Run and Not Grow Weary

Camping

2011-07-19T18:00:00.002-05:00

Audrey and I went camping this past weekend. Not exactly the smartest thing to do when it is supposed to be 105 degrees and we just have a tent. I had been thinking about taking a quick camping trip just to see I could handle it with just Audrey and I. The last three trips I took were with a friend of mine and we collaborated on the stuff to bring and chores around the campsite. What finally made me decide to go is that out of the blue Audrey asked to go camping.

I learned a few lessons and Audrey had a great time. That is what was most important to me. With it being so hot we spent a lot of time at the swimming area and I was treated to a spa mud scrub by the cutest masseuse.

We ~~burnt~~ roasted hotdogs over the fire and the marshmallows were so soft from the heat that they barely needed to be toasted before they were perfect for smores. I'll probably wait until it cools off before I take another camping trip, but now I know that I can manage by myself!

Some Days

2011-07-15T16:57:00.000-05:00

Some days I hold my head up high. I know who I am and what I am supposed to do. I walk confidently through my life secure in the knowledge that I am an amazing woman who may not be perfect, but is doing the best she can.

Other days I crawl. I have no idea where I fit in or what steps to take next. I duck my head, shoulders hunched, hoping others just ignore me as I get by with the bare minimum.

I've been having a string of "other" days lately. You know what, pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps doesn't work. It doesn't matter how much or how hard I pull, I still feel like I am sinking into the mud. I tell myself that it has been a year and a half since the divorce was final and I should be past this! I read books, talk to friends, search the internet and I still can't pinpoint why I get stuck in these "other" days.

From experience I know if I just hold on and live life as best I can then the "some" days will show up again. And that the times between my "other" days are growing longer and longer. But when I am stuck in the middle of the mud pit it really doesn't feel that way.

Single Parenting

2011-07-08T19:12:00.000-05:00

Linda over at Indigo Girl got me thinking about what my version of single parenting looks like. Here she was musing about what she would have to give up if she was a single parent and thought it could fall into one or all of four categories.

1. fun stuff with kids
2. free time/fun stuff for the parent
3. healthy meals/exercise
4. housekeeping/home improvement

In Audrey's almost 4 years of life (four?! how did that happen?!) I have been a single parent who has worked full-time outside the home for almost two years. So honestly I don't have much experience in what it is like to parent in a two parent family. I can only speak to what I feel that I am not fully capable of as a single parent and what sacrifices I might not have to make if I had a partner to help out.

Fun Stuff with Kids
This is the area I hope that I do best at. I want Audrey to have a full and wonderful childhood no matter whether I am a single parent or not. There is no guarantee that I will ever remarry and I don't want to put off doing fun stuff just because I don't have a partner to help. I may have to save up for big trips longer than a two income family, but I would have to do that if I was a stay-at-home mom as well. I do think Audrey occasionally loses out on fun stuff when I am at the end of my rope and just can't take on one more thing. But I don't let being a single parent stop me from doing things like go camping or traveling with Audrey.

Free Time/Fun Stuff for the Parent
Yep, while trying to balance everything this is what I usually give up. I have very little free time just for myself and most of the fun stuff I do includes Audrey. If there is something fun that I want to do by myself then I have to get a babysitter so it had better be worth the extra hassle and cost! To try to make sure I get some free time I get a baby sitter once a week. She shows up at 7:30, puts Audrey to bed at 8:30 and then stays until 10:30. That way Audrey and I are only missing out on one hour of together time once a week. Now it is true that during those three hours I am usually running errands, grocery shopping or working out, but I get to do those things all by myself!! And if I really need to just sit and veg then I can chose to do so at Barnes and Noble or a coffee shop. The other thing I do that has really helped my stress level is to get a massage once every other week. I schedule it for 4 pm that way I can work through lunch that day and go get the massage while Audrey is still in daycare. I so look forward to those massages!!

Healthy Meals/Exercise
I hope I do an ok job in the healthy meals area. I don't have the variety in the meal planning that I would like to have, but I do make sure we get veggies/fruits, protein and healthy carbs in every day. I limit the snacks and sweet stuff. I would love to have the time and energy to try new meals and foods, but right now I'm doing good just to get the basics done. I fail miserably where my exercise is concerned, but Audrey gets lots of exercise at daycare during the week. On the weekends I make sure that at least once a day we are doing something physical like swimming, walking around the zoo, dancing in the house or stuff like that. I need to make more of an effort to get my exercise in, but I can't justify putting her in the YMCA child care when she has already spent 9 hours in daycare while I am at work. And our weekend time together is so precious that I feel that I can't do it then either. She is in swimming lessons once a week, so I exercise then and then I usually exercise during the once a week babysitter visits. I just need to make more of an effort to put Audrey in the bike trailer or jogging stroller and get some exercise!

Housekeeping/Home Improvement
I rent the place I live in so home improvement isn't an issue thank God! I do have quite a few decorating projects that are taking me forever to finish, but I don't consider that a huge issue for me. As for the housekeeping I do my best. I think this is something that parents struggle with whether they are in a two parent home or not because there is always something that needs to be done! My house isn't perfect, I do have a dog and a three year old! But I believe that it is sanitary and safe to live in. Sometimes clean laundry sits in the dryer or basket until it is time to wash more dirty clothes, or dishes will sit in the sink for a couple days, but overall I would rather focus on Audrey and our time together than cleaning!

One thing I do need to change is how much TV Audrey watches. She watches it while I'm getting ready in the morning, when I'm cooking dinner at night and other times too. I try to have her watch educational TV, but it doesn't change that she watches too much TV. Also I need to make more of an effort to eat dinner at the table with her.

I hope this doesn't come off as me whining or looking for sympathy. It was just interesting for me to look at my life and see where I make sacrifices or need to improve. Overall I am happy with how I am managing as a single parent.

Merging

2011-07-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

I had a blog for some musing on divorce and how to survive. I decided since I'm not posting at either blog I might as well merge that one into this blog. Maybe if I have only one blog I will actually post to it! Here's hoping!

So many ideas, not enough time

2011-01-05T15:16:00.000-06:00

When I moved from MN to KS I was able to see how much crafting stuff I actually had and for how many different types of crafts. What follows is not an exclusive list of what I have the supplies for.

Knitting
Spinning
Crochet
Quilting
Embroidery
Beading
Paper crafts
General crafting

I have the most volume in the supplies for knitting and spinning, with the amount of yarn I have surpassing everything else by a wide margin! When I organized my yarn stash I found that I had enough yarn to make four different sweaters, and at that time I was waiting on yarn for two more sweaters. I'll write about that yarn later. I also found that I had enough sock yarn for over 12 pairs of socks. I have since gone through my sock yarn stash and matched up yarn with patterns. I also have odds and ends of yarn for baby hats and misc projects.

I also have a sewing machine and a stash of fabric. I finally got my sewing machine out of its box this past week. It was so dusty! I thought about it and realized that it had been in its box for a year. About time I got it out! I've been wanting to make some pillow covers for my love seat and pew, and some pot holders. But the first project I will start on will be a sewing machine cover. I picked up the book Fresh Quilting and will be making the sewing machine cover on the front of the book.

Now that I'm finally settled into my new life and Christmas is over I've been feeling the pull of all my crafting supplies and knitting projects that I have already started. I feel a bit scattered and need to come up with a plan to tackle it all, balancing completing old projects with starting new ones. Time to dig in!

What to do

2011-01-04T16:29:00.000-06:00

I"m not sure what to do with this here blog. Sorry, had to use some down-home lingo now that I'm back in KS. I can't delete it because I still get tons of hits for the Two Color Brioche Stitch Scarf Pattern , at least 200 a month! Last month the blog got over 1,200 hits and I'm betting that at least 99% were for that pattern. So, no deleting the blog.

On the other hand, I'm not quite yet comfortable with using to to journal daily life with pictures, stories and projects. Ever since the divorce I have been very protective of my personal life, specifically not wanting my ex-husband to know a single darn thing about me. I already resent what he has to know because we have a daughter together. I do know that he used to search the internet for stuff about/from me and I got some of it thrown back in my face during an argument.

But being realistic, it has been almost a year since the divorce was final. The ex has had the same girlfriend for the past year and has moved in with her. So, the odds of him regularly searching the internet for me are low. I would bet that as long as I kept pictures of our daughter off of the blog that he wouldn't even care about anything else here. And I would have to make sure to keep anything off of the blog that could come back and bite me in the rear. That is what my twitter account is for!

I know I could keep it just to knitting/craft projects, but I'm not sure I couldn't let some personal stuff slip through. I need to be ok with the occasional personal stuff being out there before I start writing. And how boring would a blog be if it was just about X project, Y yarn and Z modifications. I want to write a blog that I would read myself!

So, all that to say that I think I am going to, cautiously, start posting again. As I have time of course, and after the whole privacy issue, time is the next biggest issue. Overall, I think it would be good for me to start blogging again. I do need to lower my expectations on how I blog and the quality of the pictures that I post. I tend to be too much of a perfectionist!

Hopefully this space will have lots of new stuff soon!

Stand in the place where you live

2010-08-20T16:17:00.000-05:00

So, a lot has happened since we last talked. I feel like I have been doing a lot of updating people on where I am right now. Everyone wants to know how I'm doing, what I'm doing, where I am now, and how Audrey is handling it all. I know this mostly comes from love, even though I have had a few "rubberneckers" drive by my life. You know, the type of person who doesn't really care, but loves to hear about disaster and mayhem.

Fortunately most of the disaster and mayhem is behind me, I hope! If you want the short version, Audrey and I moved to Kansas in July. We are living in Wichita, which is about one hour away from my parents and my brother lives in town. I've got an excellent job that so far I am enjoying. Audrey is doing great and has adjusted so well. She loves being so close to Grandpa and Grandma. If you want more details they are below the jump.

The divorce was final in February 2010. My ex-husband agreed that Audrey and I could move to Kansas, it was just a matter of me finding a job. I finally found one and moved down in July. I won't say here exactly where I am working, but it is for one of the local colleges as their Internal Auditor. It is a big job with lots of challenges, but the people are great!

Audrey has adjusted well to her new daycare and biggest news of all is wearing big girl undies! She is so proud of herself, and I am too. She will be turning three next month and I can't believe how big she has gotten. She has taken all the changes in stride and has had a blast playing with her cousins and going to the swimming pool.

I haven't made it to the local yarn store yet, but hopefully I will soon. I really don't need more yarn, right now I have enough to make at least 4 sweaters, but I am hoping to find some friends. I'm attending church and hoping to find a few friends there too.

Right now I'm just trying to soak up as much of the summer as I can while settling into my new life. Audrey continues to be my joy, while God continues to be my strength.

WIP Wednesday, on Thursday

2010-08-19T15:35:00.005-05:00

I'm trying to work through my Works in Progress (WIP) because having all these half finished projects laying around is driving me crazy!

The first are my Lacy Rib Socks. This is the first sock. My goal for the next week is to turn the heel.

Next is my Daybreak. I love this thing, but with each row getting longer as it gets bigger makes it hard to stick with it. Goal for next week is to finish two stripes in each color.

My little helper saw me taking pictures and came to investigate. So she insisted I take pictures with her in them. And it is such a shame to not use cute pictures!

Funny story about the term WIP. When I moved to Kansas (oh, by the way, I moved to Kansas) I packed a box of my WIPs and marked it as such. When I moved into my new place people from mom and dad's church helped unload my stuff. Sure enough, my old youth leader picked up the box and said "Wips?" with a very confused look on her face. I laughed and explained to her what it was. I'm so glad she asked instead of just assuming!

Ten on Tuesday

2010-08-10T16:30:00.004-05:00

Ok, if I don't just start blogging then I won't ever start! Eventually I'll get to the big life stuff, but for now, here is my Ten on Tuesday contribution!

10 Reasons to Love Bacon

BLT - got to have lots of mayo and homegrown tomatoes
Hot Bacon Dressing - it was a revelation the first time I ate it on a salad
Eggs fried in bacon grease - so yummy
Eggs with Bacon - can't go wrong
Bacon crumbles on a salad - who cares if salad is supposed to be healthy
Bacon wrapped anything - bacon makes everything better
Crispy Bacon - can't have limp bacon
Thick Bacon - so good to sink your teeth into
Bacon on a Hamburger - don't get it very often, but love it when I do
It is bacon! Is there really any other reason?

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Good Riddance to 2009, Hello 2010!

2010-01-01T08:59:00.001-06:00

To say that 2009 was a rough year would be a bit of an understatement. I am so happy to see it go and am very hopeful about 2010. There is a lot that is up in the air and there are still rough times ahead, but I pray that the worst is behind me.

I know that God has an awesome plan for me and He's already given me a small peek into what He has planned. Now I just have to have patience and wait on His perfect timing.

Audrey continues to be such a blessing. I wouldn't be doing as well as I am now without her. I pray that I can continue to do what is best for her during this situation.

I've been doing some knitting and some spinning. So hopefully I will be able to share those projects here soon.

I hope that you have an awesome 2010!

Shift

2009-08-10T04:25:00.000-05:00

I am up late, or early depending upon your perspective, with a sick little girl. I had the strangest dream tonight. I dreamed that I had fallen asleep with Audrey on the couch. Alan came home from work and touched my hand. I woke up and he asked how his girls were doing. That is when I woke up. The dream was so real that for a minute I wondered where he was. Then it all came back to me. Luckily Audrey needed me so I didn't have time to break down.

The dream was strange because most of my dreams about Alan are of me crying or trying to talk to him and him being cold and distant. It was kind of nice to have a different kind of dream, but also heartbreaking at the same time. I would never take back the man he is now, but I desperately miss the man he used to be.

Imperfect Solution

2009-07-15T15:38:00.000-05:00

Imperfect solution

2009-07-14T14:34:00.001-05:00

I am trying to find a good way to post from my iPhone and like most things in my life right now this is an imperfect solution. My husband and I are getting a divorce. This isn't what I really want, but he has left me no other choice. I have put up with a lot, made many changes and tried as hard as I can, but I am done. I have a blog about all this, but I'm not sure if I will keep writing in it. If you want to read it, comment with your email address or send it to me and I will email you the link.

Over all I am doing very well. My daughter is the light of my life. I would not be doing as well as I am without her. Many things are changing, but I am looking forward to the rest of my life.

I am still knitting and spinning, but not as much as I want too. Right now it is warm in MN so I want to take advantage of that. Audrey and I are spending a ton of time outside and right now we are in KS visiting family. There will be plenty of time over the winter for knitting and spinning. I also have plans to turn the "man cave" into a craft room over the winter.

I have started running again and am really enjoying it. My goal is to run on a regular basis over the summer to justify the purchase of a treadmill for the winter.

Even with the imperfections in my life God has been faithful. He has been my rock and refuge. He has blessed me with an amazing daughter and family. I am so very blessed. James 1:2-4

Sorry for all the tests

2009-07-10T07:59:00.001-05:00

I think I figured it out.

Let's try this again

2009-07-09T20:38:00.001-05:00

Can you see it now?

With a pic

2009-07-09T20:21:00.001-05:00

Now seeing if I can add a picture.

Trial

2009-07-09T20:13:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to figure out a way to blog more often. This is a test post from my iPhone.

Update

2009-05-15T19:55:00.002-05:00

I wanted everyone to know that I am alive! Life is pretty rough right now, but I am in God's hands. He is in control and I can rest in that. I would like to be posting on a regular basis and updating Ravelry soon, but I'm not going to put any pressure on myself.

Update

2009-05-15T19:52:00.000-05:00

I am still alive! I'm not sure if anyone is reading this, but I wanted to reassure people that I am still around. A lot has happened and I'm not really comfortable with talking about it yet, but know that I am in God's hands.

One Day at a Time

2009-02-15T20:14:00.000-06:00

This has been the hardest month of my life. Alan is having an affair. I've been waiting to write about this until I could get a little distance on the initial shock. I can't tell you what to do in a situation like this, but I will share what has helped me.

Pray. Pray like you have never prayed before. Pray for wisdom, pray for guidance, pray for help. Most of my prayers in the beginning didn't even contain words, just formless cries to God.

Be in the Word. Some days all I can do is read some Psalms and Proverbs. But being in God's Word is how he communicates with us, and right now you need to hear from God.

Gather Godly people around you. Find people that you can trust with this information. God's people are called to help each other in times of trial. Do not stay isolated and alone.

If you aren't already in counseling I would highly suggest you get into some sort of Christian counseling. I know my therapist has really helped me.

Those are the main points that I can think of right now. I know a lot of people would say, you know what he cheated on you, you are perfectly justified in asking for a divorce. Even the Bible says divorce is ok in instances of infidelity. But that doesn't mean that I have to ask for a divorce. Marriage is ordained by God, and I see it as my responsibility to God, to myself, to my daughter, and even to my husband to do everything that I can to work things out.

I won't pretend this is easy. Alan still hasn't given her up. Thank God she does not live here. I am having a hard enough time know that they are communicating every day. I'm not sure what I would do if I knew they were seeing each other in person.

Right now I am just trying to take one day at a time, giving God time to work. And I do believe that He is working.

Answer

2009-01-07T11:42:00.000-06:00

Alan will be home in a couple of weeks. I’ve really been stressing about it. I know that we can’t fix anything while he is so far away, but I’ve found a good equilibrium and I’m afraid of the chaos and turmoil that will happen when he returns. Even if we weren’t having problems it would be hard to adjust to having him back in the house.

I’ve spoken to my therapist about this and she suggested that I wait on God’s timing and only bring things up when He shows me an opening. And while that is very good advice, it still leaves me with a lot of questions. How do I remain open and forgiving without getting my feelings completely trampled on? I know that I am going to experience a certain level of rejection when Alan comes back and I am going to get hurt, but I’d like to limit the amount of hurt I experience. How do I deal with situations when I become angry because of something he has done? Do I make any demands on him at all, even basic ones like cleaning up the kitchen or taking out the trash? Or do I just let him do what he wants to do and deal with the rest as I am able?

I’ve been doing a lot of crying out to the Lord. I hesitate to call it praying because there aren’t many coherent words coming out of my mouth. Just “What do I do?” over and over again. I’ve also been trying to stay in God’s word because I know only God can sustain me. I’ve been sticking with Psalms and Proverbs because I can’t handle too much in-depth thinking right now. Well, I got an answer when I read Psalms 4:4. “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude” NLT

So I got my answer. I really love it when God is clear like this. And I do believe that God is clear in his instructions. My favorite verse is Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you, I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” The word answer here means to “conspicuously answer,” an answer that you can clearly understand. If we are seeking God’s will, His answer will be clear.

Let's start at the very beginning

2009-01-02T11:57:00.000-06:00

A very good place to start.* Sorry, I couldn’t resist. First, I want to explain what this blog will and will not be. I am planning on chronicling my journey as a Christian woman through a particularly rough time in my marriage. I will do my best to not bash my husband, who we will call Alan (not his real name), or to wallow in self pity.

Alan and I have been married for over nine years, and together for over 12 years. I don’t want to share too many details about how we met and things like that because I would like this to be relatively anonymous. That being said, we met in college and were married in 1999 at the age of 21. Our daughter, Audrey, was born in September of 2007. I have been a Christian since a young age and was raised in a Christian home. Alan is a Christian and came to that decision in adulthood.

We have always had our issues, what married couple doesn’t, but things got worse after our daughter was born, particularly after I went back to work. We both wanted me to be able to stay at home with Audrey, but financially it just wasn’t possible. Under the pressure of home, child and work the cracks in our marriage got wider and wider. We both hold some responsibility in the deterioration of our relationship.

My husband then took an opportunity that we hoped would eventually lead to a job that would allow me to be able to stay at home with Audrey, but required for him to be away from home for four months. During that time away Alan started seriously thinking about divorce.

I’m not sure if his specific reasons are really that important, at least where the big picture is concerned. No matter what I do, I cannot change his mind. No amount of arguing or justifying will help. The only thing I can do is ask God to change me and let Him take care of the rest.

And that is what this blog will be about. My journey to change through God’s help and hopefully through that allow God to save my marriage, a Christian woman’s attempt to avoid divorce. Hopefully by writing about my struggles I can think through things more clearly and maybe assist someone else going through the same struggles.

*For those of you who don’t recognize it, that is from the Sound of Music.

Early Christmas

2008-12-17T14:25:00.000-06:00

I'm getting a spinning wheel, YAY!!!!!

Just had to share. :)

Two Color Brioche Scarf Redux

2008-12-16T11:44:00.000-06:00

Time to get back to happy things. I finished a second Two Color Brioche Scarf just before summer started. I used this same pattern, but different yarns. I used Blue Sky Alpaca 100% Alpaca (now discontinued) and Noro's Cashmere yarn, can't remember the name. I like this one much better, mainly because it is so soft.

I used it all fall and for the warmer part of the winter. Now I just need a hat to match! I'm planning on using the Fake Isle hat pattern from knitty. Hopefully I will have it done for the warmer spring weather.

Departure

2008-12-11T21:14:00.000-06:00

I know, it has been over a month. And my posts haven't exactly been very knitterly lately. It is just that I am in a rough and deeply personal time right now. I tend to be a very open person. Honestly, I tend to over share. So, it is hard for me to focus on just the crafting portion of my life here on the blog. It is hard to be all upbeat and "Look at what I made!" when I don't feel like that at all. Some people that I know outside the internet know what is going on, and thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. And if you don't know, please don't feel like I don't trust you or consider you a close friend. It is just really hard for me to share this with everyone.

I have debated on whether or not to say anything, but I really do want to get back to blogging about my crafting endeavors. But I don't feel comfortable with completely ignoring such a huge thing. No, I'm not dying or sick. Audrey is fine. My husband is seriously considering divorce. It is a long story, and I'm not completely blameless, but I never thought he would resort to this. We have our problems, but I honestly thought that we could work through them.

I've debated on whether or not to start another blog on this topic. How a Christian woman deals with a situation like this. Even if we do end up staying together, maybe it could be helpful to someone else. Maybe it could be password protected at first. I don't know, I'm still thinking about it. I do want to keep this off of this blog, but I felt like such a big thing had to be addressed.

I've turned comments off, mainly because I just want this to be out there, I don't really need comments from people on this. But I would appreciate your prayers. Thanks.

Minimum

2008-11-07T12:24:00.002-06:00

Right now I can only keep up with the bare minimum. But I thought I should let the internet know I'm alive, if it cares! I found this meme at Posie Gets Cozy, and thought it was perfect. Take care, I'll be back eventually!

Where is your mobile phone? Pocket

Where is your significant other? Georgia

Your hair color? Brown

Your mother? Constant

Your father? Recovering

Your favorite thing? Audrey

Your dream last night? None

Your dream goal? Peace

The room you're in? Escape

Your hobby? Knitting

Your fear? Loss

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Together

Where were you last night? Home

What you're not? Calm

One of your wish-list items? Wheel

Where you grew up? Kansas

The last thing you did? Lunch

What are you wearing? Jeans

Your TV? Escape

Your pets? Cuddly

Your computer? Work

Your mood? Erratic

Missing someone? Desperately

Your car? Reliable

Something you're not wearing? Dress

Favorite shop? Yarn

Your summer? Short

Love someone? Cautious

Your favorite color? Purple

When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday

When is the last time you cried? Yesterday

Laugh for the day

2008-09-17T15:21:00.002-05:00

Two Post Office employees showed up at work today to hand deliver our mail. I thought that was very nice of them, seeing as how we normally pick up our mail at the PO boxes downstairs. I didn’t think much of it until they asked if we had any outgoing mail. When I replied that we normally drop it off downstairs they gave each other this “huh” look. I told them that we normally pick up our mail downstairs as well, more confused looks. One said they had been dropping off mail as they went through the building, seven floors of offices and many floors of apartments. I then explained where the mail drop off and PO boxes were. They thanked me and went on their way. As I was shutting the door I started to laugh. I probably should have waited until I had closed the door, but it was just too funny. Either management at the Post Office isn’t very good at giving instructions, or someone decided to have fun with two employees on a new route. Either way, it brightened my day!

Life has been crazy, some knitting, lots of stress, not enough down time. Audrey is wonderful and I can't believe she is already a year old! Hopefully after the next couple weeks are over I can get back to blogging and Ravelry on a regular basis. How is your life going?

Happy Weekend!

2008-08-01T12:03:00.004-05:00

It is Friday, and I am in a good mood! I think I've been in a little bit of a hormonal funk lately. (Using the word funk always seems odd to me because my Great Grandparent's last name was Funk, so it has a different meaning for me than just the usual usage.) My cycle has returned and I'm still getting used to all the hormonal swings I haven't had to deal with for a year and a half.

Has anyone else checked out Twist Collective yet? It is a new online magazine with both knitting patterns and articles. The layout took me a little while to get used to, but I immediately bought the Come Together and Jaali patterns. The checkout process was very easy, I used paypal, and when I checked the e-mail address I used with paypal I had already received a link to download my patterns. You can download them for 100 days, or 3 times. The patterns I received seem easy to read and are beautifully laid out.

If you want to see pictures of my beautiful baby girl, check out my photographer's website. Click on Babies. On the first page of pictures, her picture is in the top row, middle square (all in white, standing next to a white chair). On the second page of pictures, her pictures are in in the top row, middle square, and bottom row, right square. Nicole takes beautiful pictures and we have always enjoyed our sessions with her. If you are in the area I highly suggest you check her out. If you do, would you mind telling her I sent you? I get a free picture with every referral. I feel ok having Nicole post Audrey's picture because her site has way more security measures than mine does, so I'm not as worried about someone stealing her picture.

And because I can't have a post without a picture in it, here is a small flower we found during one of our evening walks. Have a good weekend!

Kumihimo Braid

2008-07-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

I picked up this Kumihimo Braid Disk at Shepherd's Harvest this past May. It was an impulse buy, but it was only $5! I've been wanting to check these out for a while, and this was the cheapest way I had found. It is basically just an octagon with notches for the thread.

It came already threaded and I made this multicolored thread.

The main reason I wanted to try it out was because I haven't been pleased with the usual ties for baby booties (icord or traditional braid). I used both white and blue fingering weight yarn and came up with this sturdy, but elastic cord. I love it!

I just need to watch my tension so I get the correct length of braid. It is hard to see, but the two colors spiral up the braid. I am looking forward to experimenting with more than two colors.

Sock Backlog

2008-07-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

I love socks. I always have a pair (or two) on the needles. But I don't like to do fancy patterns. Toe up stockinette socks for me baby! So here are some socks that I have completed over the past year or so. Yes, I am a bad blogger. And please ignore the bad pictures. It was either these or nothing.

These are my thick socks [r] done in 1824 wool. They are very cushy, but the yarn got weird on me. I think I washed them wrong. I like to wear them around the house when my feet are cold. They are a bit too thick for regular shoes.

These are my Mexico Socks. [r] I started them before I was pregnant, and finished the first one after my feet started swelling. I tried it on and almost started crying because it didn't fit. Luckily I realized my feet were the problem, not the sock, before I ripped. I also used these to get the perfect fit for my feet. The second sock has 4 fewer stitches and 5 fewer rows in the foot. The difference isn't enough to really notice once I have worn them for a while, but I found overall I like the smaller sock.

I call these my Jewel Socks. [r] I love the way the Lorna's Laces is striping. So pretty! I am almost done with the first one and into the foot on the second one. Hopefully I can get a better picture once they are done.

After I finish the first Jewel Sock I will cast on for my mom's socks. I got her to pick some yarn out of my stash when she visited a few weeks ago. I really need to work through my stash before buying any more sock yarn!

Messed up the scheduling on this one, so lucky you! Two posts in one day!

Productive

2008-07-28T12:33:00.003-05:00

Blogger's Scheduled posts feature doesn't work very well if you don't actually use it. Hopefully I'll get better at writing up a bunch of posts to be published. I wanted to share what I accomplished this past weekend.

These are 22 burp cloths. A friend made some for me when I had Audrey, and they turned out to be one of the most useful things I received. They are made out of flannel and are just a simple 10" X 20 " rectangle. I quickly figured out how to make them and bought flannel remnants and yardage when I thought about it. I can get 7 burp cloths out of 2 yards of fabric with very little left over. In trying to simplify my life I decided to sew up all my flannel.

The ones below are my favorite, and are for a friend having a little girl soon. They are the ones that I manged to cut and sew the straightest. This was very good practice in both sewing and cutting a straight line. I am getting pretty good at the former, still not so good at the later.

I did find that it was much easier to make the ones that I had yardage for, instead of remnants. The fabric that had directional patterns gave me the most headaches and I ended up with more wasted fabric. The blue ones are my second favorite and because the remnant wasn't big enough for a set of 4, I get to keep these!

It is nice to have these done and out of the way. I found that I enjoyed working with the quilter's flannel rather than the regular flannel.

I did learn that it isn't smart to sew at the kitchen table while Audrey was crawling around my feet. She pressed on the foot and sent my needle flying. My first impulse was to grab the needle to stop it (very stupid!) but luckily I regained my sanity and just turned off the machine. I did have a big thread mess to clean up!

Dreaming

2008-06-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

When we bought our house a couple years ago the basement was basically unfinished. The full bathroom was done and the framing and electrical was in, but nothing else. We then entered into negotiations as to what use the rooms were going to be put to. We knew we wanted to keep one as a guest room, and one as an office. Both my husband and I wanted some space of our own as well. So it was decided that hubby would get the office to do what he wanted to, if I got this little nook off of the basement living area.

As you can see it isn't even close to being finished. We decided to finish the guest bed and office first, and that was a smart decision. We barely got them finished before Audrey came. And they still have some finishing touches to be completed. But in anticipation of my craft area I asked my grandpa to make me some storage. We sat down and dreamed up this.

It is kind of hard to get some perspective on how tall this is, but I am 5' 5" and I can just barely peek into the top smallest drawers. The bottom drawer is almost 12 inches deep! I love this thing. I do feel bad that all my stash and craft stuff do not fit in this, and that is part of what prompted this organization kick that I am on. Right now this is living in the guest bedroom with a TV on top, but I can't wait until my "craft nook" is done so I can move it there. But considering how many other things we have to do I may be waiting for a while!

Catching Up

2008-06-25T06:00:00.002-05:00

I realized that I never posted a picture of my finished Shedir [r]. I love the way this hat looks, but I made it a bit short due to the fact that I cut out a pattern repeat because it was too long. Plus the cold wind just whips right through it. I have been thinking of extending the ribbing using some tips I got from the Rainey Sisters Blog, and then knitting a lining like in the Red Light Special [r]. I'm not sure how I will attach the lining, but I'll figure something out. If that doesn't work I'll line it with fleece.

The [r] links are links to Ravelry. I may be posting some older projects every now and then. It is bugging me that not all my projects have a blog post in Ravelry. Yes, I know I am anal retentive.

Joining In

2008-06-22T09:28:00.000-05:00

Joining in on the flickr meme going around. Stolen from Karen.

Credit-1. Rebecca and Sunset, 2. Pasta Disaster, 3. Gen. George B. McClellan, 4. Purple Passion, 5. matthew_mcconaughey_1, 6. Margarita de primavera III / April daisy III, 7. beach shoes, 8. Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake, 9. karate kid meets flying mom - _MG_3046.JPG, 10. Audrey, 11. Harmless., 12. emilius e becca di nona da aosta

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

My flickr name didn't bring up anything, so I used my childhood nickname. One thing to think about when doing this, is to make sure you are obeying any copywrite on the photos.

Hanging In There

2008-06-20T10:29:00.000-05:00

Well, posting once a month isn't too bad! I'm better at updating Ravelry, so if you are just dying to know what I am working on you can keep track of me there. With Blogger's new "schedule posts in the future" feature I am hoping that I can sit down and write a bunch of posts and then have content for a while.

I've been trying to work on simplifying, organizing and prioritizing my life and I think things are going to get worse before they get better. You know how sometimes you have to tear down in order to make things better. That is where I am right now. I want to eventually be able to make my daily chores easier to do and free up time during my day. Also to have the things I need be within easy reach.

I am also trying to figure out what is really important and what can wait a while. For example, I would love to start so many different crafts, beading, sewing, quilting, embroidery, spinning and needle felting just to name a few. I also would love to have time to read and run. Plus keep my house in order and fix healthy tasty meals. And most important of all, spend time with my husband and Audrey without worrying about what I haven't gotten done yet.

So my brain is in a jumble thinking about all these things, and I don't really have the time to focus on any of it. But one good thing about this is that I am much more efficient with my time. I can get stuff done in half the time that I used to be able to!

Overall life is good. I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful happy daughter, the weather has been beautiful lately, I have a job I enjoy, and I am blessed in so many different ways. So why do some days I still feel like this little squirrel?

This little guy lives in one of the parking garages in St Paul. One day I saw him hanging upside down!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Ironic

2008-05-20T11:07:00.004-05:00

I have so much to write about and no time to write! So a list will have to do for now.

Chris knit Audrey a beautiful sweater! It fits great. Chris, I'll send a picture soon. I promise!
Finished a second Two Color Brioche Scarf. Used different yarns, but one is still a Noro yarn. Had to make a few changes to the pattern, but it is still basically the same.
Finished the final thumb on a pair of mittens I started before Audrey was born. Glad I waited. Was able to figure out why the first mitten didn't fit very well. I made the thumb too short!
Finished a pair of socks and started another pair.
Went to Shepherd's Harvest and got a few odds and ends. Needle felting fiber, niddy noddy, basic Kumihimo Braid kit, and wool felt.
Made a couple bibs for my nephew. Really need to work on my sewing skills! Too ashamed to post pictures.
Started swatching for the Ruffled Surplice, without the ruffle! It was on the cover of Interweave Knits Spring 2007. I got the yarn, Tahki Bali, for 40% off at Webs. I got one of the discontinued colors -06- which is a beautiful teal/turquoise.
Started attending a knitting group in downtown St. Paul. We meet every Tuesday during lunch time. Fun group of people!
Still managing to resist spinning. My LYS is making it harder now that they are carrying spinning wheels and fiber!
Started "running" again. If only running 3 min at a time can be called running.
Visited family in both Kansas and Oklahoma. It is amazing how much I miss that place.
Audrey has starting army crawling and pulling up on things. Time to baby proof!

Overall life is very good if busy. I am trying to cut out the extra stuff that is not needed, but I think knitting and blogging will always stay. Even if I can't do them as often as I want!

Comfort

2008-04-11T15:35:00.006-05:00

I am knocked flat, stretched thin, worn out and just plain tired! I wasn't planning on writing about this, but it seems to be consuming my days. My husband has been out of town for the past 4 weeks, and will be for the next week and a half. To any bad guys out there, I set the alarm every night! Being a "single parent" and working full time is exhausting. And I am probably in the easiest part of parenting. All I have to to is keep Audrey clean and fed, no discipline involved yet. We have had some good days and some days I was just thankful to reach the end of. I don't know how real single parents do it! At least I have an end in sight.

For some reason the yucky weather we are having just about sent me over the edge. At least we are not getting the 10 inches of snow predicted! Searching for some comfort I spotted these on the kitchen table.

The pair of Fetchings I had finished just before returning to work. I used Lobster Pot Yarns Hand Dyed Cashmere. I ended up needing more than one skein of yarn, so to use up more yarn I lengthed the thumb by 4 rows and added a cable turn at the top. I probably could have used just one skein if I would have done one less cable turn at the wrist. There is just something about cashmere that is so comforting. And fingerless mitts are great for the cool but not cold weather we are having.

I wasn't sure what to do with the 3/4 of a skein of yarn I had left so I used Ravelry to find a pattern. I love that website! If you love Ravelry consider donating during Ravelraiser. I didn't realize that they were still operating in the red, and just yesterday were able to get out of debt! Plus, you might get a wonderful prize. You have until April 25!

Ok, back to my story. So I found this pattern on Ravelry and knit Ellen.

I love how the cast on edge does that swoopy thing, but not so fond of the top edge. I don't know if I will ever wear it, but it might make a good gift. It sure is soft, and I completely used up the yarn. Can't let cashmere just sit around!

Can someone tell my why my text changes after I put a picture in?

Ol' Man River

2008-04-09T14:08:00.003-05:00

I was inspired by other people's 365 photo projects, but am not brave enough to take a daily picture of myself. Yet, I wanted to do some kind of photo project. I was thinking about all this while driving to work, and I realized that I drive by a portion of the Mississippi River almost every day. I love to watch it and the surrounding area change through the seasons. So my "Study of the Mississippi" was born.

This is one of my favorite pictures so far. Downtown St Paul, Minnesota viewed from the south. I won't be taking a picture every day, mainly because I don't work every day, but I will try to get a couple per week. I am hoping to catch that moment when the trees just start to turn green, and when they are the most brilliant colors for fall.

I promise I have been knitting, and it is coming up soon. If you are on Ravelry check out my projects page for an update on what I have been doing. I am rlmoore1.

More Music

2008-04-08T11:30:00.001-05:00

Tinsmith has become one of my favorite groups. I was originally introduced to them by the now defunct (so sad) podcast Knit Tunes. They play Celtic music, but with a little bit of something (can't describe it) thrown it. According to their website they are "a high-energy folk band playing traditional music of Ireland, Scotland and Appalachia. Citing influences from blues to bluegrass, from funk to jazz to mountain music, they bring traditional songs and tunes into the new century. " Short version, they are GOOD!

I especially love "Star of the County Down" and that is what I sound like in my head. Unfortunately reality is MUCH different. Other favorites are "Grey Funnel Line" (which refers to the English Navy), "The Royal Oak", and "Bolts and Locks".

If you check out the website they have a page to listen to some songs. I believe they are also on iTunes.

Car Knitting

2008-04-05T16:47:00.002-05:00

Car Knitting
Originally uploaded by rlmoore1

I knit on these sock yarn squares while in the car. They come in handy
while sitting in traffic or waiting for food at Culver's drive
through. Plus it is a good way to use leftover sock yarn. Too bad I
cleaned out the car and left the needle at home!

-Trying out photo blogging from my phone.-

New Blood

2008-04-04T14:24:00.003-05:00

When I started my job here in Minnesota I was the youngest one. When I came back from maternity leave we had three employees who were barely out of college. It has completely changed the atmosphere of the office. And I have to say, other than feeling old, I am enjoying the change. There is now much more social interaction and new ideas thrown about. They take some things for granted, and have no clue when I mention certain subjects, but their energy is infectious even when they make me feel ancient.

One of those new things I have been introduced to is new music. You may have already heard of Vampire Weekend, but they are new to me! I am especially enjoying One(Blake's got a new face). Imagine my surprise when listening to Cast On to hear Oxford Comma! It is a small world.

Sunshine

2008-04-03T16:07:00.001-05:00

Sunshine
Originally uploaded by rlmoore1

It looks like spring may have finally arrived! It is supposed to be in the 50s this weekend! I can't wait to take Audrey for a walk.

Generosity

2008-03-19T16:30:00.000-05:00

Where did the past few weeks go? Well, first Audrey got sick. I figured we were doing pretty well, two weeks in daycare before she got sick. Unfortunately it was a virus, so we just had to suffer through. Then I got sick. And I understood why Audrey was screaming her head off. I really wish the Dr would have told us from the beginning to use Ibuprofen. Tylenol just did not work long enough. But Audrey is back to her happy self and I am starting to feel normal. I actually did laundry yesterday! Mainly because the only pants I had left were either way too short or had a hole in the rear.

It is amazing how generous people are when you have a baby. We got so many beautiful and useful gifts. Here are a few of the fiber related ones. This sweater was made by Pam who runs Knitter's Palette in Lakeville, MN. I could not get the color right, it isn't quite this dark. Audrey looks so cute in it!

This was a blanket made by the ladies who attend the Knitter's Palette Sunday and Friday groups. It is Baby Cashmerino, lined and has a crochet edging. It is so soft and beautiful!

This blanket was crocheted by my Grandmother. It was the last blanket she made. It is so beautiful! We got Audrey's 3 month pictures taken with her laying on it.

Hopefully when the next person I know has a baby I will remember to be so generous. I know I loved all the handmade gifts I was given.

Life Continues

2008-02-28T09:52:00.001-06:00

Well, I have been at work for just over a week, and so far it is going well. Work is just busy enough to keep me occupied without stressing me out. The house is a complete wreck, but pretty soon I'm sure I will find a method to keep everything in order. Chaos is to be expected with a major change like this.

Audrey is doing very well at daycare. She loves all the activity and her nap schedule has adjusted well. Everyone says she is a joy, but I'm sure they tell all the parents that!

I realized that I never shared some of the knitting I had done for Audrey.

Here are two pairs of booties and a pair of socks. She only wore the socks once. I missed the short window of time that they acually fit her, plus I made the heels and toes too pointy! She wored the pink booties ALL the time. They were the only thing she didn't kick off. Both booties are from the 50 Baby Booties to Knit book. She doesn't fit in these any more and I haven't had time to make her more.

This is her 3-6 month sweater. Pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts and knit in Malibrigo worsted weight yarn. She looks so cute in this. I am hoping to get her 6 month pictures taken in it. I have enough yarn left over for a baby hat, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Christmas Crafting

2008-02-05T03:48:00.000-06:00

A little someone needs to go to sleep so another someone can get some sleep! But in the mean time I'll tell you about some crafting I did over Christmas. Mom had some crafting supplies left over from a church ladies night out so my sister and I decided to use some. We took craft beads, strung them on wire and wound them around mason jars, securing it with hot glue. They are candle holders!

Here is mine.

And here is my sister's. I love how she got the waves so exact. It is harder than it looks!

I think a little someone might be giving in to sleep! At least I can hope so.

Cold

2008-01-29T11:59:00.000-06:00

Remind me why I moved to MN. Oh, I remember, I love my husband and want to help him further his career. Next time he needs to move to further his career I'm going to ask him if we can move south, way south! I guess I have gotten used to the cold when 23 degrees seems warm! Because it has been so cold I needed something to keep my ears warm when I wear my hair up. I knit Calorimetry from Knitty.com in Debbie Bliss Casmerino Aran.

It is a little bit bigger than the pattern says it will be, I think it covers my ears better that way. And it fits just fine.

Dread

2008-01-19T23:27:00.000-06:00

Exactly a month from today I go back to work. Actually by the time I get this posted it will probably be less than a month. I am so loving being a stay at home mom. It is so hard for me to write about this. I cry every time I even think about it. Both my husband and I would love it if I could stay home with Audrey, but no matter how creative we get with finances there is just no way. I really do feel like my place is in the home. I can't believe that God would give me such a strong desire to be at home if it will never happen.

While it is hard for me to think about going back to work, I do have a sense of peace about it. God arranged the situation so I would know for sure that I should return to work. The position I held before I got pregnant involved travel. And that travel could be at short notice and frequent. I always said that I would change jobs once I had kids, but I knew I wouldn't find another job with the same salary and security. Well, a couple months after I got pregnant I was offered a position at work doing something that I had wanted to do for 5 years. This new postion is so great, and it has much less travel. Two times a year instead of possibly once a month. So that solved the job issue.

I can't believe that God would open up this golden opportunity if I wasn't supposed to stay at work. I feel like God is telling me to do this job for a while, but to not give up hope. So far in my life God has been pretty clear on what direction he wants me to take. I may not always like it, but I know without a doubt that he has what is best for me in mind.

Romans 8:28

4 months

2008-01-10T22:17:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that Audrey will already be 4 months old tomorrow. She has gotten so big, 13.05 pounds! She is such an easy baby, and so beautiful. Of course I'm prejudiced! I wish I could post pictures of her here, but with all those wierdos out there I just don't feel comfortable with it.

I signed up for the gym today. They provide 2 hours of daycare a day. I plan on taking full advantage of it! Plus I think it may help her with the transition to full time daycare. I want to start running again. I have a plan all set up that will help me accomplish the reasonable goal of running the Twin Cities 1/2 marathon in october. My pie in the sky goal is to run the marathon, but I won't be dissapointed it I don't accomplish that goal. I'll be tracking my pogress here, and as soon as I get some pictures taken I'll share what I have been knitting.

Making the Christmas Rounds

2007-12-29T13:38:00.000-06:00

I'm back visiting my parents and inlaws in KS and OK. Everyone loves
Miss Audrey and wants to spend a lot of time with her. What am I,
chopped liver? But seriously, I think it is so wonderful that she has
so many people who love her. I just wish we lived closer.

I have been knitting and managed to finish a couple pairs of booties
that she has already outgrown. I am almost done with a sweater for
Audrey. It is the Childs Placket Sweater from Last Minute Knitted
Gifts. I am using Malibrigo in a beautiful light blue. I'll use pink
beads to close the placket. I love doing these small sweaters, they
are so quick! Well, I should get back to family. I've ignored them
long enough!

Getting in a groove

2007-12-25T13:33:00.001-06:00

It is amazing how having a baby can completely throw your schedule
off! But serously, this experience has been so wonderful and
exausting. Right now Audrey is asleep in her swing. I am too afraid to
try to move her to bed!

I have been knitting and was running before it got too cold. I'm
signing up for the gym after the new year and Audrey is starting to
take regular naps, so hopefully there will be a lot more running,
knitting, and posting in the near future.

In the mean time, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Coming up for air

2007-09-30T20:00:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd give everyone a heads up. My baby girl, Audrey Anne, was born on September 11th, at 5:24 am after 22 hours of labor, and a C-Section. She was 8 pounds 4 ounces, and 21 inches long. Both she and I are doing great. Everyone says I am recovering quickly, but I do feel very sleep deprived! It will probably be a while until I am back on a regular basis.

Checking in

2007-08-02T09:36:00.001-05:00

I’m sure you have heard of the tragedy on the Minneapolis 35 W Mississippi Bridge that occurred last night around 6:15 pm. I, my family, and my friends are all ok. My thoughts and prayers are with the families that still do not know where their loved ones are.

Babies, Babies Everywhere!

2007-07-10T17:30:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! We had a relaxing day with friends and watched the neighbors shoot of their fireworks. The neighborhood put on a better show than I have seen at some organized shows. Plus we didn't have to fight traffic.

My younger sister had a little boy back in April and I finally got this vest done. I made it in the 9 month size, so I had plenty of time to get it finished.

It is a Debbie Bliss pattern out of her Baby Cashmerino 2 Book. It is also my first attempt at intarsia. I think it turned out pretty well, but not good enough for a close up!

I don't know if I have mentioned it but between my husband and I, my husband's family and my family there are three babies due within a week of each other. September is going to be a busy month! I have started a project for my husband's brother and his wife. They are having a little girl, so I am making the Matinee Jacket from the same book I mentioned earlier. My brother and his wife are having a little boy and I am considering making them the vest as well. They live in Portland, OR and it doesn't get really cold there. So they might get more use out of a vest anyway.

I am hoping to have all these projects done and sent off before I have my little one, so I have only 2 months to go. Time to get crackin!

Indulgence

2007-06-30T07:45:00.000-05:00

I've been splurging on crafting stuff a little too much lately. I was determined to cut back. At least, until I saw these beautiful stitch markers that Carrie had up in her brand new Etsy shop. Now I have received stitch markers from her as a gift before, so I knew how high quality they were, and you just can't beat the price!

Aren't they georgous! Go grab some for yourself while they last. And while you are there, check out the cute doggie blankets she has made.

Purple

2007-06-27T22:20:00.000-05:00

I had good luck with my first try at tulips, this one was my favorite. I love the color and the spiky edges on the petals.

Next year I think I will plant them a little closer together to get more of an impact. My clematis is doing very well this year, and I didn't do much to it. I love it when gardening works out this way!

I picked up some fingering weight yarn from Wooly Wonka Fibers (an online business run by Anne) because I fell in love with the colors. I had no clue what I was going to do with it, but I had to have it. I very rarely do this, so I figured I was entitled. This yarn is a combination of Merino wool, bamboo, and nylon. I cannot believe how wonderfully this knit up. It is so very soft and the colors are beautiful, no pooling!

Once I found out I was having a baby girl I knew I had to use this yarn for something. I finally decided on the EZ Baby Surprise Jacket. My gauge was off, so this turned out smaller than it should be, and who knows how long she will be able to wear it, if at all! But it is so cute I really don't care.

This took up only one skein of the two skeins I bought, so I think I will do socks for me with the other skein, and with the leftovers baby socks for my little girl. I even ripped out the swatch so I could use it for something. I am determined to not waste a yard of this yarn!

The Livin' is Easy

2007-06-24T21:32:00.000-05:00

We are enjoying summer time over here.

How about you? And yet another reason to enjoy summer time, the weekday St Paul Farmers Market is open. Beautiful flowers for cheap!

Contrast

2007-06-20T21:25:00.000-05:00

A storm passed close by tonight. I just love the pink against the dark blue sky. Have a good evening.

Next step, the world!

2007-06-19T22:02:00.000-05:00

I was traveling to New Hampshire this past spring to visit family and we took a day trip up to the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory. While waiting for the tour I spotted this -

I almost bought some, but the yarn was acrylic. Not my favorite thing to knit with. I think knitting is starting to take over the world!

Baby Hats

2007-06-02T08:35:00.000-05:00

Three women in our church are having babies in June, talk about a baby boom! We had a combined shower for them and of course I had to knit something for each of them.

These hats are out of the Itty Bitty Hats book. I used GGH Samoa for the first two and Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton for the last one. I loved the Samoa, but I don't think I'll use the Pure Cotton for a hat again. It doesn't have any of the bounce that I feel is needed for a hat. I am going to do the purple hat for my little girl. The list for her keeps growing!

Ramble

2007-05-31T13:02:00.001-05:00

I’ve started composing this in my head many times, but have yet to actually post. Time to knuckle down and finally write something! I have been debating on whether or not to continue this blog; it is pretty obvious that I haven’t been doing much with it. I originally started this blog as a running blog because I didn’t have a running community to share my trials and accomplishments with. Then I started knitting and included that because I didn’t know anyone else who knit. I think knitting took over the blog, and I laugh every time I read that description under the title. Running? What running?

So it really isn’t a surprise that I have backed off of the blog now that I have found a community of knitters. The group at Knitter’s Palette (I spelled it correctly this time!) is just wonderful, and I really enjoy meeting with them. I’ve also gained a community of friends through church. I feel much more connected to people than I have in a very long time. It is nice! But the more I think about it, I would really like to continue this blog, but I need to have more realistic expectations of myself. Yes, I know that my blog is what I want it to be, but I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist. Plus it doesn’t help that I tend to impose standards or ideas on myself that are unrealistic. Not every post needs to be a detailed description of what I am doing and how I am doing it, have the most beautiful pictures ever, or have perfect prose. I need to do something like Knit-Whit, short, to the point and she posts often! I love reading her blog (her pictures are wonderful!), and I love reading those blogs that are longer. I just need to find my own “voice.”

And about the running. I’ve wanted to start running again, but now is obviously not the right time to start a running program. Before I became pregnant I drew up a plan to get me from not running at all to being able to run a (slow) marathon within a year. I wasn’t going to be legalistic about this plan, but it gave me a goal to work towards. After the baby is born I would like to start on this plan, with a slower ramp up, but I am going to need a goal to work towards to get my butt off of the couch! I am going to give myself roughly 3 months before I start anything. I know I will be overloaded by all the changes coming and I refuse to put too much pressure on myself to get back in shape. And I’m sure once I do start running again I am going to want to write about it. Right now I need to do a lot more walking and once the pool opens (and I’m brave enough to buy a maternity swimsuit) some light swimming or water walking.

I’ve made some changes to the blog, mainly so it won’t be so obvious when I e-mail a post, and to make it a little easier to read. The colors aren’t quite right yet, so be patient! I also wanted to mention that I won’t be posting pictures of the baby here. There are just too many strange people out there and I’m not big enough of a blog to have tons of people watching out for me, or have enough clout to get them removed from wherever they have been used. Thanks for understanding. I have been thinking about using one of the online photo services and just making them viewable to people I know. But that is still up in the air.

Thanks for slogging though all this and for still sticking with me! Hopefully you will be seeing more from me in the very near future.

It's a....

2007-05-11T16:13:00.001-05:00

GIRL!!

I’ve got lots of thoughts running through my head and projects to write about, but no time to spit it all out. Please be patient with me! Thanks!!!

Growing

2007-04-04T20:30:00.000-05:00

I was so excited when one evening I saw a couple shoots in the area where I planted my bulbs last fall. I’m not an experienced gardener, but I do have aspirations, and it was exciting to see any sign of growth. I went out the next morning to take photographic evidence of my success and found this.

I don’t know if it was a rabbit, squirrel or some other rodent, but at least the left me one intact shoot.

Since then I have seen even more pop up and these have continued to grow. They just look like they had a little haircut. I’m still anxiously waiting any signs of blooms. The bulbs in the pot on the deck haven’t shown any sign of life, so I think I should have let them winter in a more protected area, say the garage. I may give them a few more weeks, but if nothing pops up I’ll chock it up to a lesson learned and plant a few annuals in that pot.

Speaking of popping, my belly has finally started to get that pregnant look, instead of that she ate too many Girl Scout Cookies look. Most of my normal tops still fit, I like my winter stuff loose, but I had to give up my regular pants a long time ago.

And can I just say that snow in April is just WRONG! At least we just got a dusting instead of the many inches others got

First Baby Project

2007-03-26T20:53:00.000-05:00

As soon as I found out I was pregnant I wanted to knit something for the baby, but I wanted to wait to do any clothing or a blanket until I found out if I was having a boy or a girl. Then I thought, burp cloths! I'll need a ton of those! I used the pattern out of the Mason Dixon book and a bright colorway. Here is it, with the bulbs that will hopefully sprout soon.

I started this before I felt sick, and finally finished two months later. I have another one cast on in a green colorway. I had better get cracking if I hope to have enough!

It is Spring!

2007-03-24T10:30:00.000-05:00

I feel like I am coming out of a long dark tunnel, in more ways than one. Spring is here! The days are warmer and longer and the birds are singing in the morning. And I am feeling much better! I was sick from early January through end of February. And I have spent the last month catching up on all the things I didn't get done during those two months. I was sick because I am...

Pregnant! Wooo Hooo! We are so very excited, but it is hard to be excited when morning sickness decides to become all day sickness. I finally started feeling much better around week 12 and am just now starting to get my energy back. I don't want to focus on how horrible I felt, but will just leave it at this, I lost 10 pounds and couldn't pick up any knitting.

I am due September 9th and next week will be 16 weeks along. I'm starting to show, but not much. We are going to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. Both sides of the family are very excited. And we have so much to do before the baby comes!

New Start

2007-01-04T16:02:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the New Year! Yes, I know I am a few days late, but being a procrastinator is one of my most endearing qualities. I am looking forward to the next year, lots of new ideas for things to knit, places to travel and new friends to make. I also have lots to talk about and quite a few projects to show off.

I had a wonderful and relaxing Christmas off work and a great time spending time with my family and husband. But now it is back to work. You would think after having a week and a half off work that I would be energized and ready to go. But no, I am having such a hard time getting any work done.

But I do have a lot of goals for the next year, and if I get just half of them accomplished then I will consider it a successful year. I have always liked New Years, mainly because it feels like a fresh start, full of possibilities. My birthday is another new start, but New Years seems to have more impact for me, more possibility for change.

I hope the next year is full of bright and happy things for you!

Bookworm

2006-11-17T11:25:00.000-06:00

For as long as I can remember I have loved to read, I'll read just about anything I can get my hands on. It all started when my dad read The Hobbit to me as a baby. I think that also explains my tendency to read mostly Science Fiction. I ran across this list of the most significant SF/F novels from 1953-2006 according to Time magazine here (I love her BTVS fan fic).

You are supposed to Bold the ones you've read, ~~strike-out~~ the ones you hated, italicize those you started but never finished and put an asterisk* beside the ones you loved.

The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien *
The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
Dune, Frank Herbert *
~~Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein~~
A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
Neuromancer, William Gibson
Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe
A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr.
The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov
Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras
Cities in Flight, James Blish
The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett
Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison
Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison
The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester
Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey *
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card*
The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R. Donaldson
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
Gateway, Frederik Pohl
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
~~Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice~~
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
Little, Big, John Crowley
Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny*
The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon
The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith
On the Beach, Nevil Shute
Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
Ringworld, Larry Niven*
Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut
Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson
Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner
The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
Timescape, Gregory Benford
To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer

While reading through this I realized that I pobably haven't read very much classic sci fi, but The Demolished Man, Snow Crash, and More Than Human are on my list of books to read. If you've read any of those I have not read, let me know what you thought.

Something Accomplished!

2006-11-15T16:53:00.000-06:00

I think life has finally slowed down. I had a great visit with my friend. We did some shopping, watched chick flicks, ate good food and had lots of time to talk. I don’t have too much going on the next month and a half, so hopefully I can get some crafting time in before Christmas. I have bought a few patterns from Wee Wonderfuls that I haven’t been able to even really look at yet. I would love to make a toy for my niece for Christmas.

Thanks for all the comments on the aprons. The short one is my favorite too. But I was tired of getting flour on my shirts when I bake, so I made the long one as well.

It has been so long since I have posted on a regular basis that my finished projects are starting to pile up. The most exciting one, to me anyway, is my first sweater!!! It is the hourglass sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

I did something either very brave, or very stupid with this sweater. I felted it. Let me explain, when I went to wet block this sweater it stretched, a lot. I about had a panic attack. I tried to squish it together, but I just didn’t have any faith that it would turn out ok. I let it dry while I thought about what I should do. I remembered that I had some sweaters that were supposed to be dried flat, but I dried them in the dryer every now and then to tighten them up. So I decided to throw the sweater that I had spent hours and hours on in the dryer. To make a long story short, it turned out ok. The sweater fits ok, I think I made a size too large, but it will allow me to wear a thin long sleeved t-shirt under it. I am always cold, so this is a good thing! The sleeves felted a little more than the body, so I had to shave them, but they look great.

I used Araucania Nature Wool, and while I love this color and the yarn was nice to work with, I wouldn’t ever use it for a large project again. When I bought the wool I realized that there were no dye lots, so I tried to match the skeins as well as I could. I was fortunate that the skeins were sort of close, but if you look closely (or not so close) you can see where I changed skeins. Overall I am very happy with it.

I have also been making stitch markers. I love the way beaded stitch markers hang and move from needle to needle, but I couldn’t see spending so much money on something I could make for so much less! These were so much fun to make and I can see making many more. Plus with each one my technique improves.

Get Cooking!

2006-11-07T16:35:00.000-06:00

Can someone please slow the world down? Only another week and things might slow down, a little. The past month has been a whirlwind of people coming to visit and going to visit people. My mom and sister came up about three weeks ago and last weekend we went to Oklahoma to visit my husband’s family. I didn’t realize how much knitting and general crafting relaxed me until I didn’t have any time to do it! We had a great time with both sides of the family and enjoyed the much warmer weather in that part of the country. I did a little antique shopping and I’ll show my finds a little later. This weekend a girlfriend from Kansas City (who has since moved to Georgia) is coming up to visit. I can’t wait to see her and get to have some girl time.

I have a ton of things to share, new projects and finished objects too! But I thought I would show you a part of the WIP from my last post. I made these two aprons from four hand towels from IKEA.

I used one for the short apron and two for the long one. I used the last towel for the ties and neck (what is that part called?).

I didn’t use a pattern and it was so much fun putting these together. I have used the shorter one quite a bit and it is so nice to have someplace other than my jeans to wipe my hands. I haven’t used the long one yet. I am still considering putting a pocket on them. I have plenty of towel left from the top of the long apron, or I have some fabric that I could use. What do you think?

And if you haven’t yet, VOTE!

WIP Friday

2006-09-29T18:26:00.000-05:00

I've never done one of these, but this picture of my kitchen table was just too perfect.

I have three projects sitting here, but only two are craft projects. We have been working on our budget, ouch! But it will be nice to know where our money is going, if we can stick to it! When the other two projects are closer to being done I'll share more. Have a good weekend!

Purple

2006-09-26T13:59:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a good weekend! I know mine was enjoyable if not as restful as I wanted it to be. I spent all day Friday cleaning my house, which is now cluttered again! Saturday I enjoyed a wonderful Sushi lunch with Renee. We had a great time eating and then people watching while knitting. Sunday I met with the knitting group at Knitter’s Pallet. It was a little strange to have such a large group. I was so used to it being just four of us. But I had a wonderful time meeting the new people.

If you ever get a chance, drop by Knitter’s Pallet (corner of 160th and Cedar in Lakeville, by the Kowalskis). Pam has an excellent selection of yarn which includes many of the Rowan and Debbie Bliss yarns. Last time I was in there she had some Lobster Pot yarn, the colors are amazing and it is so soft! She also has a beautiful selection of bags. Her prices are very competitive and Pam has a great balance between being helpful and just leaving you alone to look. She also has a sitting area up front and everything is laid out nicely so the yarn you want is easy to find.

With everything that happened at the end of July I missed putting up my mosaic for the July/Purple month of Project Spectrum. Now, normally I wouldn’t care, but purple is my favorite color! Even though purple is my favorite color, I am a bit picky about it. I like the deep rich purples, almost a royal purple. I don’t usually wear purple, but I do have quite a pit of purple jewelry, and I love purple in the garden. Here are some pictures of plants in my yard and a flower I got at the farmers market. I also have been playing around with making my own stitch markers. I love the ones Carrie gave me, but I need more. The ones pictured are from cheap Wal-Mart beads, just to see if I liked doing it. I do! This weekend I went to JoAnne’s and picked up some more supplies, hopefully I’ll have some time to put some more together.

Construction

2006-09-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

Well, it is later! I mentioned earlier that I was both having fun and busy. Well, the busy part isn’t actually too fun. My husband and I have started finishing the basement. We were very blessed that when we bought our house the basement was unfinished, but had all the framing, wiring, pluming and a full bathroom completely done. Now that we have both the deck done and the fence installed we decided that it was time to move onto the basement. Once it is completely done we will double our square footage, add two more bedrooms and a very large living area with a nook that will hopefully become my craft/library area.

This past weekend we actually had some time off at the same time, so we decided to sheetrock the ceilings in the two bedrooms and the hallway. To make a very long and tiring story short, we only got the ceiling in one bedroom done. Putting the insulation up took a lot longer than we had expected. The job definitely isn’t professional and I know my dad (who used to do this for a living) would just cringe to see it, but it hasn’t fallen down yet! Now that we have actually started I hope we can keep rolling on this. I would love to have the entire basement done by late spring, but would be perfectly happy with having just the bedrooms and hallway done.

I do have to say that there is something very satisfying about making something with your hands, stepping back and saying “I did that.” I think that is part of the reason I knit. I don’t think that I have mentioned it here, but I am an auditor. No, I won’t tell you who I work for, but I will say it isn’t a CPA firm. Back to my point. Being an auditor is a lot of brain work, and after 9 months to a year all you have to show for it is a 10 page report. If you are lucky that is, sometimes they are much shorter, or nothing gets issued at all! When we used to print out our workpapers we could stand back and say, “Look at all those binders, we did a lot of work!” But now everything is in an electronic format. “Look at that file, it is 80 MB!” just doesn’t have the same ring to it!

I turned to knitting for a creative outlet, not much room for creativity in auditing! I can do what I want, how I want it and end up with a finished object that I can point at and say, “See, I did that!” Sometimes I may wonder whether or not the finished object was worth the time, effort or frustration, but there is always some end product that I created. And if halfway through I decide I don’t want to finish, I can stop. Most mistakes can be easily corrected. I think knitting is the one of the few areas in my life where I have that kind of freedom.

Hello!

2006-09-18T10:31:00.000-05:00

Yet again it has been awhile. When this usually happens it is either because of way too much fun, or being way too busy. This time it was a combination of both. Plus, I was debating on whether or not to continue this blog. It has become a bit of a chore, but even while debating I continued to have ideas for posts pop into my head. And I have finished projects I want to show off! So I figure this provides a needed creative outlet. But with all the things coming up I may be hit or miss on posting, or will have to just make it really short. There is no rule that posts have to be long!

So, back to what has been happening. Lots of fun stuff! My little sister is pregnant! This will be their third child, and I get to knit another sweater. I’ll put off knitting plans until I know if they are having a boy or girl. I have decided to not knit a blanket, because they take way too long! On top of that, my sister and my mom are coming up to visit me at the end of October! I cannot wait; it will be so good to have them up here. The sweater I knit for my brother’s baby got rave reviews from his wife (who knits). She said she could not tell if I had knit it or not! YAY!!!!

My husband and I have been spending more time together. I think we have found the balance between the necessary (and required) evil of overtime, and spending time together. We went to the State Fair and ate way too much food. I snapped a couple pictures in the Craft Building. The first two are of a set of knitted Beatle dolls. I thought I had seen them last year, but could be wrong. I included a close up of one of the dolls, but I don’t know which Beatle it is!

I loved this quilt, mainly the construction of it. I could have done with calmer colors, but really liked the idea. Sorry for the crappy picture, I hate photographing through glass.

We also saw a show at the Bandshell, Riders in the Sky.

Both my husband and I like what I can only call Cowboy Music. It really isn’t country, at least the country you and I know today. This is my grandparent’s country music, country before country was cool. These guys are excellent! They are funny, and can sing beautifully. I don’t normally like to listen to music live because sour notes really hurt my ears, I’m picky that way. But there wasn’t a sour note all night long, unless it was from the guy next to me who was singing along! I didn’t quite get the polka, but I guess that is a Minnesota thing because the crowd loved it.

There is a ton of other stuff going on, but that will have to wait until later. Hopefully later will be sooner!

Mason Dixon Stuff

2006-08-22T16:52:00.000-05:00

Thanks everyone for listening to me whine, sometimes I can be such a baby! Now on to the fun stuff! I finished some of the projects that I was doing out of the Mason-Dixon Book.

I made Absorba for my upstairs bathroom. I really like how it looks and it is very cushy under my feet. I used four strands of cotton yarn, one blue, one blue variegated, one ecru, and one beige variegated. Using all that cotton did hurt my hands, but I think it was worth it. I want to do another mat for in front of the vanity, but not one exactly like this. I’ll have to see what I can come up with.

I also finished the hand towel. The color is perfect for my bathroom, but I’m not completely happy with it. I couldn’t put my finger on it until I realized that I prefer a hand towel I can really sink my hands into. This one, while soft and absorbent, just doesn’t do it for me. So I’m going to just use this one, and the one my mom is making me, for decoration on the extra hand towel rack over the toilet.

Here are the before and after washing pictures. You can really see how the stitches changed, but it just wasn’t thick enough for me.

On the Outside

2006-08-09T16:46:00.000-05:00

This has nothing to do with knitting, so if you are here for that, skip to the end. I'm just wondering if anyone else has run into this. It has become much more noticeable since we moved to this neighborhood full of young families. If you don't have kids, or before you had kids, did you find yourself being kind of a "second class citizen?" For some reason lately this has been slammed home for me. Case in point, our new neighbors. They are a little older than my husband and I, and they have two children. When they first moved in they were very friendly people. Now they don't say a word to us, but I see the other neighbors (who also have kids) over there all the time. Are we not worthy because we don't have kids??

There are other things that have been going on with family (preferences for vacation time made very clear!), but I really don't want to bash my family here.

Sometimes I think once you get to a certain age, or have been married for long enough, it becomes much harder to find people to hang out with, especially to find NEW people to hang out with. What makes it even harder is to find people to hang out with as a couple. Speaking of couples, I remember running into something like this when I was the only one in my group who was single. Suddenly I was no longer worthy. Once I started dating my future husband I actually had a "friend" say to me, "Good! Now we can start hanging out again." I really shouldn't have been surprised when that "friendship" imploded a couple years later.

I guess I'm just feeling a little closed in. In High School and the first couple years of college (junior college) I had a large group of friends and a couple very close girlfriends. The ladies at work are great, but sometimes I wonder about getting too close to someone at work. I wonder if it could have repercussions later. Time to start expanding my horizons again!

Now moving on to more exciting topics! Pam has set the opening date for her new knitting store, Knitters Pallet!! It is opening on August 21st at Noon. The Grand Opening is going to be mid September. I've seen the inside of it and I am very impressed. There is a sitting area in front, and Pam has promised that there will be knit nights. The store is very well laid out and I love the store samples she has knit. I have a feeling that I will be spending a ton of time and money there! For those of you who don't remember, her store is in Lakeville at the corner of Cedar and 160th two doors down from the Kowalski's.

Since my brother's baby has been born it is now time to send them the baby bolero I knit. And I remembered that I forgot to put a picture of it here! So here it is.

I really like how it turned out, and I actually had fun seaming it together! I will also include a little outfit with it when I send it.

Trying

2006-08-04T17:36:00.000-05:00

Why is so hard to get back into the swing of things after a long break. I am so very thankful that I only had 2 days at work this week!! I don't think I could have made it through another day, I am so looking forward to the weekend.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes. It wasn't the best birthday ever, but my husband made sure we got to do something special. He is so sweet! I think the main reason for the blahs is that I am so tired. This past week just wore me out. Hopefully in between all the errands I need to run this weekend I can get some time to relax.

I would love to get some time to quilt. I guess I have teased long enough about the big huge project that scares me to death. I have decided to make a quilt for my king sized bed. I have looked and looked for the perfect bedspread and still hadn't found the perfect one yet when while cruising through some online fabric stores I found this charm packet at the Fat Quarter Shop.

Here is a close up of a few of the five inch fabric squares and the fabric I want to use for the bed skirt.

All the colors are represented and there are 45 different fabrics in the charm packet. I am going to do a small quilt first for my niece to practice. I'll have to get pictures of the fabric I picked up for that later.

I don't have a sewing machine and mom was going to give me her old one, but an aunt who quilts recommended that I get a new one. So I went out and bought this at Sears. It is a Kenmore and comes with a 1/4 in seam foot and a walking foot. Perfect for quilting!

To practice I got some fabric remnants from Joanne and put together this fabric square. I'm a little bugged by the corners not matching up.

I was thinking about this and thought I would ask you all for advice. I was planning on using this pattern (Idea A) for the quilt, or I could do Idea B. This would eliminate the need for the corners to match up, but I have no clue how that would affect the actual quilting of the quilt. I really want this to look good. Should I go with Idea B, or just let go of perfection?

Help!!!

Thank You

2006-08-03T17:30:00.000-05:00

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. We got back into town last night. It was great to see family again, but I wish it could have been under better circumstances. If you wouldn't mind, please continue to pray for my husband's Grandma. She and Grandpa were married for 60 years. I can't imagine what she is going through during her first night alone. While we were there we always made sure someone was with her.

The whole experience has been a bit strange. This is my first real loss as an adult. Two of my grandparents died when I was much younger, and I am finding this experience much different. I find myself wanting to keep my family close and make sure they know how much I love them. I know that death is not the end, only a temporary separation, but it is still hard.

On a lighter note, my brother's first child was born this past Tuesday! She was 8 pounds 1 ounce, 20 inches long with a full head of dark hair. My SIL had 10 hours of labor and she and the baby are doing well. We still don't know a name, but I'm sure it is a beautiful one.

Also, today is my birthday! With everything that has been going on I feel a little bit blah about it, not really in the mood to celebrate. I will probably just go out to dinner with my husband and maybe spurge on something frivolous.

Give your loved ones an extra hug or kiss tonight!

Sorry About That!

2006-07-27T01:39:00.000-05:00

I guess I took a little unofficial blog break. I didn't really mean too, it just kind of happened. I do want to apologize for all the e-mails and comments I didn't reply too, I am so sorry!

I was planning a cheery first post back, with tons of pictures, all about the new craft I have started. Quilting! Or in other words, holy crap, what have I gotten myself into!

But I have some sad news, my husband's remaining grandfather died in his sleep late tonight (Wednesday night). We are driving down to Oklahoma tomorrow (Thursday) and I don't know how long we will be down there. Grandpa was a wonderful man in his 90s and had seen some amazing things in his long lifetime. I will miss his stories and his hugs. I am truly sad that my children will never get to meet him. We could use some prayers right now.

Thank you.

Procrastination

2006-06-27T10:59:00.000-05:00

I have found that I will do anything to avoid studying for the CPA exam! I've been wanting to make a bottle cap pincushion and shriky dink pins for a long time. You can find out how to make some yourself Here and Here.

Considering I haven't done any needle work since I stopped cross stitching when I was a kid I think the pincushion went together pretty well. I think I am going to have to start saving all my bottle caps!

I had never heard of Shrinky Dink paper before, so I felt like a little kid using it. I even bought a set of new colored pencils! I could have a lot of fun with this technique!

Scattered

2006-06-15T16:24:00.000-05:00

That is how I feel right now. I have been meaning to post for days now, but haven't been able to sit down or concentrate on one thing long enough to do it. See, I started this 50 minutes ago and I have only gotten three sentences done. So I am making this into a list so it might be a little less painful to finish this and I actually might get this done!

I made potato candy the other day. I haven't had it since church potlucks when I was little. I blame it on Karen who mentioned it in her blog the other day. My teeth now hurt from all the sugar!
I started and finished a baby bib from the Mason-Dixon book. I was in such a hurry to get it to the baby shower after I bought the button for it that I forgot to take a picture! And it had such a cute pooling pattern too!
For my SIL's baby shower they requested we send our favorite childhood book. I sent Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden and The Hobbit. I couldn't decide on just one. While trying to pick out books I discovered that I was very fond of books about orphans. I wonder what that means? That is the reason I threw in The Hobbit as well. I didn't send any of the Little House on the Prairie books because I figured someone else will send those and there was no way I could send just one. What was your favorite book as a child?
I was a little concerned that I didn't get row gauge for my sweater, so I am swatching. This is the most frustrating process ever! Does it really matter for the Hourglass Sweater if I don't get row gauge, as long as I have stitch gauge?
I am almost done with the bath mat from the Mason-Dixon book. I am LOVING it, but I am making it bigger because I have heard it shrinks. I would rather it be a little too big than too small.
I realized the other day that this is supposed to be a running blog as well and the little description up there can be easily answered, I'm not a runner. Which saddens me. I think part of the problem is image. I don't look like a runner. But when I see other people out running that don't look like runners, all I think is "Good for them!" Why can't I apply this to myself?
Hormones suck! I like to think I am a level headed person, but lately my hormones have been playing with me. I hate being irrational. I think my husband hates it too!
I just found out that you can rate songs while listing to your Ipod! This is so very cool!!
Digging in the dirt makes me happy. I need to do more of it. Digging through rock does not make me happy, less of that would be just fine with me.
I have discovered some new (for me) blogs, Yarnstorm, Little Birds, 6.5 stitches, and Wee Wonderfuls. These ladies are so talented and creative. I want to be them when I grow up!
Also check out Whipup, very cool stuff there!
I have also been listening to some great podcasts. Other than the usual ones (Cast On and KnitCast) I have been listing to Craft Borg (these ladies are so cool, Star Trek and Harry Potter combined with crafting, I'm in heaven!), CraftLit (knitting and audiobooks, why didn't someone think of this sooner, right now she is going through Pride and Prejudice) and finally KnitTunes (a podcast of knitting themed music, no not songs about knitting, but songs to listen to while knitting different types of stitches, i.e. lace or garter, very cool songs!)
I have a big, huge, up in sky, scary project in the works. I've told a couple people about it, but more about it later.
It took me one hour and 21 minutes to finish this. (just so I don't end on 13!) Whoops, now one hour 22 minutes!

New Toy

2006-06-06T04:24:00.000-05:00

My husband and I have been talking about this for a while, but we finally bought a motorcycle!

It is a 1981 Honda CX 500. Now my husband just has to learn to ride it! I grew up around motorcycles. There was always one around. It may not have always worked, but it was always there. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting behind dad or riding in the side car. After I got married dad got his motorcycle running again and I try to get a ride every time I go home. I am so looking forward to my husband getting comfortable on it so I can ride with him.

I had a great weekend. I took a couple days off so I could go down to Kansas City with my husband. He went fishing with a buddy of his and I hung out with my friend. I originally wasn't going to go down, but I found out that my friend is moving to Georgia. Her husband got a great opportunity down there. I am so happy for them, but it will be hard with her being so far away. It still hasn't hit me that this past visit may have been the last time I see her for a LONG time. She has meant so much to me. I guess we will just have to keep the phone lines burning!

Green

2006-06-01T18:36:00.000-05:00

I have always loved the color green. I love how many different shades of green there are in a forest. I used to have a three hour drive across south eastern Kansas to get home from college. I loved to watch the landscape gradually turn green as the seasons changed from winter to spring. And when spring had finally arrived, how beautiful all the different greens were. I knew it wouldn't last long, Kansas heat turns the grasslands golden brown, which has its own beauty. But I always loved the green times. I have come to value the color green even more after my first long Minnesota winter.

If you will allow me to become philosophical, right now I'm living in a "green" time. A time of wonderful changes and growth. Meeting new people, gaining new experience, and planning for new additions to our family (hopefully soon).

All this has been sparked by Project Spectrum. May's color was green. You've seen the first two pictures, my birch tree and linen hand towel. The second two are a hosta I just planted and the color I painted our bedroom. I love the variegated leaves of the hosta. This is the first planting I have done at the new house, and I'm a little excited about it! I painted the bedroom in March before we moved in. I know I was starving for the color green then because I was fixated on painting the bedroom green. It took three tries and $100 in paint, but I finally got the perfect green for this room.

Thanks Carrie for the mosaic maker!!

Good News!

2006-06-01T11:23:00.000-05:00

At least there is for those of us living in the most southern suburbs of the Twin Cities. There is going to be a new yarn store opening soon!! It is called Knitter's Pallet and will be run by Pam, one of the ladies in the knitting group I get together with on Sunday afternoons. I am so excited for her, this is something she has been wanting to do for quite a while.

The shop will be located in Lakeville on 160th and Cedar/77th Highway only two doors down from the Kowalski's. There is already a sign in the window if you want to check it out. According to Pam it will be opening up sometime in August. I know she will have a seating area for groups and there will be coffee/tea available as well. I'll keep you posted as I learn more. Pam, if I got anything wrong or if you want anything else included just let me know!

This has been a meeting bloggers filled week. Monday I met up with Renee from A Good Yarn for lunch. We sat in nice air conditioning and knit and chatted for a couple hours. It was great to meet up with her again. Tuesday I met up with Carrie from Knit-Whit at Borealis Yarns. We didn't realize it was closed so we sat and knit outside the cafe next door. It was so much fun to finally meet Carrie and it was a beautiful night to be knitting outside. I hope I didn't talk her ear off!!

I've been leaving the duck nest alone; I didn't want to bug the duck and scare it away. But the other day I peaked in and noticed there was nothing in the nest, no duck and no eggs. I figured the traffic around the area (our corner is the school bus pickup) scared it away. But a few days later I checked and saw these.

I haven't seen the duck around lately, so hopefully she hasn't abandoned her eggs. But I don't know the nesting habits of duck, so this may be completely normal. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for ducklings!

Three day weekend!

2006-05-26T19:35:00.000-05:00

Since we bought a house it seems like I have had no time to relax on weekends. Hopefully with an extra day I will be able to get stuff done and relax too. Now to catch you all up on what I have been knitting.

I started the linen hand towel from Mason Dixon knitting in the yarn I bought at Yarnover. It is rough to knit with, but the results will be worth it. I am much farther along with this now. It is my bus knitting and I get about 10 rows done a day. Only 3 more pattern repeats and I will be done!

I finished knitting the Baby Bolero and I seamed up my first sleeve! This was so much fun. I think it turned out pretty good.

I also went to Shepherds Wool and Sheep Festival a couple weekends ago. I wanted to go to the beaded stitch marker class, but it was canceled at the last minute. I spent the class fee on this yarn instead. I picked it up at the
Blackberry Hills booth. I wanted it to make a shawl that I could leave draped over my couch.

It looks like it is three strands of laceweight yarn just barely plied together. Does anyone have any suggestions for an easy pattern?

I also picked up this beautiful basket to put my current WIP so it isn't laying around on my end table. I love the shape of it, and the blue in it is perfect.

I have a couple more projects that I have started, but I haven't taken pictures of yet. That should be part of my relaxing that I do this weekend! I hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Weekend.

Something has eaten my brain!

2006-05-16T16:26:00.000-05:00

I think it is called MY JOB! I don't want to get into specifics, but there is a portion of my job that requires a ton of writing. And not just regular writing, but the type of writing where people argue over one stinking word! And about 5 different people have to agree on this stupid thing, and they all have a higher position than mine. So I am the one stuck making all the changes.

Plus, I HATE TO WRITE! I am not good at it and I know it. Give me a spreadsheet with tons of data and figures and I will get your results in an instant, but ask me to write up what that all means, nope I don't think so.

Therefore, buy the time I get a moment to write in the blog, my brain is so fried that I can't stand typing a single word (and I have a lot to tell!). So until I have recovered, I will leave you with this beautiful picture of my birch tree with its leaves just budding.

Back to Normal

2006-05-09T05:20:00.000-05:00

My husband got back into town Friday night! It is so good to have him home. I know he is glad to be home because I tried to get him to relax on Saturday (he had just driven from the coast of Georgia in a day and a half!) but he was raring to go on the house! I think we had about a couple hours of laziness before we got to work. It is so much fun to see him this excited about the house. I have to remember that he only had a week in the house before he left, so this is all still new to him.

He brought me back a wonderful treat from Savannah, Old Bay Peanuts, peanuts seasoned with Old Bay Crab Seasoning. Last time he was down there I got to visit and found these peanuts in a shop in Savannah. They are so good! Spicy without being too spicy, just how I like it. He was so sweet to remember them.

I think my knitting is starting to intrigue him. Last night I had to frog one of the sleeves for the Baby Bolero (I could not figure out what I had done wrong, but one was bigger than the other one) so I had him hold on to it while I was frogging it. When I looked over he was fascinated by the sleeve unraveling, it was so cute!

It is funny how spending time apart affects our relationship. I miss him so much while he is gone, but when he gets back the little things I didn't have to deal with (toilet seat up, clutter) really get on my nerves. I just have to remind myself that it isn't a big deal and just breath. We are still in that "getting to know you again" stage, which is kind of fun. He has new stories and things to tell me. It brings back that time when we first met, when I was finding out what a great guy he is. Holding hands is fun again. I used to wonder how people could stay together for 40 years or more, now I know how. People change and it is fun to get to know them all over again.

I didn't mean to turn this into a mushy post about my husband, oh well. Next time I'll have more pictures of green things for Project Spectrum.

Project Spectrum Catch Up

2006-05-03T13:21:00.000-05:00

This is the reason why I don't join knit-a-longs. I never do things on time. Procrastination is my worst fault. Also I said I would get pictures of the house on here, but I didn't want to have it sound like I was just bragging "Look at my wonderful house!" So I have draped my knitting around the house for a massive update/house photo shoot.

March Project Spectrum's color was red/pink. I haven't even started my needle case, but hope to do that this weekend. Here is the first sleeve for my hourglass sweater. It is draped across the rack on my kitchen wall. Everything on the rack is from Ikea, except for the tea in spice rack thing. You can also see the blue color on the wall, which I LOVE. There is a little story about that color that I will have to tell later.

Here is the back and one sleeve for the sweater for my brother's baby. It is the Debbie Bliss Baby Bolero in Rose Baby Cashmerino. It is draped over my new coffee table with a view of the new couch and new leather recliner. You can also see the stairwell from the entry way up to the living area. The color on these walls is actually a little darker in real life and it has the virtue of being the only one of the colors that has never been changed from when we first picked out colors. I like the pattern for the sweater. It is a little more fashionable than some baby sweaters which my SIL will like. And I really like the darker pink, I'm not a big fan of pastel colors.

April was Yellow/Orange. Now I'm not a big yellow or orange person, so I didn't knit anything in those colors. So I ran around the house grabbing everything I could find that was yellow or orange. This is all I could find, but I later I did find a yellow measuring tape. I'm just not that into yellow.

May is Green! This past weekend I went to Yarnover. I didn't take any classes, but I did go to the Market and met Renee from A Good Yarn during her lunch break. She was as sweet as I thought she would be. We walked around the market talking about yarn and stuff. It was so great to not walk around by myself. Thanks Renee, I had a great time! I was very tempted by a couple bags I saw, I really do need a knitting bag, but I had to have this Euroflax yarn for another hand towel for the bathroom. It is pictured here lounging on the seat in our shower. The round stone tile is repeated on the floor as well. It was a huge selling point for the house!

So that was a mini tour of my house and a Project Spectrum catch up. I hope you enjoyed it!

Duck Crossing

2006-04-26T17:19:00.000-05:00

My mom came up to visit this past weekend and we had a great visit. We got tons of shopping done, both for clothes for each of us and stuff for the house. It was wonderful to have someone to bounce ideas off of and she had some great ideas for the house as well. We spent all day Saturday at the Mall of America and Ikea. We were exhausted by the end of the day! I have a great relationship with my mom and it is kind of hard being 11 hours away from her. Especially when I think of when it comes time for me to have kids. My sister and her family live only an hour and a half away from mom and dad and I know my kids won't have the same relationship with their grandma and grandpa as my sister's kids do. It is hard, but I know God has us exactly where we need to be right now, so it will all work out.

We had a little bit of a surprise this weekend. While walking the dog mom joined me and we started talking about what types of trees we have in the yard. (We have one willow, one birch, one pine, three maples and two as yet undetermined, just in case you wanted to know) So we were walking into a section of the yard I don't normally take Maggie and she started sniffing at some of the bushes. I tried to pull her away, but she persisted and since I was talking to mom I let her sniff. All of a sudden this duck flew out at us! Actually, directly at mom who doesn't like ducks! We tried to shoo it away, but it wouldn't move. That made me think that it had a nest in the bushes. Especially because there is a pond right across the street that has very little ground cover around it for hiding a nest. I went back later and sure enough there she was sitting on her nest behind the bushes. I had to get very close to see her and I am very surprised she let me. She did move a little when I got too close and I saw a few eggs, but I didn't snap a picture quick enough. Does anyone know what type of duck this is? I tried looking online, but most female ducks look the same to me!

I e-mailed the pictures to my husband and he thinks we should put up a duck crossing sign after the eggs hatch. I would hate to have a duckling run over while she was trying to get them to the water.

Jackpot!

2006-04-18T21:10:00.000-05:00

I made it to the Yarnery's sale this past weekend and managed to do some major stash enhancement. I think the sale helped me let go of some of my precious money. Everything in the store was 20% off with certain things being 30% off. I think the sale is running through this weekend.

What I am the most excited about is the yarn for my Hourglass sweater. I know I had bought the Wool Ease for that, but the more I got to think about it and hear/read other people's stories about their first sweater I wanted my first sweater to be out of a better yarn. My main reason for buying Wool Ease was that it was so cheap. I really didn't want to spend a whole lot of money on something I knew I would screw up. But then I found that I was just NOT enthused about starting the sweater. So with this sale I figured I could find something that would be better than Wool Ease, but not cost too much. I ended up finding some Araucania Nature Wool at 30% off. Here is my swatch/sleeve. I LOVE the way this is knitting up. The yarn is so soft and the colors are beautiful.

A couple weekends ago I picked up Mason-Dixon's new book and absolutely fell in love. I think part of it had to do with just buying a house and they have so many patterns for the home that fit my style perfectly. So I bought some Euroflax Sportweight Linen yarn for the hand towels (these colors are perfect for my bathroom)

and some Lamb's Pride Bulky in Spice and Winterblue for the small felted box.

I also picked up one skein of Cool Wool Merino Big Superfein to see if I could get gauge for the Wear-Everywhere Pullover in Interweave Spring 2005. I am worried about getting gauge because the pattern calls for gauge in the stitch pattern and I wasn't sure how that translated to gauge listed on the ball band. I do like this color and the feel of the yarn so hopefully it will work out.

And last, but not least, I bought the yarn for Rosebud. Ever since I first saw this sweater I have wanted to make it. I don't think I will use the rolled hem, but will do it in seed stitch. I think the rolled hem would get on my nerves.

I am so very exited to start knitting on these projects. I think my mottos for my knitting in the next year will be "Get Ready for Winter" and "Stuff for the House!" My husband likes to keep the house cold in the Summer so I shouldn't have any problem knitting with wool. I might even need it to keep warm! Now don't get me wrong I love Minnesota, even more than I thought I would, but I was very inadequately prepared for the winter. I wasn't prepared for how cold it got and for how very long it was. I think having more hand knitted items next winter will help me cope. It is more fun to wear sweaters, hats, scarves, gloves, and wool socks every day if you have hand knit them yourself!

With all this yarn I bought I did realize that I didn't leave any room in my budget for Yarnover! Speaking of Yarnover, anyone in the Twin Cities area want to go with me, or meet me there?

I just realized as I was going through this that I am really focusing on the colors blue and red lately. Maybe I need to break out of my comfort zone.

Guess Who is Coming to Town!

2006-04-13T14:23:00.000-05:00

The Yarn Harlot!!!!! Check out her Tour Page, there is a Minneapolis/St Paul stop listed. No date yet, but I don't care when it is, I'm going!!!!

Now I have to go by her new book. Darn ;)

Things that make me smile

2006-04-07T15:30:00.000-05:00

Getting this in the mail!

I know that is hard to see, so here is a closeup of the front, plus a bonus shot of my boobs! (how many google hits am I going to get from that?)

It is called Loch Ness Imposter, and it makes me giggle. I got it at Threadless.com. I couldn't wait to take a picture until I had washed it, so it is straight out of the package. It did get a little tighter once I had washed it, but not too tight. But if you like your t-shirts a little looser I would order one size larger than you normally do. Some of the designs are on the morbid side, and some of them are inside jokes, but there are some very nice ones too.

I'm ordering this next!

PS: That is also the inside of my new bathroom. Double headed shower!!

Hermit Mode

2006-04-06T17:05:00.000-05:00

We are finally moved in! There are still some small odds and ends at the townhome, but those will be picked up by this weekend. I still have to clean the place, but it is amazing how much easier it is to clean a place with nothing in it! We have the important stuff unpacked and the rest stashed in the garage or basement. Slowly but surely this house is starting to feel like home. I do have to keep reminding myself that we (hopefully) won't be moving any time soon. Ever since we got married every place we have lived we have known it would be temporary. It is strange to be putting down real roots.

The only bad thing is that my husband is out of town for the next month. He has some required training for work and he only got one week in the house before he had to leave. We knew this was going to happen, but we didn't know when. We were a little ticked that they only gave him 2 weeks notice. I thought I would be ok with him gone. I mean, he was gone for 4 months for the initial training and I handled that ok. And this is only one month! But, I have gone into what I like to call Hermit Mode. I cut myself off from the outside world, and I have to really fight to get anything done at home or at work. Even finding something to watch on TV is too much effort. So all I want to do is watch movies and eat!

I've been slowly fighting my way out of this funk. I started running again after a 3 week break. I was amazed how much fitness I had lost in that time, but I guess the important thing is that I've started again. I have been forcing myself to get stuff done at work and given myself a deadline to get the townhome cleared out. Plus I am going to reward myself with a massage at the end of the month!

Slowly but surely things will return to normal. I know that the warmer spring weather will really help!

The Painting is Done!

2006-03-24T11:20:00.000-06:00

Finally! The color we picked for the kitchen was a bit light, it would have looked great in a baby boy's room, but not in my kitchen! So we chose a little bit darker blue. It looks great! The bedroom was such a pain in the rear! I think at the end we had about three different colors on the wall. I wanted a nice relaxing green, probably because I am starved for green right now. When will spring be here? But the first color I chose looked seafoam green when on the walls, so I went for a light blue/gray. I swear the temperature of the room went down 10 degrees just from the color on the walls. I felt like I was in an ice cube! I was so frustrated and was a little gun shy about picking another color. It is just so hard to imagine what a color is going to look like on the wall from those little paint swatches. My husband suggested looking at books and magazines to get ideas. To make a long story shorter, I found the perfect color of green! I'll have to take pictures once we get moved in. Overall I think we wasted about $100 in paint looking for the perfect colors! The skinflint in me is cringing right now!

There has been zero running and zero knitting in the past week. I have been scrambling to get things done so we can move in this weekend. Hopefully then things will slow down a little so I don't feel as rushed all the time. But the painting is done, the house is clean and all I need to do is pack whatever is left to pack, which is actually about 3/4 of the townhome! I think I am going to go crazy!!!!

Project Spectrum

2006-03-15T14:26:00.000-06:00

It is amazing how buying a house can immediately suck up all your free time! I think what has really thrown me off is the change in my routine. I am a creature of habit, throw something new into the mix, say a house, and it throws off my entire life! There has been no running and very little knitting going on in the past few weeks. Hopefully I can get some running in by the end of this week.

I had so much fun at the women's retreat. It was great to see mom and I was able to come back home refreshed and ready to work! So last Saturday I painted the living room, hallway, entry and stairwell of the new house. Nine hours of painting!! I was so sore Sunday morning. But it looks great and I am so happy with the color. I was a little scared because I'm not very good with combining colors, and my husband has strong opinions on how things should look, which is good because he keeps me from royally screwing things up, but we have to somehow arrive at a compromise. This weekend I will be painting the kitchen and my husband will be painting the bedroom. I can't wait to see how it all looks together.

So with all this free time on my hands I decided to join a create-a-long, Project Spectrum. I think what sucked me in was that I have the PERFECT project for March, if I can just find the time to do it! On Carrie's advice I visited Quilt Cove, which has a beautiful selection of fabrics, (Thanks Carrie!) to find the fabric for the Circular Needle Cases I want to make. I want to use one of these red fabrics for my March project, but I can't decide which one! What do you think?

I also picked up these purple fabrics and a green one I just could not resist to make the second case. I felt kind of silly buying 5 pieces of fabric for just two cases, but I couldn't decide in the store on which ones to use.

Which one do you think I should use for the second case?

Snow Day!

2006-03-13T10:38:00.000-06:00

This

is what it looks like out my front door! So I called work and said "This wimp is taking the day off!" The only thing I keep thinking is, it is MARCH! But I do have to admit, when I first found out over a year ago that we were moving to MN, I thought this is what it would be like during the entire winter. I have been pleasantly surprised that days like this are few, at least this winter!

My husband has the type of job you really can't just take a day off because of snow, so it is just me and the dog. Last night I was complaining that I felt like I didn't really have a weekend because I worked on the house so much, so now I will have all day today to get my regular weekend stuff done. Have a good day!

Stringing Thoughts Together

2006-03-02T11:19:00.000-06:00

Thanks for everyone's comments on the house and the weight loss. There has been so much to do in so little time, and this is the time when work had to pick up as well! Added to all this is that my husband has been working a ton of overtime so I have to pick up the slack for the things he would normally do. I feel like I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off! I am so glad my husband has today off so I can turn this stuff over to him.

We have nothing packed, except for the things we left in boxes from our move to Minnesota. But we have plenty of time to move. I think all the paperwork is done, so all we have to do is write the final closing check and sign the papers, both which will be done tomorrow. My husband is doing the walk through today, so hopefully that goes well.

Every night this week I have been playing catch up from the things my husband would normally do, plus finish up our State Taxes and get ready for my trip this weekend. Ya, good timing huh. I go out of town the weekend after our closing. Smart. But this trip has been planned for a long time. I am going to a Women's Retreat in Kansas City with my mom. The women's retreat is over the weekend and I'm extending my visit to see some old coworkers and friends. I think if I would have known how crazy and stressful this was going to be I would have just canceled my trip, but now it is a little late for that. But after I get back I can focus just on work and moving. I know moving will be stressful, but at least I can't do anything about it while I am at work. I can focus on just one thing at a time!

We got a house!!

2006-02-24T14:03:00.000-06:00

I feel like I am in a whirlwind! We looked at nine houses last weekend and fell in love with two of them. We slept on it and decided we really liked one house more than the other, so we went to look at it again. When we got there we found out that there were already a couple other offers on the house, so if we wanted it we would have to move fast. We put together an offer that night and we found out the next day that it had been accepted! We think they accepted our offer because we were able to give them the closing date they wanted because we don't have to sell our place. We are closing a week from today!!!

I am still in shock, but we have just under two months to move, so I guess I have plenty of time to get used to the idea of being a home owner. The awesome thing is that we saw God's hand moving through all of this.

So needless to say I haven't gotten much knitting done lately, but I have been keeping up with my workouts. They are a great stress reliever!

Halfway

2006-02-21T12:36:00.000-06:00

So many exciting things have happened lately, but first things first. I reached my 10% goal at Weight Watchers!!! For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, in WW the first goal they have you shoot for is to lose 10% of your body weight. Mine was 17 pounds. When you reach that goal you get a key chain.

At the same time I reached my 10% goal, I also got halfway to my final goal of 135 pounds!!!! Some of you may remember that I posted a "Before" picture. So, to celebrate reaching this goal and so I can see how far I have come I took a halfway picture.

I think you can tell the most difference in my face and arms. Now that I have lost 17.6 pounds I can fit into a size 10, and I can run for 10 min! I feel so much healthier. I am more confident and more comfortable with my body. When I first started this I was asked why I was focusing on weight and not just being healthy. I have been thinking about that question a lot.

I think most people who make a life change to be healthier have some sort of trigger for that decision. For some it is diabetes, for others it could be chronic pain or cholesterol levels, for others and for me, it is weight. I tried for a while to focus on just being healthy and not worrying about what I weighed. But the healthy habits just didn't stick. I saw myself getting heavier every year, and while I love my mom, I saw myself eventually having to struggle with the health problems that she is dealing with because of her weight. Plus my husband and I are planning on starting a family in the next year or so, and I want to be as healthy as possible for my future children. My losing weight is not about being thin, if that was the case I could just starve myself or take some pill. Both those methods might work for a while, but eventually I would gain the weight back. That is one reason I have joined Weight Watchers. I have relearned healthy habits and ways of thinking about food that will stay with me a lifetime, plus I have a group of people who are going through the exact same thing I am.

I have started eating more sensibly and eating smaller portions. I am exercising on a regular basis and I am actually enjoying it! My mood has improved and I can be a better wife and person because of all these changes. I am not focusing just on my weight, but for me, my weight is a barometer/indicator of how healthy I am.

My luck

2006-02-15T19:35:00.000-06:00

Don't you just hate it when you go to the restroom and then realize that your zipper has been down since the last time you went to the restroom. Now a couple looks I got from my coworkers make a lot more sense.

This is how my day has gone. I think I'm going to go knit and watch Lost, then I'm going to bed.

Happy V Day!

2006-02-14T16:07:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone is having a good Valentines Day, however you choose to celebrate it. Personally, V Day isn't really that important to me. Don't get me wrong, I like the day to be acknowledged, but I don't need the expensive dinner, the huge bouquet of roses or the box of candy. Thank God my husband knows this and just gets me something small every year. Plus with everything going on (looking for a house, buying a new car) I'm just not in a very romantic mood.

I am going to work out tonight. I am supposed to run for 10 min, and I am so tired. But I know I will feel so much better after I run, even though I might crash once I get home.

I have actually managed to complete some knitting! I finished the white booties for my brother and his wife. The first picture is a close up of the lace and the second one is a horrible picture of the completed booties. I used a pattern I found on about.com and if anyone wants a link I can find it. I'm too tired to look right now.

I also am almost finished with the swatch for my mom's afghan. I think I am going to really like making this thing. The pattern isn't too hard, but it is enough to hold my interest. The part in between the cables and the zig zag patter is different because I was trying to decide if I wanted to use the border pattern or straight seed stitch. I like the seed stitch better, I think it makes the cables pop more. I am almost done with this now, only 2 more rows of the top border to go.

I bought some yarn for a sweater! I saw Carrieoke's Hourglass Sweater and that she used Paton's Classic Wool, and thought "I can afford that yarn!" So off to Michael's I went. But while I was there I saw this Wool Ease (Which I thought was Discontinued) and the gauge was very similar and I liked this dark grey much better than the Paton's colors. I don't know when I will start this, but it should be sometime soon, I want to wear it before the weather gets warm. But since this is Minnesota I should have a while!

Last, but not least, I found a couple books for my needle cases at a book sale! I really wanted two books (one for circulars and one for double points) that were the exact same size and I was lucky to get these. Plus I showed up during the last 20 minutes of the book sale and got each book for just 5 cents!

I probably won't get to this for a couple of weekends, this weekend we are looking at houses. I got the basic supplies at Wally World, but I still need some cool fabric for the outsides. Does anyone know of any good fabric stores in the Twin Cities area? Thanks!

Run and Not Grow Weary

Camping

Some Days

Single Parenting

Merging

So many ideas, not enough time

What to do

Stand in the place where you live

WIP Wednesday, on Thursday

Ten on Tuesday

Good Riddance to 2009, Hello 2010!

Tags

Shift

Imperfect Solution

Imperfect solution

Sorry for all the tests

Let's try this again

With a pic

Trial

Update

Update

One Day at a Time

Answer

Let's start at the very beginning

Early Christmas

Two Color Brioche Scarf Redux

Departure

Minimum

Laugh for the day

Happy Weekend!

Kumihimo Braid

Sock Backlog

Productive

Dreaming

Catching Up

Joining In

Hanging In There

Ironic

Comfort

Ol' Man River

More Music

Car Knitting

New Blood

Sunshine

Generosity

Life Continues

Christmas Crafting

Cold

Dread

4 months

Making the Christmas Rounds

Getting in a groove

Coming up for air

Checking in

Babies, Babies Everywhere!

Indulgence

Purple

The Livin' is Easy

Contrast

Next step, the world!

Baby Hats

Ramble

It's a....

Growing

First Baby Project

It is Spring!

New Start

Bookworm

Something Accomplished!

Get Cooking!

WIP Friday

Purple

Construction

Hello!

Mason Dixon Stuff

On the Outside

Trying

Thank You

Sorry About That!

Procrastination