Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedy jig jig

... or something like that.
We are home - tired and lightly tanned (perfect for redheadz). There is laundry to do and all that stuff, but I have read my blogs and now to hang up the laundry (for tomorrow as it is much colder here than there).
Pictures and all that jazz will arrive as soon as I can.
NO YARN BOUGHT FOR ME - only option was WAL-MART and not getting any more of that right now.
I got my Scout's Swag though.

VACATION...

...I am off on vacation from now until the end of the month. HURRAY.
If only my children were perfect and didn't mouth off and....
Have a great week everyone and I know Florida will never be the same.
The REDHEADZ are coming - look out below!!!!

Spring Fling Swap Topic and LIFE

Tell us how you started drinking coffee. Were you in high school or college and making it through all nighters? Did you get it from a family member? What drives your love of the bean?
It was in college, and it was for the espresso, not so much the straight coffee. I remember first year, actually writing an article for the school paper on the 'coffee ...' and bemoaning the fact that one must bring their own hot chocolate/tea to these things. My Dad drinks a lot of coffee. I love the aroma.

On that topic - yesterday I followed my nose from the emergency ward of the hospital to the coffee shop at the front. It was 7:30 am and I was in my PJs and a hoodie at the hospital with no knitting and praying that the little one would get better. The coffee was not as good as I wanted and probably should have had a danish or something too. The little one is discharged now, after 27 hours in the hospital - initiated by an hour long febrile seizure (woke me at 5:30ish am). We were at the hospital by like 6:05 am - delayed only by me finding someplace for the big gurl who was sort of sleep walking. Thank you Tammy. Those EMS guys are amazing (and a couple really hot looking) and my big gurl is such a grown up sometimes.
A cheery package arrived - the Firebird Tsock Flock package - I am going to enjoy knitting this and the only reason it didn't get started in the wee hours of the morning is that the knitting needles were at home and I was not. (and currently not started as I still have some UFOs and WIPs to complete - Sis's afghan was only delayed due to me running out of yarn.
And on Tuesday night I thought little temperatures and a bit of throw up was a problem (been thrown up on 3 times since then and temperatures were in 39.9 range...)
I need to sleep now, but we are just fighting nasty colds and lack of sleep (and Mum's horrid fear that it will happen again). My Mom is here helping out and making sure we get our rest.

Seaming on...

...so I took the advice and started seaming. I now have all the ends of the Pop scarf in (considered seaming in my books) and the Saartjes are just waiting the buttons.
Unfortunately we have had a throw up detour and two little gurls are running temperatures. And my tummy hurts.
So I have a feeling it will be curl up on the couch with videos and 'seams' tomorrow.
And find the finishing buttons for the two seamed projects.
If all goes well, pictures by Thursday night!!!!

Sunday - a time to PRESS ON

Warning a little bit of philosophy and God mentioned. IF you don't like it don't read it, however it's all positive. and there are also pictures of knitting afterwards.


I know I don't focus much on the biblical and Christian side of my life, but that is partly because I am in a 'coasting' period. However got a little wake up today from the pastor this morning. He said - you can't coast uphill. Deep trouble there - woah. He is right and I need to work on the pressing forward - he showed a clip from a Christian video - Fighting Giants (I think that is the title) and the one line really hit home. Attitude is the Aroma of the Heart. Wow. So I am going to work on my attitude and my coasting - maybe start some pedalling up that hill so I can reach the top. Press forward and onward instead of 'resting in place'. Believe me, treading water on your own is really tiring. I'm working really hard on trusting God to help me do these things.


On the knitting front, Monica now has two ruffles and is waiting a blocking, then seaming and then I plan to do the straps - that way I can try it on big gurl. Here is a pic of the front and back.


I'm sorry about the not quite clearness, but that is just the way the camera and the computer cooperate. I find it amazing how finishing one ruffle inspired me to complete the second in one day. I think it may have taken me a total of 3 hours. Now, to get inspired to do the seaming. I HATE SEAMING.
The next two pictures are of the afghan for sis. The first is the 2 completed panels. they are folded in half and resting on a standard size pillowcase. Some sweet amount of knitting there. The second is the 3rd panel in progress - 2 of 9 pattern repeats into the second of the four blocks. I think Monica will be in the sidelines awaiting seaming for a little. Anyone want to come for a visit and seam her up?

A little bit of this and that.

Family is great. We are gurlz here, 3 of them. Two of my brothers and their wives have only boys. I find it interesting to see the differences and similarities in this. Today my oldest brother Garret and his 3 boys came over. J is the oldest grandchild for both sides and 9. He is a great kid, but no real concept of stuff around him (Dora doll and baby doll were literally crushed today. An he has had glasses now for over a month and I still have not seen them.
He and my big gurl are very similar, yet being the opposite sex have their differences. Then there is D - at 4. He has always been a terror and was a lot of trouble for his parents. A pretty nice kid all around, but always on the lookout for trouble - just like my little gurl. I mean I watch him and know that I am going to get it from her. And there little guy - just 2, is half a year younger than little gurl and there are similarities due to age, yet he has his own stuff going on. In our family it has been determined (by reviewing 4 families of at least 2 children) : the oldest ones make you want another. The 2nd one drives you crazy and (as 2 of the SIL's are expecting the 3rd and I am not helping round out the numbers this time around) the 3rd one just takes over.
In reference to the above 'baby' statement, the babies in our family have arrived in '3'. We have a 9, 7.75 and almost 7 year old (1999, 2000, 2001) and then three 4 year olds (1 -03, 2-04) and then three 2 year olds (2-05, 1-06). When Barb & Rodger announced their pregnancy, we naturally looked at David & Lisa for the 2nd in that group and then everyone looked at me (my sister is too far away to look at). I said no way. I have to make it through April in order to ensure there is not a set of 3 in 2008 (unless little sis drops a surprise on us in May when she comes down). Therefore the MAN DIET is still on. Because seriously, with my batting average on this, they will kiss me and wham I will be pregnant. I don't care if it is scientifically impossible. My track record is not good. I have 2 children and I have been involved with 2 men on 2 separate occasions in the last 8 years. That threw me a little - 8 years. Big gurl is turning 7 on April 29th and that is some time ago now. 7 years ago today - I had just started mat leave, and it was Easter weekend. Huh, how time flies.
I'm thinking that rather than food dieting, I will do one of those cleanse things. Get the toxins out and lighten some of the 'dead weight'. I'm going to Florida on the 23rd and I don't know if my summer clothes fit (one pair of capris, 2 skirts and 3 shirts do fit though as they have been acquired since). Maybe tomorrow I should look into that.
Last night, I needed to ball the 7th skein of yarn for the sis's blanket. I figured I might as well do up the skein of Pumpkin Latte from the Plucky Knitter for my Grasshopper scarf while I was at it. Perhaps not such a good idea as no knitting was done last night and I finally completed the 4th ball this morning at 9:00 am. It took me about 4 hours to do 440 yards. And all because i dropped one little piece and then... And you know it was a big tangle if I cut the yarn. I hate cutting yarn. There was one knot - just before the tangle arrived and that naturally made me 2 balls. But I ended up cutting it twice more. lovely yarn - same as the Malabrigo except fingering weight. LOVE the feel of it. (i only have a ball winder and sometimes I screw up that one little strand...)
Monica is almost ready for the first ruffle to join the body. One purl and one decrease row yet (I think). I also added some of my stash yarn in to ravelry. It is sad to see as i know I have hardly touched the sock yarn...Must go now to put pictures with my yarn.
Oh don't forget to contribute to ravelraiser - lets help keep it going.

The Whole DIET thing

..I quit.
the food diet, the yarn diet, the project diet, the shopping diet, the spending money diet, the friend diet, the ....
about the only diet I'm not in the mood to quit at this time is the MAN diet.
I do have an interesting 'standing' offer that I'm not sure how to 'take' but that one has been in the I'm really curious and just one little kiss can't hurt can it? thought process for some time now. still not really tempted to quit my Man diet though.
therefore, I will not make anymore rash promises I cannot keep. but i will try to be in control of something, so ...
... I will continue to make my own coffee my way.

Spring Fling Topic 2

Since some of us are beginning to see glimpse of Spring, while others are still getting snow have you changed what projects are working on?
not really - I want to finish up a variety of WIPs and UFOs, but I did cast on Monica (tank top from knitty) for my daughter that has been queued for at least 9 months.
Have you put away the hats, scarfs and mittens, and brought out the cute tank top sweater projects and lacy wraps?
yes - the winter clothes are away, but I am knitting whatever suits my fancy and it appears it may be socks.
Have you changed yarn to something more lighter and cooler, not so heavy and bulky?
what I am buying is lighter weight as there is so much lovely summery stuff out there.

A week between blogs...

I don't even realize how time flies - I mean I read blogs and go on ravelry and comment and send a few emails, but never really look at my own blog to say - OOPS I haven't blogged in a while.
I am already off the yarn wagon. Mel's fault as she wanted me to meet her at Kismet and I wanted some solid yarn for these, so off I went. Found some needles, yarn for the socks and then some other just cause I loved the colour. That was last week though. So far it is Tuesday night and I haven't fallen off the wagon for this week. But have you seen this yarn or this or....

Knitting has been accomplished. I have 8 completed blocks on sis's afghan and the 9th is almost done (like 8 rows from completion). However I was working on Monica the other day and realized that it was time to start the ruffle and then the afghan was pushed aside.
I want to cast on for this. Isn't it gorgeous? I'm thinking a nice solid blue or green for my Mom for mother's day.
And there are rumours that my Tsock Flock Club is sending the Firebird out. That would be really sweet as this pattern looks fun and challenging. (and what's one more project on the needles). So I have acquired 500 yards of sock yarn and knit up NONE. I believe I may be failing in my SSEC and will have to buckle down and make two or three scarves. (they would each use a skein and then I would be down 800 or so and...
Wishful thinking on my part I think.
Happy Tuesday.
edited to correct Mel's link as well that wasn't her

Spring Fling Topic

Browse around some of the other blogs of participants, and find one person who enjoys a similar roast coffee to you - share something interesting about them that you find on THEIR blog, and tell us what you've been working on knitting or crochet-wise this week!

Chris C - she has a gorgeous WICKED - in my favourite yarn of (the moment) She likes the mellow roast better than the bold, but very close to my likes.
Katie B - my first swap spoiler ever and we love the same coffee.

I have just finished strip 2 of 4 on my sister's Malabrigo afghan - pattern based on this. I have 10 skeins of Emerald Blue and have used just under 5. That means I might have a little left over for Koolhaas 2. (mindless knitting is Monica from Knitty)

Re: Previous post on coffee

Didn't link it.
will try to find the right link.
Here it is http://www.coffeeresearch.org/coffee/roasting.htm
love coffee. wish not so sensitive to caffeine. want a cup now. will make hot milk and play pretend...