A double rant and some FOs.

So blogger ate my post. Bitches. I had a wonderfully long rant on here and it ate it all. Hopefully it doesn't eat this one.
I am home today because of my children. We dropped them off at school today and not an hour later I get a phone call that I need to come pick up A because he escaped for the second time in a week. He was picked up on the street by another parent dropping off their child.
WHAT THE FUCK???
Am I NOT paying these people to keep an eye on my child while I work. I am now losing a day of pay because A got loose. He squeezed out of a gate that I know he had to work to get out. Why were they not keeping a better watch on him since they know he wants to open doors. I'll tell you why "we've never had a child get out"(insert high falsetto), which means they have no clue how to deal with this. A is not a bad child, he's 2 and exploring, and big for his age and therefore stronger. Now it looks like R is going to have to quit the job he just got because the pre-school can't keep my child in. I can't even get a hold of R today to tell him.
This weekend I did finish 2 knits. I finished my 76 stitches hat, but had to alter the pattern. If I had continued the decreases the way the pattern wanted me to I would have had a reallllly long hat. I also felted my blue and red bag even though I hadn't finished the handle. I decided I would make handles later and sew them on. So now I just have to ball my skein of merino and swatch my Candle Flame shawl.

The Fabulous Fiber Fest

So it takes me a little longer than most folks to post something. I claim sickness, I have caught a summer cold and overslept yesterday morning when I was going to write this. So here it goes, a day late but not a dollar short.

The FFF was fun. I enjoyed meeting people that I have the pleasure of reading about daily. I must admit it was like a blind date with a dozen dates at once though, you're just not sure if it's going to work out. Jen, La, Kristin, MJ, Wendy, Nancy and Lauren were all a great bunch of gals with neat projects going on that made for great breakfast conversation. I would so be willing to hang out again with other knitters, it is an eye opening experience when other folks have worked through the same things you may be struggling with, and seeing their current projects is inspiring. Check out all their WIPs at their blogs, conveniently linked in my sidebar.

The actual fiber fest was okay. I went home with a new set of double points in a size 10 and two skeins of wool. I purchased a superfine merino in a pale blue hand-dyed color and a green wool/tencel blend. The blue skein is a monster skein with 1790 yards. I am planning on making the Candle Flame shawl out of it. The yarn is just about a worsted weight so I'll need to adjust the pattern, I may even swatch it and see how I like it, swatching ewww.




I enjoyed the festival, but I hope that if it continues the organizers will realize how much the people who attended are into knitting and spinning. The quilts were beautiful and the shops with fabric were neat, I even bought another book on making stuffed animals (Making Tiny Toys). The whole time we were there it seemed that the booths with yarn or spinning fibers were packed full of women. It seems like they should take the festival more in that direction to cater to that dynamic. All in all it was an enjoyable Saturday, and I came home with some new yarn, nothing is bad when you get new yarn out of it.

I hate being sick

I would have posted more in the last couple of days but life threw me for a loop.
In the past week R has gotten a job, I put A in pre-school with his sister and I tried to OD on my blood pressure medication. It has been a fun week.
I love the fact that R will be bringing in some money, which is allowing us to send A to school. My baby is not going to be with me every morning, which is strange. Which is where the blood pressure meds came in to play. I had a morning routine, get up with the boy, watch some cartoons, take medication, make breakfast. Always the same. Sending him to school screwed me up.
The second day he was gone I took my medication twice. I was fine until about a half hour into my work shift. Then my pulse started to slow down and I started to feel horrible. I thought it was bad when I had uncontrolled high blood pressure, this low blood pressure stuff is almost as bad. I am not a laid back person and I never do stuff slow. I was reduced to shivering on the couch in our break room, waiting for R to pick me up. The store manager took my closing shift even though she had been there since 8 in the morning. I came home and slept the rest of the night.
I went to work yesterday thinking I was better and I would be fine. About an hour and a half into my shift my high blood pressure came back full force. My doctor told me to not take my pills since I had doubled up the day before. I didn't realize how much my medication lets me be the person I am. I sat in a chair last night dizzy and freezing or burning up alternately all evening. By the time I left I could hardly walk and was babbling. I hate not being in control of myself.
Today I was supposed to work but opted to stay home so maybe when I have to go back tommorow I will actually feel better. R called me today at 10 after noon and woke me up. I slept for over 12 hours, which I haven't done since before I had kids. I still feel crappy, but nothing like I did before.
On the crafty front, I have continued working on some stuff. I am onto the next color in my 76 stitches hat, I need to learn how to join yarn in better though. I have that bit of a hole where I joined my colors that so many people talk about. A got a homemade blanket and pillowcase to take to school with him, both Scooby Doo. I made myself a messenger type bag to use when I ride my bike, but yet again I found flaws in a pattern. It is too small for all the crap I carry around. I may end up making a new bag, bigger this time. That's all for now. 2 days until Mouse comes to visit, yay.

FABULOUS FIBER FEST!

I'm going to the Fabulous Fiber Fest!

mouse is going too! Check out the cool button she made.

In fact she has found out a lot of other So. Cal bloggers are heading there... so go to her blog and add your name and we can all meet up and have fun. If your going steal the button.

FO's

Like I said I was starting on my Christmas presents, this week I actually finished one. I made my mom a memo board in lovely autumn colors cause it matches her decor. Pics later.
I also finished my aunt's baby gifts. She had the baby this last week, so I figured it was time to finish the blanket and hat I made. Baby Courtney was a
wopping 10 lbs and 13 ozs. Miss Courtney was the biggest baby in the family yet, my A was a 9 lbs 12 ozs. My only consolation is that my baby was vaginal and this was my aunts second C-section. I still have big baby bragging rights. Also pics later of the blanket and hat.

I also made the last of my fleecy boas, I now have about 20 of them just hanging around waiting for the right person. I collected all of the extras from the huge amount of blankets I made last year for sale.

I bought A his first big boy pillow, it has Spongebob all over it. RM was jealous so I whipped out a new pillowcase for her pillow with some excess Strawberry Shortcake fabric. I also cut out and pinned A's pillowcase, Scooby DOO, and pinned a bunch of baby blankets to be sewn. I was a busy little crafter over the last two days. I didn't have to work. Today back to work. Still working on the 76 stitches hat.

Damn YOU Mouse.

You taught me this Long Tail Cast on thing and now I've had to redo it 4 times. I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. Now currnetly knitting a 76 stitches hat from the new InterWeave Knits issue. I had 2 different skeins of Manos sitting around doing nothing, now they have a purpose, a hat for me. That's right, I'm knitting for myself. I am also still working on a crocheted sweater, for myself. I am becoming selfish. I spend so much time away from home doing someone elses work that I want things for myself.
Next up...starting Christmas presents. Normally I start my shopping in August, this year I am starting the projects in August as a side effect of living hand to mouth. I do have a lot of craft supplies though, so everyone gets something made with love this year.
I joined Secret Pals III today. Now I get to wait to find out who I get to send stuff to, I have lots of ideas.

The Camera still had a charge.

So even though the dog ate the camera cord it still has about an hours' worth of charge. I gathered together everything I could find that I've finished lately, A's hat is no where to be found. I think I left it at my mom's house, c'est la vie. Here is my prototype knitting bag.

My fuzzy flip flops using Bernat Boa

And of course my balls of Reese's Fleeces, the same colors as Mouse's, more colors soon.