Lucky Duck

Remember when I showed you pictures of the 2 gifts my secret pal sent me? Remember how I said I didn't know if I'd be able to wait until Christmas? Wanna know how it all ended?

We took my parents to our favorite steak house for dinner on Christmas Eve. We had reservations for 4pm so we could get in early, eat, and get home to see if maybe Santa had come. We had a wonderful meal and a great time. It was so relaxed and we all really enjoyed it. We arrived home to find that Santa had indeed delivered presents to our house while we were out of town for dinner so Mom and Dad hung out and we opened presents. I had spent the day cleaning so all we had to do at the end was pick up the boxes and paper. What a treat that was! The kids picked up all their toys and clothes and brought them to their rooms before bed so there was nothing left to do Christmas Day but relax. We got up late (10:30am) and went to my parents for breakfast. We hung out there for most of the day and had dinner with them as well. We decided to leave after dinner and go to Glens Falls to spend the night so we could get up early in the morning and take the kids shopping to spend the money my parents gave them.

We arrived at the hotel around 10pm and were given a room across from the pool which closed at 9pm. The greatest part was the front desk clerk told us we could use the pool as long as we weren't too loud. So we swam until almost midnight. All by ourselves. It rocked!!! The kids had so much fun and they were wiped from all the exercise they got so everyone slept really well. We got up in the morning and headed to the malls and toy stores. The baby spent all of her money in Claires buying jewelry and in Target buying more baby dolls and toys. She doesn't mess around. We went for an early dinner and then started out for home. On the way home I remembered that I had gifts waiting for me under the tree from my secret pal. I couldn't wait to get home.

I walked through the front door and found that one of my gifts (See's candies) had been attacked by Dixie. And Dixie had clearly won the battle. The box was shredded and EVERY PIECE of candy had been chewed. As I sit here typing this I wish I had taken the time to get a picture to share. I was so angry and heartbroken that all I could do was cry while Bran took Dixie out and cleaned up the mess. I told my pal that I was glad that Dixie had the poops the following day. Served her right. Beast. My pal said she was glad that Dixie hadn't gotten too sick from eating the chocolate. Honestly, I think Dixie has grown a high tolerance to chocolate. She eats it every chance she gets. And with 3 kids in the house she gets lots of chances.

Yes, she's very lucky she's so damn cute.

The other gift from my pal, a gorgeous hank of Schaeffer Anne, made it through the battle unscathed.

Thank you so much pal for your incredible generosity and kindness. You totally spoiled me rotten and I will be forever grateful and appreciative.

I also received an incredible package all the way from Australia from one of my secret pal participants. Viv included a 2007 calendar and diary, a great Australian knit/crochet magazine, a package of note cards, and a gorgeous card. I've always been amazed with the beauty of Australia and given the chance I'd visit in a heartbeat. Thank you so much Viv for sending me a slice of your amazing piece of the world!

And this is the yarn I bought last week. A hank of Schaeffer Anne (this one is for hubby, the gorgeous one from my pal is mine...all mine) and two hanks of Interlacements Tiny Toes. Yum.

Knit, Seamed, Delivered

Now imagine it closed with a pewter and burgundy scarf pin. Gorgeous. Sue seemed thrilled with it and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. The texture is amazing and the color is unbelievable. It's charcoal but it has a slight opal shimmer. I just absolutely love it.

I'd like to say I'll be blogging much more regularly now but since I've got about 20 large boxes in my basement that contain tons of goodies for the kids for Christmas that all need to be wrapped (have I mentioned how much I HATE to wrap???) I don't know how honest of a statement it would be. If you don't hear from me for a bit you'll know they've taken my scissors and banished me to a rubber room.

Shhh!

My secret pal has struck again...

The ones on the left in the snowman paper are for Christmas. I've promised my pal I'll try my hardest not to open them before. ;-) The ones in the blue paper turned into these...

My pal has completely outdone herself! Look at all those wonderful goodies! Green & Black's Organic Milk Chocolate, Christmas tea from Adagio, a gorgeous spoon holder, 2 packages of Pez, the Great American Afghan book I've been longing for, and the most incredible blue wool/silk yarn from Brooks Farm. Holy cow!!! I think I've died and gone to heaven! I can't wait to finish up the jacket today and cast on with the yarn. It's so soft and silky and the colors are so rich. Thank you so very much pal!!! I appreciate you more than you'll ever know!

Puke & Poop

I know it's not pretty folks. Trust me. I've spent the past week in it.

My cousin and his family were home from Georgia for 3 weeks and were to leave last Friday. Since we had been super busy I decided we'd go visit them on Wednesday. Tuesday night the baby was totally stuffed up and had watery eyes. I was up all night with her because she couldn't breath out one side of her nose or the other. Poor litle doll. By Thursday evening she was starting to feel better (while I had woken with a sore throuat that morning) and Friday she was back to her old self.

Friday we decided to go get some groceries and try to do a little Christmas shopping as soon as the hubby got done work. The baby fell asleep on the way to Plattsburgh and when she woke up when we got there she was burning up. I ran to Old Navy and GNC while she and her daddy sat in the van and then we went to Wendy's (her favorite place to eat) for dinner. She was really looking forward to going to WalMart so we decided to run through and grab some groceries quick. We picked up some Tylenol and cough medicine for her and she was as happy as a clam the rest of the time we were there. Of course as soon as it was bedtime she wasn't feeling well again.

Saturday she and her daddy put the tree up and decorated it. They did such a nice job.

She was still coughing up a storm until late this morning when she miraculously started feeling better. I think it was God's way of giving me a little reprieve since I've been up since 3 this morning with the oldest monkey. This is where the puke and poop part comes in. Poor little man. He tried to hit the toilet on his way in to the bathroom but rolfed all over every other square inch of the bathroom instead. Honest. And now he has to go across the street for a 2 hour visit tonight where they'll force him to eat so he'll spend the night in the bathroom again. I'm sending a note and saltines. Keep your fingers crossed for us both.

I finally got around to starting this gorgeous jacket.

Here's a closeup of the stitch pattern...

I really like it a lot. I'm hoping to attach the fronts to the back tonight and start on the sleeves. Providing nobody else in the house gets sick.

***I wrote this post on the 12th and then couldn't get the damn pictures off the camera. Hubby fixed the camera last night and I'm finally posting. Don't ask how the past 2 days have gone. LOL

Tonight I Knit

So I've not done much in the way of knitting in the past week. I did a couple of the Garterlac Dishcloths. That was it. See? I wasn't just whistlin' Dixie when I said I've not done much. I did one in blues and one in greens and like them very much. They go really quickly and are great for mindless knitting in front of the TV. Tonight I will be diving into a sweater. I can't wait. I've already wound the yarn and dug out my needles. It's going to be great.

In other news, I received a helmet liner from one of my participants so my lonely liner now has another to keep it company until it's time to mail them out to the troops.

Sharon's is on the left and mine is on the right. Can you tell I didn't take time to check my gauge? Susan's is bigger than mine and I plan to go up a needle size on my next liner to increase the size a bit. The liner fits my son and dad perfectly but is a little snug on my hubby.

My littlest monkey ordered some new skirts from Old Navy last Sunday after having a meltdown because she didn't have any skirts that she liked or any tights to wear with the skirts that she didn't have. All week she's been waiting patiently (I'm being REALLY sarcastic here) for her new skirts, tights, and shirts to match the skirts to arrive. Yesterday I finally checked on the package to see where it was and found that UPS would be delivering it today. As soon as her big blue eyes opened this morning I knew I had made a dreadful mistake in telling her that they would be here today. And every 15 minutes I was reminded of said dreadful mistake. And since it's the holiday season UPS decided to torture me and not arrive until 4:30 this afternoon. As soon as "the big brown truck" rolled down the street she was jumping for joy. And when I brought the package in and handed it to her she immediately stripped and put on a new skirt, tights, and shirt. I tell you this story because sonny-boy was just on his way across the yard to see my parents and as soon as she found out he was going she insisted on going to. Her brother told her it was too cold to go out in a skirt and she told him...

"No it's not! These are outdoorsable!"

Gobble, Gobble

When I think about the past year I realize that the more things change, the more some things stay the same. Like the things I am most thankful...

The kids grow and change day by day. My love, pride, and admiration grows greater for them by the minute. But like always, I am ever so thankful for the time we have together.

Bran never ceases to amaze me. He gives me excitement and solidity at the same time. I fall more in love with him each day. But like always, I am thankful he is my husband.

I am thankful for my friends, having a warm home, full bellies, and a full fridge. I am thankful for the good times and the bad because I am thankful I've been given the opportunity to experience them. And I am thankful for today because it holds the promise of tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate and for those of you who don't, I wish you and yours plenty on this day to be thankful for.

Snakes & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails

I have the most exciting news!!!

My sweet wonderful friend and her husband have been in the process of adopting a baby. I just dropped by her blog today to read that they got the call from their agency and there is a little baby boy in Colombia waiting just for them! If that's not the most wonderful Christmas gift I don't know what is. I am so happy for them that I can barely sit still to type this post. They have been waiting so long and have been through so much and I just know they are going to be the most incredible parents.

Please keep them in your thoughts and/or prayers as they make the journey to Colombia to bring their baby home.

Congratulations you guys!!!

For The Boys

I recently challenged the participants in my SP group to knit helmet liners for the troops in Iraq. I really feel for the men and woman suffering wretched conditions so far from home without even the basics they need to keep them warm. I can honestly say that I don't know how I feel about the war. I think for the most part I oppose it but there is still a part of me that thinks it was necessary. I strongly believe though that whether we oppose the war or not that the one thing we should all agree on is that our troops deserve our respect and support. Since I challenged my group to knit liners I figured it was only right that I get off my ass and knit some as well. So far I've completed one.


I've not taken a picture of the completed liner since I'm in the middle of a horrible allergy attack. I promise to get it posted soon though. In the meantime, won't you please consider knitting or crocheting a helmet liner to warm the head of a soldier?

The Rest of the Story...

So daddy tried the sock on after he took his shower. And it fit. He gave it back to Dan a couple days later to bring home so I would know how many cable repeats I had to do for the second. I asked Dan if his papa seemed happy with the socks. He said yes but the way he said it made me think he wasn't telling me everything that was said. I asked if he had said anything specifically about the socks. He said no. I knew he was lying because he had a smirk on his face. I asked him what else was said. Are you ready for this one??? My father said the cuff of the sock looks "womanly." Womanly. WTF??? Some one might want to write Vogue and tell them the Men's Cable Socks pattern isn't manly enough. Pain in the ass. So I told him the other night that I heard the socks I was working on for him were "womanly." He started to pretend that he didn't know what I was talking about. I told him not to bother. He said he was afraid to say anything because he didn't want me to stop knitting him socks. He also said he could care less what they look like because nobody else will see them. Well that's comforting.

It's Out of My Hands

The sock is currently with my dad waiting to be tried on after he has his shower tonight. He refused to try it on before he showered. I tried convincing him to do it right away (I'm a little anxious about the new heel) even suggesting that he could just wash one foot quickly. He just wouldn't do it. He's a stubborn old coot. There, I said it. Now you all know where I get it from. I sure hope it fits but if not, you know I'll be ripping back to make these bad boys fit me.

Speechless

That's right. Me.


This amazing package arrived from my secret pal today. Can you believe this??? My pal sent Moose Munch (I had a couple pieces of popcorn and a nut before the kids took it away to polish it off and let me tell you that it was delicious), some Lemon Iced Tea To Go (I've only tried something like this once and it was really good so I'm really looking forward to trying this and Lemon Iced Tea is my favorite too), blueberry verbena soap from The Alchemic Dragon (this smells heavenly and I can't wait to try it tomorrow morning), my favorite Burt's Bees lip balm and some hand salve (I just tried the hand salve now and I can't believe I've lived this long without it), some Snickers pumpkins (which the girls also took), the cutest Halloween candle holder I've ever seen (which I just realized you couldn't see in the first picture), and a cute little knitting card in which my pals says that they debated about sending the yarn. Yarn. That's right. But not just any yarn. The yarn. This yarn was dyed especially for me by Susie. My pal asked her to create something special just for me. I can't even begin to tell you how loved and spoiled I feel right now. My pal really took the time to read through my blog and choose such special things just for me. Thank you pal!!! You totally rock!

Pasta La Vista

Tonight we tried a new restaurant over in Lake Placid. It's called Pasta La Vista. Isn't that clever? And the food was so good. They've not been open too long, maybe just since the end of summer or so, and I'm so sorry now that we didn't go sooner. I had tortellini with fresh broccoli and chicken in a rosa sauce. Yum.

I've not had much time to knit on Daddy's sock lately. I did get to pick it up for about 10 minutes today and got a couple more inches done on the foot. I tried an EOP heel on this one and I must say that I really like it. I've never done one before. I love the look of it. I hope like hell my father likes the fit and feel of it now.

What do you think? I love the way it's coming along.

This one shows a little more detail. I still love all those little cables.

Did She Really Say That???

You bet she did. Here are just a few of the conversations we've had with the littlest princess this week...

Bran: Don't you like your meatball?
Littlest Princess: Apparantly not.

Littlest Princess: Holy crap Mom! I want that! (While watching toy commercials during Dora.) I want that too! And that!
Me: My goodness, you want all those toys?
Littlest Princess: Yes, I want everything as seen there.

Littlest Princess: Holy crap Mom! You have to go online and order now!
Me: What do I have to order now?
Littlest Princess: There's a thing that puts beads on your hair! You just stick your hair in it and the beads magicably appear!
Me: That sounds neat.
Littlest Princess: It is! You just go online now and purchase it for 20 bucks.

Bran: I'm so sorry sweetheart! I didn't mean to get your nose. (This said after he bopped her in the nose while trying to jump over the cat.)
Littlest Princess: My God Dad! You have to be so careful of me! It's just a little baby girl nose! Not a big, huge nose like yours!

There are others that I can't think of right this minute that are equally or even more funny. I swear this kid is 3 going on 14. Remind me again why we pay for cable???

Classy Cables

Daddy asked for some plain colored socks he could wear when he dresses up. He likes his "flashy" socks a lot but not for going out. I find this odd since he wears Hawaiian print shirts for dress up. Maybe that's the problem. His flashy shirts and flashy socks are clashing. At any rate, I've started a pair of Opal Uni socks in Farbe 1269. To keep me from being bored to death with a solid color pair of socks I chose a cabled pattern.


Nice, eh? It's the Men's Cable Socks pattern from the Vogue Knitting Socks Two book. I really like it alot. I like the little cables so much that I'd love to carry them down the top of the foot. Here's my problem with that idea...

The pattern was originally written for size 5 needles and dk weight yarn with a CO of 64 stitches for the rib then increasing to 72 stitches for the cabled pattern. Since I'm using a fingering weight yarn I knew I needed a size 1 needle and I normally use a 64 stitch CO for Daddy's socks with fingering weight and my size 1 Turbos. No problem there. I wondered if the 72 stitches in the cable pattern would be enough though. Instead of fudging the numbers I decided to go up to a size 2 for the cabled portion of the leg which is working out wonderfully. Nope, no problem there either. I know, you're wondering when I'm going to get to the problem so here it is...

I have to do the foot of the sock on a size 1. If I want to continue the cables they will have to be worked on a size 1. Unless of course I decide to be completely insane and transfer the sock to dpns once I get the cuff finished so I can work the top in size 2 and the bottom in size 1.

So what do you all think? Should I can the idea of continuing the cable? Should I switch to dpns and continue the cable? Should I switch to size 1 and forge ahead with the cable down the top? If I do, do you think there would be a noticeable difference in the cables from the cuff to the foot? And, if I continue on with the cables on size 1 should I sitck to the 72 stitch count or decrease back to my original 64?

Some Socks

I just finished the socks I was working on for my dad.

They match except for the heel and toe. Not bad considering I really wasn't being anal about it to begin with. I have to tell you that I'm really proud of myself for sticking with this pair. As we've already established, last week sucked. I did not knit one stitch all last week nor much of the week before since my nerves were shot just thinking about the week I had ahead of me. And looking back, I should have known last Thursday was not going to be a good day when I came downstairs and heard my hubby shout from my desk..."Don't be mad." He didn't want me to be mad at this...

Oh sure, he looks sweet and innocent enough but don't be fooled. Let me show you what he's really like...

This is mild compared to what it looked like before Bran spent hours trying to fix it. Yes, VERY proud of myself for finishing.

Long Overdue

I received a package from my Hot Socks pal Paula on Thursday afternoon. It was filled with wonderful goodies. Just look at the great stuff she sent:

Paula sent me some amazing Twinings Darjeeling and MarketSpice Connoisseur's Tea (which I'm sipping as I type), some fruit and walnut treats and some See's Candies (not in the picture because they went too fast) that brought back wonderful memories of my Grandpa who used to send me See's all the time from California where he lived, some foot soak and lotion, a pretty postcard from her home state of Washington, a handy little knitter's book to keep inventory of all my goodies, and last but not least, a gorgeous hank of Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Huckleberry and a Mountain Colors pattern to knit it into. Thank you so much Paul for the awesome package!!! Thursday was the worst day I had all week and it was so nice to have something to cheer me up at the end of the day. Your timing couldn't have been any better and the things you chose were just perfect.

I also want to thank everyone for taking time out to say a prayer and for leaving a note. Having you share your stories with me has meant more than you will ever know and I just appreciate you so much for doing it.

This past week was incredibly stressful. I had to take the kids to see the law guardian on Monday morning. I always dread that since she's never seemed the least bit interested in helping the kids. She's also not ever been a fan of mine and has accused me of turning the kids against their father even though that couldn't be farther from the truth. For the first time in 10 years, the kids emerged from her office with smiles on their faces. I was elated to say the least. Tuesday morning brought a phone call from our attorney that was full of promise and made me actually look forward to the court hearing I had Thursday. True to form, none of the violations the ex has made to the new order were brought up other than the fact that he didn't go for the evaluation like he was suppose to. And, like usual, he was given yet another chance. So we now go back to court in January and all the abuse the kids have suffered is once again swept under the rug. I was discouraged and then to have our lawyer tell me that the kids might not be telling me the exact truth about the abuse was enough to push me over the edge. He told me that kids tend to be dramatic and like to embellish things so it might not really be as bad as it sounds for them when they're at their fathers. This is coming from a man who has NO children himself AND that we're paying $200 an hour to fight for our kids. I put on a smile and politely told himt hat was not the case and we went our separate ways. I called him later in the afternoon to ask a question only to have him treat me like crap. Not a good day.

But this weekend was homecoming weekend and there were lots of people at the football game. We tied 6-6 which really sucked but at least we didn't take a loss. My aunt came up for the game and then spent the afternoon with us. We went to Lake Placid to buy shoes and boots for the baby since we got about 4" of snow on Friday and she had outgrown her boots from last year. I did a little grocery shopping and then came home to start dinner. We had homemade spaghetti and meatballs and Aunt Noreen stayed and ate with us. We couldn't have had a better day if we had tried. Today I am surrounded by my family watching the race with a great cup of tea and my knitting. Life is good.

Random Fact

My front tooth is chipped. It happened when I was in 5th grade at the bus stop one morning. Two girls from my neighborhood got into an argument and started pushing each other. The head of one "pushee" connected with my face and caused the chip. The dentist said it would probably wear itself down over time and not be noticeable. He was wrong. I've never had it fixed because I hate dentists and only go for things that are absolutely necessary.

Rest In Peace

I've been struggling with whether I should post this or not. Even though I still fell odd about it, I'm going to do it since I feel an overwhelming urge to talk about it.

On Monday evening, my aunt called to ask if I had my cousins phone number. I could tell by her voice that something had happened and my immediate thought was that my uncle had died. I never expected her to tell me that my 38 year old cousin had committed suicide.

My cousin was an alcholic. He had a horrible childhood with a father who was very rarely around and an uneducated mother who tried her best to raise 3 children on a housekeepers salary. I'm not in any way trying to make excuses for his alcholism, just saying that he had a helping hand. He was a grown adult and had been offered help many times. I've learned over the years that you can't help someone who doesn't want help.

When he would drink he would normally start calling the family wanting to visit and get together. When we were younger I would always make time for him. Once I had Dan that changed. I didn't want my children to be exposed to those kinds of situations. I made it very clear that I didn't want him at my home when he had been drinking. Pair that with the fact that he moved all over the place and well, that meant we didn't see him much.

The last time I heard from him he called from the Watertown area. This was after he'd been out of touch for well over a year. He called to say he was doing well. Had a great job. Had met a nice girl. Had his own place. When I spoke to him then he sounded good. He sounded happy. Then a month or two passed with no word. Like so many times before, he started calling again just out of the blue. Said he was still doing great. Had an even better job. Had been sober for almost 3 years. Then he said he wanted to come to visit. I told him I'd love that but only if he wasn't drinking. He swore he wasn't and even though he didn't sound it, I couldn't help but feel a little wary about the idea of him coming to the house. Then he started calling several times a day and when I didn't answer because I was outside away from the phone with the baby, he became angry. I knew he was drinking again. I called him back to talk and heard him slurring his speech. My heart sank. I so badly wanted to give him what he wanted. Family. He said he'd be back in touch to let me know when he'd be able to take time to come visit. I never heard from him again.

I know it's not my fault that he chose to end his life. But I still can't help but feel a little ashamed of myself for pushing him away. I can't imagine the pain that pushed him to do what he did. Sadness. Lonliness. Desperation. I wish I could have done something to take those feelings away. To tell him once more how much I loved him. But sometimes we just never get that second chance.

I hope that my cousin is right where he wanted to be. With family. He lost his mother several years ago and I'd like to think that she was there to take him in her arms and love him again. Which is exactly what I've been doing even more than usual with my babies and hubby. Try it with your loved ones. You'll all be glad you did.

Friday the 13th

I know lots of people think today unlucky, but I never have. I've always welcomed Friday the 13th. It's always brought me incredible luck.

The boys won their game tonight. The score was 6-7. I love games that are that close. They keep you right on the edge of your seat. (They also won this past Saturday. Score was 13-6. I was waiting to post a picture or 2 but the school doesn't have any posted yet.) Tonight's win made us division champs. That's huge. The boys have worked so hard this year. I'm so proud of them. They've only had one loss and that wasn't a division game. Our best runner was taken to the hospital tonight after being knocked unconscious. Word is he's doing fine but if you'd like to say a little prayer I'm sure it wouldn't hurt. :-) Next Saturday is the last game for JV and we play here at home. It's homecoming weekend and the team we play is a division below us so it should be a nice easy win for the boys. Keep your fingers crossed.

We left the game and stopped for gas. I ran in to use the potty and the football lottery tickets caught my eye on the way out. I had left my wallet in the van but mentioned it to Bran when I got back out. He took $10 in and got 2 tickets. I scratched them and won $20. We went and grabbed a quick bite at Burger King then went back and got 2 more tickets. I scratched them and won again. This went on for a half hour. I'd get a couple more tickets and keep a little cash. We ended up leaving with $75 more than we had started with. I won well over $100. Of course had I not kept buying a ticket or 2 each time I won a little I wouldn't have ended up with the final $75.

Then, I walked in the house tonight and found this on my kitchen counter.

This amazing box is from my KTS2 pal Trish and contained these awesome goodies...

Another beautiful card, PG Tips black tea, Stash double spice chai, lemony tea pot shaped cookies, a ginger in dark chocolate bar, a hank of hand dyed Opal (one of my faves) in a gorgeous green colorway, 2 hanks of Koigu (another one of my faves), beautiful green beaded stitch markers, an entrelac dishcloth, and MY NEW FAVORITE TEA CUP AND SAUCER!!! Can you believe it??? Thank you so very much Trish!!! I absolutely love everything! You totally went above and beyond and I am just blown away by your generosity. I hope your pal was as good to you.

KTS2 Thank U

I received a wonderful envelope in the mail this afternoon from my Knitters Tea Swap 2 pal.

There was a cute card that read "too much of a good thing is wonderful" AND a Chai Spice, English Breakfast, and Vanilla Hazelnut tea bag inside the cd case (yes, the gorgeous picture of the yarn in the tea cup is actually a card slipped into the front of a cd case...how creative is that???) AND a mini sock blocker. The note inside the card said this was a taste of what was to come. I. Can't. Wait. Thank you, thank you, thank you secret tea pal!!! As soon as the kids go to bed I'll be brewing up a cup of tea to sip as I knit tonight. I can't wait to find out who you are!

Tonight I will be knitting the mate to this...

I had forgotten how much I love Opal sock yarn. I can't wait to see what color is going to knit up next and they just seem to fly off the needles. I knit this sock in 2 evenings. It is Petticoat, Artikel 36874, Partie 3. I swear I could smell butterscotch while I was knitting this sock. It has a 7" cuff and a 10" foot and will be for my dad. The other day when it was really cold out he reminded me how cold his feet get. He went on to remind me how his hand knit socks are the warmest and most comfortable socks he has. How could I resist making him more when he put it that way? I'm such a sucker when it comes to my daddy.

On This Day In 1995

I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She was so tiny, only 6lbs 6oz, and was having a hard time breathing. She was born at 8:26 am and it was about 9 at night before she was brought into my room. I couldn't wait to hold her in my arms. She was such a sweet little angel and I was head over heels in love with her.

Darcie is smart and funny. She is stubborn and moody. She is a blessing. Best of all, she is her own person and I love her so much for that. It still amazes me how you grow to love your children more and more each and every day.

Since this is the last year for birthday celebrations at school (she'll be in middle school next year and they don't do classroom celebrations) we went all out. I made 2 dozen birthday hats. They are sugar cones. You fill them with Goldfish crackers (or any other small treat) and then sit them atop a cookie. We spread marshmallow fluff on the tops of the cones after filling them with the Goldfish and then rolled them in sprinkles. After setting them upside down on the cookie I went around the outside with some colored frosting and then topped them off with some on the top. You can never have too much frosting when you're 11 you know. We also sent in punch and made goody bags for all her classmates. Now tonight we'll go to Applebee's (her favorite) for dinner and then shopping so she can pick something out for her birthday. She's looking forward to it.


Happy 11th birthday Darcie!!! I love you so very much and am looking forward to celebrating lots more birthdays together!

Punkin Progress

I'm making progress on the Glad Ragg sock. Really. I am. I foolishly strung the beads onto the remainder of the skein of yarn I had from the first sock thinking it would be plenty for the cuff of the sock. Guess what? It's not. So now I have to take the rest of the beads off and string them onto the new skein. I hate stringing beads.

These gorgeous yarns arrived Saturday from Savvyminx Yarns. They are Cherry Cordial and Cobalt. Every time a new hank arrives I say I can't wait to get to it. These are no exception. I wish I had more hands and more hours in the day for knitting.

In football news, the boys smoked Malone 33-8. Dan was finally put on offense and defense team and got a lot more game time this week. He had an amazing tackle towards the end of the game. I really wish my stupid camera would quit eating batteries and hold a charge so I could get my own pictures since this was the only one I could find on the school's website. I think I really need to just suck it up and buy a new camera.

While we were at the football game Dailaesse saw twin little boys running around with pumpkin hats on. She immediately noted that they were knit and told me I could make one for her. We went through the stash yesterday to get yarn. The result? Punkin. I used Patons Canadiana. I must admit that it wasn't too bad to work with. Of all the acrylics out there it's got to be one of the best. Dailaesse loves her hat so much she wants to wear it on our walk downtown today. Bran thinks I should make one for each of us to wear for Halloween. I just might.

SP9 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love natural fibers! My favorites as of late are Yarn Pirate, RubySapphire Yarns, Savvyminx Yarns, Lazy Perry Ranch, Fleece Artist Merino, Socks That Rock, and Koigu for socks. I have a serious Etsy problem (as you can see) and am totally in love with Perchance To Knit and Urban GypZ. I also love everything and anything Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Schaefer, and Manos. I hate to say it, but I absolutley loathe acrylic. I hate how it squeaks across the needles and I hate the way it feels in my hands. I never used to be a snob but after using natural fibers it's hard for me not to be.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a circular needle case that houses the majority of my Addi Turbos. The rest of my circulars are in a 3 ring binder inside plastic sleeves. My straights are in a quilted needle roll. My crochet hooks are in a great leather zippered case.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I've been knitting for about 17 years. My mother tried teaching me when I was about 4 at the same time she taught me to crochet but I just couldn't get the hang of knitting no matter how hard I tried. I bought a video, Keeping You In Stitches, when I was 16 or 17 and learned from there. I would say I'm somewhere close to advanced.

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

Nope. :-)

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

I love fruit scents. I am addicted to Yankee Candle. I just sniffed a Tea & Honey candle last night that I now wish I had bought. It was wonderful!

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Of course I do. :-) Milk chocolate is my favorite.

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

I crochet and cross stitch. I bought a drop spindle some months ago and have yet to get the hang of it. it's currently collecting dust in my pencil holder on top of my desk.

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

I love country and yes, my computer plays MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

My favorite color is blue. Any and all shades. There really aren't any colors that I don't like though.

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

I have the 3 most wonderful kiddos in the world aged 15, 11, and 3. I'll be married to my second husband for 6 years on November 25th. We have a Shih-Tzu and a cat.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I wear scarves every so often and I love mittens. I never wear hats because they make me look like a dork. Ponchos are a big no-no when you're 4' 11".

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

Socks are my current fave but I like knitting lots of other things too like hats, sweaters, shawls and dishcloths. I love the Fiber Trends felted clog pattern. The only thing I've not knit is a doily and I can't imagine that I wouldn't like to do it.

13. What are you knitting right now?

A sweater for my youngest daughter, socks for me, a shawl for my aunt, socks for the hubby, and a sweater for the FIL.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Absolutely!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I much prefer knitting with my circular Addi Turbos. Although Bamboo certainly has it's place as well.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Both. :-)

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Really, really old. About 8 years old to be more precise.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Halloween.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Needles, patterns and yarn. Not necessarily in that order.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I have about a dozen colors of Socks That Rock on my current wishlist. I can't wait until they open signups for their club next month. I'm definitely joining this year. I have a subscription to IK and have been thinking about subscribing to Vogue Knitting again.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I've still not gotten around to trying moebius.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I love knitting socks! My feet are 9.25" long.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

April 16th.

Knitter's Tea Swap

This is the package that will be making its way to my pal today. This is the first swap other than Secret Pal that I've participated in and I've really enjoyed it. Not more than SP, just in a different way. I can't wait until my pal gets her goodies. I think she's really going to like them.

This swap has also made me realize just how pathetic I really am. Why? Because this is my favorite mug. No, it's not the fact that it's a Dale Earnhardt mug that makes me think I'm pathetic. It's the fact that I don't own a real tea cup. Oh sure, I have lots of coffee cups. But it's not the same thing. I'm 34 years old and I've never owned a tea cup. Hell, I don't even own a matching set of grown up coffee cups. My entire coffee cup collection consists of cups just like this. NASCAR, Taz, local businesses that I was gifted when I worked. You realize this means I'm so going looking for a real tea cup now, right?

How To Appease The Sock Gods

As you all know, I've been in a bit of a sock slump lately. It's true that I did finally finish my Scales Skin Socks last week BUT when I picked up my latest and greatest sock project it...well...it went to shit. Fast. This angered me. I ripped the entire cuff out even though I had about 3 inches of it worked. I sat here at my desk and just stared at the unravelled ball of Gaia thinking unreasonably that if I stared at it long enough and hard enough that it would start knitting itself. I'm sure I don't need to tell you all how that ended. Then I looked at the unravelled ball of Jade Sapphire still sitting here since the last time I ripped the shawl. I picked it up and smiled at it's softness. I stroked it and pet it. Then I went to reach for the needle I bought to knit the shawl with. It had worked it's way under the Glad Ragg sock sitting in the back corner of the desk. I picked the sock up and fondled it. Such a lovely sock with its pretty green beads. Lovely indeed. And lonely. That's when it hit me. I've angered the Sock Gods by leaving that poor sock mateless for such a long time. So I picked up the pathetic start I'd made on the mate and started knitting. And before I knew what had happened I had completed the ribbing. Perfect. So I knit some more. After 4 more rounds my eyes were sore and I was too tired to go on. I brought it back to the desk and laid it next to it's mate. Wait a minute. Something. Is. Not. Right. I wanted to cry. Instead I went to bed. I laid awake for hours trying to figure out where I had gone wrong. I finally fell asleep. When I came down this morning I took a good long look at the sock. Then I took a good long look at it's mate. Then I READ THROUGH THE PATTERN. It was so obvious that I had started with a beaded repeat when I should have started with a plain repeat. I frogged 3 rounds and was happily on my way once again. I think I've finally done it. I figured out why everything I've touched for the past month has gone to hell. I hadn't finished my Glad Ragg and therefore, the Sock Gods were not glad. So, if you ever find yourself in this position here's what you want to do...

Dig out the most neglected sock in your to be completed pile and knit like hell!

In other news, I received those three hanks of yarn I ordered from Lazy Perry Ranch in yesterday's mail. Yup. Already. Only took them 2 days to get here from CA via First Class Mail. Amazing. My faith in the USPS is gradually being restored.

Meet Desert Juniper, Splendid Gilia, and Periodic Table. There's still one Splendid Gilia (the most beautiful shades of purple you'll ever want to see) in her shop. And you still have until Saturday to take advantage of her free shipping offer on orders of 3 or more items. Plus, you get a coupon good for 10% off your next order with each order you place. I'm thinking I may still have to go back to get a few more. She's got some really pretty self stripers.

For all of you sitting on the edge of your seats wondering about the football game on Friday...I'd love to tell you the boys won, but they didn't. The final score was 12-7. They did a phenomenal job holding the other team back. If you could have seen the size of the other kids you'd agree whole-heartedly. They were huge. And they were good. I'm so proud of our boys.

I've also received my pal for the KTS2. I've wrote her and heard back from her once already. I've asked a couple questions to help me do a little shopping and am anxiously awaiting her response. I've also had a note from the person spoiling me and she's told me she's already mailed me a card. Isn't that sweet? I can't wait to find out who she is!

Phew. I think that's it for now. I'm quite impressed you've made it this far. ;-)

Perfect Pick Me Ups

This arrived in the mail yesterday from Marga. She was one of the winners of my last drawing for my SP8 group and she sent these gorgeous markers and card. I was so touched to think she took time out to do something so sweet for me. Thanks so very much Marga! It was a pleasure having you in my group!

My friend Laura told me she'd share some of her lemon balm with me once it dried. When I picked up the box sitting on the mail post yesterday I thought she might have sent an entire plant. Nope.
This is what she sent. Teas, teas, and more teas. I had a cup of Happy Christmas and Raspberry last night and they were both so good. I'm planning on trying a couple more later today. And yarns. OMG the yarns! My favorite is the natural colored hank on the left. It is so soft and appears to be handspun. Laura says she thinks it's Alpaca and I can't say I disagree since it's that soft. Dailaesse promptly swiped Mickey Mouse and Yoda. And of course, there is her very own organic lemon balm in there too. Thank you so very much Laura! What an amazing and thoughtful package! I appreciate you so very much for thinking of me.

Finally Finished

I finished these on the way to dinner after the football game Friday night. They've since been washed and are currently hanging from the pot rack in the kitchen to dry. I was so worried that I wouldn't have enough yarn to finish but look at the size of the ball that was left. You know what that means right? I have a whole other ball of this for another pair of socks. (Plus the other 6 I bought when I ordered the extra ball but who's counting right?)

These beauties arrived this weekend from Rubysapphire Yarns. If you've not checked out their yarns yet you really should. They are butter soft and the colors are just amazing. I can't wait to get to work on the red and white since those are our school colors. I'm going to have a nice new pair of socks for the football games!

These came from Lazy Perry Ranch and they are gorgeous. I've not bought from this Etsy seller before but I certainly wasn't disappointed. The yarn has a great twist and is super soft. Collette is offering free shipping for the remainder of this month if you buy 3 or more items from her shop. Yes, I've ordered 3 more. Bran has already staked claim to the blue. He's not getting his until I get my red and white ones though. He's ok with that since I re-knit the toe in his 6th Sense socks that he put the hole in before I went to bed last night. I think they're his favorites. If you could have seen his face light up last night when I handed them to him you'd think the same.

Turning a New Leaf

Or in this case, a new heel...

You have no idea how excited I am about this. I'm hoping to at least get the gusset decreases done tonight. That will make me super psyched.

Now, I want you to meet my new friend...

Her name is Abigail. Isn't she beautiful? I got her from Sam and Lauri at Rubysapphire Yarns. I can't wait to whip her into a gorgeous pair of socks.

Football really kind of sucked on Friday. The boys played Ausable Valley on their brandy dandy new turf field. JV won 21 to 14 again this past week. They are still undefeated. I fnd this amazing. Especially given the fact that they receive absolutely no recognition. I just don't get it. They didn't turn on the scoreboard for the boys or bother to announce the game. Those of us who are short and have a hard time seeing over the heads in front of us had a hell of a time following along. To make matters worse, they don't even post the results of the game in the local paper. The varisty team lost and they got almost a full page write up. I'm surprised the JV boys stay as pumped as they do. Anyway, here's the only picture I found with my little man (74) in it on the school's website...

Keep your fingers crossed that he'll get more than 3 minutes on the field this Friday.

Slitherin' Along

Are you guys as sick of looking at this sock as I am starting it? I don't want to tell you how many times I've ripped this stupid thing since the last time I posted about it. I thought the last time I posted that I was off and running with it but it turns out I wasn't. I don't even remember anymore what the problem was, but it was enough to make me rip it. If it weren't for the fact that I love this pattern & that I have the other sock completed, the entire project would have been tossed in the garbage by now. The cuff of this sock is 7" long and the skein is only 400 yards. I started to worry that I might not have enough to make the pair. So I dug through my PayPal receipts and found the email address for the seller I bought the yarn from. I was thrilled to hear that he still had a ball of yarn in the same color and dye lot so I ordered it. And several others.

Aren't they pretty? I couldn't have that one little skein of yarn travelling by itself and since they were still only $3.95 a ball I took one of each of the colors he had left.

These adorable little critters arrived in the mail last week. Are they not the cutest little things you've ever seen? Santa Sheep markers. They were custom made by Pink Sheep. I see her store is empty right now, but I believe she's working on some new stuff to put in.

I want you all to know that I've not tossed Gaia aside in favor of another yarn. I've been swatching. I think after ripping for the 6th time last night that I've finally decided on a pattern. I'll post a picture as soon as I have something interesting enough to post.

Saturday was spent at the football game. Both JV and varsity won again. The boys are undefeated and I hope their winning streak continues. This week they play under the lights on Friday. They're all really looking forward to the night game.

Gouverneur is a really tough team and the sophmores were pretty much the only ones on the field this game. Dan (74) was bummed to spend so much time on the sidelines.

He gave it his all when he did get out there though. See him gettng ready to take out the opposing player? That's my little man.