Busy Busy Busy

That is how I have been lately. I go to work I come home I try to craft in between all of it. Since taking my children out of pre-school I am spending a lot of my free time breaking up screaming matches. RM is 4 going on 30 and A is just laid back, until she pisses him off. I have my hands full. I want to post more, but I rarely get the chance.

Work is picking up, this being costuming season. From here on out I expect to be answering lots of questions. I never realized just how many people who don't know a lick about sewing come into a fabric shop expecting you to walk them through an elaborate costume. Someday I hope to work for myself, not a large corporation. Or maybe just be independently wealthy, that would fix the problems.

R starts his actual hospital work on Monday, which is going to be hard. We are never going to see each other. Family is watching the munchkins between the time I leave for work and R gets home, but I wish I had a better solution. They need to get back to school, but I just can't afford it.

I'm horribly conflicted about my childcare situation. I want to be able to school them at home, but I just don't know if I would be giving them the best education that I could. I let them watch way too much tv so that I can get stuff done. They are wonderful, smart children, and I'm only a little biased in that assesment. I want the best for them. Isn't that what anybody wants for their children.

On the craft front I've been pretty steadily busy. I am hoping to be able to fill a 2'x6' table with stuff I have made. The only problem is that I keep getting distracted by the things I want to work on first. I've been trying to push aside the knitting I want to do, like a couple of hats and a gift for my secret pal. I've made a couple of baby blankets, and some purses, lots of little tissue covers, and I'm working on stuffed animals and some crocheted dishcloths. I have a deadline and like R said "2 days before you'll be up sewing all night". I am working on 20 million things, but I'm trying to do the things I should. I'm a procrastinator. I acknowledge it and am trying to fight my nature.

Pictures next time, I swear. I'm going to have R load them up for me this weekend. Pictures of all my FO's for the craft faire and the personal gift stuff.

To anyone who reads this.

I am lax in updating, I know I am. To the amazement of anybody that knows me, I am not that computer savy. I know how to take the pictures, but then I don't know how to get them to the computer. That would be why there are never pictures here. I want to post pictures of my stuff, that's why I started a blog partially. I wanted a record of the things I make, but since I never get the pictures loaded I get discouraged. So today you will get pictures of things I bought at my LYS, that other people have taken.

I ran over to Stitches In Time yesterday on my hunt for a secret pal gift and ended up walking out with 4 skeins of yarn. I did find something for my secret pal, a lovely wooly yarn in a subtly variegated color, that I will make into a nice warm gift for her. No pictures of that yarn, wouldn't want her to figure out who I am yet.

One of the reasons I shop at Stitches is because they are friendly, they may not have everything I'm looking for....but I've never been ignored (which has happened at both of the other LYS). They always have a crowd of people sitting around knitting and the help is friendly and knowledgeable. I found a great color in cotton yarn a bright turquoise, I'm making dishcloths for a co-worker, using this pattern.

Then I found a nice color combo in Cascade Quatro that will make a lovely man's gift. Mine is the one on the left. It is blue and green and an almost black.


I also found a selection of Cascade Fixation. Mouse and I have been considering this as an alternative to the Lana Grossa called for in the Donna sweater. I picked up a ball in a red and I'm going to swatch it out and see how close I can get to the gauge. I makes lovely socks and I think in the right color it would make a gorgeous Donna sweater. Best of all I was told if we needed a large quantity of it we could order it. Here is a picture of the color I picked out.


I also picked up an old issue of Knitters magazine which has some summer tank tops that I would love to make. I am considering taking a class at Stitches since they are so friendly, or maybe just going one day for drop in help. I am going to get more pictures loaded for my next post. I've been making stuff like mad, I'm going to sell stuff at a craft fair in exactly one month and counting.

Secret Pals III

Here is my list of questions and answers for the Secret Pals exchange. I have my Secret Pals info and my pal will be seeing a neat little gift soon.

1.Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
I really love high end and natural fibers, but I also love acrylics and other synthetics. I really just need to like the feel of the yarn. Most yarns have their place in my stash.
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I do not spin regularly(a little with a drop spindle...very little). I am an avid crocheter, and can make pretty much anything with it. I am a basic knitter, a little better than beginning but not quite intermediate.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Nope.
4. How long have you been knitting?
Been knitting a little over a year and crocheting about 6 years.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do not but I may make one. I am a book whore. I own thousands.
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Not an easy answer. I love Clove, peaches, and vanilla. I would really like to try some of these products. Lots of her products are scents I would like.
7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
I think they all qualify as sweet teeth.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I knit, crochet, sew, some jewelery making, embroidery. In fact I work at a JoAnn Fabrics, it feeds my craft addiction.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?
I like most music. I really like 80's, rock, country, classical, blues, some hip-hop. I am NOT a big fan of jazz or rap.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
I love reds, orange, blue, purple. Sensual colors and autumn colors. I also like pastels and brights. Brown and beiges are not colors I use.
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am married with 2 children. I have 2 cats and one dog.
12. What are your life dreams?
To own my own home, and to be able to live comfortably as opposed to scrape by every month. To see my children grow up and succeed in all they want to do. 13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I love Lambs Pride wool yarn and most soft high end yarns, I like most Lion Brand yarns and TLC Essentials yarns are great for easy care knitting. I would like to try alpaca and quivit someday.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I don't like yarn that feels rough. I am open to trying anything once though.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
I make a lot of quick knit items. My children love hats so I make lots of those.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I like to knit in the round, it's soothing. Pretty much everything I knit is my favorite at the time. If I don't like the item it gets abandoned or frogged.
17. What are you knitting right now?
I am casting on my first piece of lace, a square shawl. I am also crocheting a poncho for my little girl.
18. What do you think about ponchos?
I am making one for my daughter and the one I started for myself needs to be frogged.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Circular, I am also quite fond of double points.
20. How did you learn to knit?
My mom taught me about a year and a half ago because I wanted to learn since I have friends who knit. My mom also taught me how to crochet about 6 or so years ago.
21. How old is your oldest UFO?
About a year old. It is a monster-size afghan for my husband.
22. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Animated character: The Pink Panther and Stitch. Fav Animal: Sheep
23. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween
24. Is there anything that you collect?
Pink Panther toys, Stitch pins and items, sheep.

Hopefully this has been helpful to my secret pal. It was kinda fun to fill out. Too bad blogger ate my first post and I had to do it twice. No knitting content because I haven't been knitting. I am most of the way done with RM's poncho. Then I finish casting on my lace project.

It's Been A Cruel, Cruel Summer

I just cannot seem to shake sickness this summer. I finally broke down and went to the doctor 2 days ago because I was tired of coughing out my lungs and crying since it hurt so bad. I have a severe sinus infection and an ear infection and my sinuses draining is what is making me hack so bad. In other words I feel like crap.

I keep trying to craft and I'm so out of it that I am spending a lot of time looking at the ball of yarn and the needles. Working up the energy to do something with my supplies has been a herculean effort. The combination of the medicine and the actual infection make me spacey and I'm spending a lot of time just staring, into space or at my unfinished projects or the kids.

I did wind my skein of merino into a ball, and I am currently casting on stitches to start my first ever lace type project. I tried swatching it out for the candle flame shawl and I may have to drop back and punt on that idea. I think it needs to be made with at least a worsted weight yarn. The flame motif was almost actual size, ie tiny, when I tried it in the merino. I also started a poncho for RM for christmas. She loves being fashionable. Pictures of projects when I feel more human.