Happy Anniversary, Krista and Bruno!

Ok, it was actually yesterday, but I had to put it out there. You're wondering who they are, but she knows, and that's all that matters. If I didn't mention it, I might lapse back into a terrible case of "Bad Friend Syndrome", and we can't have that. (You don't want to know.)


I am happy to announce that I am 49% of the way to my goal for the Making Strides walk! Now I have had help from many people, so I thought I would try to help someone else, as well. Her name is Aimee and she is doing a Virtual Walk for Lupus, which is a very serious disease, and affects someone I have known for a very long time. (Hi, Ellie!) Anyway, Aimee has a very lofty goal of $5,000, and she's doing a contest as well. If you could pop over to her blog and maybe help her out, that would be great. You have to check out her prizes! She totally puts me to shame, by the way. (hangs head, blushing) We exchanged a few emails and Aimee kindly shared some tips with me for getting prize donations, so NEXT year I'll be rockin'! Plus, she might even be donating a prize herself, for my contest! Isn't that awesome?! Go take a peek, she needs your help...

Speaking of getting help from people:

The second prize offer is ready!



Qutecowgirl dyed this herself! It's 440 yds. of fingering weight merino in what she describes as "flamingo pink". I think it looks like the perfect Pink Ribbon Pink. Isn't it amazing? One of these days, I'll have to give dying my own yarn a go, because the results are so pretty and I think it would make a great gift--something you dyed and then knitted up, too. Check out Qutecowgirl's blog to see some great bags she made from yarn her kiddos helped dye. They're gifts for people, and I think it's SO sweet. One of these days...

Not a lot of knitting news today. We've been busy around the house and Brian had some people helping out next door, too. They filled an entire 20 yd. dumpster with crap our old tenants left us. (Don't get me started on that) At least all that stuff is gone, though. We've filled 3 others before this one, and it's not quite all gone yet, but every little bit is more that we no longer have to worry about, right? (I keep telling myself that).

Ooh, one little bit of knitting/yarn news:
I saw this on the Yarn Harlot's blog. (Go down to #5) I have been dying to do the Monkey socks, especially now that I know I can actually make a pair at all. And seeing this particular yarn in this exact pattern was like an epiphany for me. I wanted something not solid--sort of mottled colors, but mostly one color. I wanted something where I could see the stitches well, be able to follow the patterns, and fix my inevitable mistakes. I wanted something that wouldn't distract from the gorgeous lace pattern. And finally, I wanted to splurge on something very special, my first really special socks. Well, I peeked at the yarn--it's from Hazel Knits, and it's called Sailor's Delight. Everything about it was perfect! I hemmed and hawed, and didn't buy it...maybe too expensive... I kept thinking about it, and I kept checking Hazel Knits until the predictable thing happened--it sold out. Duh, the Yarn Harlot mentioned it and linked over--you know everyone went there and checked it out, right? I waited too long and I wanted to shoot myself in the foot! I continued to check all week to see if she put any more up. She didn't. But wait...what is this? There's a mailing list I can get on to get updates! I'll find out right away when she puts more up! YES! I peek at the gorgeous yummy yarn one more time. Oh my God! She just posted some up!! There are only five available. Is it a sign? This time, I hesitated only a moment or two (pretty fast for me) and I put it in my cart. Ahhhhh. Then I hemmed and hawed some more before I bought it. I decided to use the very last of my Pampered Chef money (I used to sell it) to acquire this splendid yarn, in a fitting colorway. And finally, I made the transaction. Mmmm, sweet victory.

I am gonna love this yarn.

Anybody want a snack?

It's here! The yummy, yummy prize yarn...ooh, it's so nice.

Shibui Knits sock yarn in the Orchid 4201 colorway:


With flash:


I was good, I took it out, drooled a bit, snuggled and squeezed, then dabbed the drool off. Quickly, I snapped a few pics and wrapped the whole thing back up. Yes. It was very difficult. But you'll be relieved to know (especially if you have your name in for the contest) that I sealed it back up and it's safe and sound, I promise not to knit with it a bit. It's harder than it would seem. Admittedly, I am very tempted to just ball it up and start my Oct. Sock a Month KAL sock and order again to replace this yummy, soft goodness. Temptation's plans are foiled. So what if I had to take it to the safe deposit box?

Oh, yes--the socks are finished! I have started and completed my 1st sock AND my first pair of socks. Woohoo! Now, they're certainly not perfect, but they're mine. And they're done. After this, I'm going to post them up on the KAL to prove it.



I am so proud.

And I've been working slowly on all the seaming and crappy, not fun parts of my own sweater. It's coming along. No pics, but I have done one whole side now. Left to do is the other sleeve and side seam. That seems a do-able amount, and it works out well when I work on it in little batches. I am not thrilled with the way I adapted the shape to incorporate a little extra ease in the bottom section. Maybe I was hoping for a miracle? You can be the judge when I get the other side set and put up some pictures.

Many thanks to all of you for all the donations and encouraging messages. It feels wonderful to be able to do what little I can to help the many people who need it. On the other hand, there are so many people with so much loss. It can be very sad. I am honored by your telling me your stories and sharing your trials with me...and so humbled. There is still so much to be done, so much that needs doing. I just can't thank you all enough for your donations however big or small--it all adds up and it will ALL make a difference. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. I am almost halfway to my goal, and I can't express my gratitude enough. Thank you!

Crazy Exciting News!

Wow, have I been excited to tell you all my exciting news. First off, there is a new prize offered...
It is a pattern by none other than Wendy Knits!!! Isn't that exciting?! Wendy is sending me her brand new sock pattern--Hearts for Heidi



Aren't they amazing? This pattern is NOT YET AVAILABLE to the public. (Now, you know she started selling her sock patterns at The Loopy Ewe, but not this one.) You could be the first to see and make this pattern. I am so grateful to Wendy for this gracious donation, and I hope you're as pumped up as I am about it. Wendy suggested that they would be fitting, seeing as she knit them in this lovely pink colorway. I totally agree. So that's the most wonderful news--there is a priceless third prize! Thank you, Wendy!

For the record, the prizes aren't in any sort of order--I'll have to figure all that out when all the prizes are in. There are definitely three separate prizes, though, so there are several chances to win.

Next, my husband and I had a wonderful anniversary. We went out to dinner (the whole family) and it was so nice. Brian looked around and started talking about how if we had never gotten together and gotten married, how none of this (our family, our kids) would have ever happened. It was so sweet--what a lucky woman I am. I promised a picture of us on our wedding day, but I haven't figured out how to set the scanner back up. In light of not having a working scanner, I was going to just forget it, but I got an idea. It isn't exactly professional quality, but you get the idea:



Yes, it is a photo I took of our wedding portrait hanging on the wall upstairs. Hey, it's the best I could do...

And finally, the socks are almost finished. This is my first pair of socks, and I am a handful of rows from the end. I'll do my second attempt at the Kitchner Stitch (1st attempt was with the first sock) and then I will toss my brand new, first ever pair of socks on my feet and dance a jig!

Here they are:


All right, I'm off to finish them up...

Let's put up a fight! --Contest--

All right, here it is. It's official. I am having a contest to help in the fight against breast cancer. You can help! (And possibly win something fun!)



This year, I'm participating in the Boston Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk for the second time. I'll be honest, I made a much higher fundraising goal than last year, and I think I need some help to reach it. So that's where the contest comes in. I am asking for donations to fight this terrible disease that affects 1 in every 3 women, and in return I will give out prizes! It's pretty much a win/win, right?

Here's what you do:
1. Click here to check out my fundraising website (plus a pretty funny picture of yours truly). Read my story and if you'd like to make a donation, click the "Donate" button.
2. Then, please email me at: mom2thebean (at) cox (dot) net [just replace at with @, and dot with . ] and let me know that you've made a donation, and how much it is. Any amount is much appreciated, and no amount is too small. It ALL makes a difference!

The rewards:
1. Pride in knowing you are helping many people. ;) Seriously, though--it feels good.
2. A prize Drawing!! For every $10 you donate, I will enter your name 1 time in the prize drawing. That means 1 entry for $10, 2 entries for $20, 5 entries for $50, etc.

I have gone ahead and ordered the first prize from The Loopy Ewe. It is 2 hanks of Shibui Knits sock yarn, in the Orchid colorway. Gorgeous and pink. Take a peek! (I would paste a pic here, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do that, so instead I'll take my own pics when it arrives. It shipped today.) The yarn may need to be segregated so I do not tear into it and start knitting something up...looks so beautiful. You can follow the Shibui link for more yarn details, but I will tell you that it's 100% superwash Merino. I had considered offering more, but I would really rather put more money towards the cause instead, so this is my starting point. I hope you understand.

But, some good news! Qutecowgirl offered to donate something for the contest, too!! I'll have to wait and see what she decides on, but I for one am very excited. You have to take a peek at her blog--wonderful knitter and she is an amazing person. Can't wait to meet her face to face at Rhinebeck next month. I will update when I know more.

So there you have it--a chance to help many people and make a real difference, AND a chance to win one of two prizes. The walk is Oct. 14th, so I think I will keep the contest open until Weds., the 10th. That gives us just over 2 weeks to raise as much as we can. I will use a random name generator to pick the winners, and will post them here as well as email the winners directly to get mailing details, etc. I am really excited about this, and I hope you all are, too. Perhaps some more prizes will be offered as we go along...check back soon!

If you have any questions or would like to donate something as well, please feel free to leave a comment or email me directly.

Time to catch my breath

Busy weekend. I feel a bit like a slacker, considering I haven't blogged in several days. (Somehow I have delusions of many, many people checking every day and saddened that I haven't updated...I'll be seeking help soon.) No decent excuse except for the old "I've been busy". We have been, though. First of all, it's been a big week or so for anniversaries. My parents' was on the 15th, and my sister and her hubby's (Hi, Ann & Don) was the 13th. Tomorrow will be my husband and my 8th anniversary, and it continues to blow my mind that it has been that long. Feels like just the other day we made that scary move from "friends" to "dating". Totally worth the risk, by the way. If you are thinking of making that jump, I heartily encourage it. Friends make the best partners, hands down. While the time warp continues (you know, the one that makes 8 years feel like maybe 1) a strange phenomenon occurs: it feels like we've always been together, always been a couple. Isn't that odd? The only way I can describe it is to say that I almost can't remember what it's like to not be with Brian or not be married. Anyhow...big excitement this week. Perhaps I can dig up a wedding photo and scan it in or something so you can peek. That's an appropriate task for tomorrow, I think.

Besides the usual schlepping to preschool, first grade, sports class, cheering prep (which my daughter suddenly hates with a passion--who knew?), playdates, etc. I've also had some really fun stuff slipped in there. Topping the list was my All Day Crop on Saturday. My favorite Creative Memories consultant Daniela hosts a special event when her customers can come and scrapbook, use her supplies, purchase items, win prizes, etc. Brian handled the kiddos while I was able to catch up a bit on the family scrapbook from 2pm-10pm on Saturday night! That is a real treat for me--out without the kids AND grownup conversation!! Woohoo! Plus, she orders takeout from one of my favorite places--Oliva's in Milford, MA. Delish! On Sunday, we got together with some friends who have kids the same ages as ours. It was the first time we were able to hang out with both whole families there, and I think it went well. (Added bonus, I didn't have to cook!)

I have been working diligently on my socks, so I will be able to post the pair up for the Sock a Month KAL in Sept. At the risk of jinxing myself, I believe they'll be done in time. We shall see. And I'll work on some pics of the socks. Right now, the second sock has a turned heel, and I've worked about half the decreases from the ankle to the regular foot part. Apologies if there is a real term for that part...I'm on a learning curve, and it's pretty slow. I think it looks good. I'm excited to finish and try out the Yarn Harlot's Earl Grey sock pattern (it's under Aug. 30th's entry--scroll down) for myself in Knitpicks Essential sockyarn, Cocoa colorway. They'll be plain, but pretty, I think. And it's as much as I'm willing to take on right now, but Monkey Socks might follow the Earl Greys, if I'm feeling confident that day.

Last big news is that I am doing the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Boston again this year. Last year was my first time, and I walked on my SIL Maura's team.

Maura and I:


We had a blast and I am thrilled to say that I am captain of my OWN team this year! It's not a huge team, but I think every little bit makes a difference, so I am proud as all get out, and proud of my teammates. Unfortunately, Maura can't do it this year (darned weddings).

A little Making Strides humor:


The walk is on Sunday, Oct. 14th. You can click on the Making Strides link above to go to my website, or the button on the right. This is a very important cause for me, because it affects 1 in 3 women and my Godmother (and aunt) Irene (yes, my daughter's name is Irene, too--good memory!) died from breast cancer at only 28 years old. So, if you can help in any way, please join me in fighting this disease! I am looking for donations--any amount, fellow walkers (if you're around the area, of course), or someone who's willing to share the site with others they know who might want to walk or donate. So I thank you in advance for taking a peek. At first I felt a little weird about writing about this and asking for help, but I decided that the cause is more important, and every single little bit helps. I'll suck it up, and just go ahead and put it out there. If you can't help, that's totally fine, too--you can still read my blog. (wink, wink)

Head's up: I am planning a little contest having to do with the walk. When I have the details all figured out, I will post the official details. It will probably involve some sort of prize, but you'll have to wait and see....I'm still working it out.

The scenery:

It's gettin' chilly

...Gotta finish my socks! All right, I finally cornered Brian and forced him to take pics of the sock on my foot. Now, I've always had a thing about hating my feet. I just don't like the shape of them or something. But I'll post these anyway. Just promise no comments about my feet, o.k.? :)


Slight issue with where I did the bind off...sort of a little jag sticking out by the toes. See it? Not sure if that will disappear with blocking, but I'm hoping. (Psst--sock blockers for Christmas, think about it)



You can see a bit of a ridge where I had issues understand the Yarn Harlot's instructions about picking up stitches for the hell heel. I did get some answers on the Stitch 'n Bitch forum, but I'm still 100% sure if I did it right or wrong. And Shewolfy gave me a cool tip about using a reinforcing yarn for the heel and toe. I may have to try it out on the next pair. That's right--I have not decided to throw in the towel. In fact, there may be signs of an upcoming "addiction" here...we'll see. Here's the ridge line:



I'm fighting hard against the Second Sock Syndrome (SSS) and I think I will be victorious. The second one is almost to the heel flap.


What I can't get over is that I've made an entire sock and half of the second sock, and STILL there is that much yarn left!

Would it be overkill to show this poor, sad, blocker-less sock one more time? (I swear that's the last shameless plug for a gift. For today.)


Not a very exciting day...worked on sock, dental cleaning (super fun--ha), and more sock, laundry, etc. We did go out to dinner and then to a fave ice cream place (Tootsie's in Wrentham, MA) of ours. It is amazing, and we all got yummy, yummy flavors and then sat outside on the patio/deck area and ate it up.

Other than that, I have this to report:


I've been working on the finishing for my v-neck sweater. It's going slowly, since it's so big that I have to really spread it out, I have to have the kids out of the way, and I can not take it with me to work on in the car or anywhere else. It has nothing to do with the fact that most knitters I know hate finishing and I happen to be one of them. Nothing at all. But I'm working on it, and I've gotten the shoulders together, and one sleeve on. Now I just have to finish the side and sleeve seams and the entire other sleeve. Whew! Good thing I'm almost done the finishing. That was sarcasm. 'Case you don't know me very well. One of these days the finishing will be done and all that will be left is the sweet picking up of stitches and knitting the neck band ribbing. That part wasn't sarcasm--I actually LIKE that part. I know, I am weird.

One other thing. I have heard some bad news in a couple of places, and I wanted to ask for some good mojo. Now, I'm not especially religious anymore, and I don't need "prayers" per say, but if you could muster up some good thoughts and send them out, I would much appreciate it. My friends Qutecowgirl has gotten some disturbing news about her dh, so I think they could use a little luck. And my SIL Mo's good friend Mike's father passed away just this week, and I think they could both use some good energy as well. I don't do well in situations where I feel there is nothing I can really do, so I wanted to do what I can, and let them all know I am thinking of them. Major cyber hugs to you all!!

Eventful weekend

Well, this weekend was pretty much crazy. My sister-in-law visited us all weekend, which was great. Maura is super easy going and fun, so she's a wonderful guest to have around, you know? Our BBQ from last weekend was rescheduled to Saturday and Mo (Maura) didn't even mind a bit! So we did the BBQ thing with Mo, my friend Liz and her son Logan. Totally forgot to take an pictures, but we had a good time.

On Sunday we woke up to discover that we are out of oil. Now, while I do live in New England, it IS a little early to have the heat on. We do, however, need oil for our water heater. Err. Yes, that's right. It means we woke up and started scurrying around to get ready, only to realize that there was enough warm water for only one shower. Mind you, I said warm, and I meant warm--pretty sure that our house guest did not have anything resembling hot at all coming out of our shower head. She was still a good sport (and was probably just glad to actually get to be clean). Once we confronted the fact that we were going to have to just get dressed, we continued to ready ourselves. All six of us had to get out the door by 10:00 a.m. to meet Brian and Mo's brother, Matt (and his two kiddos) in Connecticut. I begrudgingly put on my clothes and put my hair into a ponytail. We left the house at 10:02. Not bad, actually--anyone who knows us Learys is aware of how chronically late we are Even I, who met Brian as someone who's habitually 5-10 minutes early for everything, have succumbed to the terrible disease. It's a real tragedy I tell you.

We did make it on time. (Matt was late, but hey, he's a Leary, too...what did I expect?) Everyone headed over to visit Brian's grandmother. We call her "Great", as in my kids' great-grandmother. It was easier for them to say. Or might I say they were willing to call her that, and nothing else? That about sums it up. Great thoroughly enjoyed seeing all three of her grandchildren, as well as all five of her great-grandchildren. And we all met Matt's youngest, Alexandria, for the first time! (She's only a few months old and they live kind of far--it's not my fault.)

Here they all are (I'm taking the pic)


Doesn't Great look amazing? I hope I look that good in MY 90's!


I sent my poor exhausted kiddos off to school on Monday and the call was made to the Oil company. They couldn't deliver until the next day (today). I'd gone to the Y to shower in the morning, and hubby showered at the gym at work, but things were getting a bit rank around here. The laundry fell behind (no warm or hot loads), the dishes were piling up/not getting very clean from cold water washing, and scrubbing up with freezing washcloths was apparently not fun. (My ears are still ringing). The guy (my new bestest friend, by the way) came this morning by 10:00 a.m. with that wonderful elixir--heating oil. He even primed the pump so I could get hot water right away! Usually Brian doesn't want to pay extra for that, he does it himself when he gets home from work. That means I wouldn't have hot water a-brewin' until at least 6:00 or 6:30. What a treat to have some before lunch. The dishes are caught up. The kids and I are clean. I can't speak for Brian, who was funky when he left the house, but I'm guessing he got a shower in at his gym. The laundry is going, and things are generally not so gross.

To top it all off, I finished the first sock ever last night!! I tried it on and it is wonderful. Honestly, I just want to have all hand knitted socks as of right now. Hmmm...why didn't they all just magically appear? I guess I'm going to have to knit them up myself. Interesting...

I have to admit that there was a split second when I got so excited, so proud, so delusional--that I actually thought "wow, I'm so psyched to wear my new sock tomorrow!". Then it hit me. I only have ONE. Can't wear it (out of the house, that is). So, I cast on for the second one. Hopefully I can replicate the first one fairly well. I don't have pics, because I tried them on and got so crazy I forgot to take any pics. I will try to have Bri take one for me tonight. I don't have sock blockers, so I'll have to just wear it or something, I guess. (Christmas hint offically dropped) I'll go ahead and promise some pics by tomorrow night, o.k.?

I've got to get moving so we can all eat before Irene's open house at school tonight. Should be lots of fun.

Final tidbit:
I took out my v-neck sweater and knitted the last of the second sleeve. Right now I'm working on the seaming. So far, the shoulders are together and one sleeve is somewhat on, if not seamed up. Again, you'll have to wait until tomorrow for pics. Aren't I a tease?

Sue me.

Jester's in the House

Yippee! The Jester Hat is finished. I finished last night, and here is Spencer modeling it for us.



I used Knitpicks Swish (worsted weight) in Red Pepper and Dark Navy. The pattern calls for 4 different colors, but in the end I couldn't find two colors I liked with the red and blue for pompoms. So I just went with the red for the poms, too. Knitted with US 7 dp needles. This yarn is so nice and soft, not to mention machine washable--I just love it so much! I will be making mittens to match, but I'm not there, yet.



My faith in my own ability to finish a project restored itself completely with the end of the Jester Hat. What a high! (Well, you know what I mean.)

Spencer was hilarious. He tried the hat on for me at breakfast this morning, and he just wanted to keep wearing it. When we picked up my son at preschool around 11:00 am, he still had it on! And, boy, was it hot. He looked so cute, but still. It was the kind of thing you might never let the first child do, but by the 3rd, if it isn't hurting someone you sort of let it go.

Later on today, while I was working on my sock, I had a problem...


What the......?

Now, a few minutes before this splintering I had a thought. Why do my bamboos look kind of bent? That's weird. Maybe next time, I should try metal needles? Well, I won't be able to make the other of this pair with metals, because the tension could be weird. I'll just use these to finish this whole pair and then I'll try something else. I've liked bamboo for most project, because I'm a loose knitter, and they help me keep my stitches on the needles. With something like a sock, I figured that would be good--sort of like "flypaper needles", so I can drag the sock all around and not drop stitches. Other people love sharp, slick, metal sock needles. I thought, why? Why would I want needles that my stitches slip off? Well, I think I may have found my answer. Hmphf.

This needle was holding the top of the foot (so, for non-sock-knitters, that means the needle with twice as many stitches as all the others--argh). It broke at the midpoint, so I couldn't really slip the stitches to the right and just knit them off. I had to slip them left, and onto the 5th needle. The good news is, it was a 5 needle set. The bad news is, it's now a 4 needle set. I just hope I don't break another. Now I realize I want to get some Knitpicks dp US 1's so I don't want to have to buy another bamboo set to finish sock #2. Cross your fingers for me. (And I'll do my part by being a little more careful.)

Oh, well. I fixed it, I got over it. I hopped in the car to get my daughter and on the way home we had another problem.



Are you kidding me?! Spencer took his precious little hat and tore a pompom apart!!
"Nooooooooooo!"
Have I mentioned how challenging poms are for me??? (Squash down instinct to scream)

Honestly. What are the odds?

Well, I should probably go ahead and get the table set for dinner and stop whining, huh? That's what I'll do. My wonderful Sister-in-Law, Maura--dh's sister, is coming for the weekend, and should be arriving after dinner sometime. We are looking forward to some serious "Auntie Mo time". We've a BBQ here on Saturday, and we're going to meet up with my Brother-in-Law, Matt--dh's brother, and his two little girls on Sunday. Should be lots of fun, and a very busy weekend. I'll try to check in soon.

Wish me luck on that D*%#$ed pompom.

That's all I wanted to hear

Well, things here have settled considerably. I am well on my way with my friendly sock and feel a lot better about being able to finish it soon. I signed up for a sock knitalong, and am supposed to (in theory) finish a pair of socks a month, until December. Hopefully, I can finish this pair by the end of September and I'll get to post on the blog. Success will be mine! Here's how it looks:



I am liking the way the colors spread out more around the heel area. Sadly, I just realized that I was doing my decreases backwards. Oops! I was K2tog when I was supposed to be SSK, and vice versa. Other than that, I think they're coming out well. Not really much for gapping, even where I picked up the heel stitches. Proud Jilly. :)

Here's a pic of the mittens:



Not tons of progress on these, but not bad. I didn't get to knit much today due to a playdate, but who'd give up playdate fun, right? Hi to Krista and her handsome devil! We all had a lot of fun, and she even brought Munchkins from Dunkin Donuts, so the kiddos were happy campers.

The issue with the yarn I received is all set. I got a response today from one of the owners of The Yarn Company (one of my fave yarn stores ever--wish I lived in NYC) and she reassured me and fully remedied the situation. I am very happy and satisfied and continue to recommend the store to everyone I know who knits, because the rock and just so amazing to deal with. Love 'em. With that out of the way, I can tell you how excited I am for my sweater to be finished. It's been chilly the last few mornings and nights here, so fall is on its' way into New England! This is my first wearable that is actually for me. Well, no, I did make myself a scarf about a year or two ago. Other than that, I haven't finished anything for myself yet. In the race for completion are the sweater, the Tiffany Mittens, and the first pair of socks...we'll see who wins.

Great news! I am going to Rhinebeck in October! Brian agreed, and we might even stay over one night. I am so thrilled to go and see what a sheep and wool fest is all about...yummy yarn, I'm hoping.

I almost forgot...Qutecowgirl asked about the yarn for my sweater. It's awful nice, if I do say so myself. Filatura Di Crosa makes it, and the name is Zara. It's 100% super soft Merino wool, and 137 yds. per ball. There are so many colors (I almost fainted the day I walked into The Yarn Co, honestly) that you can barely process them all, much less decide. This blue is number 1499, but they call it different things on different sites. Love the stuff. My sweater is knit double (2 strands together) on US 10.5's, I think. So it's going to be nice and warm, and it knits up quickly. If your LYS carries it, you should seriously go fondle some...so, so yummy.

Off to make some pompoms for the Jester Hat, which I'll show when it's finished. Pompoms are the bane of my existence. Even with one of those fancy pompom makers, I still can barely make one. I have no idea what my glitch is, but after about 14 tries, hopefully I'll have 1 made. (Cross your fingers)

O.k., I'm calm now...

Thanks to Qutecowgirl and Jen for the supportive comments...I sure needed them. Today has brought happier feelings, so things are good. And for the record, the SnB board is amazing, and I really love all the people on it and all the support and help I receive there. I didn't mean to sound snarky about it--totally the opposite, actually. Plus, there I have the added bonus of feeling like I hardly have any stash, etc. The only other thing that makes me feel better about that is the Yarn Harlot books, because they're just so hilarious, and for reasons you'd understand only if you've read her books, I think. But I love them.

Lots of excitement--it's been the 24 hours of packages here!

Yesterday, I got the yarn I needed for my v-neck sweater. I'm not going to go too far into it, but I had an issue and have contacted the vendor. So I'm going to wait until I hear back from them before I say anything, to give them a chance to respond to the situation. That said, I am really excited to have yarn to finish it with. When I took the sweater pieces out after so long, I realized that there was much less left to do than I remembered! I have maybe an inch or two of one sleeve cap, I have to sew it up, and then I have to pick up sts. for the neck ribbing, and that's it!! Happiness abounds. I'll give you a sneak peak:



I forgot how much I loved the yarn and how pretty the color is. (Feel free to completely agree and gush over said yarn and color.)

I also got some Knitpicks today!



This is the yarn to finish the darned Jester Hat, plus enough for matching mittens, as well as yarn for my other son's hat and mittens, too. And the one extra ball of Dublin for the gift scarf. Whew! I did finish knitting the hat, and started sewing up the top seam. No pics, but I will get some tomorrow, hopefully with the pom-poms on it. Loving the look so far, though. Oh, yes--and I also got a color swatch card for the Knitpicks Swish yarn. I am so glad I did. It's so much easier to see the colors and I don't have to guess about what will look right together. I wish I did it some time ago. Worth every penny of the $1.99, I tell you.

Our sock and mitten projects are coming along well, too. So, all in all, it's a pretty good day. What day with yarn packages isn't?

One other package: new cell phones. Today is my busiest day, so I wondered if I would catch the FedEx guy to sign for the phones, and I DID! Awesome. My new phone is all charged up and switched over from the old one. I love it. Admittedly, I haven't exactly made a call on it yet, but babysteps work for me. I got the Motorola Krzr and Brian got the new Razr. I love packages.

Another spirit-lifter was a surprise visit from my Dad yesterday. He stopped in to see the kids and visit, and we all had a lot of fun. I showed him the sweater I made for Irene, and it was the best reaction ever. Sort of when someone can't believe that you made something, you know? He commented how it was a perfect fit for her, and he just had no idea that I could do something like that. So cute. It's the kind of reaction that just really revs the knitting engines...at least it does for me. Maybe you only get pumped when people say bad things, or start frogging your work. You never know, everyone is different. But for me, I can't get enough of the compliments.

So what did I do? Uh-huh, I took out the finished Tiffany Mitten. (I couldn't help myself!!) Dad got pretty excited--he tried it on, even--and I think he really liked it. It felt good to impress somebody, and I couldn't wait for the kids' bedtime so I could get my knit on!

Speaking of that--off I go.

Frustration

All right, I'm having one of those moments. I am frustrated with my knitting. Now, I'm not super frustrated or anything--I'm just a bit, er, annoyed.

I feel like my Tiffany mitten is taking forever. Let me rephrase: I feel like my second Tiffany mitten is taking forever. As far as I'm concerned, I pretty well flew through the first one (as a relatively newish knitter who had never really done this kind of colorwork before). Maybe it's because I'm not solely focused on the second mitt. Maybe it's because I have lost a little steam. (Who, me? Get bored with something quickly? Pshaw! Never.). Perhaps it's because I imagine that I will not finish another project for a long, long time. Yeah--I think it's the last one.

You see, I have taken on multiple projects. This is new to me. I used to be a one project girl. I picked something to knit up, I bought the yarn and needles, if needed. I got to work. And I finished the project. I did not buy yarn for "the next thing". I did not cast on for said evil thing. I never started on something else (evil) while I was working on the current project. This worked for me. I wasn't spending like crazy, and dh was o.k. with buying the yarn, because something was coming of it. Understandable. Reasonable, even. And it was working. I felt a sense of accomplishment each time I finished a work of art (well, to me, anyway) and I wasn't going crazy stocking up. [Have I mentioned I tend to get bored quickly? When I tire of a new hobby, I'm usually left with all of this stuff that I'm never going to touch again.] Then I joined the virtual SnB. Everyone else knits more than one project. Everyone else has a yarn "stash". Everyone else doesn't necessarily finish every project before moving on. Everyone else doesn't even finish every project at ALL. Wow.

So here I am, thinking, "Hey, this one thing IS a little boring, isn't it? Maybe if I just start ONE other thing...and I'll just go back and forth, you know, so I won't get bored." Uh, oh. And there it starts.

Now I sit with a project that is a pair. I did the first mitten, but now I have to make another. I have an unfinished sweater (ok, the yarn is on the way, but still--I started it in March, I think). I have an unfinished scarf (again, needed more yarn, but still bothers me). I have started a sock project--again, it is a PAIR. I have to make two. What was I thinking? And I started a dummy project on the side (of the mittens, mind you--they're very high focus knitting) and ran out of yarn yet again!

Impending doom of never in fact finishing a project again is pressing down on my shoulders (and knitting needles), rendering me immoble. Seriously, for some reason today, I can barely pick up anything to work on it...ever feel like that? Makes me crazy. Now you know the cure. All I have to do is just pick something up and keep working and I'll experience that pumped up adrenaline--the feeling of progress!! Need some motivation. I have an idea...

Here's the progress since last I posted pics, and it's not too bad, really.

The second mitt:


The first ever sock:




Turning the heel:


Interesting. I'm feeling a little better, after all. Maybe I will zip off to knit?

Oooh, one more thing. I received an "award" yesterday from a fellow knitter and blogger, not to mention mother of 3, like myself! Qutecowgirl gave the Nice Matters Award, for being so nice!! Hey, can you believe that? I know, those of you who know me personally are thinking, "Well, she must not know Jill very well..."
KNOCK IT OFF!! (I mean that in the nicest way, possible) Too funny. I have to say I am one of those people who if you don't know me very well, you would say, "Oh, she's just SO n-i-c-e!". And if you DO know me very well, you'd *maybe* think the opposite. But that's a pretty small handful of people. Anyway--Qutecowgirl's blog is very interesting and I have to admit that I stalk it visit it everyday. Now, here's the button for the award:



I took a closer look a minute ago, and I thought--hey, that's kinda a little dirty of a pic. But I can't not put it up. If I'm going to have that up, maybe it's time to join the Sexy Knitters Club, afterall?

Oh, happy Saturday

Well, this has been a busy day. My two oldest kids started a new batch of swimming lessons this morning, so I had to get up early and get going. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but after the summer's worth of hanging out and not having to hurry often, it's been a tough week getting up early each morning, and now on a *gasp* Saturday! They had fun, though, so it was worth it. My hubby didn't want to bring the three kids to the swim lessons (I admit, it's not much fun), so he volunteered to switch and stay home and clean this morning while I was gone with the kids to our YMCA. Our Y isn't right next door, but I love it so we make the drive--about 20 minutes, maybe? So I have to give props to Brian for staying home and doing our weekly routine, also known as the "Home Blessing Hour" by Flylady. The explanation for this can be found by following this link, and going to the What is the weekly Home Blessing Hour?" section. Basically, it's your routine weekly cleaning: vacuum, dusting, sweeping, mopping, etc. I am a Flybaby, and this website has helped me tremendously in terms of getting my home and life in order, and letting me enjoy my kids and my house. (Ever feel like you can't stand being in your house one more second? And you have to get out? And you're the only one who ever cleans, so why do it? If so, check her out.) Anyway, I wanted to publicly thank him for doing all that while I was gone. I came home to a sparkly clean home, and I couldn't be happier! Thanks, Bri!

We were supposed to have some friends over for a BBQ today (Hi, Liz and Logan!), but he was sick, so they couldn't make it. We were very bummed, but we rescheduled. So now, we're sort of at a loss. You know when you have plans and then they don't work out--but everything is done and ready? Now we have all this day and nothing to do. (And since the house is already clean and there's food here, and dinner is planned...there's nothing that HAS to get done.) So I figured I'd update and let you know how happy I am to have a nice clean, organized (for the time being--hey, I've got 3 little kids) house, and a happy family to spend the day with. Plus, I figured I'd take the chance to spread the word about Flylady, and maybe help someone else to feel as happy as I do on this lovely Saturday.

Oooh, one more thing--Brian also went ahead and ordered the other two balls of Zara yarn I need for my sweater, so it should be on the way! Woohoo!! Happy day!

C'mon, C'mon

Even feel like that? I just feel tons of energy and excitement about some projects I have going, and I sort of itch to work on them, all the time. Truth be told, I can't work on them all the time--I just want to. So this title sort of sums it up, and it's also in honor of my favorite show Rescue Me, which was on last night. It's the title of the theme song. I know, I know, lots of TV references for me, right? Well, that's when I get a lot of my knitting done, to be honest. (Yes, Heather, that's how I do it! LOL) The kids are in bed, I'm watching TV anyway, and I don't feel guilty because I'm getting something accomplished. Sort of a win/win, don't you think? I used to try nap time, but I gave up. Inevitably, if I sit down with knitting, the baby wakes up, no matter how long he's been asleep. What's with that?!


Anyhow, thanks so much for all the good advice and support, Qutecowgirl, Jen, and Heather. I did manage to pick up the stitches for the mitten, using a helpful link from A Kitten Knits. I worked on the thumb a bit, but was so tired I didn't dare to keep working--no focus. Last night, I finished it up. Wanna see?




I can't believe I DID it!!!

These photos are courtesy of my six-year-old, but they're not bad. As payment, I had to let her model them, too:

I am pleased, but I didn't love the way there are some holes around the thumb. I fixed one side when I weaved in the ends, but the other is still a little "gaping hole-esque". Hmmm. Maybe I'll weave in some pretend ends just to fill it in? What do you think? Here's a shot:

Once I got over the shock that I actually did this pattern, I realized I had to do another one. Now my brain is shouting, "C'mon, C'mon--cast on the next mitten!!!"

Here's where my excitement moves from the mittens to something else.



I've also been working on my first ever sock. Mostly, I take it with me when I pick up my daughter at school. They do this thing where you have to be in the lot before 3:10, and after that, they don't let cars in because of the kids. Now, the kids don't get out until 3:20, so there's some time to kill there. Plus, I'm there by 2:50, anyway. You know how it is, if I leave any later then I end up late, but if I leave then, I'm super-early. Go figure. After she gets out, we go over to the van, load all three kids in, and then sit and wait. Yup, that's right. No one can leave the lot until all the walkers are gone. It's nice because it's very safe for the kids, but I get impatient waiting for EVERY kid and parent to get out of there. So, no one drives an inch (they really freak out if you try--I saw it today) until at least 3:30. I would be annoyed, but there's so much sock work to be done! I will say that the kids get awfully impatient. Maybe I should teach them to knit socks? Everybody does their own? It's something to consider. :)


C'mon, C'mon--hurry up so I can get out of this parking lot!


Here's my progress on the sock:


C'mon, C'mon--keep working on it!! It's growing so fast!


Did I mention I'm waiting for a Knitpicks order? (You guys have created a crazy Knitpicks-ordering-fool, and you KNOW who you are.) It shipped today, and has the extra yarn I need for the Jester Hat (c'mon, c'mon--it's so cute!) and the Irish Hiking Scarf (c'mon, c'mon--I need it by Christmas!) so I'm anxious for its' arrival.


Now I've got to get going, to set the table (and stop a kiddo fight I hear escalating). My hubby is on his way home right now...


C'mon, C'mon--where's the PIZZA?!

Holy SOCKS!

Wow, lots of great news! First of all, I finished most of the first Tiffany mitten last night while watching our own Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon. [We rent the show on DVD and watch a bunch of episodes in a row--nice for knitting, because I've already seen them all.] I finished all but the "after thought" thumb. Hey, that's what it's called.


The thumb business is kind of freaking me out. Now, you'd think that I'd be so excited to finish (ok, start) the thumb and be done with one whole mitten, but I'm not. Honestly, I spent most of the morning avoiding the whole project. I did important things like clean the toilet and stuff. Finally, I got over it and sat down to look at the darned thing...


What I'm supposed to do is pull out the pink waste yarn and pick up 11 stitches from below and 11 stitches from above and start going, basically. Say what?! What if it starts to unravel, you say? Hmmm...the thought crossed my mind. (Understatement of the year, here) There is an option to pick up the stitches before you pull out the waste yarn. Yes, novel idea, I know...

Obviously, I am going for the "before" version. I did get the ones under picked up, but I guess I don't have a clue how to get the stitches from above onto the needle. Now, I could just start pulling the yarn and try to pick them up as I go, but somehow I cannot seem to wrap myself around that one. Apparently, I'm a "conservative" knitter. Tonight I will look up the afterthought thumb and see if I can't come up with some answers. And if you have any, by all means--share. Really, I'm begging you.

The wonderful part is this:


This is the black and blue together WITHOUT a flash, and I think they look smashing! Who, me? Worry?Woohoo for instinct!

Now, I can't work on my dummy project, because once again, I have run out of yarn on a project. Seriously, what is it with me? And to think when I started at WPI, I was a math major!! While I wait for more yarn to finish the Jester Hat, I decided to cast on my first ever sock. I used Knitpicks Blue Violet Multi Essential sock yarn (I have two 50 gram balls--is it enough?) and cast onto US 1 needles. After perusing Knitting Rules by the Yarn Harlot, I chose to give her basic sock recipe a try. Rather than swatch, I figured I'd just go with it. I cast on 64 sts, over 2 needles, and joined then ribbed. I'll practice, and see how the gauge works out. My work is generally too loose, so my hopes are that the smaller #1 needle will be to my advantage. We will see. (Plus, my #2's are in the Tiffany mittens, you remember.) I think this is just exciting and amazing news. (I can see you on the edge of your chair there--don't fall off...) Here's how it looks:


My last great news is that school starts tomorrow, here. The timing couldn't be more perfect. Last week I hit the wall, wondering when summer break would ever be over. However, now I'm feeling rather melancholy about my oldest starting the first grade. How I will miss her all day--ironic, isn't it? But it's still good news...

Ps. Qutecowgirl, thanks so much for the advice on how to fix the bunchy stitches. I tried it a little and it's working. I'll do more later, but I can see it coming along. Appreciate the help!

Need it, want it--Breaks

Sometimes you just need a break. That's sort of where I was this weekend. So I took them.

The Tiffany mittens are coming along. Here's where I am:

I am really liking how they're looking. However, I DID need a break from them. --Or several, actually--
For some reason, one of the charts (there are 6) was driving me up the wall. Maybe it was because it was a long run, so I couldn't just memorize it and scurry along. Maybe it was because a lot of the colors went for 6 or more sts., so I had to twist up the yarn running behind, which I hate doing. Maybe it was because I'm a little slow, and I just don't have enough brain power for this pattern... Anyhow, I was so thrilled to be done with chart D, that I wanted to do a jig. I didn't. I did tell Brian all about it, and then I referred back to the pattern to double check that I should move right on to chart E. Um, no. I should not. Huh?

Apparently, I had to do chart D, a-g-a-i-n. Say what? This is where the break came in. Seriously, I felt like I needed a time-out or something. I did plug on, but I did not like it. And I took lots of breaks.

That's where the good news comes in:
Jester Hat


Looks good. But I ran out of yarn. Argh! And I wasn't far from the end when I ran out, either.

See? I just needed a few more rows...

Now, I considered trying to go back from the bottom and take out a row or two of the blue, and add it to the bottom, redo the red and all of that, but I don't think I'm up for it. (Sounds like something the Yarn Harlot could do, but not me...I can just "think" about doing it...) It's alright, though. I need some more of this yarn for Keegan's hat, too, so I would have ordered more anyway. It would have been nice to finish this project up, but I will have to wait.

I love to finish projects. I think I might be a "project knitter", meaning I'm one of those people who knits to have something finished...not for the challenge, not only for fun, or to just play around and design something...but to make something, accomplish something, have a "something" to show for it. That's me. Not finishing something makes me need a --you guessed it!-- break.

While I've been taking knitting breaks and switching back and forth from projects, I have also needed a little "Mommy" break. So yesterday I went shopping with my sister, Ann, alone. No kids, no hubby, just me. (And Ann, but she can pretty well take care of herself.) Very nice break. We had a good time, and I got a break from the kids, laundry, dishes, etc. Much needed. And much appreciated. (Thanks, Bri!)

Ps. Advice needed: I don't like the way the corners of the mittens are coming out. By this, clearly, I mean the parts where the dp ndls connect. I'm not having any laddering or anything, but they do seem a little puckered. Here's a pic:

You can see how it's sort of bulging and has a wrinkle. What am I doing? Any advice? I'm thinking that I'm pulling the carrying yarn too tight, maybe? It seemed too loose before, but perhaps I over-corrected? Please leave a comment and let me know what you think/suggest!