E is for..........

Expletives! My sewing machine died at 10:00 last night. I have to take it to the shop in the am. I was working on Princess's blanket. ARRGG!



The apartment before demolition. (Actually this was taken at the beginning- the stove and fridge had already been removed).











During demolition:







After the kitchen and bathroom were demolished.

Sunny Saturday!

Doggers... had to go find a new home. Bumpkin's was distraught, Doggers gone! Doggers was to hyper for us, the last straw was this morning when Thing 2 got up around 8 and by 9:30 Doggers still was inside. He didn't take her out because no one told him to.













And if you look closer at these photos you can see the termination dust (otherwise known as snow!) Winter is coming closer.


Knitting: nothing did join a cool sock contest over at Jane's blog. Now to decide on what patterns and to find the yarn for DM's Christmas present- of 2 pairs of hand knitted socks.

Today was the decisive game of the season, Kenai was annihilated final score 46- 0 (or something like that.)

Wednesday's Works In Progress

Bumpkin's leggings. I don't like how the side increases are going so it needs to be frogged back a bit.





And because I need another project- I started this one. It is material that needs binding so Princess can have another blanket.













This is one of the jack-a-lope slippers. Have to remove the sole and reattach.

This is a rendition of the Sarah Blanche shawl. Being made into a scarf. Using 2 strands of blue wool being knitted on US 7 needles.




This is a UFO from 1999 0r 2000. Trying to finish it up.
Counted Cross Stitch Hummingbird using tear- away canvas.

Tuesdays strange stuff

Knitting: nothing. No sewing or cross stitch either. Ok I give in.... I just joined Ravelry

Found you!

• You signed up on Today
• You are #36310 on the list.
• 18207 people are ahead of you in line.
• 0 people are behind you in line
• 49% of the list has been invited so far

No pictures as I am to tired to figure what has been posted and to lazy to go take pictures of the cranberries that Bumpkins and I picked yesterday. Now that was fun. NOT. Picking berries w/a 2 1/2 yr. old at least we were next to the swing set. We only got about 1 cup and then had to quit for nap time.

Training last night- it cost almost $6.00. We had to use creative childcare- what is that? Well I stayed here at home until DH came. He picked up Bumpkins and took her to daycare at 5:30 pm. a day care worker closed the facility down and then brought Bumpkins home. That was 6:30 and then she stayed here until I got home at 7:30. The sitter/provider just happened to be my Pool Supervisor's fiance'. Very small town.

Tuesday's strange stuff: What not to wear if you want to continue hosting your family gathering or meeting your kids significant others for the first time. DH saw it and said you have got to be kidding, and now w/o further ado I bring you the Turkey Hat.

Random Website Monday

Yes there is a warning label on the can: Not to be consumed by children or people sensitive to caffeine. And the Rockstar Pomegranate juiced is kind of yucky.

Knitting: Have to frog back about 3 inches on Bumpkins leggings. And have started to knit a scarf out of chenille for me. Thinking that that will get frogged as I don't like the way it is going. I really need to remember that I have to cast on w/a size bigger needle. So that being the case- I have to wait until next month for my yarn allowance to get bigger needles. Thinking size US 16 or will US 14 be better? Panic is starting to set in as there are 90 days until Christmas! Can I get everything done?

DH wants me to make a quilt for us now. He asked "can you make one about 10 times bigger?" When I replied that the doll quilt took me over 2 yrs. He came back w/"and about 100 times faster?" Gotta' love the man.

It has been getting colder here lately. Last week there was a trailer/mobile home fire in Nikiski- 2 people died. If you use a wood stove, Please clean it out prior to using it.

Am planning to put together care packages for Princess and DH said T can get one too. So Kazul e-mail me w/T's address. And Princess place your order! Otherwise you will get what you get (if I can keep Bumpkins out of the stuff!).

Thank you to Lynn for surfing because she found today's and tomorrow's posts.

Random Website: DH says he would never eat any cereal that was knitted and that was just wrong. Shreddies.

D is for................

D is for Dogs






















D is for Done the Doll quilt is finished!
Details: Quilt is 15 1/2" square using 2 1/2" flannel blocks and has a flannel backed satin binding of 1 1/2". The backing is a flannel square cut from one of Bumpkin's receiving blankets. It is hand pieced and hand stitched also it is hand tied. Took over 2 years.

Food pictures

Bumpkin's first time licking the beaters!
And here is a picture of the delicious chocolate zucchini cake. The recipe said to frost- but w/the chocolate chips in it that is frosting enough.


Knitting: am making progress on Bumpkin's leggings (have to watch what I am doing carefully so that the other leg will be the same size!)
Sewing: trying to finish up the doll blanket. Yeah right Lynn- one evening? Try 3 days!


This week cleaning at home: main entry way swept, house vacuumed (except the bedroom suite), our bathroom cleaned (kind of). Have taken 25 lbs. of empty baby food jars to the rec dept. at work. Yesterday went through one shelf of books. Today helped DH clean out the music room and entry way. (have to make room for MORE GEAR)! Did I mention that I cleaned out my car? Now to find the checkbook.... it has to be here somewhere!

Kazul said that I wasn't explaining the pool shut down very well. So here goes. Shut down is when we spring clean or fix problems. The biggest thing for this year was to replace sand filter tanks. That entailed shutting down the circulation in the pool, draining the old sand filters, removing the old sand, cutting out the old filters, replacing the floor which they sat on (metal I-beams were rusted through) repainting the area, waiting on parts, and now this weekend will be spent putting in the new tanks with new sand. We are hoping that all goes well and that the pool chemistry is good so we aren't shut down another week. What the rest of us are doing is pure cosmetic and it will be ok if it doesn't get finished. But water circulation is a very major thing. You can't go swimming if the water isn't being circulated. Nasty things grow in stagnant water.

Well that is all folks- hope to go berry picking today. The rosehips are perfect and so are the lowbush cranberries.

Wednesday's WIP's

I saw this idea of Wednesday Wip on someone blog.. (if you know who than please let me know so I can credit them!).

The black is Bumpkin's leggings. I am up to the knee and now need to start the increases for the thigh. This is going very fast on size US 10 dpn and Jiffy mohair lion brand yarn. Should be soft and warm and indestructible. Good for a first time project.
And this is the doll baby quilt. And why is this still a WIP? Well because one seam needs to be sewn and it still needs to be tied. Maybe posting the pic of it will inspire me to finish it.


There are no pictures of the Sarah Blanche prayer scarf or the new scarf that I put on the needles on Monday. (they are in the car- and I am not going out there to get them.... it is dark out!) Just realized that there aren't any pix of the jack-a-lope slippers. Don't know where to to searching for them tonight. Can't turn a light on as the light and noise of my search will wake up Bumpkins.

Also please bear with me as I figure out blogger and posting of pics. What looks good on the preview just isn't happening when I publish.

More cleaning out at the pool (found enough money for 3 sodas- each soda cost $1.50 in the vending machine). People really liked my cake, and the new secretary is kind of nice. She told me that I taught her grandson swim lessons 2 yrs. ago- ah huh, like I am going to remember kids from that long ago. We cycle about 70 kids through lessons each summer. Not to mention the ones in the fall or spring sets. Makes for me going on vacation difficult.
The Alaska state dividend amount has been made public.... and the amount is $1654. That will be a big help. Last year we tithed one whole check to the youth pastor- and we were blessed all year.
Thing Two is no longer playing football as he is now ineligible. Bummer for him- I wonder if he still wants to play hockey.
Church tonight- we had chili w/corn bread. Yumm....

Kazul- no I won't make you a tank top (the pattern is for little girls!). Princess- you never were allowed to play w/these doll babies. (they were in the basement).

Tuesdays strange stuff

And now to show what my $20 yarn allowance:
Size US 6 dpn by Addi (I have size 6's in metal, but only 3 of them!)
And yes I did go over my monthly allotment by $6. I bought the Jiffy yarn, and some wool (at a thrift store) and some vintage US 3 steel long knitting needles. Wonder where I put those........



And because I am terrified of running out of fushia Lullaby yarn. I bought more! Now in stash is 5 balls of the stuff- that should be plenty to make a cardigan and accent pleats in a skirt.

Next month, the black lullaby will be bought!




And because Jo-Anne's didn't have the color that I wanted for Bumpkins leggings- I went to black. I have more black at home, so if these leggings require more than one skein, life will be good.





Knitting: Am knitting away on Bumpkin's leggings. The new ones in black.

I am busy working shut- down out at the pool. Between that and no internet when i want, life is difficult on the computer. Pictures are super slow to upload. Wonder if there is a lot of debris on the comp. and the poor laptop is in need of maintenance.

The booties were made w/this pattern: Knit booties (very quick).

Tuesday's strange stuff: This stuff would be nice for a Christmas stocking, wonder if peanut butter is next.

Made chocolate zucchini cake tonight- yummy!!!! Bumpkins helped.

Random Website Monday

Bumpkins wanted Doll baby booties. So I made these w/acrylic yarn and size US 6 needles. They were a little to small- Hopefully they fit the American Girl doll baby- so they are now put up until Christmas.







So I cast on and knitted a pair w/size 10.5 US. And these are a little tight in the ankle for the 27" Gotz doll babies. (The big dolls were mine, but Bumpkins has taken over them!)







And now you can see the noticeable size difference. Same yarn- but different needle sizes.








Knitting: I was knitting a pair of leggings for Bumpkins w/Jiffy Lion Brand yarn. And wondering why w/6 US that I wasn't getting anywhere (after finding and reading label, I discovered that I was supposed to be using US10's. Big difference). So I re-cast on w/my 10 cn because, I didn't remember that I had them in DPN. And knitted straight- until I got to the point of make one in purl form (which I can't do!). So I put that project on hold, thinking that next month I will get some 10 US dpn. Well tonight I discovered my DPN's in a sewing basket- and after figuring out how to put straight onto DPN's. (Now that is another long story). I am really making progress.

Random website: Not to be morbid (though this is better than having an urn full of ashes on your dresser). But this is a very nice- EXPENSIVE- way to remember a loved one. Wish I had the 6 grand to get one for DM, Princess and Kazul. Don't think that I would spend that kind of money on a pet though. (Ok- I would if it was a million dollar race horse!).

C is for.....

C is for challenges? No C is for Changes:
Changes in weather- as the first serious frost was last night. (Sunday night)
Changes in the house- Thing One is on his way to Seattle. (He was kicked out this am- very stressful morning around here!)
And finally this: my first legal gray hair to fall out. (All of the other ones have been pulled). Ok so it isn't really gray it is white!















Not much blogging lately as I have been busy trying to knit, read (Dee Henderson) and research Hawaii.

Just another day.....

Knitting: Cast on for leggings and have knitted 1/2 way to the knee for Bumpkins. Also have done 1 more set on the Sarah Blanche Scarf. Hope that I don't have to wind another ball for that one.

We are in the beginning of shut down at the pool. So I am very sore and tired. Today was spent gently scrubbing calcium build up off of a light pole. Had to scrub lightly as the paint was coming off- if I scrubbed to hard. Tomorrow will be scrubbing the rest of the bench and all of the window trim. The bench is about 3 ft. long and 2 ft. high- alot of scrubbing for 5 hours! Feel the burn! I have muscles where I forgot that I had muscles. Yesterday I spent the day taking vent covers out of the vents. (They are about 3 ft long and heavy) and in front of every window. So lets see about 26 of them suckers. Not only did I have to remove the units but take the pretty metal plate thingy out of the top. And wipe each one down and wipe down the benches themselves. Did I mention the walls that needed to be scrubbed? 6 of those and they were taller than me. That was after I already had sanded the stuff that I had scraped off the day before. I finished it up on time because I had a helper that stuck the vacuum in the vents. Can you imagine listening to a shop vac for 4 hrs?

Update on Thing Two- Homecoming this weekend! And he is playing varsity. Princess is going to go look at cars this weekend. And Bumpkins can turn off the amp when she is done playing the drums. She also told me that she turned the piano off when she was done (for that one she just turned it way down!). She is getting so big.

No pics again as the internet is really slow due to ....... rain. DH says that we have had some frosts but my Nasties are still alive. (Nasties die as soon as frost so much as kisses them.) Think we have had some really heavy dews.

Dinner: hamburgers w/fried onions and mushrooms and tater tots.

Weather: 50's sunny this am... but tonight RAIN! Get wet fast stuff and leave puddles behind.

B is for........

B is for Bravery. Let us not forget the individuals that died on this day 6 years ago and also the ones who are serving overseas.

B is for Believing in yourself and others.

Bi is for Blessings. Having 2 laptops so that I can blog on one and Bumpkins can play games on the other. (One of the laptops has a screen that makes reading blogs interesting!) I will try to post pix later when I can get on the other laptop. Children that entertain each other (Bumpkin's and Thing one played on the electronic drum set tonight!) also for old computer games windows 3.1 that still run on the newer comps. also for jobs that you can do anywhere.... that leads us to...

B is for Bombshells that DH dropped on Sunday. If anyone is following the news, the Hawiians are finally getting recognized as being Natives. Now when that happens DH wants to go to Hawaii to live. That will be different as I have lived in alaska for since 1970, So I will enjoy the next 1-4 years that we will live here.
Links when I get to the other comp.

Pictures

Pictures to go w/ yesterday's post of A.... is for Accomplishments.

Bumpkin's Monica tank top finished! Details: cast on ? finished September 7 2007. Knitted w/ fushia and Black lullaby yarn by Berrocco. Needles used Cast on and Bind off size 8 US (Also used for the straps). Main Body and ruffle size 7 US. Modified pattern to only one ruffle in the front and made straps longer than the 5 inches called for. Also grafted the straps together. Like the finish better that way. If I remake this: I would definitely make this in the round and longer. this is not a one skein knit w/the Lullaby (in the smallest size I used 1 full ball and less then 1/3 of another in the main color.)

Zucchini bread, using whole wheat flour and grated yellow squash. (it is an accomplishment because i didn't waste the veggie.)

It is possible to grow flowers w/o water. These plants got watered maybe twice after being moved into the green house. The morning glory even flowered. Wished I hadn't missed that one- morning glory flowers are so pretty.

A is for..

Accomplishments: Will try to post finished pictures of The Tank Top! Yes it is done! Also made zucchini bread (with yellow squash and whole wheat flour) and there is another strange accomplishment.
Knitting: nothing new. I have been trying to finish up Bumpkin's doll quilt. I have the back almost all the way on- just have one long seam and then some tacking to do before the final step of tying.

I have worked some really long days. 7-3, then coming home to put Bumpkin's to nap. (at work, we haven't been able to take a real lunch. We eat w/one eye on the parking lot. We can't sit in our cars, knit or leave the pool interior.) And that makes for a very long day.

Today- very rainy. Bumpkin's and I went to Saturday Market (farmer's market) and the people were rude! Not the individuals running the stand, but the shoppers. Taking cuts and just ignoring other people. Bumpkin's and I got soaked!!! And then we went to the library- going to the library at 1:00 on Saturday is rush hour!!! I will go in around 10 am from now on- or just stick to Monday's. (wonder if knitting will be restarted- as that was fun.)

Have to post now as the internet connection is unstable-

Dinner: Stew and buttermilk biscuits
Weather: RAINY and temps in 50's. (there was a misty rain that got everything wet very fast!)

A is for .......

Appreciation: For clouds in shapes- that we never used to have. (Those are some of the pathetic Black Spruce that we call trees!)
Appreciation: for Alaska's bounty. (Currants that need to get picked- as frost is coming).

Appreciation: for the fireweed that has already gone to seed and is taller than me. (6 weeks till winter and over 5 ft. of snow!)

Appreciation: for the fall flowers (Alaska Nasturtiums). I really like the variegated leaves.
Knitting: Cast on and ribbed one row of Bumpkin's leggings. Have to frog and recast as the ribbing doesn't quite line up. Will do that later tonight. Am now on the last row of Bumpkin's tank top. Need to do- straps and seam it up. (Did you know knitting 3 sts. on size US 8 needles is really hard, esp... when said knitting needles are about 14" long.)

Worked a really long day today: 7 am until 3 pm. Wouldn't have been so bad except that I thought that I worked until 12. So I didn't get much sleep last night- as we are trying to get Bumpkin's out of our bed. That lasted until 2:30, when I decided that 5:30 was coming fast. So now I am exhausted and Bumpkin's is napping.

Thank you to all who comment, I will continue to have random websites and strange stuff.

Tonight dinner: Pizza

Weather: Sunny and 60 (you can tell someone other than an Alaskan designed Weather girl- she is always in pants and long sleeve shirt. Today I am in t-shirt and shorts!)

Tuesdays strange stuff

To be small enough to bounce on balloons......And somethings just shouldn't be done..... sitting on a ball in the crib! (She was standing on it).



Knitting: made a gauge swatch for Bumpkin's leggings. Now to start knitting them. Knitted 1 row on Bumpkin's tank top. Tomorrow will finish up the last 2 rows on the tank top. I really have to wind yarn into a ball for the Sarah Blanche Scarf. Last night I learned that I can knit and read blogs at the same time (kind of hard to scroll though).

Ran errands and went to work. Talked to Princess - she wants 5 thousand $. Yikes. Her car is not doing very well.
Am thinking of borrowing a page from Lucy's site. And doing a letter of the alphabet each week, starting tomorrow.

Now some serious stuff..... Does anyone really read the Tuesday's Strange Stuff or Monday's Random Websites? Because if not I will drop them.

Tuesday's Strange Stuff: This is having WAY TOO much time on your hands! I even saw some inside shots! Not me- I would get too bored.

Weather: cloudy and high 50's

Random Website Monday

And this is Bumpkin's quilt- I thought that I was almost done. Until the last strip wound up being 1/2 to short. YIKES! I hate ripping out seams- esp. the ones that are hand sewed. So that is where I am on that.

Now why isn't this done? I measured it tonight and I am 4 rows from being done, except for the straps. I can't work on it tonight as it is now dark. And knitting with black at night, in a dark room. Uh huh... you get the picture. Not happening.

Labor Day sale shopping at JoAnnes. And since I am now doing swaps/exchanges with peoples who like to make washcloths (why?). I bought 3 balls of this cotton stuff. New stash pile designation: SWAP STASH. Hmmm... I like that one. "OH, but Honey that yarn isn't for me! and that is why I need MORE!!!!".
Knitting: Have started another swatch for Bumpkins leggings for the Elizabeth Zimmermann KAL. First swatch w/size 5 US dpns was a tad to small- so I have switched to 6 US. We shall see. I am using some kind of wool that will never run out! I can even make a pair leggings for myself and have plenty left over!

Haven't blogged for awhile- been playing the computer game FATE. It is kind of addicting. I only play on the laptop and with battery power. That way if my game ends than my time is up. Pretty self limiting actually.

Friday- worked 9.5 hours. To tired to do much of anything when I got home. Saturday- went grocery shopping and Labor Day sale shopping w/DH. Sunday - stayed home. Bumpkin's woke up from her nap at 4:30, crying that her ear hurt. OH NO! 4:30 on a Sunday night of Labor Day weekend- can you say ER! Well after praying and contacting a few other people (who also prayed) we gave her some Tylenol. And later when Bumpkin's was asked where her owie was, her reply was her leg (she has a skinned knee). Thank you God!

Today DH, Bumpkin, and I went out to DM's and rearranged her shed for her. I have stuff in my car to go to goodwill and the dump. DH and I drove home via the Escape Route (actual name of road- HONEST). He had never been down it. Verdict: bumpy, gravelly, and dusty. (It is about 15 or more miles of pure gravel road- at least it is now a two lane road. And if a State Trooper catches you driving on this road you can get fined, as it is a designated emergency only road.) Well, cleaning up at DM's motivated me to clean up around here. I packed up all of Bumpkin's baby clothes and afghans (to keep ones). Went through some clothes and finished my laundry. Bumpkins now has a shelf of the changing table to put some of her dolls and stuffed animals on. Yee haw!

Random website Monday: And we wonder why knitting isn't allowed in certain places.