Project update?

I know I dont want to know this, but here we go. This is pretty accurate, I think.

Mom jacket: I have the back and one front panel done. I have 1 front panel and 2 sleeves to do. I'll call this 40%.

Sock: I am still on the round and round bit of the first sock, but its not going fast... even when I do have time to knit on it. And also, I'm not really in love with the pattern and the idea of knitting a second is not making me happy. I may rip it out and reuse the yarn for another, better sock. Perhaps out of my new crocheted socks book. Since my previous failures at crocheting socks were not pleasant, I just kept knitting them. However, I know that actual socks come out of the patterns in this book since I've seen them... so we'll give it a go. Patty, my co-worker, has expressed an interest in a pair too if I can find the right sock yarn for her.

Sweater ornament: Still missing 1 sleeve. This is like 75% done, but the sleeves are persnickety when I try to get it off the safety pin and onto the WEE little needles. Maybe that will come with me to a birthday party and family get together this weekend. Maybe it will be a sock. Who knows.

Brown sweater for me: I havent touched this since the other day, I've got about 1/3 of the back done. Since this still needs a front and 2 sleeves I'll give this maybe 10%. I have no idea if that is good math or not... and I really dont care.

Abandoned scarf: I'm not sure how much of this is done, and the needle for it has been being used for my submission projects. Whoops. I had intended this for my brother for last Christmas. Perhaps he shall get it this Christmas. We'll see!

Submission update: I have 2 of the 3 sizes made, I have the pattern written and checked - minus the finished measurements. I am at the chicken point when I need to put the presentation together and send it. Bock bock chicken! It'll get done, I have a month. I have also dreamt up 2 other ideas that I like. One I really like, and one I think is interesting but I'm not sure if my theory will work (that one is knit... scary). One at a time.

Fair competition: I have been meaning to figure out an item to submit for the fair, but I have not gone beyond that.

Craft fair: The craft fair at Jake's school is coming up on November 3. I am trying to kick out a few things that I think will sell well and are easy like kitchen scrubbies - we are always getting asked for them! Handy that Joann's had the tulle on sale! I have been thinking of a Friday night birthday thing since that is the night between Travis' days off. If thats the case, I'll be up late on Friday and have the fair on Saturday which should be interesting, but do-able. Probably better than the norm of craft fair all day then party that night, right?

Speaking of birthday, I am thinking of not having a party. Shocker, I know. I want to go to the Melting Pot. I've never been, and even though I want friends to go I know it can be pricey so I'm not sure how that will work. I'm running out of time to figure it out, but there you have it.

Enough for now, back to work. Have a fantastic weekend!

Jacket pic

Hey Mom... avert your eyes now! Er, or just dont click here.
This is Mom's Christmas Jacket as of the end of lunch today. I have about 8 more rows to go on the back. I am really gonna run out of yarn, and now I have to hunt for some more since I bought all of the darker color that my Walmart had instock (5). I also bought all the lighter color that Joann's had (5), but hopefully I'll be ok with that one. Wish me luck.

Oh, and my new copy of Drunk, Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair finally arrived. I'm pretty excited to read it, since I lovelovelove her blog.

Backpedaling... and progress.

I ripped back Mom's whole entire Christmas jacket - it was looking too big, even after I altered the pattern a little bit... it apparently wasnt enough, so I altered it again and now I'm about halfway done with the back. It's going quickly since its fat yarn and a pretty fat hook, which is good, especially since this is the 3rd time I've started it in as many days.

I also managed a few rows on the forgotten sweater while watching Cavemen. I was very disappointed in that show, and I really was hoping for the best. However, since we already DVR Bones and NCIS at that time, I was stuck watching it in the bedroom, which is where forgotten sweater lives - on my dresser. Mindless knitting - plain stockinette for the body, and I'm about half done with the back. I've been working at it for 4 or 5 months I think. It's sad, really.

No progress on the sock or ornament.

Sean is doing better and actually managed to sleep through the night last night... ALL the way to 6:30. !!. Good times.

Just 9 more days until we leave for our cruise. I'm really looking forward to it - I've never done it before, and that should be fun.

That's really it for now.

Half day for me

Sean isnt a happy boy. His boogie nose is better, he's still coughing and weezy a bit, but last night and this morning we added projectile vomiting whenever Any Medicine came near so home he stays. I feel so bad for him, last night was another one where we didnt sleep more than an hour at a time - SOOO TIRED! So, he's home with Travis now and will be dropped off to me when Travis leaves for work. I will finish up until 1, then we will head home.

I worked on Mom's Christmas Sweater some more, but not much since He-Who-Could-Not- Be-Put-Down was in quite a state. No progress on the sock or mini sweater ornament. They will have their day. I had thought of the sock for Mom for Christmas, now I shall have to make other plans for it. Perhaps it will even get a mate... or I need to make some 1-legged friends, that would work too!

I am still waiting on my 2 books and my Ravelry t-shirt. I'm being suprisingly patient too! Too much going on to worry about it I suppose.

This weekend will be fun, Saturday we have a bowling birthday part for one of my friends little boys - Jake is excited for that. Then Sunday we head to grandparents to see my aunt and her family. Jake is Really excited for that - he loves playing with her boys! Fun times I tell ya. I will need to figure out which project will go with me, since Obviously Mom's Christmas Sweater wouldnt work with her there! Maybe the sock. We'll see.

Lots to do before I head home, so have a great day and wish me a vomit-free afternoon!

Done. Well almost.

I finished all the crocheting for my 2nd size of the submission piece - just the buttons to add. The math worked out, and I tweaked it just a tiny bit and now I like it even more! When I go pick up Sean I will try it on a 1 yr old there to see if the 12 months size fits an actual 12 month old. I just need to have the pattern tested - especially the 6 month size (since I've done the 3 month and 12 month), just to be sure that one works too, and I'll be ready. I'm pretty excited about the prospect, nervous but excited. Oh the drama.

And speaking of - if anyone wants to pattern test, let me know. Easy crochet baby item, 1 skein (maybe 1.5) of a readily available yarn. Fun fun!

Sean is feeling better, only a little bit of boogie nose left and the occasional coughing fit. The bad side is that the daycare assistant caught Sean's cold. Whoops!

I have not worked on the mini sweater ornament, or the socks but I have started Mom's Christmas Sweater. You can see it
here if you are not my Mother. I'd show you the pic of what it will look like, but I dont have one - maybe I'll take one tonight.

Instead you can have a pic of Sean playing with toys in my MIL's living room.




That's it for me. Have a fantastic day.

insert clever title here.

I was going to say Sorry for the slackerness or sorry for the MIA thing or some such thing but I've used them already! Whoops. Anyway, its been a heck of a week, and I'm sorry for missing a couple days here.

Sean is sick. It started Wednesday morning (or Tuesday night when he woke me up 7 times to compain about not being able to breathe), and by the time my alarm went off, he had only gotten a couple hours of sleep and it pained me to wake him, but I had to go to work. Then daycare called me at 1:45 to report projectile vomiting to go along with the boogy nose I sent him with - not pleasant. I went to fetch him and we hung out the rest of the day - and he was just miserable. I gave him some boogy nose medicine, and that helped a little. Thursday morning we got up, and after taking about 6 ton of boogies out of him, I got him dressed, and halfway to daycare he just wouldnt stop with the coughs, so I turned around. I went to the house to get his little chair and a bottle and diaper bag and he and I went to my office. I was able to make him an appt for 10:20 with the doctor, and we just hung out here until it was time to go - I had a few things I HAD to get done. He was good and everyone enjoyed having him here. The doc suggested the humidifer and to keep up with the meds I was giving him and that it should clear up in a couple days. alrighty. Last night we hooked up the humidifier and this morning he only had 1 ton of boogies so that's progress right? I thought so too.

However, Jake and Travis are BOTH getting sniffly. Whoops! Moving on.

The rat has swung Travis' work schedule now for 4 weeks, and given him extra hours. To say he's not happy would be the understatement of the year. He's planning to widen his search for PerfectJob. I just hate seeing him so miserable, and I pray he finds something good soon. I just hope that Jake's behavior issues that presented themselves Last time Travis worked nights dont reappear. That would suck!

I am testing my pattern for the submission and so far so good. That makes me happy. I have some folks helping me with a name, and I'm almost done with the damn math so I'll be able to send it out soon.

I knit a few rounds on the sock, I did not work on the mini sweater ornament, and I am about 3/4 done with the star baby ghan that will go into the craft fair. Oh, and I also have a bunch of chenille up for sale on ebay in case you're interested.

And craptastic thing of the day - I was SO excited that my copy of Crazy Aunt Purl'sDrunk, Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair was supposed to come today from bn.com - but they sent me John Grisham's Playing For Pizza instead. Not Happy! I like John Grisham, but I liked his lawyer books, not the non-lawyer stuff he writes now. So, after calling the bn.com people and whining they are sending me out the correct book post-haste, and I should have next Thursday. OH well, what can you do, right?

Thats it for now, have a great weekend, and hopefully I can have a Monday blog minus the boogy nose!

pics and yarny news

I got out the camera at bathtime, and I realized that my kid is a ham. Sean was starting to get fussy (yes, I'm telling the truth!) and I got out the camera and he smiled for it. How funny!

I also managed to get a pic of Jake doing his reading homework while I gave Sean a bath.









And when it was time to put jammies on, I saw this:



This is not peek-a-boo, its whiney crying eye rub. But, the flash perked him up! Crazy kid.













Anyway, I did manage to work a few rounds on the sock, but none on the mini sweater ornament. I also finished up the thing for the submission, and it is now in 6 very capable hands to help me figure out a name. At lunch today, I had brought the sock to work on, but I ended up doing the math for the different sizes. Have I told you lately that math gives me a headache? Ugh!

And speaking of math, it's year end again which means not only a long report to the stupid government on the stupid election campaign finance crap, but our office's year end audit. However, the office's year end audit means it's the beginning of bonus season. Love you bonuses!

So...How's your day been?

It's the Math, I'm SURE of it!

So I'm working on this pattern to submit for publication, and I have had to rework this one part so far 3 times, and I STILL dont like it. Math hates me. I have about a month and a half until it's due, but I should be able to have it worked out in the next few days. Dern math.

However, I have been doing this Brain Age thing on Travis' Gameboy DS, and it is supposed to help with your memory and thinking skills. I've been doing it a week, every day (except I forgot on Saturday), and I'm doing ok I think.

We had a nice weekend, Saturday the kids and I met some friends for a park bbq which was fun - Jake enjoyed spending time with the little wifey. Of course I didnt take pictures. I wanted to but my camera was buried in the purse at the bottom of the stroller basket behind the diaper bag, and I was just too lazy to deal with it. Whoops!

In other yarny news - I finished 1 sleeve of the mini-sweater ornament, just the other sleeve then weaving in the ends and make a hanger, then I'm done. I havent decided if I want to put some sort of design on the front of the sweater - maybe a yarn ball or some such thing. We'll have to see. I have not worked on the sock. I meant to bring it on Saturday to work on, but I forgot it.

Travis starts his new shift next Sunday - and they have flexed him 3 weeks so far - which SO sucks. But, we leave for the cruise in 2 weeks and 4 days, which is Very Cool!

That's it for now, have a great day!

I forgot

I forgot to tell you about my finger progress! I think the glucosamine is really helping, I havent had to take aleve in 2 or 3 days, which really is progress. They still do get stiff in the mornings before I use them, but its not so bad. Yay.

Yarny news:
I'm on the first sleeve of the mini-sweater ornament Boy is it not an easy thing to knit so close of a tube on those teeny tiny needles.

I have not knit on the sock.

I finished the back and 1 front side of the submission thing. I am on the part of the 2nd front side that involves math that I'm stuck at. I didnt work on it last night for lack of quiet, I'll work on it more at lunch today. Damn math!

That is all.

Sean's indecision, and other stuff.

My child apparently likes blue. Heres a video for you - longer than most but it is hysterically funny. Enjoy. (see how I found out the magic to embedding!!)



In yarny news, I have been very careful not to get TOO sucked into Ravelry, as I do actually have work to do (gasp!) But I have a few friends and a few projects posted. I have also updated my ecrafter site - since that is where I sent poor Russ (the loser of the afghan). Hopefully he'll find something he likes and commissions it, or, better yet, finds something that he likes that I already have made! Pipe dreams, I'm sure, since I think I only have 2 completed afghans on hand. Oh well.

And, I have, with the help of Drew, gotten some info on submitting a design to a magazine. I figure I had it, and I think its cute and I have 2 other 'Cutes'... we'll see what happens. I made this in December originally, and had jotted down the notes as I went (if by jotted I mean chicken scratch that was NOT easy to read on a 3/4 piece of scrap paper). Now I have penciled out the pattern as I wrote it, and am re-crocheting it to make sure that the pattern makes sense, or if I need to change it. Once thats done I will need to get the actual yarn that I used (I'm using simply soft now to make it easier to use/see... and its stash) and swatch it out. Should be interesting.

Oh, and I am on the bottom rib of the mini-sweater ornament, which leaves 4.5 rows of that then the 2 sleeves to go. I have not worked on the sock.

That's it for now.

tagged

Kerry tagged me for this, abd it's been a while since I've done one of these, so here ya go!

The rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

7 Random Facts

1 - I love to entertain, have parties and such, but I hate the cleaning that has to take place to do such things!

2 - I love my job! I'm a meeting planner/admin do-girl and I love it! I like the people I work with, the places I go and the people I meet.

3 - I have the lyrics to a bunch of different songs taped to my desk. Silly songs, sweet songs and songs that speak to me... in that "I do what the voices tell me to" kind of way!

4 - I love kids cereal but not the marshmellow kinds.

5 - I sing in the car. All. The. Time. My family makes fun of me for it. It's sad really.

6 - I'm waiting, rather impatiently, to win the lotto so that I can have a yarn shop. I have not really thought of the reprecussions of this since I really wouldnt want to quit my day job! Whoops!

7 - I'm a follower. I started blogging/knitting/reading Potter/photographing weird things all because I saw someone else do it first. Occasionally I'll get sparks of brilliance, but usually I'm following. And I'm ok with that!


Now most of the folks that I know in this here blog-o-verse have aready been tagged, so I will tag folks that I read. If anyone else wants to pipe up in the comments, feel free (that would be directed to the Aunts and Mom in the reading public)!


City of Crochet - Hi ...way over there on the other side of the world!


Fabulosity - up there spinnin away (she has a Jacob too!)

The Crochet Dude because he isn't nearly busy enough!

Ring Around the Rosies - we almost shared a due date, and I've been reading her ever since... she has less time to play on the internets than I do!


Yeah, thats all I got - especially since I'm not that into rejection!

Here's a pic for your trouble... This should be on the list of what not to crochet!

I'm in!

From what I hear this will be the last you see of me as I get sucked into the vacuum of wonder that is www.ravelry.com! My id thing is brandeekins, if you're on lemme know, apparently you get friends with this!

In other news, I think the glucosamine is starting to work - my fingers are feeling a little less stiff. These stupid fingernails make it nearly impossible to type or knit or crochet with any speed or accuracy, maybe that is why the fingers are doing ok... but I think its the glucosamine.

Ok, time to go play.

53

53
53
53
53
53
53

53 people in front of me in line.... Guess that means today! Yippee.

That is all.

eeeeee!

Ravelry in 328 people!

I need to take the advice and go through my books and hooks and finished projects. The books wont be bad, and the hooks are already on a list I carry in my purse (hey, quit laughing!), but the finished objects will be a little more daunting of a task.

I forgot to show pics of Jake's soccer game, I'll have to do that Monday. Have a good one.

Pile O Crap

Ok, so Wednesday night I noticed a noise like running water coming from the laundry room when I had to do something in the kitchen, but I had just gone potty and flushed and associated them together. Fast forward to the morning when I'm making Sean's bottle and I hear it again, and I thought "Hmm, that sounds strange - I'll have to tell Travis when he gets up that its doing that". Then back to bed for a few more minutes. Travis wakes me up and I tell him to come with me and listen, and he does - and goes into the laundry room to investigate (laundry room is a step down from the kitchen and pantry), and steps in a half inch of water. Well now, isnt that strange.

I called in to stay with him to help, and then we called in the plumber. I guess the water heater itself was the problem - and not any actual pipes so thats a good thing I suppose - and now we are proud owners of a new water heater... for the low low price of $530 you can be too! Yeah, so there went the bonus I'll get next month!

The good news is that Travis managed to get the days off and is able to go on the cruise with me next month - love you work! I had hoped to use bonus money to hit the casinos a little bit but I guess that wont really be happening, eh? Oh well. At least the cruise is free for me and mileage to get to and from Miami will pay for Travis' way and for gas so thats good.

Travis' crap schedule hits again - the flex bit has been exercised. The whole first week of the shift (9/30 - 10/6) will be from 1:30 - 10... crappity crap crap! He will be looking for bigger and better things post haste.

No pics for today, but soon - really! I gotta get some work done and find my desk. Have a great weekend.

It's sad really.

I took the sum total of 10 pictures and 1 video at convention. And one of those shouldnt count because it was at the Cracker Barrel on the way to convention. Here it is:

Gnome Beverages - How Cute Is That!

Here is me playing Cinderella on Friday night:

Here's Damarys and I on Friday - she's Cleopatra case you couldnt tell:

The video is of my boss "dancing" and although it was humerous, I like my job so you dont get to see! I have zero pics from any of the other nights. Damarys does and my Mom should - so when I get access to those I will share!

The short version

1. Jake got a 100% on his first tests (math and phonics both oral and written)

2. Travis got a crap shift - 11:30 to 8 with Friday and Saturday off (but that does mean he can go on the cruise with me)

3. It is really REALLY hard to type with these nails on (but they're pretty)

4. Doc said no arthritis and bloodwork is fine. His thought is that the combination of typing at work and crochet/knitting is causing overuse and stressed aleve and advil. He said that he would send me to a Rheumy if I wanted for more testing, but we decided I'd wait to see if the glucosamine would help.

5. My afghan in the silent auction went for $100, and the losing party (there were 2 people going for it) will probably end up commissioning one. Jason's painting went for $650 to a dealership and I hear tell that the man that bought it wants another one too.

In the week I've been gone, Sean has started sitting up but has not said anything becides dada and has not gained 9 teeth, or 9 pounds - which is good. Jake enjoyed his first soccer game/practice/thing, and he learned a new move in karate.

More later, with pictures! 1292 ahead of me for Ravelry.

my new uncle, and progress

Here is a pic of my new "Uncle" and his siblings:

They are Just. Too. Cute! and fit in my hand!! Apparently this year she will be getting a puppy for my birthday - so only a couple months to go. She's very excited.

Progress I: I have 1932 people in front of me in line for Ravelry. I'm very excited about this, and it looks like it will do well to keep me more organized!

Progress II: This is how far I am on the sweater ornament:

It's going well, even if it is thread and just as many stitches as a real sweater only in miniature!

I like it and had high hopes that I could make one for my yarny friends, but since its taking a long time, it may be NEXT Christmas that they get them!

That's it for now, I'm on the way out the door for Convention. See ya on the flip side!

Abandonment

So this half hour every other day to play with yarn is only serving to make me want more. Urg! So frustrating, and since my projects usually are long and drawn out, I get nothing done in this timeframe, so I had a brilliant spark come to me last night.

Monday's Knitting Calendar pattern was for a little bitty sweater Christmas ornament, made with size 10 thread and size 1 needles (I know, I know - crack... must be in the koolaid). So, I cast on, and this is made top down starting with the turtle neck, then doing some specially placed increases to make the shoulders, putting stitches aside for the arms to work later, then continuing on down the body. It really is too cute, and I figured something that small I could have something finished pretty soon. Yesterday I was able to get to the increase part. Maybe tomorrow I'll get done with the shoulder increases? We'll see.

So starting this new project has left the following abandoned:

firstsock out of Tofutsee yarn (South West Trading Company, made in a natural fiber yarn that has some sort of stuff made from the shells of shrimp & crab which makes it naturally antibacterial - pretyt groovy!). I am on the round and round bit of the foot and have about half the foot left to go.

chenille blanket - I was about 6 inches in on this one when the doc said to stop. I was only doing it for convention since I had started to hate the angora shawl, so I have zero emotional investment in this piece. I may cut off what I've done and sell the BigHugeCone of chenille on ebay which is where I got it from.

sweater for me - You thought I forgot about this didnt you? Its in my bedroom, staring at me every night from my dresser. I am about 1/3 up the front, that's it. It is so easy peasy stockingnette, but the yarn is kinda fiddly - it's 2 strands of a very light, easily pulled apart acrylic/mohair blend - so that adds a level of difficulty. I love what it is looking like, and I may yet finish it. We'll see. For now it will live on the dresser.

angora shawl - this will not get finished. It sheads so much. I would frog it but the angora doesnt frog well, and there isnt soo much left becides what i've used. I'm not sure what the fate will be of this, we'll see.

That's it, maybe? I have the yarn to make my mom's Christmas sweater, and yarn to make me a sweater like I made Stacy last year... and thats really it on the list.

Boy is that depressing.

Blah blah blah

There is zero to talk about. No knitting, no crocheting, not even a cute picture of a child/cat/weird car to show you.

It's sad really.

One week from today I leave for convention, and I am pretty sure that I'm ready. Well, ish. I've made my packing list, and I've gone over our agend eleventy thousand and 2 times and I think we're going to have another convention meeting later in the week. Again. Our office is stacked with all manner of boxes and such. I have lists of each box and it's contents inside my trusty computer. We're highly organized over here.

Oh, wait, there is news... my mom's puppy was born, along with its 4 siblings... so if anyone wants a Maltese in about 2 months lemme know, k? I'm sure that I'll have pics of that soon MOM! And I'll let ya'll see. She called me after #1, then again after #3, and then I went to bed. they ended up with 5. That's a bunch for such a little dog! Jake is pretty astounded by "Nana had puppies?", so that was funny.

Back to blah blah convention blah. Since I'm in the no-yarn phase of this finger crap, I had to rumage around my craft fair stash to come up with something for the Silent Auction. I decided on this (actually this is the pic from the book, I donated the done afghan):

It's pretty, and hopefully it will raise some money.

Hopefully I'll have more interesting things to talk about tomorrow.