Progress? Not so much.

I've done 2 more pattern repeats on my sock, not that you can tell...
How sad. Looks like the same picture from last time, huh? I need to be studying for a test today. I need to work on a project. I need to step away from this computer.

the daily grind

When you're a kid, you think it's gonna be so much fun once you grow up. What you don't realize is that grownups do the same thing, just about every.single.day.

Yes many of us, myself included, are to some extent creatures of habit. I like my coffee a certain way, and I like it in a certain mug. I prefer to knit my socks top-down on DPNs and don't really care to do it any other way.
But the other stuff? If I could have a day where no one would make a mess? It would be amazing...no one would dirty a dish, create and laundry, need to eat. Hell in my fantasy, just for the day, the cat wouldn't even need to use the litter box.

I really can't complain, though. When DH was first deployed I would always ask him how things were and he would say 'same old same old'. He told me that his days were like the movie 'Groundhog Day'. I thought about it, and he has a point.

The kids not only drive me nuts, they keep it interesting. There is always someone around to sing me a song, show me a dance or tell me a joke (even if it's not funny). Then there is school, which is nothing if not a new adventure every night. Tonight I am in the postpartum unit. There is always drama in the postpartum unit.

So when I'm done with this post and go upstairs to switch out a load of laundry, and then empty the dishwasher, I'll try and remind myself of all of the excitement in my life. Maybe it will pump me up to go to the grocery store and get my oil changed, and come home and do homework.
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Even though I have a preferred way to knit my socks, I'm always on the lookout for DPNs to love. Those in that picture up there are the Knit Picks Options. It's my first time ever knitting with metal and I don't know how I feel about it yet. I think they make my hand cramp up, and I'm not a tight knitter. I'll use them, but I don't love them. I have a set of the Harmony but they are just too dark for my tastes. I do like to knit with them though.

BTW, those socks up there? They are the Maelstrom socks from Twist Collective. I joined Sock Knitters Anonymous on Ravelry and the sock is for the September installment of sockdown. I'm also still working on my failed Olympic project, Loppem from Norah Gaughan Vol. 3.

This sweater had two false starts. I'm also annoyed with the amount of errata but it's coming along nicely now. One thing I do like is that the pattern gives you the height of the model. In this case the model is 5'2'', and the sweater comes down to about her hips. Well, there was no way that 9'' from the armhole dowm was going to be anywhere near long enough for my 5'7'' frame. So I added length. A lot of length. Also, the sweater is very green...the yarn is Andean Silk in 'leaf'. I couldn't get the color to come through in the picture.


I still spin, too. Unfortunately I usually only have time for knitting or spinning here as of late, but I did recently finish some stuff...










I really do hope that when DH gets back (less than two weeks to go now. Yay!) that I will be able to drag the wheel out more often.











Well it is time to finish off my coffee and get started with that daily grind because before I know it it's time to go to school and my day is OVER!

Had to take a break...

and a rest...




















We had a party with cake...





















and even ate some...





















Now we're ready to get back to this blogging business!






















Sorry I've been slacking folks. With hubby deployed and school in full swing for me I've been (heh) busy. Not to mention the total time stealer that is Ravelry. I love Ravelry. I will be back later this afternoon with some blog housekeeping, you know like adding links and deleting others. Now we must tackle the monster better known as shopping for school supplies!

Coffee Swap!

Here are my answers for the coffee swap 3 questionnaire...

1. Whole bean or ground?

I'm partial to whole bean, but wouldn't turn my nose up at ground.

2. Fully-loaded or decaf?
And the point of decaf would be...? Fully loaded for sure!

3. Regular or flavored?
Both have their place. I really like all of the flavors that come out this time of year though...pumpkin spice, gingerbread, etc.

4. How do you drink your coffee?
Cream and sugar.

5. Favorite coffee ever?
I don't necessarily have a favorite, I like a nice medium roast for everyday. The dark french stuff very rarely.

6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?
I'm not too fussy, but I don't buy Folgers or Maxwell house.

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?
I have a serious sweet tooth, and a weakness for chocolate. I'm not a big fan of nuts in my baked goods.

8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?
Not that I can think of...

9. Yarn/fiber you love?
I like blends...cotton/wool, wool/silk..stuff like that. Laceweight and sock yarn are always crowd pleasers!

10. Yarn/fiber you hate?

I don't like most furry/flashy/synthetic yarns.

11. What's on your needles?
A garnstudio jacket in Berocco Ultra Alpaca, the Secret of the Stole in Skacel laceweight, a baby dress in O~Wool, and the Josephine Top in Rowan 4ply cotton. Oh, and a Monkey sock but I might rip it because I don't know that I like the yarn/pattern combo.

12. Favorite colors?
I love to knit and spin all colors! My favorites come and go depending on my mood and the season. I'm loving all the fall colors...colors of the changing leaves. I have to pretend, since where I live it's hot as hades 10 months out of the year.

13. Allergies?

Smoke and dust. Looks like I'm allergic to mountain cedar too but that is really irrelevant!

14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest? No, not really. Any questions just ask but I'm pretty easy!

It's a gloomy day around these parts. Thankfully this means a slight drop in temperature but it's still humid as all get out. I should be reading for class tonight but I'm knitting on my Drops jacket and surfing the web. I might even spin for a little bit. I'm such a rebel ;p~

Because we're high-tech like that...

I don't know if you can read that name in 8-year-old scribble, but it says Claude. Yay Claude! Claudine is blogless, but she now has $10 to spend any way she wants at Dame Candle Co. Thanks to everyone who commented!

Amy, your yarn has been soaked and skeined (is that a word?). It's ready to go...

I hope you like it! Have a great weekend everyone!

Happy Monday

What? It's Tuesday? Well whatever, it feels like Monday to me.

Yes, I had school last night. A test even. But everyone else was home so I didn't have to get up at 6am and get 2 out of 3 kids on a schoolbus, and that my friends is a vacation. Because let me tell you, children can try your patience at 6am before coffee.

Take today for example. Some of what I am about to tell you is my fault. No one looked in the kids' backpacks this weekend. The conversation last night went something like this...

me: did you go through the kids' stuff?
dh: no, I thought you did.
me: that's ok, I'll do it in the morning.

yeah, I know.

Anyway, this morning I stumble out of bed and grab the backpacks while the boys are getting dressed. I stick my hand in my 6yo'd bag and straight into some mush. Ack. My mind does a quick rewind to Friday morning when he told me he wanted to bring a BANANA to school. Remember, today is actually Tuesday.

my 6yo: hey, what's that doing in there. I thought I threw it out!
me: why didn't you eat it?
my 6yo: when I got to school on Friday it was squished so I didn't want it.

Those of you who know me (in RL and on this blog) know about my aversion to bananas. You also know it's a texture thing. So sticking my hand into a brownish~blackish mashed up funky banana first thing in the morning is so not cool. He ended up going to school today without a bookbag and I spent 30 minutes cleaning off a library book and the inside of his backpack (which wound up just having to go through a cycle in the machine).

After this I needed coffee. But my kitchen was stinky!!! This is why I must give a shout out to Wendy from Dame Candle Company. A while back she sent me a couple of votives and some tarts to try out. I've got one of her 'buried treasure' tarts in my little burner on my stove right now and let me tell you it smells SO GOOD! I've always been a Yankee Candle girl but soy tarts are so much better. The burn cleaner, they smell stronger and longer, and clean up is easier. Believe me when I say the entire downstairs of my house smells divine. No more funky banana and that makes me smile. And you know what? I want you to smile, too! So....leave me a comment by midnight Thursday, October 11th, and I'll pick one lucky winner to recieve a $10 gift certificate (or a credit...not sure how she does it) for Dame Candle Company. That way you don't have to take my word for it, you can smell for yourself :)

Rosa left a comment and asked if I've been spinning. I have, a little. I just finished up some handpainted roving from Spunky Eclectic. I'm afraid I'm not sure I remember the colorway OR the fiber...I'm sure it's around here somewhere! This is an attempt at trying to spin thick 'n' thin. I think it came out quite well and once it's in a hank it will be going to my friend Amy. If she wants it of course ;) Right now I'm working on some merino/tencel that I got from MDS&W. It's pretty...blues and greens. It's spinning up really thin, so I'm thinking maybe I can get a shawl or something out of it. Depends on how much there is.

Knitting? I'm in the Secret of the Stole KAL so I'm working on that. My first time with beads and so far it's fun! I'm still working on the Garnstudio jacket but it's so hot out it's hard to work on it for any length of time. Oh, and I don't know it I told you guys but I'm making the Amelie dress from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms out of O-Wool. That O-Wool is some good stuff. Someone I know thinks it smells like curry but I don't know about that.

That about wraps it up. So...Go! Comment! Trust me, if you could smell my house right now (and what it smelled like before, ick!), you would wish your house smelled the same :)

Ok, let's face it...

There just aren't enough hours in the day for me to post everyday. Not to mention my life just isn't that exciting. I did finish Rusted Root though...

No modeled pics just yet (the baby can't work the camera) but it fits and I like it. It could stand to be a little longer so maybe one day when I'm feeling ambitious I'll add to the ribbing at the bottom. Don't hold your breath.

I also started two more projects. A jacket from Garnstudio in Berocco Ultra Alpaca. Doubled. Yes, I know where I live. It'll be more like a coat! I'd show you a progress pic but it's pretty boring right now. I'm cruising along though! The second project is the Amelie Dress for Natural Knits for Babies and Moms. I'm using o-wool and I LOVE it! I want to use it to make something for me!

I'm still plugging away on Josephine but the little needle/skinny cotton combo is taking forever!

In nursing school news...I'm still there. Ha! Seriously, I won't be rushing home at the end of this quarter to put my report card on the fridge or anything but I'm passing. Perhaps I'm aiming low but as someone with three kids under the age of 9 I'll take it!

Looking around it seems as though my sidebar could use a little housekeeping. There are a few things that are over with and a couple more things I've joined.

Around here? Busydaddy has settled into his Mr. Mom role quite nicely. After finishing up with homework and football practice (they both practice on different days, so he gets to do this M-TH), they come home for dinner and bedtime routine. The baby just goes with the flow, when he's not doing his own thing that is...