catch up!

Weekly Hugo and Bumpkins shot...

mini scarf w/button
specifics: Cast on Wednesday Dec 3
finished Thursday Dec. 4 2008
Used US 15 Needles for garter stitch rows
US 13 for the Moss stitch.
Knitted using 13 stitches.
aprox. 24 inches long.
.5 skein of chenille gone.
Used pin for closure instead of button.

Gave away for gift exchange.

this is secret sister's scarf...
basketweave pattern
almost out of 1 skein of wool ease.
US 10 needles.
40+ inches long already.

Knitting: started teaching a knitting class. So now my Saturday's will be filled with teaching. pretty good money for now.

Sewing: attempted to quilt DH's guitar quilt, but the backing puckered and now I have to rip out some seams. AAARRRGGG!

DH has been working very long hours- w/o a day off. And now has come up with a new harebrained idea. (his words not mine). Will post more when it comes to pass. Life could get really exciting around here soon.

No new decorating for Christmas- but have lots to do tomorrow as next weekend we celebrate Christmas with Thing 2. He leaves the 20th. Did check out some books on menu ideas... not sure what we will eat though. Probably something different and hopefully easy/delish.
Any ideas anybody? we got both brunch and Christmas Eve dinner.

well that's all folks! thanks for reading. have an awesome week.

Random Website Monday

the dress I am making for Bumpkins,
the front.....

The back...
(complete w/ Bumpkins saying "I Cute!")

Knitting: the above dress is a Ravelry download pattern that is being heavily modified.

Quilting: stayed up until 3:30 making blocks for the border of the Round Robin quilt. Still more work to go on it.

Sent a Resume' out for DH today- will see what comes about on it. Today is a sunny day! Temps in the mid 60's. Still can't convince Bumpkins to go play outside- she is such a girly girl. Yesterday while we drove over the bridge, she had an absolute meltdown. Over a skitter being in the back of the car w/her. She screams bloody murder if a Carpenter Ant is on the stairs w/her. And her brothers don't want her to be a girly girl- they think it is me that makes the girls that way.

Random website: And because you have always wondered about their site.... Glaceau Water- Hydrate Responsibly.

ETA: Didn't realize there was a rainbow in the Saturday sky until Boogeyman's Wife commented about it.

Random Website Monday

The first harbinger of Spring...
there is a robin
(blogger ate my post and I lost my bigger shot of the robin)

Every Alaskan child gets to play in the water with the trucks.......

DM's socks
(the gussets are now started).

Was sunny but windy out today so instead of sewing- Bumpkin's and I went out to conquer the garden. Raked it up and got a HUGE pile of old dead grass (guess that is what happens when the garden goes to seed for 3 years). The ground is still frozen under it all and there was snow on the backside. The stuff that got raked up last fall was already starting to compost and the shrews had a heyday in that last winter. Digging tunnels, while looking for the worms. No wonder we had so many critters in the house last winter. There was a Denney's right outside the house.

Had training tonight, Bumpkin's went out to DM's and played w/Obi and Mackenzie. Got home after 10:30. Filled my tank up with gas and almost had a heart attack. $71.88 for almost 18 gallons (van was running on fumes). This weekend I saw a cool little moped that got 135 mpg- DH said that 40 mph wasn't fast enough for our highways. Bummer, that thing would pay for itself in gas in no time.

Random Website: DH's website. If some of the pictures look familiar it is because they have been posted on this blog previously.

Sunday Quotes

All things must change,

to something new ,
to something strange.
-LongfellowYes Thing 2 bleached his hair....
it was brown. Now it is gold.

Knitting: DM's sock.
the needle is marking the dropped stitch.

Bumpkin's cardigan...
It was to big so I frogged back an inch.

Knitting: After putting the cardigan back onto the needles- I counted out my stitches. And discovered that I had forgotten several of the increases! There aren't 123 stitches- only somewhere around 114. ARRRRRRGGGGGG!!!!! That means all of my projects that are on the needles require frogging! I am so frustrated! Want/ desire to knit but something that requires no thought or ripping out of stitches.

Weather: Sunny/cloudy ahhh.. Hazy! and 50 F. Had to go read Contest rules and it clearly states when the snow is gone from the yard surrounding the swing set. (Because today there is only patches of snow under the swing set).

Z is for:

Zillion.. that is about how
many projects are
needed to be done.

Zilch... is nothing got done.
DH's scarf still needs 18 inches.
(and I knitted alot on that sucker)

Zing.... this sock once had a turned
heel.
It got frogged.

Zis..... is Bumpkin's cardigan.
(you try coming up w/a letter Z!)

Z.... Elizabeth Zimmermann
leggings. (not pictured)

Zany..... Another new recipe: Pineapple Upside down cake. 1/4 c butter melted in bottom of cast iron skillet. Mix aprox. 3/4 brown sugar into melted butter then put 20 oz. well drained crushed pineapple over brown sugar/ butter. Make a yellow cake using pineapple juice instead of water, following directions on box. Pour 1/2 the cake batter over pineapple and the other 1/2 into a prepared 9" pie pan. Bake at 350 for 25- 30 min until done. Let sit for 5 min than carefully flip the pineapple one upside down onto a plate, then carefully place other one on top. Serve w/whipping cream.

And now I have finished the alphabet... what to do now for Sundays. Any suggestions?
It snowed out North (Nikiski) today- but not here. We did get some minimal melting going on though.

Strange Stuff Tuesday

Bumpkin's cardigan:

And that is all the knitting that I have done.

More Easter Pictures:

Princess doing Bumpkins hair.

DH petting Obi.

The pool where I work was on National News- ABC- was either Monday or Tuesday if anyone watched it. The picture was of a couple that got marred in front of a water slide. Here is the news article from the Peninsula Clarion.

Will be another busy work week for me. Nige is away at a conference in Palm Springs, so I get his work schedule. The rest of the week is a 7 am to 5 pm shift.

Strange Stuff: A totally different kind of Easter Basket.

Y is for...

Y is for: Yet another cute kid/kitty picture.

Y is for: "You think that I'm to big for this box? I do to fit.. think that a nap is now in order."



Y is for: Yeppers another knitting project. This one is DM's sock being knitted on US 2 dpns and sockotta yarn. Cast on 52 and gauge is 7 sts. to an inch.








Y is for: Yes it is a fish!
Specifics: US 8 needles took about 80 yards of purple/silver acrylic remnant. 2 hrs.

Family updates: DH got a job... he is a rent-a-cop ie.. security guard. Thank you Homeland Security for this job. (It is going to be a very high risk job come summer though. Homeland Security has decided that all ports will no longer be considered beach access. One of our ports is major beach access in the summer for the commercial set net fish sites and those fisherpeople will no longer have access to their beach sites that have been in their families since set netting started. So it affects a huge group of people for their livelihood and way of providing for their families. Another hit to our local economy).
Other family updates: we are on Spring Break. Sure would like to see some Spring! The snow from 2 days ago is still on our driveway! Princess says Anchorage has almost no snow.
Bumpkins and I went to Kaladi Bros. for a Ravelry knitting meetup. She was so good! Watched Dora (Thank you Princess) drank an Italian soda and ate a cookie that was good for almost 2 hrs. And I got some knitting time in on her black leggings that are now ready for the inside leg increases. No sewing this weekend and this is going to be a long week at work.

Weather today: Sunny and maybe 37 F.

Random Website Monday

And this is why I couldn't take Bumpkin's outside on Sunday. Moose bedded down beside the driveway.

And this is a cat neck pillow- made for Bumpkin's. She doesn't like it and wants to give it to Sissy.

Details: Simplicity Crafts 5310
1/2 yard 45" wide pink plush knit
Backed w/ recycled pink flannel heart receiving blanket.
Pain to make, easy once you got past the face and the darts. 4 hrs. to make.

Since I haven't posted a picture of DH's scarf for awhile.. here it is.
The ruler is 24 inches long, so the scarf isn't even 30 inches yet. I keep pulling out the needles and have to reknit a row or more. Need stoppers on the ends so that this doesn't happen again.

You Belong in 1983

Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day.

What Year Do You Belong In?

Random Website: And if you find yourself w/some time on your hands this site will suck all of your life out of you.

Thank you to everyone for the Birthday wishes.

Tuesdays strange stuff

Lynn has Presented to me with the *Make my Day* Award.

Now whom to tag?
Kazul
Fiberchic


Knitting: Almost done w/another mitten this time it will fit Bumpkins. Don't like the pattern as there are no stitch counts (as in how many stitches should be on the needle after increasing and knitting 23 rows) until the end when the final decreases are being done. (Was 4 stitches off). And am not frogging! Bumpkins didn't like having all the needles around her fingers. And since I will definitely be running out of yarn- I get to buy more! (Lots more as the Pastor's wife loves this colorway.)


A word of caution: Apples can and will freeze if left in a tote bag out in car over night. (Guess it got below 0 last night.)

Tuesday was an interesting day. Got to work and had a evaluation done on me. That was ok... only got S's (thankfully no N's for needs improvement, but no AA's for Above Average and definitely no O's for OUTSTANDING). During the eval. Big Boss said that she would rather see me working on programs (Water Aerobics, lessons, or group fitness for kids) than cleaning. Yeah!! I am all over that one- but still I will clean (but not as much). So today I did laundry and wrote out evaluations to go home w/the swim lesson kids tomorrow. Nige also asked me to supervise last night. No big deal- but did a major goof up. After locking all doors (so I thought) and checking to make sure everything was clean, And setting the alarm. I walked out the front door - only to discover that I forgot to lock a door! What do I do? Emergency phone call to Nige asking him now what? He was very thankful that I did. The worst thing to do would be to leave the front door to the pool unlocked overnight. YIKES! When I got home after 10, Bumpkins was still up and needed a shower. LONG NIGHT for me. And that is why no Tuesday post.

Strange Stuff: This is what happens when people make pets out of working dogs and the owners have WAY to much time on their hands. Hats and what is this a TUXEDO? (We no longer need these dogs to chase down our food in the deserts.)

Weather: Below 0 again. (More like -10 and it will get colder!)

Q is for....

Q is for... Quite addicting. These drawstring pouches- no two are alike either. And I did follow the pattern... kind of.




Q is for..Quilts. I was trying to make this for DH for Christmas, didn't happen so now am going to finish it up for his Birthday (January 19) Does anyone see the glaring error? I put this on hold because I hate ripping things apart and that is what I need to do. Just hope that I have enough material to finish the last 2 borders.






Q is for.... Quite a journey, on January 13 I will have been blogging one year. Wow... my posts have come a long ways.

It snowed again today so I took Bumpkins sledding, the best thing about living next to a gravel pit is the awesome sledding hills. We didn't stay out long because the temp was only about 7 above, and I got cold.

Thing 2 got his luggage picked up from the airport.

Knitting: am now officially 3/4 done w/the scarf. Today also serged a pair of pajama pants together, they still need to have a waist band put in and hemmed. Need to cut out one more pair.

Dinner: fried cube steak w/onions, steamed rice and mixed veggies. (no pictures of food for a change).

Hmm... only 2 people are up for a contest? This could be BORING! Still thinking when & what to do for a contest and the prizes.

Works in progress?

And this is the hot pad that Bumpkins made w/a lot of help.

This is the scarf for my secret sister. It has only 13.5 in. done. I intend to finish it this weekend. I will be a knitting fool.




This is what I have been uploading into ravlry. All of my acrylic that I have acquired not bought.
Bumpkin's saw it all over the floor and said "MOMMY! look at this mess. What are you doing? Clean it up. NOW!" And she drug me into the room and watched me clean it up.

Gotta' go play a xbox game (fishing!)

Works in progress Wednesday

DH hooked the other laptop up to a monitor- so now we have pictures again. (I am so spoiled- the other laptop is upstairs in the music room and I am used to blogging in bed at the other end of the house).
So for Jopal and Lynn some snow. Taken this morning (if you look closely you might even see the snow falling). Winter is now here.



And this is a work in progress for DH for Christmas. I still need to outline stitch almost everything. Somehow it is already full of mistakes. First the quilt square isn't big enough- I cut it out an 1 1/2 inches to narrow. And then didn't reverse the templates. Oh well- the best thing about a quilt is almost anything goes!







And finally DM's socks- frogged for the 3rd time this am. I lost track of where I was in a K3 p1 sequence. I really like the way the colors go together. It is DM's colors. Has anyone else noticed that sockotta is kind of splitty?


Not pictured but cast on for a scarf for my secret sister at church. (I needed some bible study knitting). Also have cast on for another drawstring bag.

Wednesdays works in progress

Works in progress: I have pictures... but the Dell laptop died and we can't find the cables for the camera to talk to the other comps. So there will be some long posts w/o photos. Sorry!

Knitting: Bumpkins leggings 2/3 done. DH quilt square: working on the outline stitch.

And now the meme from Lynn 7 random facts about me:

1. My girls are 16 yrs apart (there is only 4 days between their birthdays).
2. I was running slightly ahead of time for work (unusual) and after pulling my shirt over my head. The pronged sequin lodged itself into my nose like a piercing. I had to have assistance to remove shirt from sequin than ask permission to go to the dr. Boss Nige thought that I was joking. My head boss asked if I had been running late- for it to be under workman's comp. No such luck- and HR didn't get that interesting incident report!
   
3. Got vinyl letters stuck in fax machine at work. (Seriously the machine ate the letters!)
   
4. I don't like water in my face/eyes.
5. My favorite nut is the Macadamia (one meme I won't be doing is the nut one!)
6. I am not allowed caffeine while at work (something about a high metabolism and getting hyper).
7. In 3 years I will have lived in Alaska for 40 years. Yes I am a bona fide Sourdough!

So there you have it 7 random things about me. If you want to play consider yourself tagged!

Wednesday's Works in Progress

Well here are my works in Progress this week.

These 2 strange things are diapers for Doll babies. The larger one is supposed to fit a 16-18" Doll. Thankfully it fits the 15". The little one fits a 12" Doll. Each diaper was cut out of 2 pieces of flannel than serged together- they just need Velcro sewed on.









This is the first leg of Bumpkin's leggings, I have 2 more inches left to knit than I can read the directions again on what to do next. (Just hope that I remember how many I cast on in the first place!)







This last one is a bathrobe made for the 15" doll. Again using the 16-18" pattern. Just needs velcro fasteners and to be hemmed.




And one other project for Christmas, cut out and waiting for finishing touches. Can't say very much about it as the person reads this blog.

Wednesday's Works in Progress

This is Princess at 9 mos. (will this pic work better? You already had red hair by then!)



See last week's post. Nothing more has been done. Well except on the material blanket for Princess- that has seam binding on about 2 ft. I should be picking up my new sewing machine tomorrow! So I can play with it- as I won't be home Friday night and definitely don't want to wait until Saturday!
I have been working 10 hr days out at the pool. Leaving the house by 6:30 am and getting home after 5:30 pm. Bumpins went down around 8 pm tonight. But all I want to do is sit in bed w/her and read blogs and play mahjong. My 20 hr a week job this week is 30! I could call in sick the rest of the week and not use up sick leave hrs. Sad thing is that there aren't any guards to call in.

God's Hand is all over this Hawaii thing. I was talking to a water therapist today (she is a retired english teacher). And when I told her about possibly moving to Hawaii in 3 yrs. She said go to the Big Island- Well that is the Island that DH and I are seriously considering. Then I told her what I was looking for and that the 2 areas that I really liked are Waimea and Mt. View, she told me that I have been doing my research and that is exactly the right areas for my needs. Waimea- for horses and closer to the resort hotels (pools where Aquatic Directors are utilized). Then she said that she did her therapist training on the Big Island. And then this is the total God thing- she told me that she has property w/a hole dug in it for an aquatic therapy pool (there aren't any on the Big Island) and if she does open the facility that I will have a job. And where does she have this hole dug? Ocean View about 45 min from Mt. View. So is this all luck/ coincidence or does God really have his hand on all of us? (2 separate families) you tell me.....

Well I am off to find something simple to cut out for my new machine tomorrow.... and what is this machine..... it is a Scandinavia 300. Should last a very long time! Yes DM you can use the embroidery if you need to.

Also trivia- today is the 50th anniversary of the launching of Sputnik

Weather: Cold this am 29 degrees. this afternoon 40's and sunny (beautiful 1/2 harvest moon last night!)

Dinner: pizza

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.

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).

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.