sweet Jesus!

This past week has been a blur. Okay I will attempt to start at the beginning... On Palm Sunday I married a dear Marine friend of mine and his lovely wife. The next day his Grandfather was life flighted to a regional hospital where this past Monday he died. His daughter (mother of the groom) is a dear friend of mine so she leaned on me for support. The day of her fathers wake her ex-hubby (and neighbor) died from self inflicted injuries. His funeral was yesterday. Today I get a call that one of her dads pall-bearers and her first cousin died in his sleep. Please keep this family in your prayers. For those of you not keep track that is 3 deaths and a wedding in the past two weeks in the same immediate family.
On a deeper personal note, on our block alone that makes 5 babies, and 8 deathes that have either directly or indirectly affected my family in 2 weeks time. As a pastor that is part of the job -- this I understand and am dealing with. However on Mothers day while visiting my mama my dear sister, niece and mother discovered that I know how to knit. I have kept this from them for such a long time I don't know what possessed me to blow it now. As a family of 19 (w/spouses and nephews and nieces) out of my dearly beloved Mothers mouth came the following words: "oh so this year for Christmas is everyone gonna get a pair of socks?" The sheer terror of handling life, two jobs, and a household came into immediate perspective as I heard myself utter these two detestable words...."we'll see"!!! It had to have been the yarn fumes....WH looked at me in disbeleif. All I could think to myself is "sweet Jesus what have you done??????" followed by insanely hysterical internal laughter that made me wonder is there even a stinking 19 weeks left in this year? An eldest daughter I am....wonder woman I am not! (please pray for me too!) What is next? imagining moths twitting around my light fixtures? Last time that occured I took out a ceiling fan fixture with a fly-swatter. Now with an afternoon to myself all I can think of is the dear immortal words of my lovely step-dtr...."what have I done, sweet Jesus, what have I done?" Just remember those tears running down your face are tears of joy! mine...not so much.

still downsizing

Working on what I started with the 100 thing challenge. Hence no home internet therefore I must carry my lazy butt up to the post office to post. Not much of a walk (about a mile round trip two if I hit the post office while out) but still takes planning and effort therefore photos will be iffy until June when the city wide garage sales take place. I was a little discouraged when I approached the storage shed out back of the house...16 more boxes to do....8 of craft books, 4 fabric and patterns, 2 dishes, and 2 rug yarn. I see new rugs in my future and another set of potholders for my sisters. Meanwhile why I am frogging the green gansey...yes you read that right my favorite knit in progress....is going to be reknit into something that actually fits me! My new work schedule is a bit weird so I have no set time to work on projects like I did at my old job. But none the less I am still crocheting and knitting...and lately I have been dyeing! I actually have 8 fleeces to get to the mill by the weekend and then the garage is done! We have also established a semi-small vineyard on our hillscape of a yard...so far we have an arbor and kiwi, elderberry and this weekend raspberry and blackberry bushes--hopefully! Not that exciting to me yet but the fact that WH wants to build me a hobby house is!!!! a little 16x20 chicken coop style hobby house with a porch all my own for just my crafts and hobbies is more than motive enough to continue downsizing so it all fits! Well I am off to the neighbors...she has a knit scarf she needs help fixing stitches on...yarn, needles, color in my hands, homemade food in my belly...yep its gonna be a great day off!!!

what have i done?????!!!

I am downsizing again. One because our lil house is too small. This on the eve of the comment from WH stating "honey what if I built you a lil cabin like storage shed for your hobbies". I must have lit up light a roman candle...due to the fact that earlier that morning I decided on paper to start the 100 Thing Challenge. I don't start it until April 1 but for those of you who don't know what it is either google it or here it is in a nutshell.....learning to live with 100 personal possessions or less for a year or longer. Thankfully this doesn't include shared or household neccesities like the bed, couch, or silverware. Those are grouped differently. My wardrobe will take a small hit...I am not a big clothes or shoe horse. And thankfully my knitting needles count as a group of one. WH has made me a deal that he would build it if I would decide on one or two hobbies...he is leaning toward my writing and colored pencil portraits. I am leaning toward photography and writing. Eitherway I am allowing myself an additional 10 hobby list on which I am including
10 projects (not 10 items) so I am limiting myself to certain yarns in my stash and the rest must go. This thankfully does not count my patterns because they fall in the one library allowance according to the plan. (whew!!) I am however confining myself to two bookshelves. Oy! this is gonna be a long couple of weeks just getting down to 100 things so I can start the challenge. That and one kicka** yard sale!!! I will give you a decent heads up so you can all attend. At this point WH and I are looking at late April or early May. I will have some quilting supplies, maybe leathercraft and scrapbooking along with dyeing and general household items listed. This is a maybe list and certain people have dibbs already on some supplies. I will try to list the items in here or send out flyers for those of you interested please email me or leave your contact info in the comments. Thank you! Now onward to the dresser and the dreaded t-shirt and sock collection....(insert "jaws" theme song here--sigh!)
ps....Great! my sis just called and wants some new potholders....(sniffle and whimpers) That will fall under the gift heading on the challenge! So maybe this wont be too bad! Hmmmmm!!!!

Grango socks!

Not a big lizard lover until I got ahold of this yarn!!! Mind you even though my first born was called gecko for years. (more nicknames came along).A set of socks in 3 1/2-4days that is a new record for me!! whew-who! And behold they match!!! (ohhhh ahhhh!).

productive weekend

Had awesome weather and awesome friends over this weekend. My friend Mallory stopped in and we knit on Friday until we woke WH up...lol. He kept falling asleep in his rocker...need I say more? Made a little progress on the blue sweater and began an ankle sock out of Opal sock yarn in the lizard colorway using the Yarn Harlots basic sock pattern only I got near the end of the kitchner stitch and four things happened. 1) I dropped a stitch too soon.(breath deep). 2) After picking up said dropped stitch I twisted it.(sigh) 3) Went to tighten said stitch and broke it.(whimper) and 4) tried it on only to realize it was way too long. (hysterical insane laughter). I tore it out a fifth time clear back to 20st instead of 16 and gathered all together and taadah a sock that fits nicely. (granted and extra hour outta my weekend but hey maybe I should've got the hint the first time...."well i sent a car, boat and a helicopter"--LOLOLOL!!!) I may be slow but I eventually get the hint! Thanks for not striking me dead with lightening or drowning me. (sigh!).

crazy head of mine--no proof needed but here ya go!

since my adventures yesterday and finishing the peach sock earlier today I have just started crocheting with no pattern and look what happened. I understand how knit socks are built and the percentages and the basics of crochet and knitting but poof!! I just looked down at my hands and waaaalllla a purple silky wool sock in 3 hours. I swear somedays I scare myself....poor WH!!!

another one bites the dust!

finally finished the peachy socks! And spent yesterday outside dyeing a few things. There are four of the photos that were a pound of corriedale from yarn school that I had originally dyed yellow and pink that I overdyed in 4oz balls. One was done with chartreuse, one in turquiose, one in deep orange and the last (my personal favorite) chestnut. I also did about 800yds of merino. Tonight I have plans to finish the blue sleeve on the last sweater I have been doing. Then its down to just one thing on needles, one on the hook and two in the repair basket...must be slippin in my old age..lol!!

hope this is good enough

here ya go!!! the first one is a garter stitch ultra alpaca...number two is a pattern called fairhope but I crocheted it instead of knit it in rowans lima third is the blue cascade heathers and is crocheted in single rib thru back loop and done vertically, and the last one is a cascade 220 color that escapes me but the bottom was a knit cowl in k6rows, p6rows, until 20" long I just turned in on its side added a lil single crochet and tada!!! hope this helps! oh and just in case it gets added on this post I have started a queen anne scarf and another baby jacket and am winging them as I go...lol. (WH says flap those wings birdbrain flap those wings!!! do ya think he would be offended if I laid out birdseed on his dinner plate tonight?)

winter projects

it has been too long since my last post. forgive me....this year however I have taken on a bit of a challenge and I AM WINNING!!! So far this year I have completed a sweater a week....yes you read that right a sweater a week....before you give up on me entirely realize that only one of these is knit the other 3 are crochet.My challenge is to complete 6 sweaters by June and 6 pairs of socks by Christmas. This is all in an effort to destash my cupboards and downsize. The sweaters have made such a dent that I now have all my yarn (except my handspun)in one cupboard. Meanwhile I have also crocheted two baby blankets for the herd of 12 lil girls (and one boy) headed to our extended friends and family between now and August. I will try to get photos posted tomorrow if the weather (-35) permits internet connection. Hope your knitting is going well. Let me know what you have been up too! Oh and to let you all know WH is cancer free!!! whew-who! Thank you for the prayers!!!

when it just wont go anymore

These past few months have been a blur. Still two more weeks before my life returns to normal, or was that abnormal??? I am finishing arms on the gansey, finished the noro couch blanket last night after days of round and round in circles with my lil fingers moving at lightening speed. It inspired me so much that I went through my entire stash yesterday.....YES even the stuff in the cupboards and inside the teacups...lol. I rearranged it according to project. I have a rubbermaid full of sweaters and large projects to finish. One full of sock yarn and a cupboard full of smaller grab and go type of items. Then I have three travel bags, one for the car, one for the truck/roadtrips, and one for my walking. I am taking the gansey with me to New Mexico next week...finished or not!!! I have been asked to do another baby blanket for a relative that is due on Christmas Eve, a stocking hat for a neighbor, and a set of small penguins for WH one for the dash of his truck, one for his keychain, one for his pillow, and one for his cancer surgery this upcoming tuesday! He didn't have a middle name at birth (with 18 other bro & sis I think mama ran out years ago) so our children and the neighbor kids got together and renamed him.....his middle name is Marie, and his nickname taken from the movie Happy Feet is fluffy. Hence the penguins....lol. So keep "fluffy marie" in your prayers Oct. 12 and I will keep you informed on how he is doing. This is his second go round with the beast in 7 years so he tells me not to bury him in a tuxedo....lol. Not sure that would help his dancing ability or not????

mid-week

It has been a wild summer. Too many things have happened to note right now but I will try to have a new post by next week.....stay tuned....

spring gardening and travels

Whoa....its been a long time since I last posted something in here....partly because (insert lame excuses here) while finishing up my current class I was made Director of Missions at our church. Which is a fancy way of saying as pastor put it...." I know its only April but I want a team in the field by July." Nooooo pressure since I was in the middle of my integrative project anyhow!!! (insane laughter goes here)! Recieved a 99/100 on the project by the way! And my future schedule looks like this...(try not to drool on the wool here puullleezz)!
May 23 shearing with DBinlaw, May 24 funeral in Wichita, May 25 make up day at work for coworker who covered yesterdays shift, May 29-31 Navajo reservation trip to Gallup NM and preaching two sermons (for those of you outta the loop that is a 12 hour drive one way), June 3 DSinlaws bday in Virginia with WH's ex (oh joy!!-pray for this one), June 5-6 run TV camera at church for guest speaker, June 10-11 a mad dash road trip from Ashville NC to Gallup NM with donated paint for mission project, June 18th my baby Junebug turns 20, June 19th Our 6th anniversary, June 20th-23 FCF Int'l conference in Tulsa, June 24-25 Mission conference in Speary OK, July 4th neighbors birthday bash (WH is included), June 12th WH bday!, June 16th-24th Missions trip (with unknown head count as of now)to Smith Lake NM, July 26th-August 14th cover for sweet coworker and bosses wife again, August 14th wedding in Estes Park CO, August 17th DSD anniversary and housewarming in Suffolk VA, August 24th Dental appt in KS (pray again), Sept 2-4 several famliy bdays in Wichita area, and finally Sept.12-14th regional Ministerial mtgs in Omaha NE.......all this in and around a part time job.....LOL!!!!! and they wonder why I throw knitting needles!!! Oh yes THE GARDEN....oh look pretty flowers!!! oh what a pleasant surprise....Santa!!! (WH in drag...lol) and he bought another gift for me....Oct 1-Nov 6th teaching Ministerial training in Gallup.....LOL! Excuse me while I check ebay or etsy for extra needle to throw......(sigh!)

spring break

Well this semester will more than likely be my last for a season or two. School is killing my work schedule...lol. A quick overview of the last few weeks is as follows: weekly homework and quizzes -- done, housework -- almost done, dinner ready on time every night -- done, mentor located at the request of our national director -- ummmm well I tried really I did...I scheduled an appointment with our Pastor and went in to see him about getting a mentor set up within our region....30 minutes later I walked out Director of Missions. It is a NEW position in our church....which is a fancy way of saying "I" am building it from the ground up with the hopes of having a team in the field by July 2 and another in the field come December....I don't even finish school till May 9th. In addition to my boss getting a new program system at work that I still need to learn the only good to come out of this so far is lotsa help from some dear friends, good sleep just not enough of it, and a pay raise. No yarn yet....but there is the weekend....LOL! That is just the stash cupboard he knows about....lol.

rough week calls for down time

Lately with school and various jobs stress is an understatement. I went in for my annual mammo at the beginning of the year and they found a few "new" lumps. So yes take it I was considerably stressed to say the least (not to mention sleep deprived). BP was a little high too. (lumps turned out to be benign as all the others). Not to worry I had come in for my annual doctor run...(all the checkups at once.i.e. physical, cardio-stress, echocardiogram, mammo, and pap eyes and teeth). I am an all or nothing kinda girl...lol. So as I sat down to ready myself for my cardio-stress test I out of habit pulled out the needles and yarn. I kid you not it lowered my BP 20 points in 10 minutes. HMMM!!! Who would have thunk it!!! Now if I could just get them to write my stash off as medication I would be set! Here are some pretties I have been working on:

happy happy joy joy

well i will try this one more time....today-ahem! all the fun we endured on vacation is finally settling down...a couple of you already know that before vacation we helped DD get into a car. on day 2 of our beloved kidtrip she calls ....MAAAAA! i am sitting on East Kellogg in Wichita and my car just stopped. mind you we were in the outskirts of santa fe new mexico headed to lalana wools....WH PULLS OVER! (if he wasnt so dang cute it would have been the last thing he ever did--i swear!!) I was sooooo close i could smell the wool fumes rising over taos....DD dropped her transmission thankfully next to a major car dealership. her 30day/100mi warrenty only covered half. so after WH and I walked off our anger and frustration by hiking FIVE national park sites we roll into tucson az only to have willey-our beloved car die....(insert sobbing here....sniffle!). no way in hades was i putting a 5th transmission in willey in 4yrs. needless to say...willey died. (actually he was sent out to pasture at a very nice vw dealership think of it as a hi-dollar retirement home for cars). we took my stash cash (all 3 yrs of it) and spent part of it on a new car a 2010 vw jetta which we affecionatly named abraham - because we found him while wondering around the desert. i was able to snatch up 4 skeins of yarn a kiwi knits in tucson - i told WH half was for my friend mallory...and yes she did get it. after which we promptly drove straight home. an 18 hr drive was made in 15...at night. exhausted and tired we fell into bed. i awoke with a cramping stomach and what i thought was a uti...after throwing up and sitting down in a repeated fashion for 3 hours straight i told WH take me to ER......this is when i heard what should have been his last words....."are you sure you need to go to er???" (okay rough background here for ya all....the only two times i have EVER thrown up in my life were swine flu and pregnancy). he carried me back to bed and waited on me hand and foot for the next 15hrs (trying to make up for something stupid he could have said i am sure)....nothing stayed down for 4 days. at which point weak, in pain and dehydrated i drove myself from work to ER and laid there 9 hours.....all the urine,blood and CT scan revealed was a massive kidney infection, and stomach flu....i drove myself home and i kid you not the first words outta his cute lil mouth were ....maybe you really did need to go to the hospital!!!!!!!
Last night before i went to bed i laid out the car payment and a ransom note from the stash....hope he likes cold tv dinners!!! (note to self : maybe this volcanic crater really was deep enough..hmmm!).

duh!

here ya go! this is off the cover of world visions quarterly magazine - one of 2009's. and since i cant bear to not show you yarn here is a shawl i made out of jknits kansas colorway. one skein, garter st body with M1 increases at each end, crochet shrimp st edge along top and a basic crochet shell along bottom.

spring semester overload

Howdy all - its been a couple of months since my last post....forgive me! I am taking two classes and teaching 3 so my schedule has been a lil hectic. But never fear I have pretties I am working on....lol!
These lovely yarns are going to become a shawl or cowl...I am still undecided on the pattern. I am also proud to say I am on the upper front of my green gansey (from the best of Rowan book - first edition not the reprint) the only other thing I have even attempted to do is a colored pencil portrait for our home. When I figure out how to turn it on its side I will show it too you....lol!!! Well gotta go for now. I hear yarn crying in the next room.

turkeyday is a coming!

This week has been a hectic one. Several funerals including an infant and a couple of relatives. Finally got DD a used car and the house cleaned. This weekend will be interesting to say the least, we are packing for AZ. Gonna be on the road for about 10 days. Lots of yarn shops and sites on the way! Planning to hit Santa Fe and Tucson and Taos (time and weather permitting). Any other recommendations are appreciated! My goal is two shops in each town and at least two hours on the plaza. Other than two specific diners for WH and a National Park stop we should be good if the storms wait until December. What are you knitting for the holidays? Ours is going to be a "homemade" Christmas this year due to several inlaws being out of work this year. I am working on aprons and potholders and maybe even tea towels and lots of cooking--mostly breads. My roadtrip project will be either a new sweater or baby shower items...decisions decisions. Photos to follow as the trip progresses!--Happy turkey day to all!!!!

knit one for me....

What a long, tiresome, adventuresome weekend it was. The car is all-better!(the mechanic said "trust me".) Just a very expensive air filter housing, (slammed the vacation yarn budget). DD is recovering from the flu, and her mama (that would be me misses her). WH is battling clinical depression episode (wifely vigilance keeps me up at night). One of my favorite great uncle's passed away this past week and his funeral is tomorrow.(he was the first to notice and encourage my gift of writing). Six years ago this week I lost my mother-in-law (part of WH issues???) and 10 years ago today I buried what should have been my second husband (pancreatic cancer). On top of all of this wonderful news I attended KIG (knit in Gove day!!!--whew who!)on Saturday and loved it. (Thank you Brad and Sherri for letting me ride along!!! I owe you one, ummm or is that two?). My WH picked me up on the road and we went to the Wallace county German festival (dinner actually-- which after he worked a 8 hr shift i can see why he left my part of the meal laying on the counter at home by accident). My brother in law was expecting 30ish in attendance....we wound up with 100ish (just shy of having to wash silverware...lol). After driving home from Sharon Springs (back to Ellis--around 3hrs give or take a time zone) we fell into bed exhausted at 11pm on Saturday (we had gotten up at 4 am). Sunday after WH worked toddler nursery at church and I was unexpectedly called on to run TV camera(on my week off) we had a nice dinner and headed home for our naps (which really means we worked around the house cleaning rabbit pens, doing dishes, laundry, and clearing off the garden until we dropped off into bed at 10:30pm). Having been through all of that my alarm failed to go off this morning and I woke up when I should have been leaving the house. No breakfast, disarrayed and very exhausted I did manage to grab my knitting bag on the way out the door. In order to lower my blood pressure I began a new vest out of cheap hand me down very soft gray acrylic (yes i said it...sigh!). I just got a phone call that WH is contemplating quitting his job of 38yrs because he needs to be home more, (having lived in campgrounds and motels 5 days a week for all of that time i agree). We are soooooo close to having everything paid for (according to budget it will be Christmas of 2010). I am hesitant to let him (pray harder on this one ya'll). Other than that I did become an official Reverend over the weekend which means I can drown you and bury you (baptisms and funerals) but i cant marry you not for at least two more years...lol!(school has paid off!!!). So in rememberance of my uncle, and the acheivement of my career please knit one row for me today! (its cheaper than alcohol and mall therapy and saves the rest of the holiday yarn fundage). And while your at it knit one row just because!!!! It will do you good! Trust me!!

snow day!!!

Tomorrow they are calling for nearly 4 inches of the fluffy stuff in my part of the state. Good thing I have the day off, bad thing is I am hunting for DD a new (used) car, and the really bad news is as of a mishap on my way to lunch I am looking for ME a new car now too....bankers love me!!! The only thing this really means is during our upcoming trip to Arizona to see the youngest DSS I will have to behave with the fiber fundage. Gotta luv WH!!! Since all of that was the bad news here is the best news yet...I have been making my YO backward for years. NOW that I know better I have started 4 lace projects...LOL!!! It's a good thing something in life is going right for me otherwise I have asked the bosses permission to line my desktop with a collection of lil bottles of alcohol from the liquor store next door. HEY....it was either that or pin his remote to the far wall of the office with a #11 knitting needle. The choice was his...LOL!!!