Been A While

OK, I did it.....I took the night off from work. I really overdid the shovelling, painting, ladder climbing, wallpapering and am having trouble moving. My job is quite physical, moving patients, so I thought it best to take off tonight and go in for the busier Friday and Saturday nights. So tonight I am a slug...I will blog and knit.

I am not being good on my yarn diet.....I get it into my head I work hard and truly haven't splurged on anything for me since we started thinking about a house in November. I have actally purchased quite a bit of house supplies with "my" spending money so I splurged. Yes yes, I know, I am going to the Spring Fling in April, but I will probably not splurge until then as I have to save up to be ridiculously indulgent. Anywho....I got into Loopys Sneak Up before it was announced and got me a Namaste bag. I have BEAUTIFUL knitting bags folks have made for me, and I use them all often, but I really want a more weather appropriate bag. My beautiful felted bags are getting beaten up in the rain and snow and need a rest. So I purchased the bag in my favorite color of LIME and a needle case in OLIVE. The bag is amazing!! On Ravelry there was some concern it would be too grandmotherly, but it isn't at all. It is roomy and lustrous and I may spend some time setting it up. I also purchased some yarn, (imagine that)

In the beginning when I would buy yarn online I was intriqued with Lorna Laces, I have stopped purchasing LL for the more varietal indy yarns , but when the LE listed these LL yarns, I couldn't resist. There is butterscotch in sport weight and look at the colors of that Pilsen in the traditional fingering weight. I tend to send a lot of my LL in swap packages, but I think these will be staying with me. Also Spritely yarn in Peppercorn Blend, there is enough yardage on this for DH's 16eeee feet!!!
I received a beautiful ME box from my Sock It To Me Twice pal, she had been reading my blog and noted the stress of moving and ssurgery and working and sent me a basket with lotions, a candle, some very wonderful yarn and CHOCOLATE!! Look at the adorable basket it is in. SHe is a wonderfully thoughtful pal. For the most part, I have been very fortunate with my swaps, only one or twice I have been the victime of people not coming through.

I am almost done with the first Jaywalker, not much knitting time at all. Meanwhile Bev finished her Foxie AND is flying though her Rogue, any guess why the font is green?? :) Go check it out, it is grand. And Helen is just about ready for the sleeves on her Mermaid. She has chosen the most beautiful colorway. They are both amazing knitters and I will catch up.

DS2 is making great progress, thank you all for your kind thoughts and words of encouragement. I just returned from the nightly high calorie shake run. he lost so much weight I bring a shake with about 1200 calories in it. I am not sure he needs it anymore but I think we both enjoy the nightly exchange of empty bottle for full bottle and a little hi how are you time. Poor guy had a two hour orthodontist appointment today, they changed all his wires. He still has some sutures and the whole thing left him quite sore.

I painted the kitchen ceiling and have started the stripping of the old paper and the hanging of the new. DH hung the new door(chiseled the hinge places and all) and I painted it for DS2 room. The old door had a crack clear through and we could only salvage the really cool hinges. They are hard to describe, there is no pin, you just lift the door up and off.

That is not the wallpaper that is staying....that is down already.

I got these really kitchy vintage curtain holdbacks, I need 8 and have 5 but they keep popping up so I am sure I will find the other three. They are for the living room.


So it would make sense to stop blogging and start knitting at this point. I am glad I took the time....I enjoy this. I will try to get on a better track. :-)

BUT Have you seen this???

Trying

As is the norm with cabley stuff, it never works first time out. There was this wrong and that wrong and they didn't have this or that....DH flexed his muscles and spoke with a supervisor and they proceeded, but we still don't have service to speak of. I do have television now but DS1 does not and the modem and computers won't speak so I have to post quickly as my neighbor limits my time, heehee
OK


DS1 room before and after
He is still unpacking and settling in, everyone has til the middle of March, we are still living at two places through February(long not to be told story)It isn't apparant in the pic but his new rug is also blue. The drums were a Christmas gift from GF, she checked if it was OK first, he has wanted drums for several years(I didn't know that) but felt since we didn't own where we lived he shouldn't make the noise. Of course you can buy him drums. Both boys are very very good pianists and have stopped playing. Now the drums are out, the guitars and DS2 spied the ketboard and would like it set up again. WOOHOO!


Hall light before and after
This is the crystal chandelier DM gave me shortly after DD passed and she bought a smaller house. It is lovely and very bright.

There have been questions about Mermaid, yes I am a maniac but right now she is hiding somewhere, between post surgical appointments, moving back to school, moving and work I am happy to plug away on Jaywalker and the Multidirectional scarf.
Jaywalker,never has one small project been frogged so many times. The stitches were alipping off and it is not easy to pick back up, but I finally switched to my lovely handforged needles from Celtic Swan and viola!

The multidirectional scarf only sees me when I am not required to think...I love it and it works fairly quickly.

My Dream in Color obsession continues, these are the worsted weights from LoopyEwe and a limited color of CTH in honey mistard. DS1 loves honey mustard and may see socks in these eventually.

I wanted to blog much longer but I am afraid I will lose this connection so I will add the pics and post. DH will be trying to work out the computer quirks today.

I wanted to quickly conclude with this wreath. DSGF brought it the day we passed papers. She wanted to find something barnish, I think she did it.

Almost

OK DH has told me I am only able to blog as I am "borrowing" someone's waves....ooops....so I will wait til the cableguy comes this afternoon to upload pictures as DH says this would be very slow and probably noticeable......thanks kind neighbor... :)

In the Dark

We are running out to get some lighting contraptions and then there will be an update...I know the pics were lacking and the Mermaid is not mentioned......I am just coming off 5 10-12hours shifts in a row and post surgical appointments and getting DS2 back to school and packing and moving and just trying to have enough time in the day to pee once or twice. Right now I am sitting on the living room floor with a bare bulb lamp next to me, DH's laptop, we officially don't have cable yet...I started a post at work last night but without pics I didn't want to post. SO in the late night or morning pour yourself a cuppa and read a long pic filled post.
Bev,,,way tog o!!!! Woohoo to Foxie being done....congrats!!!!

5am

OK I started waking at 5am and it is now almost 7am...I am off to the farm to see how much shoveling is to be done and to bring back the camera at the end of the day. Pics will be added to post below......I need coffee...heehee

Monday, Monday

We are expecting a Noreaster here, they have declared a snow emergency in Boston, there are over 300 school cancellations and I brought my snowbrush inside the hospital with me. You know what that means? It is raining!!!! heehee I am sure it will switch over at some point, but hopefully I will get home first.(update...visibility was one car length the whole wat home...)

OK Long awaited for updates..
(camera is at new house-pictures later tonight)
Multidirectional scarf out of Patons SWS, received a long time ago from a wonderful swap partner. I think her of often and check out her blog still. When the yarn was sent to me , I believe 4 skeins, I had just purchased 3 skeins in the exact same colorway...it was strange. I love working with the yarn, it does get hairy though, but the striping and softness is amazing.

Jaywalker socks, no they don't look much longer, but they are actually done, or they would be had I not frogged AGAIN and then pulled a needle completely out...and there is something about the color , when I start knitting it hypnotizes me and I start to drift. I adore the yarn, it is one of my favorite ETSY dyer, Dharmafey of Cosmic Fibers, it frogs and reknits beautifully. I am plugging on as I am trying only carrying two projects at a time and these two are it.

I am trying to remember the swaps I am in currently,

Mitten 2

Sock It To Me Twice

and a Valentine Swap on Ravelry.

Not too bad though I find myself straying and looking...heehee

Moved many drawers of yarn to the farmhouse and many tubs yet to be catalogued...I shall be very busy for a long time.

I must pay my deposit for the Loopy Ewe Spring Fling this week, I am not even going to kid myself into thinking I won't be doing much shopping in the Loopy Room. I am in love with Dream in Color in all weights and have started collecting the various weights in Spring Tickle....I want to make my Rogue out of the worsted weight even though I have Wool of the Andes...maybe I need 2 of the Rogues? Hmmmm....that would mean knitting it three times as I have plans to knit one for a friend at some point and I have that yarn already as well.

This is my new tarn from Loopy Ewe...what can you say but gorgeous...

DS2 had a little bit of a tough week last week but is now almost not swollen and is mostly pain free and is liking the results..woohoo. Especially good since he returns to school in another week. He is such a trooper....he has continued to pack and move and encourage me to nap while he takes some of my boxes in his truck. He loves his truck :) DS1 has done major moving of his room with the help of GF and friends. It is so odd to be moving and have the boys basically move themselves. This is our first home due to needing private schools since the age of 3 and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on education without loans, well worth it. DS1 has lived in 5 places and has been too young to really help so that is quite a treat that I can concentrate on the fixing up, let them know a space is done and in come the boxes....of course I still have my things to go.....

I have found a new mania that I must try...thrummed mittens...not yet...maybe over the summer...but try them I must. Those are the coolest things ever.....

ANother Mini

OK, not knitting, a little more done on Jaywalker and more this morning as I wait for a post surgical orthodontic appointment. DH will be at farmhouse with carpet installers. DS1 room is the only room with carpet and it is of course huge....but....

So here are a few before and afters.

DS2 room and tin ceiling before

After, that is he building an IKEA nightstand.....

Downstairs hall light, blew out, actually tripped circuit breaker.

After in pieces, DM gave this to me a few years ago when DF passed away. She thought one day I would have a Victorian house, now I have a Victorian farmhouse, dodododo(Twilight Zone)I am not really the chandelier type but it will be a sweet little addition

And this is the kitchen floor freshly washed, we had been led to believe it was a laminate, which was ok, the rest of the floors are old hardwood, but upon closer investiigate it just a very well done linoleum. Truth be told that makes me happier. I tend to tire easy of floors and although the kitchen is going in 3-4 years if I get the hankering to lay me down a new linoleum tile floor one night, I won't feel badly. I am a big fan of the checkerboard floor on point. I have done many in my time. That is a view out the slider to the yard.


OK, must pack some boxes to go into the car for the after doctor visit to the farmhouse. Work tonight and the following three but the plans are to sleep at the new house starting Monday night and spend the last two weeks of the month finishing the move. I have always found it easier to be sleeping in the new place and having the space at the old place available to pack and clean. Plus at that point the new place bedrooms are much more organized.
Have a wondrous day everyone....hopefully more updates both personal and knitting, during the weekend or early next week.

I have come across some very organized platic tubs filled with bags of well organized WIPs...woohoo, old friends forgotten, now seeming like new friends. When I can me some free time, we will have great fun getting reacquainted.

Mini Update

OK it is early here, I have been up shlemping boxes down from the attic, trying to keep my number 2 resolution and not drop things down the stairs to wake the sleeping masses...
House Update, I will take pics today while there
DS1 room painted, old rug ripped out, will call today to reschedule new rug from next week to this week. Two out of four windows have new hardware for curtains.
DS2 room ceiling painted, wallpapered, floor cleaned and waxed(will have the wooden floors refinished starting in the summer, feel no need to hold up moving in for that) Curtains hung
Kitchen cabinets scrubbed and oiled, paper has begun to come down, old cabinet hardware removed, woodwork partially set up for stripping
That is it....master bedroom, kitchen dining and living room will take place gradually as we live there except for the washing and waxing of their floors.
Knitting- I had to frog most of the leg of the Jaywalker as there was a DD(double decrease) stitch out of place about 1/2 inch from ribbing which I kept trying to ignore, but alas....back on track now. The multi directional scarf has a few more triangles done. I would so love to finish both in the next ten days but not sure with everything else going on if that is feasible....reality sets in.
DS2, we are now two weeks post surgery, the swelling is done the profile has changed and he is not accepting the new look too well. I think he feels swollen on the inside and has no feeling on the outside so isn't happy yet. He looks terrific , is dropping way too much weight, a liquid diet will do that. I am becoming the Queen of blenderized foods, especially Chinese chicken fingers with sweet and sour sauce, he loves them...the issue now is the banding. He is horrifically allergic to many things, one being latex, so his non latex bands don't have much stretch and I must get three in in a certain configuration attaching braces on top and bottom. His mouth is small and sore from all the stitches, they cut under the width of the upper lip, completely disengaged his upper palate and cut and repositioned, reattached with 8 plates held by 24 screws....so I grimace and try to be gentle and he goes white knuckled and tries not to complain. My boys have bee in the operating room so many times, and I have been in medicine longer than I have been a mother(they call me Cheryl though, always have and I love it). I have always been able to remove myself as the mother and go into medical mode and do what I have to. I think it works better that way. If I didn't I would in tears every time I had to do medical things to them. But he is rebounding, tires easily, but is so truly excited about the new house....today is a major day of moving his room. We are going to try and start sleeping there next Monday...so....
OK must brush teeth and line more boxes up. DS1 works, but GF is going to help and DS2 and DH. It will be many hours of physical labor but will feel good when showering tonight. It is also supposed to be 50 out there today....so...ok folks have a wondrous day. Pics this evening...and I am sure a little yarn update. I made a small purchase from Loopy for a project not to be discussed. Can't say more.....
Loopy....whoa Loopy...I am going to the Spring Fling so need to ignore all the Sneak Ups....DH says yes it is still a go even with the house purchase, for some reason he feels I deserve it....no wonder I married him. And it is foolish to drive, so I will be flying or taking the train, DH says flying...woohoo...now to save my pennies to buy massive amounts of yarn....this will be grand....Sheri, Wendy, Cookie A......I am not in awe of music, actors, stars like that. Politicians intrigue me...but these ladies, I hope I don't swoon....

Sock It To Me Twice

There is a new contest over at the Sock It to Me Twice swap. I must post 5 things I hope to accomplish in the new year. Oh boy, another public committment:
1. Move into my new farmhouse...
2. Learn tolerance-I have a very high expectation of what could and should be done. I impose the expectations on others as well as myself and hope to learn to accept the fact others can't or don't wish to work as hard as I do.
3. Get yarn stash organized.
4. Finish 5 WIPs before each new CO
5. Read more

Should Be Could Be but Not

Ok I should be cleaning, packing, folding laundry, I could be at the farmhouse washing walls, hanging curtains, stripping wallpaper, but I am NOT. I have decided on this second day of the new year, after having worked last night, to be a couch potato of sorts. It has been far too log since knitting updates and pictures and I miss you all. So here we go.
2007 wrap up

2007 was the first full year of blogging and KALs and swaps....I have made many new friends, a group I truly want to meet one day. I have learned about life as well as knitting from you all and so appreciate the lessons. I have been an eager student and hope to continue my studies. For all this I say thank you. I wish you health and wealth of family harmony and love. I wish you knitting hours with exquisite yarns and needles that don't break. I wish you peace and laughter shared with those important to you. Happy 2008.

I accomplished a lot of knitting, I have been keeping track over there on the side. Two FOs aren't listed so there is a grand total of 32 FO's, pretty good in my mind since only a few were projects of a week or less in time to do. I am quite pleased with what I have done and refuse to dwell on what has not been finished. I learned two handed color work and attended a Bohus workshop. This coming year I will be attending Sheri's Spring Fling at the Loopy Ewe and meeting many of my Internet friends.
I saved all my yarn wrappers from yarn used during the course of the year and am planning a contest. Sometime before the end of the month I will post a picture of the pile of bands. The closest guess to the total yardage used will win some yarn. I will increase your stash by decreasing mine :). Pass the word....

Stashes...ah...how often is this the subject of our blogs? Mine increased by leaps and bounds...almost embarrassingly so. I don't want to guess at the monetary investment so won't. I would like to nit up more of the stash this year. I am not sure the approach I will take though....

Big year on the home front, DS1 received his Master's degree at 22 years of age, so cool, DS2 graduated high school at 17 and has just turned 18 after completing his first semester of college. He also, unfortunately is recovering from some major facial surgery....I saw the images and there are 24, yes 24 screws in 8 little plates in his face now. I cry thinking about it but he is trying to be brave and enjoy his blenderized food.....Ds1 GF received her undergrad degree and is actively pursuing her Master's and she is still here with us...My sons are wonderful people and deserve all the good life has to offer them.

DH and I purchased our very first home last month.
We are working hard to get the farmhouse into move in shape and having fun doing it. I see lots of good times ahead for us in this new environ.

OK time for some photos,
My new obsession is in the farmhouse, it is 108 years old and these are three of the ceilings, they are tin. There is a tin roof on the barn as well.

living room

kitchen

DS2 bedroom, now painted flat white

Aren't they grand! Thus far, the ceiling in the bedroom is painted, the room is papered and curtain hung. DS1's room has been painted and measured for carpet, it is the only room needing carpet, the rest have old wood floors and I am secretly hoping when we tear up the carpet we will find more wood floors and fore go the carpet.

On my ten stash busters list I finished the branching Out Scarf
and the Christmas stocking for DS2. Can you guess what his chosen field will be?

So there are 8 more WIPs to be finished on the list before March something...On that front I have not touched mermaid in nearly a month, Foxie even longer. I am embarrassed and ashamed....((hanging head)). But they are on the stash buster list so who knows right?

My Tiffany mittens made it to their rightful owner and honestly there are some times I just wonder. There was no spontaneous announcement of their arrival(I still haven't heard from the Christmas knitter Pal who received the Branching Out Scarf amongst many other things) I did receive a wonderful box from Jane for my Christmas box. The mitten receiver has not posted to the blog to confirm their arrival or the other things sent. I know we do not get involved for the thanks, but it is disheartening to put so much time and effort into something and not be acknowledged. I am still waiting for my mittens but the knitter has been sick and is expecting to ship them this week. Woohoo, there is still so much winter left to use them. I had to air my feelings on the subject and won't mention it again.

This is what dear Jane sent along.

An amazing array of holiday glitz, beautiful ornament, origami star, so many packages...
Jane hand dyed some wool for me, sent along some wool to be dyed with KoolAid, I have never done this,tea, markers, needle gauge and...
Glorious, eh? Jane designed this most wonderful cabley purse, she even knit pockets inside!! I am so looking forward to using this as my summer bag...my good summer bag. Thank you Jane, you are a terrific Santa. Oh nearly forgot, I had been lamenting the scarcity of ribbon candy, did you notice the BIG tin Jane sent along? I will enjoy th tim almost as much as the candy. Thanks again.

There was a link on the mitten swap site to these mittens I had to order the Wild Roses mittens. They came in such a cute little kit set up. I have received some yarn from the Loopy Ewe sometime in the past 6 weeks...as always wondrous stuff. This is from Sundara Yarn...glorious...
I had a quiet Christmas with the family as we left the hospital Christmas afternoon after DS2's surgery on Christmas Eve. He needed to rest but insisted we all open gifts, he dozed in between rounds of gift opening..it was sad. but I did receive among other things these books from the boys. DS1 GF also added to my Mr Potato Head collection AND DH and I had agreed no big gifts due to home purchase but I received these under the tree.....

Egads right! What did you do? We AGREED!!! He had been working on this for some time before we even thought about purchasing a house so followed through with it. This is what was inside.

They are hand forged from Celtic Swan(I have been drooling over these for some time) and he requested the 00 and 1 be made in bronze and the 0 in sterling so as to differentiate....and as though that were not enough, I had to locate the final needle in a haystack which hung mysteriously on the tree. Can you see the engraving on them all? DH felt the needles were as beautiful as jewelry thus the boxing of them.
AND THEN, being the dear sweet man he is, he felt badly giving those boxes without actually giving jewelry so there was one more....

I know I know, I am spoiled rotten and many would tell you undeservedly so.

I leave you with pics of WIPs other than the well known ones.

Multidirectional scarf(pic soon as I locate it)
Jaywalker Socks for DS2 in Jack Skellington colorway by Cosmic Fibers.
Two projects in the bag at a time that is one of the new thoughts. Not quite knitting monogamy but definitely an improvement.

No More Humdrum Mittens-Part 2

I loved making the mittens for part 1 of the swap. My Pal seemed to like them , I am still waiting for the mittens knit for me, there is still plenty of winter left though. This is the questionnaire for Part 2

Questionnaire
Please post this questionnaire with your answers on your blog no later than January 12th!
How long have you been knitting & how did you learn?
I have been knitting for nearly 40 years! WOW! Learned as a child, forcibly it seemed, from an aunt who insisted on giving me a knitting kit EVERY Christmas. The kit came with minimal yarn though so not much could be made. I didn't knit for a few years again until I was more a teenager, then a lot as I dated and even more so as I had children.
Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Oh definitely advanced....sometimes more so than I would like to admit but then DH will remind me.
What are your favorite colors? Any you dislike?
I am in a deep jewel tone mood, I don't care for pastels as the primary color, but as an accent they are fine.
Do you like Latvian type patterns? If so, what are your favorite patterns?
Yes indeedy, I could never choose just one though.
Do you desire mittens for yourself, your "special someone else" or your child?What is the measurement from your wrist to the tip of your longest finger?What is the circumference of your hand at it's widest point?
I think this time out I will say the terrific GF of DS1, she is a petite little thing, xs petite actually. Cute as button. We just gave her a new winter coat that is deep coral. I am guesstimating her hand size to be a tad smaller than mine, which is small so I will say from wrist crease to tip of middle finger 7.25" and circumference at widest point 7".
What other things do you enjoy knitting?
Everything, Fair Isle, Arans, socks, lace, anything
What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum)
I am really loving KnitPicks Harmony dpns
What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make?
Noni's Pig Bag
What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with?
Any of the Socks that Rock Yarn, I don't know why I never order it.
What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? Cook?
Crafts, sewing, skiing, cycling, running.
Besides yarn, do you collect anything?
Eiffel Towers and Mr. Potato Heads
What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty?
I will pass on goodies, thanks
Anything you hate or are allergic to?
Do you have any kids? Pets?
I have two wonderful sons, 23 and 18. We are planning on getting two puppies in the spring as we have just purchased our first home.
What is your favorite part of Winter?What is your least favorite part of Winter?
EVERYTHING!!! My least favorite part of winter is spring...