Anyone? Anyone?

In all fairness to Dexter, I should tell you that he didn't completely destroy my Buddy Case. But he did put his stupid teeth on it. Which made me really upset. Upset enough to not be able to look at my Buddy without wanting to find a new home for Dexter. So I bought a new Buddy.



See the teeth marks on the right in the picture above?

And there on the left side in this picture? Beast. I am showing you this to be fair to my little black bear pup, but I am also showing you this because I just can't throw it away. I finally moved the contents from the old to the new and when I walked to the garbage can I couldn't do it. Honestly, Buddy has a lot of life left to give. Just not to me because it makes me want to take Dexter's. So if you'd like a slightly bitten Buddy of your very own, leave me a comment and tell me why. I'll draw a name at random next Friday, May 14th and send it off to the lucky winner. And to make up for the teeth marks I'll even throw in the skein of Gedifra Fiorista shown below. It would make a great Calorimetry for summer!

The Things I Do For Love

I am not a fan of the Steelers. But hubby is. He's lucky I love him because despite how much I absolutely LOVED this yarn (it's the fingering, btw) I HATED knitting every single stitch of these socks. And what's worse is that I agreed to knit another pair for a friend he works with. The yarn for the second pair has been sitting on top of the computer desk snickering at me for weeks. I guess I should cast on for them soon. At least one pair will be leaving the house.

Birthday Loot

So a couple weeks ago I turned 38. The boys got together and decided to surprise me with something they were positive I would love.



I love it all and I was totally surprised! There are 2 skeins of Cascade 220 2413 Red for legwarmers for Dailaesse, Dream In Color Smooshy Malibu Sail which was wound yesterday for some mystery socks I plan to cast on really soon, Dream in Color Smooshy Still Spruce, Sweet Georgia Superwash Sock Fondant, Cascade Heritage 5601 Black for ankle socks for Darcie, Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Avondale, and last but not least is a gorgeous skein of Spirit Trail Fiberworks Sunna Falcon's Eye which will become a pair of socks for my dad. Now I can't wait for my next birthday!

Smells Like Aliens and Hookers

A few little funnies from the road trip to Boston:

1) Not too long after we get on the Northway there is a spot where Border Patrol normally has a road block. There was much controversy over this in years past as there have been many accidents because it sits just around a bend in the road. In an effort to eliminate this problem, the state laid down several sets of rumble strips and put up big flashing signs indicating there may be traffic stopped ahead. As we drove over the rumble strips Darcie (now remember, this is my 14 year old) asks from the back what exactly the rumble strips are. So I tell her they are to get your attention. She then proceeds to tell me that she thought they were to help get rid of illegal immigrants. I responded by saying that in a roundabout way they are and go on to explain the whole road block/accident issue. And she says??? Oh, I thought they were to shake them off the cars if they were hiding underneath.

2) A very excited Dailaesse needed almost constant entertainment on the way to Boston, aka The Hotel with The Pool. One of the games we played was Spelling Bee. Dailaesse and I had been playing alone for some time. Darcie decided she wanted to participate again and asked me for a word. Before I could give her one, Dailaesse shouted out...PROSTITUTE!

3) As we neared Boston Dailaesse wrinkled her nose and asked what smelled. I told her it was big business. We passed through the stench and a few minutes later Dailaesse was trying to ask us about something she had seen. In trying to explain where she had seen it she told us it was just after the air started smelling like farts.

Hotel Room - $155/night
Room Service - $90/day
Entertainment - Priceless

Yarn Crawl v2010.1

We arrived home at 2am this morning from a wonderful trip to Boston. It was short and quick but there was still room for greatness.

Where to start? I guess the beginning would be good. We loaded up the van Wednesday afternoon for our trip. Our first yarny stop was in Lake Placid at my LYS. I'm working on a (secret, sorry folks, it's killing me not to be able to post about it yet too) project and knew I was going to need another ball of yarn. Sue was just back from Stitches South and was heading out the door so I didn't get to visit but a minute but it was still so nice to see her!

Back in the van I continued on my project. I had grabbed a 24" needle for it because my 40" was already occupied. It was working but after a few rounds my hand was so cramped it was ridiculous. Half way between Lake Placid and Saratoga Springs I had to put the project down because it hurt so bad. Queue the perfect excuse to stop at Common Thread, formerly known as Saratoga Needle Arts. I was really excited to see the new store! We found it with the help of Lola (the navigation in the van) and I barely waited for the van to stop moving before I jumped out and ran up to the store. To my horror, it was closed! I hung my head and got back in the van.

Bran, being the kind hubby he is, suggested that there must be another knit shop in the area. I pulled out the trusty CrackBerry and found the Stitchin' Post just a mile or so away. It was 4:45pm so we called before heading over to see if they were open and if they had the needle I needed. Bingo! Off we went. Not only did I find my needle, I also found these beauties:

From left to right we have Berroco Sox Metallic 1369, Kertzer On Your Toes 857, Fibra Natura Yummy 41354, Opal 2067, Opal 2105 (it's 805 in this photo), and Knit One Crochet Too Crock-O-Dye 746.

On Thursday, I finally got to meet Leslie! Leslie drove all the way to our hotel to pick the girls and I up for some yarn crawling. She was sweet enough to research yarn stores in the area and printed out directions for 4 that sounded quite amazing. Sounds great, right? Care to guess how many stores we visited? Zero. Care to guess why we didn't visit any of the stores? It's really quite simple. Leslie left me to navigate. Yes, we had Google directions. Yes, we had a map. Unfortunately, for me maps are about as handy as tits on a bull. My name is Kerry and I'm map-challenged. And let us not bring up the fact that I have navigation on the CrackBerry but didn't think of it until we were already lost. And by the time I finally did remember I had it? The battery was almost dead. And the charger was in the van. With Bran. 7 miles away. At an address unknown by me. Then there was the potty incident. Me, not one of the girls. Folks, you just can't buy memories like these. So we drove around in circles for some time before poor Leslie had to head home. She dumped my sorry, non-map-reading ass off and squealed the tires as the girls and I watched her speed out of the hotel parking lot. Ok, she didn't really leave us standing in a cloud of dust even though she probably should have. She was a real peach about the entire day and still insisted she had a lovely time even though there was no yarn fondling involved. Me? Best. Day. Ever!!! I got to spend time with an incredible lady who means a great deal to me. Hopefully she'll answer the phone next time we're in town.

Friday morning was spent packing up all of our crap and finding ways to kill time while waiting for Bran to get done class. With the help of Lola, I found Knit Purl. Very nice little shop with a great selection of yarns and needles. I may or may not have bought this:

40" 2.5mm Turbo for the new socks I intended to begin on the way home and some Regia 01805.

When Bran was finished class I patiently tagged along with he and the girls as they insisted they had to eat and shop before we started our trek home. You see, I was promised a stopover at Webs!!! We got there with just a little over a half hour of shopping time before they closed the store. OMG!!! If you've never been before you really should. It's as impressive as everyone says it is. Totally overwhelming too. And I wish I had actually taken time to make a list of yarns I wanted for specific projects I had in mind. I've heard that's a must and it truly is. I wish we had more time to browse because there were tons of yarns and needles I wanted to look at. And buy. I made it out with this little haul:

Starting at the top left and working around clockwise we have Galway 604, Cascade 220 Superwash 1919, Madelinetosh Prairie Baltic, Regia 1802, and a new Buddy Case in eggplant because Dexter ate my other one. Damn that dog and his teeth!

That's it. The end of the first yarn crawl of 2010. Not too shabby, eh?

bonjour

French Press Felted Slippers. I knit these in Lamb's Pride Worsted and found the great buttons at WalMart! I gifted them to a family friend who is ALWAYS there no matter what. And when I say no matter what, I truly mean no matter WHAT. They were awesome and I knit them up on evening watching Letterman. Yes, they really knit that quickly. So much fun! I really need a pair of these for me for this coming winter. Or maybe for today as it's cold and snowing. What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

Root A Toot Toot

Multnomah by Kate Flagg

Again, knit by me. I totally loved this one too! I knit it with 2 balls of Jojoland Melody. I gifted it to our wonderful across the street neighbor. She's been such a huge help throughout the school year. She works at our public school and just happens to be the secretary in charge of all the homeschooling paperwork. I fill it out each quarter and run it across the road and she takes it to work with her. Such a time saver! She also gathered Darcie's work each day when she was out with the flu for a week and brought it home to me. So. Sweet. She seemed to really like it and I hope she gets lots of use out of it.

Now, I'll bet you're all wondering about the title of today's post. Something funny happened today while Dailaesse was doing her school work. We were sitting next to each other at the dining room table when she all of a sudden jumped off her chair and squatted in the corner. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what she was doing. Even though I should know better, I asked anyway. She said...I'm farting. Ok. Why are you squatting in the corner farting? (I know, you'd think I would learn.) She said...I have to poop and I thought if I let out some little farts I would be able to hold it longer. This kid is always thinking. Always. Needless to say, I sent her upstairs to the bathroom. I guess I should just be glad she loves phonics so much that she'd rather not leave it to go to the bathroom.

Heaven

198 Yards of HeavenA free pattern by Christy Verity.Knit by me in a really pretty green yarn I received in a swap. Love it. It's pretty, easy to memorize, and works up quickly in worsted weight and US 8 needles.

Yesterday

Yesterday we went here...Point au Roche. We searched for rocks.

And shells.

The weather was gorgeous and we had an amazing day hiking the trails, getting our feet wet, playing at the little park, and riding our trusty steeds (sticks we found while hiking through the cedar peppered woods). We enjoyed a grand feast at Taco Bell at the end of the day at the food court in the mall. And the little ones enjoyed a nap during the hour drive home. Amazing indeed.

Monkey(ing) Around

Not the greatest photo in the world, sorry. Trust me when I tell you they are awesome though! This is my first pair of Monkey Socks and they won't be my last. The pattern was so easy to memorize and I love the way the yarn worked out with the pattern. Speaking of yarn, I have no idea who gave this to me but I do remember that it was hand-dyed by a swap pal. It wasn't the greatest to work with as it was splitty but the colors??? OMG!!! And it knit in to the nicest, cushiest fabric. I love them!!! Now I'm off to finish some Jaywalking...

That's My Boy

On Monday, March 22, 2010 my son was among a group of 12 to be inducted into the National Technical Honor Society. This is quite an honor on its own, but was made even more special as they are the first ever group of kids from our school to be inducted. Dan has maintained an average of no lower than 97 and hasn't missed one day of school for the past two years in his Building Trades class. It's amazing to see how easily he achieves greatness in the things he's truly interested in.

Way to go Dan! We're so very proud of you for working so hard! (Oh, and he even wore a tie! Without us asking or suggesting that he wear it. My little man is growing up. Sigh.)

Winning Feels Warm

Back a bit before Christmas Mary-Catharine had a contest on her blog. It was quite simple. Leave a comment and be entered for a chance to win some gorgeous yarn hand dyed by a friend of hers. Believe it or not, the random number generator chose me!

When the yarn arrived at the beginning of last week I was so excited that I immediately tore the package open. It was even more awesome in person than it had been on the blog. Since I had been looking at patterns since the day I found out I won, I knew I was going to cast on for a scarf. I couldn't wait. I wound that sucker up as soon as the kids were to bed and started knitting. I didn't like it but thought maybe it would look better if I knit a little more. Nope. It looked like a clown barfed all over it. Yuck. So I ripped it out and began to pout. Then my husband suggested I change my gauge. (It's so sexy when he talks knitting.) And I immediately thought about my favorite mitten pattern knit on size 4 needles. So I cast on for those.

Are these not the most gorgeous mittens you've ever seen in your life??? I am head over heels in love with them! They are colorful and cheerful and will totally brighten even the gloomiest winter day. And they are all mine. Thanks so much again Mary-Catharine!!!

Namaste

KnitPurlGurl is hosting a contest for a Namaste Hermosa. If you love knitting bags hurry over for your chance to win. I bought a red Hermosa over the summer and fell hard. These bags are so roomy and totally gorgeous to carry. And this comes from the girl who NEVER carried bags.

Almost forgot...hurry over as the contest ends at midnight EST tonight!!!

And Now I'm Back

First up, we've had some birthdays around here since I posted last. I think. I'm feeling way too guilty about my lack of blog activity to go look to see when my last post was.

My sweet little baby boy turned 18 back in July. Can you believe it? I can't. He's not playing football this year. I'm crushed but we've all moved on and I'm doing my best to get over it.

Darcie is 14 today. I can't believe that either. When are these kids going to stop making me so old??? Happy birthday sweetheart!!! I hope you have a most amazing year!!!

I suppose you would probably like to see some knitting. There has been lots of it. I know, I'm surprised too.

A new winter hat and mittens for Dailaesse. She loves them. I know the mittens look incredibly long but she loves them. And I love them because I won't have to stop every 2 minutes to tuck them back under her sleeves. That right there is what you call a win-win folks!

Thanks for the nudge Leslie! I really needed it!

Death Socks

These are the last socks I knit before being killed off in Sock Wars IV:

And here are the socks that did me in:

Socks of Mass Destruction

I don't remember if I told you all that I had joined Sock Wars IV or not. If not, now I have. I have finished 2 complete pair of socks for the War so far. My first pair are Barcelona by Helen Waittes who is Supreme Commander of Sock Wars IV.

I knit these in Premier Yarns Serenity Sock in the Indigo shade and I must say that for an inexpensive yarn this stuff was awesome to knit with! So awesome that I think I'd like a pair of these for myself.

My second pair is the Air Raid Socks pattern by Emily B. Miller of Skyline Chilly. I knit these in JL Vinca and my experience with this yarn wasn't even close to the one I had with the Premier Yarns. Even though the colors are awesome and the finished fabric was nice, the yarn was terribly splitty and I don't think you could pay me enough to knit with it again.

They are pretty though.

I've also signed up to participate in 52 Pair Plunge III and since my Air Raid Socks were completed this month they count as my first pair for the Plunge! Woo Hoo!!! I'm so glad I wasn't killed off in the War before I was able to complete that pair of socks!

Spring in Your Step

So this is one of the super secret projects I've been working on...




Spring in Your Step. Designed and knit by yours truly for the Sockathon group on Yahoo. Want to knit along with us? Go join the group! We'll have lots of fun! :-)

Purple Pangea

I was just going through my pictures and found one I forgot to show you. It's the Pangea Shawl and I was really feeling the love for it when I started it. But then I stalled. I still totally love it but I need to find the time (quiet time) to knit on it. I'm really itching to pick it back up.

A Not So Famous Famous Hat

I told you I had been busy knitting. I designed this hat based on a commercial pattern I saw kicking around on some pretty cool heads. This one is knit in worsted weight and is quite cool, in my opinion. The pattern can be purchased over there in the right hand side bar or you can get a smokin' hot kit from Sue. I did this as a mystery knit with a group on Ravelry. Check it out. There are some amazing color combos and awesome knitting to see!

And Leslie dear, I promise to get you that note I owe you. :-)

A Month and More

Wow. It's been over a month since I posted last. Lots has happened. Most of it good.

We got a new fridge. She gives us water and ice through her door and doesn't complain. She allows us to open her freezer door without barfing ice cubes all over the kitchen floor. She keeps things in her compartments at the temperature she promises. She's shiny. I love her.

I turned 37 on the 16th of this month.

Dan made captain of the track team.

Darcie got a 102 average in math.

Dailaesse is having a blast homeschooling.

I bought the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book. If you don't have this book you should buy it right now. Amazing. And it honestly only takes a few minutes to make a loaf. Just look at my first loaf:

I've also done lots of knitting. I was on a serious dishcloth kick for a few days.

I also finished a pair of Blueberry Waffle socks. These were knit in STR Heavyweight Rocktober. So soft and squishy. I gifted them to my Aunt Noreen. She loves them as much as I did. I finished the Noro Kureyon socks I had started for my dad. My mom told me today she's washed them several times now and he still can't wear them. They make his feet itch something terrible. I'm so bummed. I didn't really enjoy knitting with the yarn but they are really nice looking socks. Maybe a couple more washings? Anyone have any thoughts?

There's lots more too but I've already shared enough photos for today. Back tomorrow with some more.