I wanted to order Queen Rock, but since I wasn't sure if I'd love it, I went with the safer choice in the semi-solid colorway. I've never spent so much on yarn before, and the guilt is still killing me, but I ordered it for 2 reasons:

1. I want to knit with a true sock yarn to see if it makes me like knitting socks more.

2. I want to see if spending more money on yarn produces a better end result.

I've also decided that since I'm nearing completion of my Columbine Peak socks (finally), that I need more sock yarn (I only have enough in my stash for one pair of socks) & I needed to find the perfect pattern. Since I see it all over blog-land, I've chosen Grumperina's Jaywalkers. I checked out all her recommended yarns through others blogs & STR just seems to be the favorite.

Weekend Recap

Friday was excellent due to my DH coming home early from work but the strangest thing happened that night....my insomnia took over & I didn't go to bed Friday night. I did get some knitting done on my afghan & the socks though.

My DH appeared in the doorway of the living room at 4:30am in this & said:

DH: What are you doing?
Me: Knitting
DH: Why?
Me: Something to do
DH: Why aren't you in bed?
Me: Not tired
DH: Oh

He leaves the room for a few minutes (I hear the morning pee & teeth brushing ritual) & he reappears with a t-shirt, sweat shorts & slippers.

Me: What are you doing?
DH: I'm up
Me: I see that, why don't you go back to bed?
DH: I'm up
Me: I have a crazy idea. Are you hungry?
DH: I guess so
Me: Let's go get breakfast

So we did. Of course a few hours after we got home...I CRASHED! I slept about 4 hours & then just relaxed the rest of the day with a bit of knitting, movie-watching, etc.

We went & saw An American Haunting movie. If you like Exorcist-type movies, you'd like this one. I think DH liked it more than me although he said I jumped about 5 times. Yes, those cheap thrills can do that to a gal.

On Mother's Day I woke up to a present! I already have this, so my present was the perfect companion. I also got a Mother's Day card from Duke & Kya (the dogs) which was so cute. My DH treats me good for not being a real mom. The day was pretty low key but we did go to dinner at Midori for sushi.. YUM! We then stopped to buy groceries. I never shop here & now I know why -- they are very expensive compared to my usual grocery store! Although, they do carry my favorite potato chips in the whole world!! I normally buy this, but then I saw this & bought them instead (trying to be healthy). They're really not that good though & I wish I would've bought my favorite instead!

We got home just in time for DH to watch the series finale of Survivor and then for the first time in a very long time I went to bed before midnight and actually fell asleep.

I feel a great weekend coming on!

Package Day!

Isn't it the best surprise when something you've ordered from the internet arrives much earlier than you expected??? I love that!

My latest delivery came from The Card Company & includes:

• 2 mini kits (celebrate & thank you),
• adhesive refill
• vine ribbon
• mini stamps
• ink pad
• vellum tags
• jumbo ric rac
  

There was even a HANDWRITTEN note on my invoice!

And if that weren't good enough for a Friday, my DH got off work 2 hours early! I think we may just go out to dinner or a movie!

No Sleep & Socks

I hate that I'm not sleeping well at night. I was going to quietly slide between the sheets & snuggle up with my sleepy DH about 90 minutes ago, but something awful has happened!!

I must have misplaced or lost my bedroom!! It's not there! Someone has replaced it with a hibernating bears den. (Although there's only one LOUD snoring bear in there & it definitely resembles my DH).

As soon as I hear the bear, ur I mean DH stop snoring, I'll go to bed..I promise. Lucky me, he has to get up for work at 4am so the snoring will end in about 30 minutes for sure! YIPPEEEEE!

You know, if you click on the picture, you might even be able to see some detail on these socks.

I learned how to knit a sock on 2 circulars from the Cat Bordhi book, (same place this Columbine Peak pattern came from), but I taught myself how to knit 2 socks on 2 circulars. I'm quite proud of myself.

A word of caution...don't make any mistakes if you have any pattern work at all & you're a beginning sock knitter. Frogging is a bitch -- although it can be done.

So far so good....heels should be interesting though! Wish me luck!

Moms Card (sshhhh....don't tell her)

I try to sit down at my craft desk and make a variety of cards once a month.

I try.....
I ACTUALLY sit down once a month the morning that I HAVE to get the cards in the mail for that special holiday (i.e. Mother's Day) & only make that holiday's card.

This is the shelf above my desk where I store all my supplies.

And a little sampling of my latest cards for Mother's Day

Are you surprised I would post my mother's card here? Well, if your mother is like mine you wouldn't be. She's never seen my blog. She actually probably doesn't even know what the term "blog" means. Oh well...someday I may just get her into the 21st century!

No Sock Love

Why am I not loving knitting socks? Is this something I'll outgrow? I've just not had the best of luck with it & maybe it's due to my lack of knitting skills.

.....Maybe I'm supposed to wash my gauge swatch.

I'm using KnitPicks Essential in Cocoa & I first started knitting the KnitPicks Mock Croc Socks pattern. I didn't like it, so I ripped!

Then, I started on the Columbine Peak socks in the Cat Bordhi's Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles book & even when I tried it on I was thinking I wasn't all that thrilled with it....but I kept going. What the hell I figured, what do I know about knitting socks -- I've only done it once before!

I finished the blasted thing, tried it on (feels too big) and I started the 2nd sock.

Oh No! Do you see what I see? Did I get into the "flow" of using this yarn on these needles & now my gauge is tighter?



MURPHY'S LAW!
I can't have this!
I'll just rip the sucker out & start over!

And now ladies & gentlemen, for my next trick, I'll attempt to knit both socks at the same time! This will definitely give me a migraine!

De-landscaping?

Since the landscapers came & took away 3 MAJOR trees & then majorly pruned the others, I think they were de-landscaping!

I had no idea what it would be like to have professionals come to my home for the day & work in my yard. I felt kind of guilty watching them....
until my DH reminded me that we were paying them a small fortune to do the work for us.
DUH!

This is only one small part of my landscaping redo. Most of the yard is still scraggly looking because we have to replant especially due to the DEAD TREE that had to go bye bye.

That particular tree had termite damage (one MAJOR thing I hate about living in California) & here's what they were doing to my tree:

Needless to say, now I just have a bunch of ugly naked spots in my yards, so we'll be off to the nursery very soon! In fact, we'll be shopping a lot lately with all the exterior home projects on my list:

1. Replant yard
2. Replace fence that is falling into neighbors yard (termites again)
3. Replace access door to garage
4. Repaint house & garage (the trim at least)
5. Replace 3rd bedroom outside access door

Don't even get me started on the interior projects which include new hardwood floors & such! Never a dull moment when you own a 50-yr old house that no previous homeowner seemed to take care of.

I think it will be easier to move.

tag again?

Lain, I'm going to stop reading your blog if you keep doing this to me! (he he, just kidding) I got tagged again by her.....which would be fine if these questions didn't make me have to think on the weekend! AHHHH ... (must turn brain back on, must turn brain back on)

Seven things to do before I die...

1. Have a career I look forward to getting out of bed for
2. Build or buy a home with a pool in the backyard
3. Learn to speak Spanish
4. Watch my grandchildren grow up & have families of their own
5. Travel to Europe
6. Make a difference in someone's life
7. Be debt-free with a credit score so high people will BEG to loan me money!
   

Seven things I cannot do...

1. stay on a diet
2. stay away from sugar
3. control everything & everyone around me
4. sleep at night
5. feel good about how my body looks
6. find enough energy for what I want to do
7. find enough patience

Seven things that attract me to my man...

1. His cute butt!
2. His eyes
3. His smile
4. His complete devotion & loyalty to me
5. His protective nature
6. His giving nature
7. His stability

Seven books that I love...

1. The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman(no relationship should be without this book!)
2. Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz(it was my grandfather's favorite)
3. Shel Silverstein's books
4. Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
5. The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thad Carhart
6. The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck
7. The Hours by Michael Cunningham

Seven things I say...

1. I'll do it (my husband thinks I say this all the time.... I think I do too)
2. Stop it / drop it / knock it off (said to Kya my problem "child".. dog)
3. Honey, when are you coming home? (poor DH works so much I don't see him much)
4. You're just a dumb boy (said to DH, but I'm kidding of course)
5. What do you want for dinner? (I have a list of available dinner items on the fridge but I still ask my DH every night what item from the list he wants)
6. Who loves you? (DH & I say this to each other all the time)
7. Honey, I went to the store...(pause) ... but I got a really good deal!

Seven movies I've loved...(if it's possible to wear out a DVD, these will be worn out soon)

1. Somewhere in Time
2. Sense & Sensibility
3. Pretty Woman
4. City of Angels
5. Little Women
6. The Thomas Crown Affair
7. The Competition (don't own this one... yet)

Seven people I'm gonna tag...

1. Seven? I don't think 7 people read my blog yet!

(and now to add one of my own)
Seven things I shouldn't eat at midnight:

Margaritas on the house!

My DH believes that because of him (he's 50% Spanish) I now have an excuse (reason) to celebrate this holiday. I always have had a reason to celebrate it -- I was financially supporting the local Mexican restaurant by consuming mucho grande margaritas!

Most people believe Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican Independence Day, but it's not. The "Fifth of May" in 1862 is the day the Mexicans (Mestizo & Zapotec Indians) defeated the French Army at the Battle of Puebla.

Can you imagine if they'd lost that battle & the French then owned Mexico? I wonder if we'd have more or less illegal immigrants then? I wonder how it would've changed things here in the U.S.

Maybe I should ponder this with a couple more margaritas!

new projects / too many projects

My husband must cringe when I tell him I'm going shopping. I'm sure in the back of his mind he hopes I don't go to the LCS (local craft store) because I always get trapped into buying something there (usually for my card-making which I don't do a lot of). This time, however, I got trapped in there by all the jewelry making supplies & then remembered ... I can make my own stitch holders!

So I did! My DH & I have this thing with dragonfly's & everytime I see one, I think of him. I don't have a million dragonfly things around the house & I really don't want to (I'm not inot the "collection" thing), but if the item is a useful object, I'm all for it!

I also realized today that I have too many knitting projects in process, & nothing completed! Currently on the needles:

1. Saunshine Sweet Tee #3 - 90% complete (needs blocking & side seams sewn)
2. Columbine Socks - 40% complete
3. Cardigan (more of testing a pattern with yarn I hate than making something I'll keep & cherish & wear forever) - 75% complete
4. Shedir hat (needs to be ripped & started over with smaller needles)
5. Prayer shawl that I modified into a lap quilt - 65% complete

Needless to say, I suppose I should finish one of these items before starting something else! I'll post photos & details about each item in the future (easier to say that than to do it now... umm is mr. procrastination rearing his ugly head?)

"My father is my sisters uncle"

Strange title, & it's not one I say, but I did hear it in a conversation on Sunday. I rarely expose dirty laundry to any old stranger, but this story is so strange, nobody believes it anyway.

A million years ago.....
My DH Bob married Dawn & they had a daugter together - Tasha
When Tasha was 3 years old Bob & Dawn divorced
Dawn then married Dan, (Bob's nephew)
Dawn & Dan had 2 children (Breea & Daniel)
Dawn & Dan thankfully divorced & no other children were conceived

Tasha married Scott & they have Austin & Blake

So, by marriage, Tasha (who is only 9 yrs younger than me), is my step-daughter & Austin & Blake are my step-grandchildren. They both call me Grandma Kristie though & I love every minute of it.

Anyway, on Sunday we were celebrating Scott's birthday at Dawn's house & that's when Daniel says he loves to freak people out by saying:
"My father is my sister's uncle".

I don't think I'm freaked out anymore, just relieved that my DH's family is as screwed up as mine!