Oh my.

Ok, apparently the chrome-plated testicles I saw the other day have a name, "Bumpernutz". If you still need a visual, go here. What I don't understand is, They come in "camo". So your truck can have "bumbernutz" that I can't see???

Ok, as for pictures. Sorry there aren't more. I've been car shopping.

FO #1 It is the mother's day surprise,#1 A tank for my sister -in-law.

Made from Red heart Casual Cot'n. (See, they do that Cot'n thing because it's mostly acrylic and polyester with just a smidgen of actual cotton.) I'm not a big fan of this stuff normally, but I LOVE this color It's called Grand Canyon.

FO #2 is a no photo. Carma's cardi. (Sorry folks, she gets to be the first to see it) I made it from di.ve cotton and cascade bobble.

Here's a close up of one of the shrinky dink buttons I made for it. Sorry for the soft focus. I can't seem to get a good picture of it.

Now, an almost finished object. The tank that started out as a Honeymoon from knitty, but evolved into another creature altogether. I think I'm going to like it. Although the short rows in the bust kind of creep me out. I'm using SW trading Co soysilk (Oasis? I think, in "candy") This stuff is awesome. I love it. I'd use it a lot more f it wasn't so stinkin' expensive. But then again it comes in big skeins, so maybe I shouldn't complain so much.

I know you all want to see the guitar strap, but until it's done and felted, it just looks like crap. It's to be part of Nate's Father's Day gift, so hang tight.

I'm trying to decide which stitch markers to send for the Bead It thing. Should they be all the same? Different? I don't know yet.

Anyway, I'm hoping to head up to the knit shop today and hang out. Although I feel a bit guilty, because I REALLY need to clean. Eh, screw it. The dirt's not going anywhere, right?

I leave you with a very endearing picture of Jessie.

She likes to wake up late at night and climb in the office chair with me, and fall back asleep.

Two reasons why I should carry my camera with me…

Number One:

I had to go to Walmart today to buy some odds and ends. While in the parking lot, I was confronted by a seagull. For those of you who do not know it, I have a weird phobia thing about birds.* Anyway, this Ruffian seagull chased me around the parking lot. (Seriously. I'm sure all those who witnessed it got a great big ole' laugh. I mean a grown woman running from one seagull.) If I would have had my camera I could have snapped a picture and posted it as a warning to all those in the area to be on the lookout for.

Number Two:

One the way home I followed a one ton truck that had balls of steel. Literally. On the hitch of the truck dangled a chrome-plated scrotum, complete with two testes. I laughed so hard I almost rear ended the guy.


I have a few finished items that I've blocked and I am waiting for them to dry. Tomorrow will be picture day.


My incessant handwashing has paid off. Jess is better and back to school. So far I have not come down with the virus.


*About this bird phobia. I'm pretty sure it stems from three things.

1. Watching Hitchcock's the birds at an early age
2. My cousin's parrot which was allowed to roam the house and swoop down on you at will.
3. My great Aunt's psychotic parrot, who's cage sat by the front door. You had to be careful not to get too close, or you'd be bitten. If you escaped unbitten it would curse at you. For extended periods of time. Coincidently this is how I built a nicely rounded vocabulary of obsenities.

Quick! I Need an Old Priest, and a Young Priest.

We made it to the doctor today. Jess was in her 5th set of clothes for the day. I was in my third. Jess' doctor has always been very kind and thoughtful and really takes the time to explains things. But, at this point in the day as he was explaining to me that Jess was NOT in fact possessed, as I was beginning to expect, and went in to detail about what was actually going on I heard it more like this:

Doc: She has a virus that is going around a lot lately, and is highly contagious...
What my tired brain in actually hearing: She's sick, no demons. Expect to come down with this same malady by weeks end...
Doc: There is no treatment. It's just something she's going to have to wait out.....Could last a couple days, could last ten...
Brain: ...Can't do a damn thing about it. Look forward to your week of hell. By the end you'll be praying for sweet death. At least then you can sleep. Forget your weekend alone. Those plans are shot. Forget about getting squat done except cleaning the bathroom, and doing loads and loads of laundry.

I swear, when this is all over I'm making Jess wear a biohazard suit to school and installing a bleach shower by the front door. Before she started school, the sickest she ever got was an ear infection. This REALLY sucks.

So, there you have it. I have quite a few projects I'm hoping to get done by next week. The bedroom makeover will be put on hiatus, as has been Nate's trip with Jess. I have a smattering of Mom's Day gifts to finish off, along with Carma's cardigan. (Does anyone else think that her post is a subtle way of her telling me to get the damn thing done?)

Hopefully I will have some FO's to show soon.

EWWWWW

Coming off a less than stellar weekend, I need a change. Now, nothing terrible happened, actually not much happened at all, which I think is part of the problem.

Well, we had crappy weather, from what I've heard, so did a big part of the country. I still have no water softener. Not sure why that didn't happen, but until it does I cannot wash our whites, lest they turn orange. (mmm, well water)

I have little knitting progress. I find this very odd because I do remember knitting, yet I don't seem to have anything to show for it.

I think the big blow for me was, for the first time ever, I was not carded while purchasing alcohol. I put my Pete's wicked Ale on the counter and waited for my prompt to flash my ID. It never came. I came straight home, went to the mirror, and examined my reflection. I'm twenty-seven for cripes sake! I was carded for R-rated movies until I was twenty two. What the hell happened?

I know it's a silly thing to get in a huff about. It doesn't change the fact that I'm in a huff.

I couldn't sleep last night. I ended up having a "Hot Dead Guys Movie Marathon". There is nothing like an old movie marathon to lift one's spirit.

(Of course, ogling Yul Brenner, Cary Grant, and Frank Sinatra may have helped that along.)

I woke up this morning hoping for a brighter day. Instead I have a very sick little girl who cannot keep anything down,and is crying because she is hungry. She has a doctor appointment at 4.

I just hope we have enough clean laundry to get us until then.

stubborn squared

Under the advice of Jen, I have joined the stitch markers exchange. (Well, I guess I'm not quite official yet.)

The only problem is I now have Weird Al singing "Eat It" in my head. (a song I quite prefer over "Beat It")

Jess did not have school yesterday, (teacher inservice) and we actually had a very smooth and easy day. It was a lot of fun. It was quite surprising. Now, I realize that I sometimes make her out to be a little hellion -ahem- but there are actually some good reasons for her less than ideal behaviors. She has what is described as Autistic spectrum, which basically means that although she is not Autisic, she does exhibit many behaviors that are common with Autisic children. (This also means she is evaluated regularly for Autism).
But actually, that I can deal with, that I can at least understand. Another major factor in this behavior dilemma is at a genetic level. I'm stubborn. I admit it. Nate is as stubborn, if not more than I. Does this make Jess twice as stubborn? Oh no, she is most definitely stubborn squared.

If a three year old Jess is making me go gray (Oh yes, Nate delights in finding those pesky gray buggers) I don't even want to think about adolescent Jessie. I am so screwed.

Anyway. there has not been much knitting in the last 36 hours or so, except for this scarf.

It's one strand trellis from lionbrand(I forget the color), and one strand cascade bobble. It turned out quite cool, but not quite my thing, so I'm not sure what I'll do with it.

I'm hoping to (finally) sew Carma's other sleeve on so i can finish that cardigan once and for all, and I have a tank I am making for my sister-in-law for Mothers' Day. I also need to assemble the beaded Sophie bag I made for my Mother-in -law.
A week from today, Nate and Jess are going to visit My mother-in-law for a long weekend. I am staying home to redo our bedroom. I have lived for four years with turquois, lavender, fishies, and a Little Mermaid poster, and I do not intend to do so for much longer. I will take before pictures (probably today, before I start scraping off the fishie border) Although Little Mermaid may have to stick around for a while longer. I think though I might Keep Ariel up for a while. I think I may miss her.

Random Babble

I went to my Stitch n Bitch tonight. It was a low turnout, but still lots of fun. Although, it should have been renamed the Bead n Bitch. We played with beaded stitch markers, and swapped and traded them. Very little knitting was accomplished.

Kristen is also making this top, and suggested I join the knit along, especially because it has info on short rowing this bad boy. That alone is worth it to me.

I have one more seam to sew on Carma's cardigan, and I need to affix the buttons. (Carma, I did not make it to Kim's shower. I spent the time keeping Jess away from Nate as he attempted to replace our water softner, Only to realize that the new one is rigged up completely backwards from the old one. This makes quite a bit more work, so hopefully we will have it in by this weekend.)

One question concerning finishing. Am I the only person who prefers the sew up the side and sleeve seams BEFORE attaching sleeves to the body? That way I can see better how things are coming together and I have an easy time making accomidations when needed. Am I really alone on this?

For my prize winners, I am taking all the packages to the post office tomorrow. (Cari, I need your address AGAIN. I have it written down somewhere, but cannot seem to locate it) I had meant to do it today, but I spent all afternoon observing Jess at school in preperation for our upcoming meeting to discuss the plan of action for next year. (Did I mention this is Preschool we are talking about? All sarcasm aside though, she's doing great and they are doing a wonderful job. They have really gone out of their way to accomidate her handicap, and she has shown VAST improvements.)

Well, I guess that's enough of my prattling on. 'Night, All.

What the--

For some reason, blogspot is all screwed up. I apologize to those who visited, only to get a partial sidebar and no posts at all. My Codes seem to be fine. I'm stumped as to what the problem might be.

Rit saves the day

Ok, For those of you who don't know, I'm short. Five foot, one half inch short, with curves. This makes it damn near impossible to buy properly fitting clothes. So, imagine my happy surprise, when last year I bought a pair of pants, on sale, that fit perfectly. (Of course I only bought one pair, then could never find them again.)

Anyway. I loved these pants. I wore them a lot. They were tan khaki colored denim, and everything was grand. Then, I unknowingly sat on a rollerball pen full of black ink. The pants were ruined. Or were they?

Thanks to some Rit dye, I have my pants back. (Hooray!) I've washed them twice, and I hope that I've washed out all of the excess dye.

I've finished my Joan Jett doll. She looks....well, evil. I think I gave her too much hair. She did have eyes, but Jessie pulled them out, so I have to rethink the french knots. I think I accidently gave her Henry Rollins' head. It sure looks smaller than it should.


Thanks to a sweet arrangement concerning my stitch markers I now have guilt-free yarn money. Which I have already spent. (It sure didn't last long. ) A picture of my purchases.

Thank you to all for the great guitar strap ideas. I may have to make more than one, and maybe one for myself. (Rumor has it I may try my musically-challenged hand at the guitar.)

Nate has given me a last minute request. He want's a pick pocket. I will be attempting to make a felted strap with a plaited cable and I-cord edging. With a small pocket. I will also be making a nonfelted strap for my brother with a sort of woven stitch.

I think I might reincarnate "Sesame Street" into an entrelac strap for myself. Nate will also get a shadow knitted one, as soon as he decides what he wants it to say.

I leave you with an almost completed project sighting:


Added later: The cable and pocket are giving me a headach. I'm going to give it another go, but, don't hold me to it.

The Winners Are...

Ok, you all won. I decided that since there are 8 lots and 7 commenters, everyone gets a prize. I put all of your names in the bag and drew them in random order. This is the order you will emailed in and asked to chose a lot number.( I will add pictures of what the winners chose as they choose them.)

Lot #8 NAT'S PRIZE

A brand new copy of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's At Knit's End and a set of four stitch markers



Lot#2 LYNNE'S PRIZE
Knitpicks Wool of the Andes 100% Peruvian wool
50g/110 yds. Gauge is 4.5-5 sts/1" on #7-#8 needles
Color: Mist Lot:79378

11 skeins

Lot#1 Kristen's Prize
Reynolds LOPI 100% Icelandic wool. 100g= approx 110 yds.
3 1/4 to 3 1/2 sts and 4 1/2 to 5 rows = 1" in Stst with #10 to 10 1/2 needles.
Color:0431 Lot: 7181

Three and One quarter skeins.
A bit more rust colored than the picture shows.

Lot #7 Jen S' Prize

Artful Yarns Celebrity. The ball bands are long since gone, so I don't have any info.

two and a half balls.

Lot#4 Cari's Prize

Cascade yarns INVITO 50% cotton, 50% nylon
50 g=140 yds.
dk weight
color: Ruby monday Lot:unsure but know they are the same lot.

two balls

Lot #5 Jen L's Prize
Cascade yarns Bollicine PELOUCHE 35% wool, 35% acrylic 30% polymide
50 g= 58 yds.
10 stsx 16R=10cmx10cm
needles 8-9
color: 7 lot:871

Three balls

Lot #3 Denise's Prize
Lionbrand SUEDE 100% polyester
3 ozs./122yds
12 sts x19R =4"x4"
on US9 needles
Color:132 (olive) Lot:0113H

One and three quarter skeins
Lot #6 Inox double points

1 set of 5 -#1

1 set of 5 -#3

1 set of 5 -#4

I hope to get to work on the Guitar strap this weekend, but with no school today, a Birthday party Saturday, and a Baby shower on Sunday, I'm not making any promises.

Progress report

a whole lot of stitch markers (See, I have been busy.)

Pie shawl:

One Pie wedge done.


Carma's Go-Everywhere cardigan: I'm not posting anymore photos until Carma has it in her possession. I want her to be the first to see it.
Speaking of Carma, Her civic duty ended yesterday, and it was a pretty rough day for her. Drop her a "Hey, how's it going?"


Jessie's mitered square blankie:

Honeymoon:

I need to rethink the neck/bustline on this one. Skinny straps and a deep V neck are NOT going to work for me. Also I'm going to have to short-row this bad boy, but I'm not sure if I'm going to have enough yarn.

Guitar strap: (Ok, I have not started this. But I did want to remind you to add a comment with strap ideas for my conest. It ends tomorrow)


I keep looking towards the lovely alpaca I bought at Sit 'n Knit, and I'm not sure what to do with it, but I have resolved to clear out some of these UFO's first.

Joan Jett Doll. She's got all but a head. I will spare you the unsettling picture until she is whole.

My rockstar knit-along will officially kick off tomorrow. Come on. You know you want to join us.

Mud people on the brain

Not much knitting going on here lately. Well, I have started my perfect pie shawl from Weekend Knitting (I have an awful case of the startsies. I think next week I will have to focus more on finishing) But I've been making stitch markers like crazy and reading.

I had forgotten that this came out. so I bought it yesterday, but then I'm dorky, which means I need to reread the first three before reading Artemis Fowl, the Opal Deception. Yes, they are kids books, but they are very entertaining.

Ok, well off to run errands and enjoy the sunshine. Don't forget to enter the contest.

Contest #1

Ok, this contest is pretty simple. I need to make Nate a guitar strap. Creatively, I'm tapped out. I want it to be approx. 55 inches long. It will have suede tabs at each end. That's all I got. Oh, and it is to be made out of this:

Cascade 220 quattro. I also have some gray wool that goes quite nicely with this that I might use as well.

The contest is this:
Leave me a comment (don't forget to enter your email in the details section) with any ideas or suggestions you have.

On Friday, April 15th, I will close the contest. I will pick two names at random. I will email the first person, with a link to My stash page, and ask them to chose a lot number, and email me with their choice and address. I will then do the same with the second name.

Easy enough. Start thinking.

car project

My car knitting project is finished. (Hey, when you live in an area with as many railroad crossing as I do, a car project is essential.) It's Lionbrand trellis and some gray wool from my stash. I cast on 3 stitches and knit increasing every row until I ran out of the two balls of trellis I had in the car with me. Part of me is quite tickled that I used railroad-type yarn as my car project, but I'm a dork, as we all know.

I have no idea what I'll do with it. but, it's done. It needs some serious blocking...Maybe some fringe.

I have my sleeves sewn onto the furry jacket. I tried it on last night, and all Nate had to say was, "Is it suppose to be that big?" Once I have a photographer AND natural light, I will model it. The pattern calls for a sash, I've opted against it. I'd only lose it anyway.

I cast on a sleeveless top from the red invito yarn from the previous post. A few inches into it, I took it off the needles. The yarns just not "doing it" for me. I'll probably use one ball for a scarf and put the other two in the give-away pile.

I did, however cast on for this with the soysilk I bought on sale at Sheep's Clothing.

Well, I'm off to clean and take pictures of my giveaway/prize yarn. I'm thinking I might have to hold a contest or two. stay tuned.

It's about friggin' time...

My pre-ordered bookbookbook arrived yesterday morning. There would be much fanfare, except for the fact that I had grown impatient on Saturday, went to the nearest bookstore and bought a copy. I read part of it in the parking lot before I got home. I love it.
The closest the tourtourtour will be is Kalamazoo, MI. I may forfeit my "Mother of the Year" award, and take Jess out of school to go. I have not yet decided.

Not much going on really. I'm just trying to get a jump on clearing things out I'm going to have another serious look at my stash and see what I can live without. Maybe I'll even have some give-aways or contests. We'll see.

Anyway, my Ma's cardigan is (finally) done. Jess is admiring her bulbs along the front walk. Please pay no mind the barren flower garden in the background. I assure you, in another month or two, It will be pretty. It's just full of summer flowerers.

I just have to make a button choice. I'm thinking the green one.

My furry Jacket is just about done. I just need to sew on the sleeves.

I have a baby hat done (I just need the weave the I-cord through the eyelets) for Kim's shower on the 17th. Now I just have to figure out what to put with it. (I love baby shopping)
There's really not much else to tell. My stitch n bitch is going on a sort of field trip to New Buffalo to Sit n Knit Sunday. It should be a lot of fun.

Moving down my ufo list I see I need to finish the sleeves on Carma's cardigan, but I also have this that I want to make into some sort of lacy camisole/shell. It's going to sit on my desk until I figure what to do with it.

So much to do...

A new warm spirng day, and every member of the Vaughan family well.(finally, on both parts.

Jess' spring bulbs are starting to open and she is just smitten with them. She spent most of the morning checking on her flower garden, bulbs and other assorted yard vegetation.

On the knitting front.

Mom's sitcom chic cardigan is done, and drying. I strayed from the pattern on the yoke, (read: lost my notes and was too lazy to look it up.)but I think it will be just fine. Hopefully I can refrain from giving it to her until Mothers Day.I'm still trying to figure out how I want Nate guitar strap to look, I'm hoping to knock that out real soon. I still have to make the sleevees for my Jacket, but I should have that done by the end of the week. Right now I'm going through my stash and keeping what I have a plan for and attempting to get rid of what I don't.

My knit along has been collecting members. I'm so excited. I'm still trying to decide who to make.

THis week I am just trying to finish some things up. Nate and I talked last night. Our move south is imminent. So, we'll be busy sprucing things up here and clearing out the stuff we don't want to move with us.I'll post pictures tomorrow. Right now I'm off to finish the stitchmarkers I promised Sean.

the aftermath

We all survived yesterday, and as long as no one calls social services before I can clean house, all will be well.

Nate came home last night, took one look at me, and sent me to bed. After a 15 hour sleep I'm feeling much better and fever-free.

I'm betting my mother is a bit miffed at me though. We were suppose to go to lunch yesterday. She'll understand.

She's taking today off and should be showing up here this afternoon, I think. That should give me some time to get the house in order. Maybe even some time to run some errands.

Not much knitting has commenced in the Vaughan household. I attempted Nate's guitar strap yesterday, thinking it would be a nice and simple project, only to find I was even too sick to knit. (Can you imagine???)

Have a wonderful weekend, and hopefully I'll have some knitting content to share with you next week.