My birthday at my parents house. A nice day.....

Easter is almost here! We had such a nice day at Grandma and Papa's house decorating easter eggs, putting eggs on the bush outside and then an easter egg hunt. The kids love that and my parents make it so special for them. They will always have nice memories of these special days. My kids love to find the extra special egg with their name on it that always has a five dollar bill in it. Boy, when we were little, the Easter bunny gave us nickels!! Inflation at it's best.

I am so happy that the weather is finally getting warmer. Not as warm as I hoped, but we got to sit outside for most of the afternoon and we all slept like rocks with the fresh air we got. It's raining today, and we are watching the Mets beat the Reds. They just took Santana out and put a new pitcher in, so not to sure if they will hold their lead. We will see...... LET'S GO METS!!!

I cut my hair!

This is darn short for me. I have wanted a little update and love all those "short" cuts, but this is as brave as I could get. I love the cut that Reese Witherspoon has or even Katie Holmes, but man, that's short! I have been progressively getting shorter with my haircuts, so eventually I'll probably have a shorter cut. But, for now, this is as brave as I'll be.

As far as my "Finish or Frog Friday," I am about 1" from finishing my second pedicure sock. I wore my pink pedi socks today and the nail salon loved them. A few friends have expressed the desire for a pair, so I know what I need to plan on knitting for Christmas gifts. (It'll take me that long to make enough pairs for everyone....) I figure it will be my beach knitting projects. If it EVER gets warm here.

Cold and damp today. Not a spring day yet. My heat is on and I am still freezing! I am sitting next to my "little one" while she is doing her homework. She's been out of school for three days and she is now behind the eight ball with work piling up. So, here we sit on our computers. Hers with a presentation on Power Point, mine with my blog. Nothing exciting to talk about. I can't wait for the warmth to come so I can put away our winter coats. I need Spring, badly!

Finish Tuesday... (friday I was busy!)

I finally finished weaving in all of the ends of my fingerless mittens. I started these ages ago, it seems, and finally got them done. I usually can whip a pair of these together in one day or two, but it's been so busy. I like the pattern because it's super easy to do and you can be creative and change the colors or use what you may have in your stash since it doesn't take alot of yarn to make them. I also, finally, finished this book,"Knit Two." I read the first one, "The Friday Night Knitter's Club," last year and loved it. This one took me longer to get through since I never seemed to either have the time to read it, or I didn't make the time. I did more cleaning and organizing this winter than ever, instead of taking time to read. I owe the library an overdue fine for it, but it was worth it since I loved the story. Now, to start the second in the Twilight series. The first book was so good, I couldn't put it down. I hear, from my fellow reader friends, that the second one is pretty boring. But, you have to read the second to continue on to the other two which have much better reviews. So, let's see how much I will owe the library for that book.

Gotta love Valentine's day.......

Our home is predominantly female. Of course, we aren't able to discern the sex of our two turtles, but we just assume they are female! So, when Valentine's day arrives we are oh so happy to see the bevvy of flowers that we get and the yummy chocolates too. Daddy out does himself, we are happy to report. So, the two dozen red roses are mine and the beautiful peach colored ones are for the little ones. We each got a box of Godiva chocolate too! What a guy. Valentine's day is such a nice day.....

February blahs......

It's been a while since I had an entry to my blog. You'd think that I would be on the computer more since the weather has been so darn cold, but I have had many days of "crazy cleaning." I pulled apart my pantry, cleaned, threw out stuff and organized it. Sounds fun, huh? Then, the kitchen cabinets. Almost all of them. I had more stuff I don't use that took up space. So, out it went. It's been nice since all of those jobs loomed over me when I would look at the mess and say, "tomorrow I'll do that." Well, it's done and looks good. Now, I am ready for the warmer weather to return so I can be outside. O.k., my linen closest still is "looming" but, that's another day.

Sock dilemmas......

O.k., you sock knitters. I tried the sock pattern that was on http://www.knitty.com/ (pedicure socks) and just adjusted a slight bit. It called for size #7 needles and a worsted weight wool yarn. I went on Ravelry and checked out other people's comments since this pattern was widely done and many people looked to have adjusted as well. Since a few people mentioned that the sock came out bigger than they thought it should, I went down a size in my needles (actually 2 sizes since I don't own a size #6 and did have some #5s.) I used a worsted weight washable wool and off I went. The sock came out alright. It fits me, but looks gigantic when laying flat. Do you usually have socks that look huge like that? I would post a picture, but I am not able to today. Sick little chicklet at home today and just this typing of my post is taking up enough time. Picture tomorrow.

So, what should I do? I have to make the second one and I plan on using the same needles since I don't want to have two socks at different sizes. However, the next pedicure sock I make, I want to have a little smaller. Oh, and by the way, the gauge called for 5 sts per inch and it was exactly that. I just don't see that the sock on the pattern looked to be as big as mine..........

My pillow is done......

My pillow is done. It came out pretty cute. Not perfect, but still cute. I like the double seed stitch and the pillow size is very common so having to put a pillow form inside isn't hard. I had one that fit, but it's a pretty standard size. I'm on to my next project. Finishing those darned pedicure socks. I want to start another pair that knitty.com had published, but I promised myself I would finish the ones I started first. Tomorrow is a snow day, perhaps? But, I REALLY need to clean my house. What to do.......

Finish or Frog.....

I did it! I finished my pillow in just a few days. That's what a lot of crappy weather will do for me. Icy, snowy on the outside and me happily knitting and warm on the inside. Yay. I am going to post the picture tomorrow or Monday because I am without my camera right now. So, for "Finish or Frog Friday," (See www.majorknitter.typepad for details on this.) I am done.

Now, onto the next project. My basket has quite a few that need finishing. I should finish my little one's alligator mittens I started last year (yes, LAST year!) and just need to sew the pieces together. The pattern is from Stitch and Bitch Nation and was fun to make. I just detest sewing the finished product. You'd never know that I sew my own curtains and actually like to do that. I guess with knitting, I like immediate satisfaction and then off to the next item on my list of "knitting to-dos." Have a good weekend and happy knitting!

Happy Birthday Uncle Fred.......

It's that time of year again. Daddy's birthday. We are not actually loving these birthdays coming as quickly as they do. But, never the less, we celebrated over the weekend and you are looking at our youngest guest at the party. Little Andrew is now 7 months old! He was sitting up and being such a cutie at the party looking at everyone and very happy to talk to the girls when they kissed and hugged him. Uncle Fred was a happy man to have his family and be together for his special day.

Snow day........

It's another snow day, much to the delight of my children. O.k., me too. Not only do I get to have a nice, quiet day to be with my kids, but I can get a couple of rows in and try and finish my newest knitting project. This is one of my many WIPs. It's the "double seed stitch pillow" from the Winter '08/'09 issue of "KnitSimple." I am knitting it with the Lion Brand Wool Ease Chunky I had in the house because I promised myself I would use the TONS of yarn I have in my stash rather than go out and buy more. I wanted to buy some wool/alpaca yarn and thought that since this pillow is going to be placed on our family room chair, and most likely will be tossed around a bit by kids that don't appreciate the many hours of knitting involved in making it, I was better off using my inexpensive yarn than the mucho dolares I would dish out for the alpaca. However, I am really wanting to try one of Twinkles designs that are absolutely scrumptious looking in her books (I borrowed two from the library and have been drooling over them since then.) She has great ideas and approachable since I am far from a sweater knitter. I have one sweater I tried and I am not happy with it. It sits in my UFO basket since I still need to weave in the ends and I am contemplating adding more to the bottom edge of it since it is way too short for me and I don't want it to look like I am trying to be a teenager and show off my tummy. You really don't want to see that!

This is the scene of my backyard today. So pretty and serene. I love to see the snow coming down, but when will it be Spring? It's almost February, so it can't be far off. I just am so done with the snow and would love to see my grass again. I love the fact that you can stay inside and read or knit and feel cozy. That is wonderful. But, it seems to drag on way too long. Someday, I want to live in a warmer climate during the winter months so I can feel my fingers and toes during the months of November through March. One or two pretty snowstorms are plenty for me.

Have a happy day, whatever you are choosing to do with your "cozy day." Or, if you are in a warmer climate and are outside, think of me and send some sunshine my way.

Felted Messenger Bag......

I finally felted my messenger bag and I am very happy with it. It is a "no seam" knitted bag, so in the finishing process, it's very easy. Just weave in the ends and you're good to go. I didn't line it yet, but I knit this bag with double strands of wool, so it is quite dense. I will eventually line it though since I think I will be using this as a gift. If you like this pattern, I got it from http://www.knitty.com under the archives as "Maple" in issue fall/'08. It's an easy pattern to follow and the designer is so nice. I e-mailed her with a question and she was very helpful.

I want to make another one now in a different color scheme. I have a lot of blue and grey wool that I am considering or maybe two tones of brown with a soft purple. My felted bag from last year is in that color palette and looks nice. Decisions, decisions..........

Mom and My girl day.....

Hi! Isn't this beautiful? My baby girl and I had a field trip before Christmas to the Metropolitan Museum in NYC. This is one of the most interesting walls I saw, although I loved the entire museum. I am drawn to alot of color and my chicklet loved all the different patterns. You cannot take flash pictures there, so I took this and got yelled at. The man told me I could keep the picture I took, but not to take anymore with the flash on. So, I took alot more pictures, sans light, but kept this one to show and print for my little one's room. The museum is full of the most interest and beautiful things. There was an exhibit at one time concerning fiber art, but I didn't get a chance to see it. I would love to go again sometime and walk around uptown. There is a yarn store right near the museum "Annie & Co.," if I am not mistaken, that I saw on our way out. My attena went up when we were passing it, of course. I swear, the yarn is calling me.

My BEST friend.......

My bff. The kids talk about their bffs all the time and I think it's cute. Especially since my youngest made a bff list at school one day and I was numero uno. That felt good. My bff has been in my life for 18 years now. It's hard to believe how fast time goes and that it is possible to say I have been with this wonderful man for that long. With the new year here and his birthday happening in a few days, I wanted to say, "Happy birthday, my bff and I love you beyond measure."

Better late than never....

Here is our Christmas tree. Yeah, it's almost February. However, my life in the month of December is so chaotic that I am lucky to even take the time to snap a photo of the tree let alone blog the picture. Therefore, I am sharing my tree picture because I feel the need. I love the picture and I wanted you to see my pretty tree. At least I didn't wait until August to finally show you. The way I blog - a few spurts of postings and then nothing for months - I need to get in as much as I can. Thank you to my friends that tune in and keep the faith.

Our Christmas was nice. The kids get a haul (as you can see.) I feel that sometimes we give way more than they need, but my children ask for so little during the year that we feel like giving them so much for Christmas. You are only little once, right? The BIG gifts were from Santa to our smallest chicklet. She absolutely went bananas at the size of the boxes and was thrilled to see a Hannah Montana beach house when she opened it. That Hannah has a nicer house than most, I'll tell you! It's so fun being a little girl with all these cool toys. I had two Barbies and a Skipper doll. Remember her? Barbie's little sister. No Ken doll though. But, I did play with my friend's G.I. Joe doll when she came over. All brothers in her house.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday this year and the new year is bringing you lots of joy and happy days. Stay warm and look on the bright side of every day. Spring is not too far away, right!

Partially finished Friday.......

I must admit that it is technically not Friday. It is Sunday. However, I was so busy on Friday, that knitting was not in the cards for me. So, now that I am home and not going anywhere, I got to knit and start the second pedicure sock. My first one came out fine, but I was a little disappointed in the size. I made it according to my pattern and shoe size, but I think it's a bit big on me. So, I am knitting the second one in the size smaller to see if I like that one better. It only needed 4 less stitches casted on, so I am interested in seeing the size difference when it is done. Don't mind my leg in the picture. It's not easy taking a picture our your own foot and not showing that I haven't shaved my legs in God knows how long. Winter doesn't motivate me to do that since all I want to do is be in my jammies and cuddle, read or of course KNIT. My poor husband. I really should shave my legs. Such a lazy girl...... Anyway, I am also trying to finish this second sock because I promised myself I wouldn't start new projects until I am done with the one at hand (a.k.a. - on the sticks.) I have THREE purses in a basket upstairs waiting for me to sew handles in and line. They came out so nice and I really do want to finish them, but I get so excited to start a new project and knit. Not sew. Bad me. Finish or frog won't work for these since they are completely knitted and felted. I promised myself I would work on them this week. Let's see what the next few days hold.

Felted bag #101

I finally finished my bag that I was working on. I got inspired since I read my friend Karen's blog to "frog or finish." This concept actually came from major knitter's blog. I would link you to her, but still have no clue how to do that. She is on typepad as "major knitter" so if that helps, check out her cool idea on getting your wips done. This bag was a good project in that there is no seeming to be done. Once you are finished knitting it, just stick it in the washer to felt and you are done. However, I like to line my bags, so I will be doing that soon. But, today is a "clean the house" day. I have to do the dreaded chore of putting away all of my Christmas stuff. That is such a pain. It takes two to three days to decorate the house and more to put it away since I have to clean alot after it's all done. And, what am I doing now?....... Blogging instead. Anything to avoid it. So, have a good day and hopefully I will hear from you. Karen, I am thinking of trying socks on two circulars. I have a book on it from the library and wanted to know your opinion on that technique.

Pumpkins galore. O.k., this photo was taken a month or more ago, but that's how long it takes me to blog sometimes. I actually have a couple good knitting pictures of my projects, but I can't find the time to upload them right now and since I have these pictures in my computer right now, I figure it will do. This was a fun day of pumpkin picking. We usually go to the farm and have fun looking through the field, but this time we went to Stew's. We pay over $20 for one pumpkin at the farm and ended up getting THREE for $18 at Stews. Alright, I hear you. I should support our local farmers and give them the business, but when you have to buy three for the kids and you have a choice of spending almost $90 or $20, what would you do? I would rather take the difference and head to the LYS. Sorry farmer Joe.

I am now working on a couple different knitting projects. I have a purse still on the sticks that just looms over me. Usually, I bang those out and have no problem finishing them. I love to knit bags and felt them right away. Especially since I knit the ones that have little to no finishing to them since they are knit on circular needles. No seams to sew. My biggest problem is lining. I have a great bag I felted and it is still laying on my desk waiting to have the handles (already felted) sewn on the bag and then my lining. (I have a thing about lining my bags. If I go to the trouble of knitting them, they don't seem finished without a lining.)

The new project now to be finished, are my pedicure socks. I found the pattern at the store and bought the yarn and needles to make them. Size 3 dpn and sock yarn that is so fine, I don't know what I was thinking. I have got far enough that I am wanted to see if I can turn that heel. Luckily, I have a friend who is an expert sock maker and I will be calling her soon for help, if I get stuck. (Any reason to go to the coffee shop and knit for a while, right?) Gotta love your knitting friends. They understand!

Show your school spirit........

Cute huh? These are for showing our school spirit at the football games. Warm and fashionable! I love making stuff like this.