baaaaaaack for another round...(finally)

Been busy.
Not much knitting activities going on.....
but this post just changed that ..

now it's time to get back in the swing of thangs! or knit of things ..I like that better.
Nano was fun , did not make 50,000 words, but got two great articles and an almost completed a short story !!!!! Go ME !!!!

but on the knit tip ...been squeezing it in these days. I told u I stopped knitting at the desk, trying to earn that new position. Well I did not get the position, but I have not resumed the knitting. I am going to do it on my personal breaks to ensure I keep making a good impression for the massa, i mean boss.
As far as the job is concerned if I am unable to move up in the next 6 months then I am leaving for something better. So I got to keep my nose clean.
I am back on the blog tip, and will resume regular posting again. I am done with the Secret Pal program and will not be returning anytime son. I had fun though and the pal i spoiled was a true sweet heart .. Say hi to Alyssa !
Well it is Kwanzaa time and I told the boys we will be focusing more on virtues than gifts this year. But my kids are great and the never fall for all the commercialism crap anyways…So I never have to worry about them acting out because Santa didn’t visit, my kids know that that is bullcrap. Yet I always end the year with gifts of love and by observing Kwanzaa. We also have a lovely feast, which is wonderful! Still we try to steer away from the running up of credit cards with ho-ho-ho holiday shopping madness and truly give thanks for another year gone and to come….. while 'tis the season , I remind the kids and my self that everyday we live is a gift to be had ,every breathe, is a present..So give thanks not just because the calendar says so, but because it is so!!!!!

To your family from mine:
Happy Holiday with love and peace ….
Happy knitting with pride and soft fleece !

moving on up..............

I didn't fall off the planet!

still here , just having some trouble with my pc and will have to return it to DELL for replacement of my motherboard!

aaaahhhhhggggg! there goes the Nano NOVEMBER WRITING CHALLENGE .. I did manage to get two knitting articles done and have a sci-fi story underway..So I am pleased but it would have been nice to get to the 50,000. Ah there is always next year ...

I have been knitting less due to the writing challenge and working OT , so I must admit that I have not knit much on that cardie.
I had to find my place again , but at least I know where I am on the project..That was not fun.

I am not starting anything new, though tempted...I did start a few different things ,
commited YARN-dultry and loved every slutty, wooly moment of it ...
I am not a monogamous knitter, I have resolved that it is just soooooo boring ...

In other new, I m shooting for a supervisor position at work. Which means I stopped knitting at the desk and am trying to show the higher powers that I am the best woman for the job. I was told 2 others are after it ..

So with so much going on ,I have had little time for crafting.... just trying to set up the future by getting my lazy pen moving and getting my lazy ass a better position in my company ..
Tired of being at the bottom of the totem pole ...as a customer care rep ....
feel me ?


So , a sister just trying to keep it moving ... Cross your needles for me ,k?


peace..

Sunday = cookin', cleanin' & craftin'

Tofu eggs recipe

1 block tofu
1 teaspoon curry
sprinkle seasoning salt / pepper to taste
1 cup chopped onions +scallion ( veggie of choice)
good mood
drain tofu
smash with a fork in pan with teaspoon butter
cook for 5 minutes
add onion (veggies) to tofu in pan
stir and let cook together for 10 minute on medium flame
tasty goodness...

Dinner was fish fillet Pollock dipped in my salsa sauce /soy sauce /duck sauce mixture ,patted with flour ,sprinkled with bread crumbs then baked 45min. in oven 350 degrees.. We had the crisp fish served with broccoli and white rice...

I got little craftin' done quite honestly ,but was gad to get in all that cleanin' and cookin'

t'was a good day ..

I am a cardigan VIRGIN and I will knit 4 a man !

knitting along and loving it .....but ...

is the front side on a raglan cardigan suppose to end like this ? HELP !!?! huh ?

You see, I was knitting along just fine on the front left side.....but got to the end feeling skeptical ...I did not bind of , just had the 3 stitches sitting on waste yarn waiting to see how the right side will turn out .Squinting at the project and the pattern picture trying to see if what i had on my needles resembled what the model was wearing my head got fuzzy and i downed some Chips Ahoy cookies and soy milk...then ...I rested ,still unsure...

Today, in good faith, I knit on.... and started the right side.

Being that this is my first time making a cardigan ,I am not sure what to really expect . It is a basic cardigan with raglan shaping . I have been very careful , but may have made a mistake or two last night while decreasing. . I will be ultra careful with the right side though , and will make corrections to the left accordingly ...

For the most part I am happy with how this is knitting up .....But yeah I -I- I just have to succumb to teasing from my stash and cast on a little side knit..on the down low .....shhhhh, don't tell the cardie.

looks pretty sexy ..yeah ?

You see, I believe monogamy is a life style... In life it can reap satisfying benefits to be with one and one only ..You learn together , bump heads + triumph together and grow together. The same does not hold true for me in knitting. I have been knitting on the cardigan now and now that i have just the sleeves and the front right side to finish I am ready to cast on a hat or maybe a pair of fingerless gloves. Am I straying from my list on things to knit ? I may be . damn. But I am really really tempted to get another project going in light of the change in the air and the cool breeze that greets me each new day....

Autumn is upon us and I have taken to late night knitting and podcast listening . I have sooo many things in mind to knit for your truly !!!!

I feel no shame in saying I am not a snob knitter but a selfish knitter....YES... For I knit for self !!!!!! I like to knit for me..I drool over books imagining how thing would look on ME !Is that shameless? I am a tad fearful that my hand made may not be as well received with many people used to getting clothes from say a department store or the mall.. and so I'd hate to know that the item i created is balled up collecting dust on top of the pressure cooker in the pantry ...feel me ? While i have made things for others, i have become , over time , a knitter who creates or dreams to create for her self... Is that soo bad ? I do aim to change this up just a tad .. only a tad ....

I do plan to take knitboy 1's measurements tomorrow .I want to get a sweater on the needles for him , finish up that grey wool I have ..such nice yarn to knit with ... the dilemma had been that there is very little manly projects out there for say the urban male, in opinion..... Lately though I want to make things for my men .....Want sox for the ole man and cardigans for my 3 man-cubs!!!! Besides, It would be nice to tuck the boys into bed under hand made blankets from their dear ole mama !!!! So through deep contemplation and blog stalking ,I come to admit I have been lazy and not knitting hardly enough for myself and those i love most ... I have allowed my self little time and love for the benefits of hand knitting .....

This must changed. That changed ...

LIFE won't wait ....neither should my knitting !!!!

I have yet to delve into my Rhinebeck goodies. I guess that will be a task for tomorrow . I decided to devote Sundays to cooking crafting and cleaning ..

aaaaaaaaaahhhhh , the basics in life !

Sheer the sheep and Seize the day !

smile 4 me baby

Rhine Beck and live stock...

The leaves were a sight to see driving up to Rhinebeck. We made it there amongst all this natural splendor in 2 hours. It was during the drive back that we got lost. lol...My kids played there hand held games and read and ate while we drove up to the Fairgrounds...

On the road to Rhinebeck...

There were tons of Fuzzy mamas at Rhinebeck and my boys made a point of checking out all the animals and hubby was happy to be amongst the community and watching all the "business" happen. He was intrigued by the whole experience and am sure will have no problem driving next year...lol

Boys posing like they are shearing sheep !

As I stated i wanted a few gem stones.I picked up Amethyst which aids with love , Rose Quarts which aids with romantic unions and Clear Quarts which aids mental clarity ..

my goodies minus the stuff for my secret pal....shhhhh...

I can see a sweater coming ...a poncho maybe ...

We all enjoyed our day at Rhinebeck..The boys and dad did the dog thing while i visited vendors and tried hard to stay in budget ....I did good ; gas and the entrance fee pushed me over budget, but i am not complaining... I am not going to buy any more yarn though ...I really have enough yarn to do me justice and keep my hands busy ....It would be wasteful to spend another dime on that which i don't need ...I can make lovely things from my stash .......I will purchase more needles to make sure all this yarn gets knit up .. but on the other hand ... a girl s real good right now ....

happy knits ...

stay tuned for my cardigan and spinning update...

PEACE

a birthday and a finished back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The back of my gray cardigan is all done! I have been working on it daily and I am pleased. I do think the gauge may be a tad off , but so far i am feeling good about it ...I am working on the left front now. I am excited because this will last me for years if the construction is good. . I can really see my self wearing this over the next few winters...I love sweaters..Mainly cardigans...I bought the wool from Rhinebeck last October...30 balls for little over 30 bucks..So far i have made a poncho with it and this cardie will be the another major project with this yarn. It truly went a long way. I have also kept the stitch and bitch designers diary by my side and of late, in my knitting bag. It truly helped me to keep focused with all my notes from gauge to the repeats. It really helped me alot.
I have been sooo busy on the phones at work that I have done what i always do , I knit !!!

I have a 12 year old in the house today! My eldest turned 12 !!!!! I can hardly believe my kids are this old ..I am not complaining ... Independent kids are good kids ..shoo ,knit-boy1 is only 8 and he can iron his school clothes ( i mean dress shirts too) and make his own lunch ..He got lasagna construction pretty down too...I really was not partial, any thing girls can do , boys can too!!! ...Shoooo, my daughter ( if i had one ) would have to walk the dogs and rake leaves, and pump her bike tire just like any other kid ..Its about balance ....

but back to..... "I can hardly believe my kids are this old " ..... Where did the time go? I need more time , no really ..In just 4 short years this man will be driving, in 6 he'll graduate ! So I want to really really have a good time this last decade with them . this last decade they still HAVE to listen to me , that is ....After that , I have to grin and bear the decisions my happy adult children makes... That is gggggrrrrrrrrin and bear it !!!! lol..

Sorry, feeling mushy today ....The old man and I celebrated 14 years of union yesterday also..Well , lets just say it was the day we started going together and rebelling and pissing off my mother....lol... kids in love ....sigh ....

Nothing special was planned.. except Saturday.............. we leave for (DRUMROLLL puhleeeez !!!! ) Rhinebeck so we'll have some wholesome family fun then!!!!

I have gone to Rhinebeck now 2 years in a row.....This year I am bringing my men with me. I am excited. My husband has accepted my hobby as a way of life for me and he is so supportive and he is also driving ( while i knit) good deal !!! My sons will enjoy the sheep dog shows , walking around, driving thru Sleepy Hollow and eating like giant ants ( anything they can ) ..hubby just want the sheer satisfaction and enjoyment of getting us there faster than any one else could have and basically just wants to see a smile on my face ....

no prob...

From Rhine beck I want :
wine 40$
gemstones 50$
sock pattern book 20$
a few balls of virgin wool in green, hot pinks and some other funky colors. 40-50$
some oil for my spinning wheel 5$
a male cardigan pattern 5$
1 size 2 and 3 DPN needles for socks 15$
hemp ....yarn or fiber 20$
secret pal 20$

I plan to take tons of pics as usual .I need to invest in a sd card just for knitting files ...
that would be smart, considering the whole family gang shares the diggie cam..

lata

Wooly Wenzday...

In regards to stash , I have accumulated quite a bit..My stash however also includes books ...tons of them. Magazines too, and uhm those damn~ cute knitting novels and Needle works mysteries also command a spot in my knitting library...


more....
more ...
and s'more...
here is my knitting basket ..Modestly placed in the corner of my bedroom...modest..The rest of the stash are in two large suitcases...not bad ...the grey wool will become a cardigan ...

been talking about finding a good pattern for a basic cardigan and thank goodness i never threw/ gave away any of my knitting magz.. Found an oldie but goodie from fall 05'. and here is the basic cardigan....looking forward to knitting this baby up... Fall foto on my lil' men ...

it's a stick up......cause

I'm strapped !!!!!

Meaning I am almost done with the i cord belt i am making to accessorize the purple experiment , which is not a tank top , not a sweater ... and i can't just keep calling it the experiment ..lol.. So i name it a vest ...The purple tank vest to be precise. Simple ..I decided two short shoulder straps and a belt .. i am actually liking it ..... Next pattern i will use shaping..... shaking in my boots .. no really , i am ...

Mailing out my 2nd sp11 gift tomorrow , mailing another one after Rhine beck .. I just really want to have fun with the sp11 , so my pal will get madd love ...

sending out some good ole' knitting karma baby ...

peek - a - boo

where we are going with this ... you like ?

a.m. show and tell..

Flyy feet for fall

The project gone wrong : my purple experiment !

My new fall carry-all ...Roca-Wear ....and fabulous !

happy knitting , happy Tuesday !!!

Seams... liked a great day ...

All seamed up !!!

I seamed the purple top at the desk today at the ole job ..We had a ton of calls today so i got away with knitting while providing tech support to our virtual patrons ...This is a great way to stay sane while doing this line of work . I also have more seaming to finish, a poncho i made last year , my own design..but i got lazy and the weather got warm so i tucked it in the knitting basket ..But the time has come to pay attention to the undone, the unloved, the uncared for ....besides i want to beat the weather and already have my outer wear before the temp really really drops .. my wool poncho will not only be cute , but warm .....
and a great way to work my way up from my knitting slump..

Now onto the straps and finally block..Even though this was intended to be a summer top, I plan to find a way to make it a fall top... hmm, we'll see what happens .. I'm thinking~ pair it with a long sleeve T and rock it with a wide belt and some jeans or leggings and some cute boots..kinda funky..... I have never had much luck with pattern gauges ..So I'm interested in seeing how my first lil ' wearable will turn out ...fingers too busy knitting to be crossed ...

I am going to gauge test for the cardigan ..I really want it to come out nicely and know i will work many many hours on it .. so i am nervous ...I may wear this to Rhinebeck if it comes out right..

Mother's day and my mojo ...

b 4 i go secret pal shopping today i wanted to say :

Today is a lovely late summer day. The last summer day for 2007 !!!! Yes the calender still says summer people !!!! but today's equinox will change all that ...Change is good ...I am not too happy about the upcoming chills and reality of sleet and snow ....so i am loving the warm day and trying to get some quality walking in tomorrow while i can still enjoy it ...I am thinking of also getting a cute 10 speed bike to take to the Autumn road as well..
I am happy to report that I am blogging regularly as you can see !!! I feel good .Most importantly, i am over my blues !

Today is also my mid-kid's 10 th b-day...... Got his a few games and taking him out to his first fancy dinner with just his dad and I .. This is a tradition we started with my eldest ....I think when you hit the double digits it's a big deal....So I happy....Happy Mother's day to me !!!!!

I don't have anything on the needles at the moment..well nothing worth mentioning ..so i need to get knitting ..Toe is feeling better now... ...so i intend to spin this week Sunday. And I intend to get Myrhh-maid ( spinning wheel ) home soon. I love the hook up , but hate the schedule ..I am not able to learn...as fast..moving slowly ..I want to get to the point where i can spin some of that lovely new fiber my sp11 sent me ...I may just do it on the spindle though .. but i wanna I want to do it on my wheel ...

Searching for the perfect cardigan pattern , one that is not to arduous or detailed. but simple... I am really feeling simple these days . Just need one complex project at a time; and at this time that is the scarf i have been knitting ever so slow since this summer... actually I started in April...but i only pick it up when I need to totally wrap my mind around something all consuming .....

lately I have been reading , cooking more and just focused on the family ....The boys are turning into men and I need not neglect that !!! they need cardigans too!!!
i need to get real with my craft and STOP



So I am ready to get some real knitting done and get back my mojo:

2 make:
seam my tank top
basic ladies cardigan
simple shrug
poncho

Show down ...and not a stitch of knitting....

Been jammin' to Kanye. Feelin his new album . Real uplifting ..Love the way he twist his tongue ..I'm not maaaaadddddddd that his s%$@ is so real .........

will be checking out 50's album too, and will decide for my self who reins supreme in this hip hop industry...But dang , i can't even play most of 50's album loud ....cause the kids might hear ......hmmmmm...seeee why I am feeling Mr. West?

stitch 4 me ....

lata

Cotton Candy and Big toe blues...

Secret Pal ,you are the bomb !

Thank you so much for all the cotton candy u sent me ..I will be sure to make up some lovely yarn with it ..The sachet was a great idea, thank you for thinking ahead !

I am sorry i have been playing hide and seek . But i have increased my hours at the ole plantation and I have been getting used to the busier autumn / school schedule.

I have been playing catch up with my knitting also.
My purple top , that i cooed about only a few short entries ago , all in vain .., went to poop !!!!!!!59 stitches o my needles, when the pattern calls for 60 stitches for the small size .So i fudged up big time and I got a case of fiber blues, or knit-itis or just plain ole sad..I knit on though, and knitted two purple stockinette panels one of course was 59 stitches wide , the other had the 60 the pattern called for !!! SAD .. so what to do with these p-p-p-panels ? might seam em up and add straps .. don't have a real plan yet .. Maybe make two more , lighter shade or different shade and seam 'em up and call it a baby blanket?

In more painful news, I hurt my big toe( really bad and bloody) and will not spun until next week!!!! In opening a metal door, i managed to drag it over my big toe and cracked my nail in doing so... hurt !!!! I am sooooooo very very rusty at spinning on my wheel already ...getting better slowly ..now with this needed pause for my toe it will take me a minute to get my rhythm back that i had the last attempt over a week ago......Consistency is key as we all know...Yeah that's the life .....

But i will get over it and spin again , next week end , when the toe has had some healing time ....not to mention ...The lovely book my pal got me will be a great help and already serves as good advice and eye candy on my shelf!!! LoVe It !!!!


take care my fiber friends

up from unda da sea ....

Secret Pal ...I am not dead !!!!!!!!!

been dealing with life ya'll.

so I have not been blogging ...or knitting much ......I have to get my SecretPal some knitty stuff and I am getting back on track with my knitting and spinning life! Been almost 2 weeks ....

Yes, I got my Schacht spinning Wheel !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and I am not good at it.

But I love the potential, the possibility of production.

I am grateful for the layaway plan in which i can still use my wheel while paying for her...She will remain at the restaurant where the owner, who is my knitting turned spinning mentor will keep it safe in a hidden room...
I have given my wheel a gender...it's a girl...named Myrrh-Maid ;there is a cute little story behind the name.....

She is sitting in a lovely room overlooking a beautiful lake. The room is called the Mermaid room for obvious reasons..When i sit in the room it's like i am in the middle of the water, spinning away..So nice. There are books all around me and the walls are painted like the ocean in which there are 3 life-size mermaids painted on the wall...So technically we are under the ocean ..lol.....Very intriguing and kinda spooky too. Cool spooky.
But this is the small , interesting room in which I will be spinning on my Myrrh-Maid for the next few weeks....BLISS ...pure and simple ....

Crafty Crochet Chick

Tonight is the Knottie Hottie meeting..Can't wait to see my fiber crafting buddies !!!!!

My spinning wheel is here ! I have a great deal where i can keep it where i bought it , use it all while i pay for it !!! Can't beat that !

I am very very excited ...This will be a means of keeping my hands busy,decrease my smoking habit and keep me out of the LYS..

I want to spin hemp , soy and silk....but will mostly spin wool and hemp ..
I can't wait !! I can see my hand spun now , different weights and colors ...
It is a good feel to know I'll be that much in tune with my craft ! That much in tune with the earth; with nature.. with crafting hands and hearts who came before me ...

So my car has been down and off the road since Monday ! I grew up using the bus systems though so I don't mind and you meet so many interesting individuals on the bus....I always get a lot of comments on my knitting and get a lot of rows complete ....

So yesterday when I was waiting for the bus at the terminal, I debated walking the rest of the way home or just chilling and sitting my impatient butt down and waiting ...

So as I turn out the door to get my walk on , I was distracted by a beautiful young lady crocheting ...WOW.. what a sight to see ...I was floored and if you know me, you know I walked right up to her, introduce my self , invited her to the Knottie Hotties meetings,then sat and knit with her while we waited for the bus ,which it turns out, my bus was the same bus she was waiting for, we live a few blocks from each other ....and she will come to the meetings ..

how very exciting is that ????

Monday ....is far from Friday ..... sigh!

I made progress on my current project. I had no choice considering my car broke down on the way to the job, furthering my corrective action and I had to walk up the hill to the plantation..I mean work place. So instead of being all pissed with the world I grabbed my 2" worth of knitting and trekked my sweaty way to my j.o.b..... I continued to knit during the slow paced tech calls and by late evening I was feeling pretty darn good ...and began my search for a sexy, not too fussy hair do.. so far no luck there...
Still searching , hence the BRAIDS book....

Shall we toast to my project that is just the right gauge and by the looks of it so far, may actually fit? ...We have a winner ....

Plum Wine any one?

In more manly affairs: the ramp is near completion... take a peak:
Mid -kid will be surprised to sheer madness when he sees the "toy" his dad built upon his arrival back from camp....
It will be a while before i try it though, believe dat !

What i learned this weekend...

A pleasant weekend indeed . I think I finally figured out how to ignore people who make me maddddd ! Really~ it has taken a long, long time to get my mind to wrap around the notion of saying"no" and not allowing anyone to push my buttons and how to be mature enough to know when I feel the vibes and will need to actively ignore comments and behavior that would normally have me telling some one 'bout their mama! Ultimately, messing up my day....

Sometimes you got to ignore even loved ones~ children, husband, parents included, because at the end of the day life goes on and every body will still be alive !!!!! This great knowledge has come at good time when my son is going through the "big change!" He is about to be 12 but you'd think he was about to be 48 ;the amount of "stuff" he carries around on his mind..He is very touchy and emotional when he is not running round acting like a 5 year old and goofing with his bros....I can't believe that in a few short years he will be dating and driving and going off to college....

Until then I have to grin and bear adolescence all over again ....
to be a good parent ....is to remember that you were once a child .....I must I must I must remember that ! Especially when dealing with cranky preteens!
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Knitting Stuff :

Thumping through my S&B book I remember how i wanted to make this ...so I cast on in purple cotton ...

One day she'll look like this :

Why the knew project?

Well, (mercy me)

~when I tried on my current UFO , I realized that my gauge , knitting and/ or yarn was all off I frogged it... It sagged from my frame ! eh-eh ! " HATED IT " not happy !

But you know what :

waah, waah, waah, I cried me a river , built me a bridge and GOT OVER IT !!!!

(hubby taught me that one ...tooo funny )

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In sexier , more muscular news :

My DIY guy (Hubby ) does it again! He is busy building the kids a ramp for their skate boarding and bike endeavours... Yeah totally inspirational ..Bob the Builder watch yo ass !

PEACE