Back from Threadbear

We got home from Threadbear this afternoon. We had a really good time. They are so very nice there. Rob went way out of his way to help us find what we needed and really everyone was awesome!

I took some pics to show those of you that have never been what it's like. I have LYS near me but this one is the best I have seen. Okay, I've not been to a lot but it is nice...




My favorite section is the sock yarn...




And then there were these oh so yummy yarns that were way out of my price range (so, so sad)...



My husband wants to knit this...



My husband will be knitting this from the book Men in Knits...



This is the way too much that we purchased while we were there...



We had a great time and I want to leave you with one more spectacular view of Threadbear...



It is located in Lansing and it's like Disney Land! If you are able to you really need to visit.

Trip to Threadbear!

My DH and I are heading to Threadbear tonight. Well we will go there tomorrow but we are leaving tonight. How is that for a mini vacation. Isn't my DH wonderful. It was his idea! I will give a recap of what we get tomorrow or Sunday and I will try to get some pics while we are there. Hope everyone is doing well.

Secret Pal 4

I am involved in Secret Pal 4 so the following information is for the person who has me as a secret pal. This is quite exciting, it's my first time doing the secret pal thing! If I'm not your secret pal you might want to skip this.

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high- end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?

No, I use Lion Brand often for Prayer Shawls and as long as the yarn is soft and non-scratchy me likes it!

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

I would love to learn to spin but...

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

I do not but have son with asthma so no smoke please.

4. How long have you been knitting?

Began knitting on February 13, 2004!

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Yes, at Amazon, see link in side panel.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

Vanilla, caramel, hyacinth for candles. Only use DOVE product for sensitive skin for bath products.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

Uh, yeah! Love plain M&M's, milk chocolate and caramel.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

Have done almost everything. Stained Glass, Rubber Stampin', Polymer Clay, Cross Stitch... Currently I am into knitting and knitting only (not enough time for anything else).

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

Contemporary Christian, Country, Song of the 80's & yes, MP3's are okay:)

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?

Blues, Greens and fall colors

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I am married to a knitting man, we have 3 boys (12, 4 yo twins) and one cat named Whiskey.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)

Opening a yarn store with my DH!

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

I like Lamb's Pride & self-striping sock yarn

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Anything scratchy:(

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

Socks and other projects made with sock yarn.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Socks, hats, & felted clogs.

17. What are you knitting right now?

The question is, what am I NOT knitting right now... socks, wristlet, loopy scarf, Prayer Shawl, fuzzy feet, ribbon scarf... possibly more, I can't recall all right now.

18. What do you think about ponchos?

I have made one for a child but I don't think I could wear one.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

Circular when I can in order to avoid a lot of sewing.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Usually bamboo, just bought some addi TURBO's so we'll see.

21. Are you a sock knitter?

Yes! Not a lot of experience but I'm getting there:)

22. How did you learn to knit?

I taught myself to knit using a book.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

Probably 3 months?

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

I like Woody & Buzz from Toy Story & sea turtles.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

My husband's birthday! (he told me to type that) I don't know if I officially have a fav.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

You mean other than yarn and needles and patterns and books? I'd have to say candles.

And in KNITTING news

I am finally posting a very not nice pic of the Hugs & Kisses Socks that I am working on. I don't know if it's the black yarn, my camera, the weather or what but I can't get a good picture of these.



I was also able to get out today with my DH and add to my stash.



I have so been wanting the S&B Nation and I finally splurged and bought it. Thanks to a hefty tax return I don't feel quite as much quilt but it's still there. The other book is pretty awesome too. I really like knitting socks and I enjoy sock yarn so I thought why not? It's a brand new book and it has a lot of cool projects including a baby sweater, hat and booties set. Too cute!

Thanks to all...

I have been totally busy for the last 3 days. I am officially a taxi mom/wife. It's hard to keep it all straight but I'm thankful for what we have. Material possessions just aren't that important in comparison to family and friends.

Speaking of friends... I am so excited by all of the budding friendships that have come from my little ol' blog. I honestly never thought anyone would read it much less read it with any frequency. I love reading the comments! I have made one friend in particular that I treasure, ChefAbbyLu from Pampered Knitter has been with me from the start and I really appreciate her companionship:) Thanks Miss Abby!

I have met so many awesome people on the 'net and in the real world through knitting that I just felt like I needed to say thanks for reading and for being there for me! You are all such good listeners!

Monday, Monday... Be good to me!

I was up before 6am. Way earlier than I wanted to be up. With only 1 vehicle I drove my husband to work and I now know that this is going to be rough. I am not a morning person. I had to make my bed just so I wouldn't climb back in. I have about 10 minutes until DS #3 gets up for school. Long enough to complain (obviously).

Yesterday I finished my dishcloth that I started Saturday night. It's nice to be a finisher even when it's not the project that really needs finishing. I purchased the Eyelet Rib Wristlets for the Knit Your Bit Along and will probably just do those for today. I am trying hard to work on my current Prayer Shawl. I now know who it's for so that seems to help. There is just so much knitting and so little time.

My Aunt from Arkansas wants to learn to knit. She has bought needles and a book and has so far taught herself to cast on! It's exciting. She is a crocheter but has never knit so I wish her well (she reads my blog on occassion!) I may have to make another trip down there to help her out.

I imagine that most of you have heard of the show Knitty Gritty on DIY (Do it Yourself) Network. I really enjoy watching shows about knitting and this one is excellent. They just started a new season so there are lots of new shows. I watched one on spinning and now I'm dreaming of branching out (but alas, I am broke). Look for the show or check out the website for some free patterns. I knit these from the show...


Hope everyone has a happy Monday and we can all stay warm! Knit on:)

Busy Day!

I have been quite busy today. I woke up to the unpleasantness of my dear twins having examined my laptop. They bent some of the pins that my wireless card plugs into and now I must send it out to be fixed. Should only take 2 to 4 weeks... bummer! So without my laptop right next to me all day I got a lot done.

I worked on my Hugs & Kisses Socks and still cannot get a good picture of it. I don't know if it's because the yarn is black or what. I really like this pattern. It's new and different and I love a challenge. I will probably get the pattern for the wristlets since everyone keeps talking about them.

Tonight we watched Bourne Supremacy so I started yet another project. I didn't want to do it but I needed something that I could knit without really looking at it. I started a dishcloth (again). Same pattern but like I said, I wanted easy!

I received a card in the mail yesterday from Illanna. It was a very kind gesture and I really needed the pick me up. I'm still struggling with the accident to some degree and it was nice to hear from someone who understood. Thanks Illanna!

Have you noticed how all of my paragraphs seems to start with the word "I"? I am so darn self absorbed. How pathetic.

Now what was I saying? Oh yeah, I joined a new web ring yesterday. Christian Knitters is the name. I love the sense of community I have found in the rings that I have joined. It's a nice feeling!

It's getting late again and I really need to try to sleep. My DH goes back to work Monday and it's going to be a hard adjustment for me.

I will leave you with this picture of the Alien Scarf from Stitch & Bitch...

National Hug Day

Today is National Hug Day as well as Squirrel Appreciation Day. I don't actually know any squirrels (very well) but I do know a great number of people who could use a hug today! So from me to you... (((HUGS!)))

New Pics!

I am working right along on my Hugs & Kisses socks. This is new for me. I have never done welts before and I haven't really done color work either. I had to teach myself to knit with one color in each hand. I don't think I'm weaving my yarn on the back right but I'll have lots of practice with these socks.

This is the yarn that I picked out to use...

It knits up very well and I'm liking it a lot. I've never knit on size 2 needles before so this is a big learning project for me.

This is my DH. He is knitting on a prayer shawl.

I don't care what anyone says, Real men do knit!

I'll post a pic soon of the sock. I tried but I can't get a good picture, I'll have to keep trying.

War President...

Picture provided by American Leftist

This is a mosaic photo of fallen soldiers from the Iraq war. I am posting this today because of the inauguration. It is a moving image.

Knit, knit, knit

Last night I actually skipped knitting in order to knit. Does that make sense? Anyway, I was able to finish another dish cloth and start on my Hugs & Kisses Socks. I have to give my husband credit, he went out and got me my sock yarn. He is just so awesome.

I don't think I mentioned this before but he let me teach him to knit and he's been working on some projects of his own. Right now he's pretty bummed because he has a prayer shawl 2/3 done and my LYS says the yarn he is using is discontinued and they can't get anymore. It's called Bernat Harmony and it's in a tan(ish) color. He said he learned his lesson and he will never start another project without all of the yarn necessary.

I've only done about 4 rounds on my H&K Socks but as I get farther I will post pics. These are only the 2nd pair of socks I have knit. I had to go with size 2 needles to get the gauge right (yeah for me... I did a gauge swatch!) The size 2 needles are probably better anyway, I have fairly small feet.

This will sound like a crazy question but a Knit A Long is just that right? I just knit the same thing at the same time right? There is no exchange at the end? I am quite new to the blog world of knitting that I should probably get my facts straight. I could assume by the name but you know what they say about assuming.

Today is a snow day for the boys so I may or may not be able to get any knitting done. I have high hopes, wish me well!

Accident Update

(Negativity Alert!) I am feeling rather frustrated today. I would like to know what is happening and it's just a really slow process. Our insurance seems to think our van can be fixed for about $5000 but the collision place that has it is wondering why they want to fix it at all. They (the collision place) couldn't even open the hood and will need to work on stripping down the front of it later this week. Then they decide what parts they need and order them (that will be another 5 working days). The work itself will take at least 2 1/2 weeks... I'm not dealing well. We need two vehicles starting next week. We will probably need to rent a car which isn't in the budget. I guess I'll worry about that next week or at least on Friday. Scheduled worrying, crazy huh? (Negativity Alert Suspended!)

I called the other people involved in the accident. We were in no way at fault but I wanted to let the others know that I was thinking about them and that I didn't blame the guy who ran the stop sign. I have absolutely no bad feelings toward him at all. I felt like he needed to know that I forgive him and that I wish him well. It made me feel better to talk to him and I hope it helped him. Unforgiveness is so toxic.

I was able to knit some yesterday but still have no yarn for the knit your bit socks. I really need to get to my LYS but with only one vehicle errands are a challenge. I will try later but for now I knit what I have. "Be a finisher, be a finisher, be a finisher..." My new mantra. Words to live by.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

I love Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It just makes you feel good inside. No matter what troubles you have there is always someone out there a little worse off and deserving of help. The family they profiled tonight was very much deserving and even though I cry through the entire show I walk away feeling good inside. They do amazing things and help in ways that just blow me away. If you don't watch the show you should!

The truth is stranger than fiction

I just read this story on yahoo. A woman from Michigan was arrested for DUI after she had drank listerine. I don't know about you but I can't figure out her reasoning. Maybe you have to be a drinker to understand this.

Don't you love football?... and knitting!

Okay, maybe not everyone loves football. I don't mind watching some football and I have certain teams I like. The Dolphins and the Colts. I'm spending today watching playoff games and knitting. Okay, so far I'm listening to football and reading blogs on my laptop.

I think I (almost) have my blog the way I want it. Maybe I'll be able to knit some after I post. I found two other projects that I had forgotten. I'm doing some Fuzzy Feet for my dad and starting slippers for my twins.

I have way too much going on and I so want to start something else. I'm a starter! My goal for 2005 is to be a finisher! I do eventually finish projects but starting is just so much more exciting. I'm trying not to buy yarn and just work from my stash but then I signed up for the Knit Your Bit Along... now I need sock yarn for that. Oh well, the socks are just adorable and it's for a good cause!

I'm interested in making a button for my blog but I don't know how to do that. I found a couple of site that are okay but not what I really want. I'll keep looking but would so appreciate some direction on this... hint, hint!

Well it's back to football and I will be knitting the afternoon! Knit on!

New knitting link added!

Today I added a link to Knit Psychos. This blog is owned by Manda and I think everyone needs to check it out. Manda sent me a gift certificate to Adagio Teas to cheer me up after our run of mishaps. It was such a thoughtful RAOK. Everyone has been sending well wishes and we really appreciate it. Thanks again to Manda and everyone should check out her blog!

Yet another quiz

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting
and do it all the time. While finishing a piece
is the plan, you still love the process, and
can't imagine a day going by without giving
some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation
involves leaving ample space for the stash and
supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn
ends and you begin.
http://marniemaclean.com


What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Knitting Needle Hazzards...

I Tivo CSI:NY and was shocked to see a case that involved the death of a woman who fell onto a knitting needle. It was wierd. Moral of the story is to be careful where you leave your needles!

New Quiz...

Goodnight Moon


Which children's book are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I do love to sleep. I thought my boys would get a kick out of this... it's one of thier favorite books.

I feel lucky today...

After going around today and taking some pictures of the damage I have to admit that I feel lucky. I honestly believe that God was looking out for us. You go through that "what if" thing and I know it could have been worse. I'm truly thankful for this day and plan to make the most out of it.

This is the Land Rover (obviously). It took the full impact of the truck and then somehow spun around to hit us. 

The front end of the truck. This section hit the Land Rover head on. 

This is the truck that ran the stop sign and hit the Land Rover and then hit us. The dent in the bed of the truck is the part that smashed into us. 

This is the side I was sitting on. It was hit by the white Land Rover. 

Our Van. Not as bad yet worse than I thought. If that makes any sense. 

Car Accident

This year is just not off to a good start. Tonight we were going out and we got about a mile down the road. We were sitting at a stop sign waiting to go straight/west when a truck coming from the opposite direction (at a good 55mph) didn't stop. He ran into an SUV that was going north through the intersection. The SUV hit us on the front and passenger side and kept going about 15 yards. The truck then spun around and hit us on the drivers side and front again.

We only had our twins with us and we all were ok. The SUV had one adult and three children in it (the mother was following and saw the whole thing happen right in front of her). They were all ok too. The man who ran the stop sign appeared fine as well. Amazingly all 9 of us walked away in what I would describe as a miracle. We did go to the ER and we were checked out. I have a severe bruise below my right knee and my DH has some bruising on his shoulder and elbow. The boys were fine but I'm sure we will be sore tomorrow.

I'm not really sure what will happen with our van. It was hit very hard from two different directions. Financially it has come at a rotten time but I have faith that God is with us and that he will provide. The scary part is that neither of our air bags deployed. Maybe because we weren't moving? I am thankful that we paid the extra money for our kids to have full booster seats and that we were all wearing our seat belts. I also feel I should thank Flylady and her sister for good info last year on UFOs (Unsecured Flying Objects). Our van wasn't packed with clutter so that was a blessing as well!

Now it is my intention to quit writing about depressing stuff. This blog is suppose to be about knitting and darn it... Knitting it will be about. Thanks for letting me talk it out. You are all such great listeners.

My dishcloth made using Sugar'n Cream cotton yarn. It's knit from corner to corner using yarn overs.  

This is a loopy scarf that I am also slowly working on. I tried to work on this tonight at knitting but gave up. The pattern is awkward and time consuming and not something you can chat through. It's made using Colinette Giotto in Florentine. 

This is a Prayer Shawl that I am slowly working on. It is made using Bernat Harmony Crushed Rose. It's 100% acrylic and looks and feels a lot like Lion Brand Homespun but it doesn't get bunched up or fuzzy the way homespun does.  

Here's another view, it's not really clear but it shows how big the spool is. 

This is the Nylon yarn that I have no idea what to do with. It's a lot of yarn. Hard to tell from the picture but it's huge. 

Tuesday is Knitting Group Night!

Most Tuesdays I can be found at the LYS Lizzie Ann's with a group of gals knitting away. I am fairly new to the group but I really enjoy it. I get a lot of inspiration from seeing what everyone else is up to. It gives me ideas of what to do with my growing, out-of-control, stash.

Trip to Bookstore

Just got home from Barne's & Noble. I just love books, don't you? I was looking for the book HTML for Dummies but couldn't find it. I did find Creating Web Pages for Dummies and that will work. I am, of course, jumping into the deep end of this blog stuff. Can you say OCD?

I also checked out the knitting section and found a few books that I would love to have. Hand Knits for the Home by Caroline Birkett, The Stitch Bible by Maria Parry-Jones and Better Homes & Gardens Hip Knits were all very nice. In the end I selected the Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns published by Sterling Publishing Co. It has 550 basic and complex stitch patterns in graph and text form. It's got excellent illustrations and I highly recommend it. Of course I haven't knitted anything from it yet but I'm sure it will be wonderful, simply wonderful.

It's really hard not to buy books. There are so many out there that I want. Realistically how many of those patterns will I actually knit? I seem to find one or two in a book that I love and the rest are forgotten. I really prefer to search out free patterns on the web. Much easier on my budget ya know? I'll have to put up links to some of the great sites I have found with free patterns.

Changes to my blog

I spent most of the day yesterday recuperating from my travels. In other words I sat on the couch with the laptop and worked on my blog. It's my goal to make my blog a deeply personal representation of who I am. I added some anti-bush stuff and my husband informed me that the election was over. Gee, I must have missed it... not. I'll just say that I live in a town where jobs are disappearing and I'm not happy about it.

Right now my husband and I are both not feeling well (colds) and the kids are feeling fine. What that means is that the kids are bouncing off the walls and making us crazy. I know I am definitely home. It's funny how you can miss someone and then get home and forget why you missed them so much. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids.

I've noticed that since I started my blog I don't do a lot of knitting. I'd love to know how others balance it. I'm an all or nothing kind of person so I struggle with this. If you are reading my rantings leave a comment and tell me what you think. How am I doing??? Thanks in advance!

I'm Back!

I arrived home last night after 12 1/2 hours of driving alone. It wasn't fun but at least the weather was decent. It was nice to see all my boys, but leaving my Grandma was hard. I know she will be fine but you just can't turn off worry.

I wasn't able to get much knitting done. I finished a dishcloth and started another. Other than that, not a stitch. I really didn't have a lot of time to even sit down and I still haven't figured out how to drive and knit at the same time. Oh well. I have a long list of people who want dishcloths so I'll have plenty of work to do.

My grandmother gave me a HUGE spool of hunter green nylon yarn that was from a carpet factory and now I need to find a use for it. Any suggestions? I doubt it could be worn so I'm in need of ideas. I'll post a picture later.

My DH painted our living room while I was away and it looks wonderful! Our whole house was a flat white "builders" paint that showed every mark and just left you feeling cold. Now it's a light warm tan color called 'Rushmore Stone'. He did a great job. He really is the best!

Not so good day...

Last night I got a call from my folks letting me know that my Grandpa passed away. He wasn't in really good health but it certainly wasn't expected. We will be leaving Michigan today for Arkansas (about a 13 hour drive). I will have to drive my own vehicle since I can't stay as long as my mom and dad plan to. Luckily (in an ironic way) my husband is currently laid off work for 3 weeks so he will be able to handle the boys.

I guess it doesn't seem real right now. I didn't sleep well last night and my DH said that I was crying in my sleep. This is the 5th death this year between our two families and it's hard to take. I do know that my Grandpa is in a far better place and that brings me comfort. His quality of life was compromised but my heart aches for my Grandma. I hate that she has to be alone. She is a wonderful woman and I'm not sure how long she will last without him. She's just lost too much lately. Prayers for her would be appreciated.

With this said I probably won't be posting for a few days unless I can get computer access and time down there. I should be back by weeks end if all goes well. Thanks for listening:)

Felt Clogs Before

This is the before of the Felt Clogs I mentioned previously. That is my DHs foot showing how big they are.

Fuzzy Feet After

After photo for Fuzzy Feet. They didn't turn out as fuzzy as I had expected but they worked for my oldest DS.

Fuzzy Feet Before

Before photo for Fuzzy Feet
My first "sock"

Quiz

Congratulations! You are Bree Van De Kamp, the
Martha Stewart on steroids, whose family is
about to mutiny.


Which Desperate Housewife are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Not sure that I agree with this but why would they lie??? Right?

Stained Glass...

The following is a picture of a stained glass panel that I made for my DH, a HUGE Miami Dolphin's fan. It's by far the largest project I have ever done and I designed it myself. It's 3' X 3'.

Miami Dolphin's Logo 

Catalogs

I absolutely love catalogs. Today I received three in the mail and I really prefer them over bills! On the stained glass side I got the winter sale flyer for Delphi and the sales flyer for Glass Crafters. I also got a catalog for Herrschners with lots of craft items and some inexpensive yarns. I rarely order from catalogs but I love to look through them. My favorite yarn catalog is Patternworks because of all the eye candy. It really is a great catalog maybe some day I will get up the courage to order from it. I think the problem is that when I want something I want it NOW! I don't like to wait for something to come in the mail. I'm just not that patient.

On knitting news I am currently felting a pair of clogs by Fiber Trends, working on a Prayer Shawl for my Prayer Shawl Ministry at Ridge Point Community Church . I'm also doing some other odds and ends. I have a really hard time working on one project at a time. I'd like to say that I'm a multi-tasker but truth be told I think I'm a little ADD. What can you do?