I have to dust so much more often now!

So long time and no update. Quite a few changes since the last time I posted anything.

Azali is in preschool now. She started last September. She has made leaps and bounds with her speech. She goes for 3 hours a day Mon-Thur.  She loves school, she doesn't love waking up for school.
She also gave me a great present for Mother's Day last year, she finally called me Mom. She still chatters a lot in her munchkin language, but she uses words I understand so much more now.



Our family also recently moved in with my Grandmother (Grama Mum(It's intentionally misspelled)).  She's 91 years old and only recently started having problems with confusion and short term memory loss. Our first day here was March 1st and it must have been good timing. She had more problems than just confusion. Headaches, shortness of breath, and high blood pressure. She went to the hospital on Saturday the 8th and was there for 2 days. Her blood pressure was at levels for a stroke or heart attack! She also has fluid in her lungs which could be affecting her breathing.  She came home on Monday the 10th on oxygen. It will be a permanent adjustment for her, one she doesn't like. It's been over a week now since she got back from the hospital and she seems to be feeling much like herself!


My sister, Brittany, moved into my old house since she needed a place to live. Timing, again, was perfect. She had been renting a house from a family member on her husbands side. Not her first choice for a home, but it worked. They had some issues with the plumbing though and needed a new place to live. Since my husband and I own the house we just moved out of, we let her rent it from us. It works out for everyone.

Brittany also gave birth to a little boy on July 5th, 2013. Wade Malcolm. Born 10 weeks early, he had to spend those extra weeks in NICU at Memorial Hospital. Brittany and Brian stayed up there the entire time to be with him. He is amazing and looks so much like his Mommy.

I have been still knitting off and on. My most recent venture is socks! I've only made teeny tiny toddler socks before, so this time I am making socks that will fit my feet! I already have 1 sock made and sock 2 is on the needles. I'm making them on size 2 DPN's but oh I wish I was using 2 circulars.

I'm sure there is more that need to be said, but I can't focus as much or remember as well. Plus I have to retrieve my Munchkin from school soon.

I hope to not stay away so long next time, but I don't make promises that I may have trouble keeping. Til next time!

An Email I got from Knitting Daily...

I get emails from Knitting Daily and I normally glance at them and then promptly delete them. They usually offer pattern ideas and the like, but usually at a cost. Sometimes they offer the occasional free pattern that I promptly download. 

Today I got one and I really liked the message in it.

Don't be a knitting monogamist!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have many knits going at one time, in various stages of progress. Some are comprised of wound balls in a bag with the pattern. Some are half-done sweaters or scarves. Some are completed except for the seaming. And some are seamed and just need to be blocked. I rotate these projects, sometimes going on finishing kicks where I pull out the "almost-dones" and finish them, one after another. I really love those—instant gratification! 

I also love starting projects, and I let myself start new ones while old ones are still in progress. I find that new projects keeps my enthusiasm for knitting at top speed. To me, looking at yarn and patterns and starting new projects is the lifeblood of knitting—there's always something new to work on!

One of my knitting idols, Vicki Square, decided to become a starter, too. Here she is to inspire you to do the same!

"Start as many new projects as you can!"

That's my new motto, and I'm sticking to it. I'm not talking about mindlessly and indiscriminately knitting any old thing with any old yarn you can get your hands on; instead, I'm talking about choosing new projects wisely and for very specific beneficial reasons. Yet recognizing that creativity is fluid, I want to keep a steady stream of new experiences flowing with as many different kinds of projects as I can manage.
My old motto was "Finish as many projects as you can." Although finishing projects was a functional goal, it wasn't any fun. Don't get me wrong: I like to finish things and wear them, use them, and give them as much as the next person. But as a primary goal, the focus on finishing brought forward momentum to a halt. I ignored the insistent need to create new and fresh ideas; I trampled all over my enthusiasm and enjoyment. Well, I finished . . . and I learned a valuable lesson. Then I traded up on my motto.
What design? What yarn? What colors? These Big Three questions form the central force of knitting inspiration. Contemplating all the possibilities is the core thrill of a new knitting project: a design idea prompts a quest for the perfect yarn to bring the vision to life.

Join me in the freedom my new motto offers and realistically evaluate your knitting and yarn stash. You may have yarn to give away—to friends who need a boost, to kids learning how to knit, or to a local charity knitting group.

Some projects in progress you will definitely complete, simply because you are still connected to the initial inspiration. Some projects started with fabulous yarn, but the design no longer holds interest; it's time to ravel and reuse. And frankly, some projects deserve a decent burial, perhaps on the far side of the moon. You won't finish the knitting, and you know it. What can be done?

First, with a mental flick of the wrist, get rid of the little gargoyle who sits on your shoulder chastising you in whispers for not finishing your knitting. Second, pretend that all your half-done knitting belongs to someone else and you have been givencarte blanche to update or redirect the original vision. A large pullover or cardigan can be cut down and made into a pillow. A half-finished Fair Isle sweater can be lightly felted and sewn into a hat. 

Whatever you do, refuse to make yourself a hostage to the undone. Enjoy the creative flow of having many knitting projects going simultaneously, just as you enjoy a car ride without worrying about each individual moving part. I find I can place my knitting projects on a scale much like a speedometer. On the 10 mph end of the scale are the projects that have no time parameters, so I can relax and take as long as I want to finish them. On the 120 mph end of the scale is power knitting: a specific project with a specific deadline. Laying aside all else, I power through to the finish line and find doing so spectacularly exhilarating. Most knitting projects, of course, lie somewhere between a crawl and a drag race.
Knit anything and everything you want—and enjoy the scenery

It definitely has given me a new way to think about knitting.

50 Degree Weather? Hurray!

Today we have a high temperature of 54 degrees today. I'm excited that I can spend some quality time on my computer since it's not freezing in this room.

I'm almost done with the second fingerless glove of my Jeannie Mitts. Well technically I'm almost done with my third. The first one I made turned out too long for me, but my husband has shown interest in it. So he gets another pair of fingerless gloves!

Today we have speech therapy. Azali has been making good progress with it. I still can't get her to say anything with an 'M' sound "Milk, Mama, Meow... etc etc" But she's been saying "All done!" now when she's finished her food. She had a good day yesterday with her Developmental Interventionist. She got a nap in before the appointment and wasn't too fussy.

No plans to leave the house today, but hopefully tomorrow we'll visit Aunt Jazzy. Getting out of the house in not freezing weather will be nice.

I started watching the first season of Downton Abby last night. I've read a lot of posts and whatnot of people who watch it, so I'm curious. I'm done with 3 episodes and I'll keep watching it, but it's kind of a slow paced show. It will be a show I watch after Azali goes to bed I think.

We watched the Tinkerbell movie "Secret of the Wings" this morning too. That was a cute one. Azali doesn't seem to be into watching those movies as much as I am.

Watching The Lorax again. It seems to have become Azali's new favorite movie. I'm trying to find motivation to cast on for some fingerless gloves. I'm using a pattern called Jeannie Mitts. I need to make a few adjustments for myself on them though. I hope I get them done soon. I made my husband a pair of fingerless gloves last year and he wears them all the time. I'm starting to get jealous haha.

Today Blake has his first day of class this semester. I need to make some calls to inquire about some work. I am not looking forward to work. I'll be working an evening shift during the time of day I used to plan for things.

So that is all for now. I hope sending this via email will work. Trying to access the dashboard from my kindle doesn't seem to work. I want to try and post more regularly but spending prolonged time on my computer is too cold lately.


Jeannie Mitts on Ravelry

Knit knit knit...

So with the holidays behind me I've slowed way down on knitting.  I did manage to make quite a few hats though.

I'm trying to make my sister a poncho, she's been asking one for months now.  I'm on my 3rd attempt at making it. I know if I can get it done it will be amazing.  Part of my problem stemmed from my interchangeable knitting needles. I was only using one cable but the needle kept popping off and drop my stitches.   This poncho is a bunch of lace pattern repeats, so I was quite distraught when this happened. I still am quite new at picking up stitches when it's not stockinette, and I did my best to fix it. Unfortunately the whole lace pattern became skewed.... I frogged it and am going to try again on non-interchangeable needles.  It will take longer, but will be better for it I think.

Another thing is that I'm making it with acrylic yarn, Caron Simply Soft.  It was request that the poncho not need any special washing instructions.  So I don't know if blocking it when it is done will work.  Lets hope I get it right?

I really wish we had a yarn shop in town. Wal-Mart isn't bad, and their prices are cheaper than Joanns for certain yarns, but Joanns has a bigger selection to choose from.

I'm also working on the Fish Hat: Dead or Alive? from Knitty.  I'm using some multicolor yarn by Red Hart. The color is Bikini.  I wasn't sure about it at first, but it is looking really pretty! I hope to finish it soon. It's taking longer than anticipated, but I'm being lazy about it.

I also need to make myself some fingerless gloves. My hands are freezing!!

Happy 2013! (I hope)

Tis a new year and time for some new goals.  Over the years I've tried to stop setting goals that were a bit tough to accomplish... Like the usual "Lose weight" I would still like to do that, but I'm not setting it as a goal for 2013. Hopefully I'll do it, but I won't sweat it if I don't. Actually I like the goal "Don't gain any more weight" better.

My goals are a bit simpler I hope.  I'd like to continue to improve in my knitting. Create something from scratch without using someone else's pattern.  I'd like to do more colorwork in my knitting, and perhaps pick up knitting socks.

I want Azali to continue to improve in her language skills. She's getting better, but I feel she has quite a ways to go. She's very stubborn when she wants to be and she's being stubborn in hanging on to her babble.

I want to be financially secure this year, not having to worry if bills will be paid or not. I want to be able to go out to a restaurant once in a while again without fearing it will break the bank.

I want the yard to be finally cleaned up this year. Even if it's only dirt, that'd be an improvement. I don't want to feel ashamed of my yard whenever I leave the house.

I never really imagined life past 2012, and I didn't think it was because the world was going to end. Just it wasn't that long ago that 2012 felt so far away. Now that it's gone it feels weird. I know I'll get used to 2013, but its strange to have 2012 behind me now.  2012 celebrated my daughters 2nd year, 7 years married to my husband, and 10 years since our first date. It also makes me realize how I keep getting older. I hope I continue to accept my age with grace and hopefully not denial.

I will hopefully be working again soon. Honestly I do not look forward to it, but we need the money. Shouldn't be too bad if I can expect to work where I'd like to.  It's been about 2 1/2 years since I worked last. Actually since Azali was born, that was my last day of work.  But I want to be able to pay our bills, and to be able to afford nicer yarn.

I wanna try spinning yarn. I see a tumblr post where someone practices spinning yarn using lionbrand's homespun yarn. I think that is really neat and wanna try it.

Anyways enough rambling for now.  Off to huddle under a blanket. The wind is terrible today!

Whooo! Mobile update! I love you cold coffee!!!