This work stuff is getting in the way of the important things...

Good evening ladies,

I know, I know, I've been lacking in the posts lately. Honestly? I've been too tired to crochet let alone post. It's a shame I a) like my job and b) need the paycheck to afford the yarn. Because seriously, this is getting in the way of my crochet time.

I crocheted a bit more on the log cabin afghan on Monday when I stayed home sick from work. The problem was I was so sick and cruddy feeling that I couldn't even crochet. That's just wrong.

I'm hoping to get some more done tomorrow on the Seraphina Shawl. It's the big football game at my old high school against the main city rival (which is also my Boss's son's team) tomorrow night. No, not crocheting at the game, but I am going to my parents house early for dinner. Will probably crochet there.

Saturday night we've got the Monty Python show where we'll sit outside and crochet. Should be cool out that night so that's good.

Okay, I'm off to bed. Boring post, no pics. Will post more later, hopefully.

Night ladies,
Tracie

Because I am, maybe, impatient

Ladies,

Aren't we supposed to all post stuff? I'm feeling a little lonely over here! I will show you the lovely things I have been doing lately.

I finished one of Tracie's Christmas socks:








And I started on one of Dani's Christmas socks:




That is further now than in the pic, I've finished the heel and am almost done with the gusset and onto the round and round bit. I had planned on using a really cute toe-up pattern to make little ankle socks but since I dont know how to knit like a real knitter, or read real knitting patterns, I failed. 3 times. So, I'm making it up as I go (and writing it down even). Maybe, if it turns out nice, I'll post the pattern so other non-knitters can knit their very own. And really, if I can do it then anyone can. They are coming nicely so far, hopefully it will keep up. Dani, I need your bottom of the foot legnth from heel to toe please. Otherwise they will become size 7... and that wont do you any good at all! Quickly too, since I dont have any clue how long it's gonna take me to do the round and round bit. I was suprised at how quick I finished up Tracie's sock, I didnt expect to finish on vacay, and didnt bring a needle with me and as if having to do that horrible toe join isn't bad enough, I had to do it with an E hook! It looks ok though, so thats good. I think I'm getting better at it. Yippee for Tracie.

I have not worked any more on Mom's sweater, maybe I'll work on that this weekend, we'll see. If so, I need to remember not to let any pics be taken of that work in progress. See, I don't really care if y'all see your Christmas presents before Christmas (and yes, I will be wrapping them, why do you ask?) but Mom can't.

I suppose that's it for now. Someone else post... please? I cant be the only one working on something!

Smootchies,
Brandee

A real knitter would know better...

Ladies,

Please understand that 19 minutes ago I posted this very same message (well close, this will be more of a Cliffs Notes version because... UGH) but due to the updates blogger was doing It ate it. The only problem is that the blogger updates were supposed to be at 4pm. Didnt realize that was pacific time! Woulda been nice if they had told me before I posted, or at least saved it for me! URG. Moving on.

So, remember that cute little sweater I was making Sean?






Well, I with the new lessons I learned at Sip and Knit (you know, the correct way to knit) I decided to start doing the sweater the right way. BAD IDEA. It was so much tighter than the rest of the sweater. So I frogged it back. I didnt tink it because that is hard and the yarn I'm using is not really condusive to that solution. However, I do not know how to put the stitches back on the needle after I frog it. Add that to the unfortunate mistake about 80 rows back I decided to just frog the whole thing and start again. I got out the plastic needles because I do think the bamboo is giving me some of the problem and I've done about an inch's worth. I really think the majority of the problem, though, is with the yarn. It is very loosely plied and keeps snagging. So I will scavenge in the stash to see if I have any Simply Soft or something else I like. Tracie, please remember to check your needle stash (yes I know you need to hunt, and dust off and all that) for metal size 6's.

Lets see - what else is on the hooks or needles? Tracie's Christmas socks are at the gusset part - that's where I get to use the crochet hook! I also have the baby's hat that I havent finished, the crocheted american flag afghan I'm ignoring... ignoring so well infact that I have forgotten where I hid it! And of course Mom's sweater. I am going to start working on that again so I can see exactly how much yarn I am short on it. I really dont think that a Christmas tank will do the trick!

My next project will be to make Sean a baby hoodie out of the baby homespun in blue that I got at the Joann Labor Day Sale. I havent found exactly the pattern I'll use, but I know what I want. I may end up creating my own pattern out of pattern pieces I have. We'll have to see.

That's it for now. Tra, I'll see you tomorrow. Dani, we'll miss you!

Brandee

My works in progress

Okay, ladies, I'm gonna tempt fate and try to do one more post.

Here are my works in progress.



The Seraphina Shawl in JoAnn's Sensations Rainbow Boucle. Found this skein last year at the store, and it didn't have friends. I was so hoping it would turn out this pretty.



The log cabin quilt afghan for Larry and Diane's wedding. It's going quite well. And it's pictured on our new sofa. :)



This is the kit I got the other day. It's a crimson color caplet. And it's made out of one of my new fave yarns: Bernat Satin.



Do you think Little Bro's gonna notice the yarn taking over the living room? I think with our new sofa in he won't notice, but I don't know yet.

Okay ladies, that's it from me for a bit. Someone else post now!

Tracie

Yarn Crawl - Orlando Edition - Part 2

Moving on...

Okay, we did not take the cameras inside because I was afeared of getting thrown out of the Mecca that was AC Moore. And that would be bad. But here's a pic of my purchase. Well, a representational sampling of my purchase. The dark purple that's wound is part of a 1 lb bag of WOOL mill ends. And then I got a total of 7 of the light purple marbley looking yarn. Skirt. It will become a skirt. It told me so. The wool, no clue yet. Probably a bag. Something I can felt.



Then we hit lunch. TGI Friday's. Can I just say that Fried Green Beans and Fried Mac and Cheese are just absolutely awesome? They are. Wanna see what was left of our crazy food adventure?



Then we had a good laugh when Kerry pulled out her wallet and there was a bit of green Red Heart Plush attached to something in her purse. Brandee and I could not stop laughing so we had to take the pic.




Then we went to the next stop. A fabulous little shop called Sip and Knit located in Maitland. It had to be a great place, it had a sheep outside the door!



In fact, there were sheep everywhere!



The yarn was yummy, the ladies who run the store absolutely delightful, and the vibe of the place was awesome. Ladies we'd never met, knitters even, were so nice and friendly and wanted to see what we were making and doing and all that. I was gonna post more pics, but the Blogger has now deemed me like Brandee and refuses to upload my pics. Oh well. And of course they are not uploaded yet to Photobucket.

I will be posting one more post tonight with my current projects. If it will let me. We'll see.

Have fun ladies...
Tra

Yarn Crawl - Orlando style - Part 1

Okay, here are the pics and story from Saturday's Yarn Crawl.

We started out picking up Kerry and heading toward the 3rd annual (!) Fiber Arts Fair in Orlando. Paid $10 to get in and found....a whole lotta nothing. Yeah. Very disappointing. We ended up at Uncommon Thread's booth and Brandee and I bought yarn from her. We then decided that we didn't feel welcome at the tables they had set up (nothing against the people who were sitting there, it just didn't feel like a "pull up a chair" kinda deal) so we went to the snack bar and got some drinks and started figuring out what to do from there.

This is Kerry enjoying some coffee.

This is Brandee and her sock yarn purchase. And a sad face because she bought yarn. I think that's just silly. Yarn should always be happy.

That's me and my yarn. Yummy rayon boucle. Love it! Have no clue what I'm making out of it. There's only 240 yards and it didn't have friends. Oh well. I'll figure something out. Or it will sit with my other "make me happy" yarn that I buy and when I am sad I will pull it out and pet it and call it George. Okay, maybe not so much.

Moving on...

We then remember that Orlando has been blessed with an AC Moore. So we first call Kerry's husband to get directions but he wasn't near a computer and we really didn't want him asking too many questions. So Brandee called her mom. Hi Mom!


Before leaving I participated in the reciprical blogging pic:

Then we were on our way! Look, what's that in the distance?

It's an AC Moore!!!

Okay, part 2 in a bit. Seems I, too, have been plauged by Blogger issues.

I'm a groupie

Ladies,

I just joined a socknitters yahoo group (because I apparently dont have enough blogs to stalk). I do love knitting socks, and hopefully I will learn the right way to stitch together a toe. The main pic for the group is a pair of teeny tiny little socks attached to a safety pin - like a christmas ornament. I thought they were adorable, then thought I wonder if I can make that, then thought that they were probably made on toothpicks, then I thought Moving on!

I did however, come across these: Socks http://www.magknits.com/warm04/patterns/pomsquad.htm (Tracie will make this a link later... apparently me, and the technology, not getting along)


and I thought of you guys. If I need to make socks for Christmas, these would be a great bet for me because you know, no leg! But I wanted to see if they are acceptable. I may make myself some, they are adorable. However, I'm not a pompom girl so mine will be minus them.

Tomorrow Tra and I meet up with a girlfriend for a Fiber Arts Fair. I am very excited, it is going to be tons of fun, and I will be able to get my sock yarn. I do have to say that my least favorite part of yarn shopping at our normal spots (Walmart, Michaels & Joann)(Yes, we are cheap)(and we are also not close to a real yarn shop)(well, close-ish), is the lack of sock yarn. And natural fibers, but mostly no sock yarn. I think that I need to invest in another set of the same dpns that I use so I can make the two at the same time - to avoid second sock syndrome, and to avoid the 'how many did I cast on last time?' and how many rows did I do for the cuff/leg/heel flap/foot?'

I have been doing pretty well on the baby jacket. I've gotten about 6 inches out of the 11 needed to finish up the back, then the 2 front sides then the sleeves. I also need to look for some buttons, maybe I'll be able to find some cool ones tomorrow! I have been averaging 4 rows at lunchtime, which is good. I really like the pattern too, its plain on one side and has little stripey rows on the other side.

I still have not looked for that other skein of the yarn for Mom's sweater. I have been less than excited about working on it since it is so slow going... hence the desire to make socks! Harlotism at it's best I'm afraid!

I suppose that's about it for now. Dani, have a great weekend, Tra, I'll see you in the morning. Early in the morning. VERY early on a SATURDAY! Just sayin.

Hugs,
Brandee

Yes I did

... take a picture from my van of another vehicle because of a bumper sticker. I so feel like Brandee!!! *grin* But come on you gotta agree this is just darn funny.

I'm planning on putting this on both of my girls cars when they start driving. Too Funny!!!

Crochet world, made two cute skirts this week but haven't taken pics...will do soon. I'm working on a dog bone matt for my little Ava baby. Will take pics soon.

One more pic to share though just cuase it was so pretty. Last night me and three other moms went walking and afterwards this was our view from where we started.


What a way to end the walk!!
More to come later,
Dani

Sorry about the MIA thing

Ladies,

Well I have been back in my office for a total of 14 hours and my desk looks slightly better than it did this time yesterday which was this:








I can almost tell my desk is green, which is a lot of progress! Of course I'd make much more progress were I not doing this. Just sayin.

Convention went swimmingly. Everyone that I talked to had a blast, so did I. My date seemed to be pleased too, eh Tra? SOOOO fighting the urge to post the "I've got a secret" pic! Here is a look in on the fun:









This was Tracie, Tony and I at the Friday Night Woodstock costume party. Fun fun fun. I had my palm read, she claimed that I'm an emotional person. Farcical. (For those on the outside, this really is funny because I cry at the National Anthem and long distance commercials. Moving on.)

I did get some knitting done, but not much. I started making the baby a little sweater. In Knit. Please take a moment to let that soak in. I am knitting a sweater. A REALLY REALLY little sweater, but a sweater. I have screwed it up twice, but I dont think he will care. Here is my progress:








I think it's coming out really nice (mistakes aside). I like the yarn, its using TLC Baby which I think may make some good sock yarn, it's pretty thin. I have not worked on Mom's Christmas sweater because I need to hunt down that other skein of the yarn for it. I know I have it, in a very safe place I'm sure.

I suppose that's it for now. Oh, one last thing:









Muah! Brandee

You know you're a yarn addict when....

...to go on vacation you pack 2 bags - 1 for clothes and 1 for yarn and both are stuffed. Okay, so the clothes bag still has room but the yarn bag is packed to the top.

...you take 3 projects with you on said vacation so you can have variety.

...you contemplate packing one or two more....just in case.

...you have to leave crochet meeting early because for the first time EVER you got further along in a pattern than you expected and didn't have the next color change with you and you just didn't know what to do next. Yeah, it happened.

...you wonder if you can fit more yarn in the clothes bag since there's still a bit of room. ;-)

Okay ladies, I'm off on vacation. Well, I guess really I'm just telling Dani since Brandee is already there. And knitting. But we'll forgive her since it's for her kidlet to be.

Gnomebert is almost ready to go. He wants his pic taken with the suitcase (although I'm trying to convince him the more important bag is the yarn tote) before we leave tomorrow but I have to wait until the camera charges. We will get lots of pics with him, I promise. And he will be in good hands...mine.

Oh, thought of one more....

...you wish they'd hurry up and figure out that automatic pilot for cars so you can crochet in the 2+ hour trip down south. ;-) So not fair to have to drive during that prime crocheting time. I promise not to keep crocheting with me in the front seat. Even if I am likely to hit rush hour traffic (ie, parking lot).

More when we return....
Tracie

It's done!

Good evening ladies,

Dani, glad to see you posting, too! I knew you wouldn't lurk forever.

Yes, as the title says, it is done! The cardigan is finished! I finished it this afternoon before I went to my parents' house for dinner. Here's the pics of the front and back.





Now it's off to the next project. I found my Rainbow Boucle in the fall colors and will start that shortly. I also went shopping in mine and my mom's stash for Red Heart in the colors I need for Larry and Diane's wedding afghan. I think the only colors I need now are a soft white/lt. beige and a bit more Aran. I have to lay it all out and see what I have left to get after I shop Brandee's stash. And yes, I grabbed the sock yarn to give you in exchange. :) I always "pay" for all my purchases.

I'm going to try to get the Seraphina shawl started and past the first 16 rows so it'll be easy to do without the pattern for the trip. I'm hoping to get the wedding afghan started, too.

And I've learned that I seriously need to take some time and get my yarn stash organized. With half of it at Mom and Dad's, a quarter of it in bags in my closet and the other quarter stashed downstairs in a hope chest, it's very difficult to find yarn when I need it. I've just got to get my energy up first, and then I'll be able to get organized. Right now I'm lucky to get my laundry washed (we won't even talk about putting clothes away right now). Oh well, at least I have a nice new warm sweater to keep me warm.

Have a good evening ladies, and a good holiday!

Tra

Saturday night out!!

Well everyone is in bed and sleeping. I'm up cuz I'm the only night owl in the house. No crochet update really, other than I'm working on finishing up a few tanks I've made recently that I haven't tucked ends in and such.

Tonight, Joe, Jess and myself went to a Rays game. Hannah didn't want to go cuz she "only likes football and soccer" LOL whatever...so she went with Kim and her kids to see Pirates II for the third time LOL

Jess earned the tickets from school last year for perfect attendance...way to go Jess.
Here's a view from our seats,
sorry for the bad pic...only brought my camera phone.

We ended up leaving during the 8th inning cuz they were loosing 4 - 2 and Joe is getting up super early to go fishing with a buddy.
Not much else going on this weekend. We are headed to the beach on Monday as always when presented with an extra day off from school and work!!

Ta ta chicas!!
Dani

It's 9 O'Clock On A Saturday

Actually it's 8 on a Friday... but for some reason Billy Joel is in my head. Possibly to help drown out the Superman from the 50's (I think) that Jake has insisted on watching this evening. I find it mildly humerous that a child of mine would like old movies. For instance, when you ask most 5 yr olds which Robin Hood they would like to watch, maybe it's the Disney cartoon one, or maybe even the Mel Gibson one because of all the cool action scenes. NOPE, my kid wants Errol Flynn. He gets that from his Daddy - the extent of my old movies is Gone with the Wind and I only adore that for the poofy dresses!

So, I'm sitting here, listening to Superman reading Celtic Memory Yarns blog (going back as far as I can), re-running the dishwasher because apparently even though Travis said he did remember the soap, it wasnt soapy enough and they were a mess when I went to unload. I have knit 1/4 of a round of sock and it's sitting in my lap, in the exact spot the cat just vacated. I am actually tired enough to try to convince Jake to go to bed on time (8:30) and go to bed at the same time. Sleepy sleepy. However, I know that early to bed early to rise... and I dont know if I can handle that.

Can I tell you how happy I am that this is a long weekend! Except that we have crap to do... as usual! Tomorrow morning I am gonna go vote in the primaries since I am leaving for convention on Tuesday. Then later after Travis goes to work and his Dad wakes up (he works nights) I'll bring Jake over so he can swim. I didnt allow him to tonight because I didnt want to sit outside in the 8,000 degree heat.

***Aside - my child just found out the hard way why you shouldnt put a flashlight up to your eye. The blinking blindly did not teach him a lesson because I had to tell him he'd regret it if he did it again. Silly silly boy. Moving on.

Lets see, where were we? Oh, Saturday - no clue what we're doing Sat night, probably more of this - nothing. Then Sunday is Church, then my Mom's church is doing a carnival thing until 3, then back here to go to my in-laws for BBQ. Monday so far is just hopefully yarn shopping, Tracie, with you and your mama. We'll see how that goes - it'll probably depend on if I've done all the laundry I will need for my trip, and gotten all my poop in a group. We'll see. Then Tuesday after the mail comes to work we're off to Bonita Springs.

I am really getting excited for this trip. I spend a few weeks getting nervous but at this point everything is done and packed and it's all good. Everyone in the office was in a jokey mood today which helped. As I was telling Tracie - my favorite thing about 4 star hotels is the fancy schmancy shampoo. And my favorite thing about www.coconutpoint.hyatt.com is that its a 4 star hotel. Great food, good times, LOTS of hard work, but lots of fun too. This is the week that, due in large part to the 40 hours of OT I'll get, I fall into bed and am asleep within minutes. We start planning this thing in April and by now I have about 23 lists on my desk and in my binder(s) and in my head. I am thankful that my contact chick has been great AND she is even giving me a spa treatment - a mommy massage. I've never had a massage before - and as tight as my shoulders and back and neck have been (all pinched nerve feeling) I'll be extremly grateful to her for her kindness.

Well thats about it for now. I'll talk with you ladies later.

Brandee

When work gets in the way

Good morning ladies,

Can I just start by saying how glad I am that it's Friday? It has been such a long week that it feels like 2 weeks were in this one.

I am now to the collar part of the blue sweater. And again the directions are a little hazy, but I'm pushing through. Not sure if I'm doing the increases right, but at this stage of the game I really don't care. I'm falling back to my normal statement I tell you guys all the time, "It's not like I'm going to carry the picture around with me, no one's going to know if it's perfect or not." :)

Is it a bad sign that on my Google homepage I have a crochet to-do list? Probably. But here are the things I need to do before I leave for my vacation (and Brandee's overtime): Make a small purse out of the sparkle yarn I got for the dress ('cause how else am I carrying Gnomebert around to the party?), start the Seraphina shawl out of the fall color rainbow boucle (I'd like to get it past those first 16 rows that I have to use the pattern on...then it's just hand candy), start Larry and Diane's Log Cabin afghan for their wedding (see, starting early...the wedding is 12/3/06), and maybe start the new cape I just got a kit for (Bernat Satin is my new fave petting yarn). And yes, I will be taking 2 pieces of luggage down to Bonita - a suitcase for my clothes and my yarn tote for my projects. Because let's be serious, y'all know as much as I keep saying I need to lay out at the pool, that's really going to turn into sitting in the fancy hotel room watching trashy TV or movies and crocheting. Hopefully we have a balcony 'cause I can sit out there and get a tan on my legs (which is really all that I need to do) and crochet. :)

I will attempt to finish the sweater this weekend and get a pic posted. Attempt. Strong words. :)

Okay, back to work. I'd really rather be crocheting, but don't we all? :)

Tracie