These Dreams

You know--the ones that go on when I close my eyes. Well, they have not been so great, and their meanings are not so hidden. I had one where Cookie emailed me and asked why it had been so long since I had blogged. Of course, that was a reminder that I had missed Cookie's birthday. Then there was the one where people were yelling at me while I played ukulele. This is because I am musically horrible. The most disturbing was the dream where everyone was after my ginger root. They only came around when my ginger root had regenerated enough for a piece to be cut off, and it was all very stressful. I have that dream figured out, too.

Anyway, I have not been knitting, and I think I have worked why that is the case, but issues remain. However, I have been at the sewing machine some. Mostly that means I hemmed my nephew's pants, but I did make a pincushion, too. I made mistakes with it, but it is not completely terrible. Soon, I hope to sew an apron, and it will have cupcakes on it.

Speaking of cupcakes, I have been spinning my Leafy BFL/silk Cupcake Fiber Co (Happy 1st Birthday!) batts. The spinning experience was wonderful and even more comforting during this time of not knitting. I did pretty well, and am pleased with my efforts and results. I spun, plied, washed, and now have my big, squooshy skein of two-ply, laceweight yarn, (yardage undetermined) as well as my tiny, squooshy, mill-end skein of eleven yards. I finished it just before my new box of Cupcake batts arrived. I almost got the Mother of Pearl, but decided to get Royal because I have wanted it for so long.

Speaking of long, I have yammered on long enough, so, Happy Wednesday!

Living and Learning

Perhaps I could be jumping for joy that it is January, but that might indicate that December was not good, and it really did have some wonderful times. There were some difficulties as well, and they greatly affected everything else. When last we parted, I could not sleep, and it was not the kind where I can get things done when I should be sleeping, but rather the bleary-eyed, sitting-like-a-useless-lump, type. Yeah, I often have trouble with that, but this was worse, and after about two weeks of not getting more than about two consecutive hours of sleep, my back could not cope and it brought on that vicious cycle of pain and sleeplessness. Eventually it changed, and I am so very grateful for that.

While it is true that this explains much of where my December went, there was more. We had anxious times when it seemed as though the ukuleles for the nieces and nephews would not arrive in time, and then cheers of joy when they did. More about ukes in a bit.

There was not nearly as much knitting (see above) but I did manage to finish two birthday gifts in time. By the way, the other moose hat was not lost, but a re-sizing attempt went horribly wrong, and that is why the replacement hat was necessary. I even made it to the post office on time, and for that I deserve extra brownie points. I suppose I lose points because the Bella Mittens were still damp, but it takes for-evah for bulky, cabled knits to dry.

One knit that I thought would be for Mom ended up being mine. I was going to knit as many Calorimetry as possible for her, but I only made one, it is big, and I love wearing it. My unlabeled Unclaimed Baggage yarn was not Plymouth Boku, but rather, Noro Silk Garden. There were even twigs and a knot to prove it. I used every last bit of the yarn, and could not be more pleased. It works on even my biggest hair days.

The process of getting ukuleles for the nieces and nephews revealed something to me. Last year, I bought one for Bruce for his birthday. What I discovered last month is that he did not really want one. Well, he wanted me to get one for him, but he wanted me to play it. I found that out while I was looking for a simple Christmas song to teach the kids when they got their ukes. Then, I learned how to play "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC, so there you go.

That is not the only thing we learned last month. We learned that my nephew, Roshawn, needs glasses, and that he will be a big brother to a little brother in April. On Thanksgiving, we also learned that my niece, Katie, will be a big sister in July, so we will have to wait a bit to find out the brand on that baby.

With all that we have learned lately, I wonder what all we will learn in 2012. I suppose I am a little bit excited and a little bit scared, but that's life, isn't it?

What the Wednesday?!?!?

Aunt Sarah has on her production-elf-hat and the stitches are flowing. There are the effs that have been oh-ed, the things waiting for the post office, the items already gifted, (oh, those December birthdays!) the projects nearing completion, those waiting for a quiet moment of attention, the ones not yet begun, a last-minute addition or three to the list, and that is just the knitting. I have plans for three of four scarves I want to weave, and a general idea for the fourth.

Today I can show you a quick, satisfying, well-received gift. Last week was Katie's birthday, and I gave her a hat I knit from her handspun. It is a bit on the small side, but she loves it, paraded around in it, said she was going to bring it for show-and-tell, and patiently posed endlessly for her mother at the camera. She was even sweet enough to let me get a snapshot, too. Let me just add, that, in certain situations, knitting with extra-bulky yarn might not be the worst thing in the world.

I am feeling much more peaceful after the resolution of a stressful situation. It really was not so much about me, but rather someone else's issues spewing forth in a most unpleasant manner, and I was in the line of fire. I was beginning to think that it was going to turn into a great big deal, and it nearly did, but at the last moment the person was able to see what was happening and turned it around and things are back to being good.

I am not feeling quite so much peace about some postal issues. I have been expecting packages and they have not arrived. There is a possibility that they have not yet been mailed and I do not want to pressure anyone, (and we all know how bad I can be about mailing things) but I also do not wish to appear to be someone who does not acknowledge receipt of a package. Beyond concern that they could have gone missing, I am not really worried.

However, I am a bit worried that the ukuleles I ordered for the nieces and nephews will not arrive in time. Apparently, they are still out-of-stock, but we remain hopeful. Their books and pitch pipes are here already, and we have something of a backup plan for just in case, but I really want the ukes to be here for Christmas.

Demanding December

Our December has been very busy so far, and I think it will continue to be very full. It started (on the first of the month, even) with the Athens Christmas Parade. Baby Tanya (who will be 23 on the 24th) is Miss Merry Christmas for her school, Athens State University. She was a bit overwhelmed by winning and then discovering that fulfilling her responsibilities for the title and finals overlap quite a bit, but she is honored and the credit to the bookstore will help with textbooks next semester. Anyway, the parade was quite the experience, and if I were to offer suggestions for planning it next year, it would be to consult a train schedule. The parade started late and was interrupted by trains passing through town. We were very cold by the end, and my mom and Bruce are forever in my debt for the extra handknits I shoved in my bag as we headed out the door, or they might not be thawed out yet. Still, it was great to be able to get out and support her, and we cheered enough to let her know they were there, but not loud enough to embarrass her.

Getting a good photo just was not an option for me. If there are settings I could have used on my camera that would have helped, I do not know which I should have used. The headlights, streetlights, and traffic lights all shone in from different directions, and the pictures I took ranged from terrible to what he have here.

Still, the picture is special to us for reasons besides showing Tanya in the parade. In the background, you will see a courthouse, and outside it, a statue. That is where Bruce and I got married.

Crossing the Finish Lines

Well, NaBloPoMo is over, and I met my goal of posting each day. Some entries were lesser in quality than others were, but I made it through, and it also helped me to reconnect with blogging. Of course, I am, once again, behind in emails, comments, and reading, but that is nothing new. I am really glad I did this, and having you all stick with me all the way through has been wonderful.

NaFiSweMo is over, too, and I achieved my goal with that. Most of the time when I finish a sweater, I am so sick of it that I have a hard time finding the love for it, but not this time. I am so very pleased with my new sweater, and I have not taken it off since I finished it. I have already received wonderful compliments on it, and my friends can tell that this is a sweater that I will wear often. Salt Peanuts is a great cardigan, the color I chose is perfect, and I have even more love for the yarn (Patons Classic Wool) than when I started. I do not think I could ask for more.

Pajama Pants and Peanuts

In something of a surprise, bringing my colder weather clothes into the rotation and putting the summer ones away for the year did not coincide with a burst of unseasonable warmness. Instead, it is still cold, and I get to wear the pajama pants I made for myself. Yeah, I have a sewing machine and play with it a little, but it is not getting much attention because knitting gets all of my free time right now. Speaking of that, I need to get back to that last seam.

Monday, the 28th?

Cyber Monday and all of its coupon codes and emails have been raining down on me, and it finally got to me. So, a little bit of yarn fell into an online shopping cart, and will be on its way to me soon. Nah, I did it on purpose because there is some yarn I needed for gifts that I just do not have. The truth is, I already had the yarn in the virtual basket, but didn't get around to sending in the order until today. I kept fretting about colors, but it is a good thing I did spend extra time checking that, because I almost made a big mistake.

Speaking of yarn for gifts that I do not have, I bought some bulky yarn. As you know, that is not really my style, but I understand that there are some sparkly vampire movie fans in the family, and I think those mittens would make great gifts for a couple of people. They were chatting the movie and books up while we sat around and visited after Thanksgiving dinner, and that is when I got the idea.

Speaking as one who has not read the books, I will say that I am not much interested. I did watch one of the movies when it was on tv the other night. My nose was so stuffed up that my mouth was hanging open, and I could not think or do much, and from the commercials I had seen, that seemed to go along with the movie, so I lost a couple of hours to it. It just is not my deal, but I really do not care that other people love it. I kid around a bit, but I do not want to make fun of anyone enjoying a book, movie, or music. We all like what we do, and I hate to see people feel ashamed about things like that.

Anyway, can you believe that this is the 28th day of the month? Time has been so weird for me lately, and I was quite surprised when I realized that there are only two more days left this month. I keep plugging along on my NaFiSweMo project, but I need to kick it into a higher gear if I am to make my goal. I have one sleeve set in, and it took longer than I had planned, but the second should be quicker. Of course with these colder than average temperatures, (they say we are getting snow tomorrow) each moment with the pile of wool on my lap is good, and it is great incentive to keep working on it.

Two Heads Are Better Than One

I cannot make any promises for better photos of hats I knit, but with this new model to help, I might have a chance. The head is a gift from my friend, Helen, and I love it! Now I just need to get busy knitting a hat.

UM...A Little Bit of This + Little Bit of That = Not Much of Anything Right Now

Not settling in and seeing my way all the way through to the end of one thing is really not paying off for me, or so it seems. From knitting to reading to housekeeping, I just have overwhelming piles of unfinished-ness everywhere. Then again, I am making my way through several things. Right now, it is just difficult to see that I am making any progress, but little by little, I am chipping away at it. I am going to keep on keeping on, and I will have something to show for my efforts soon.

Crushed :: Bug
Thanks :: Again
Steam :: Punk
Bulletin :: Board
Budget :: Minded
Value :: Worth
Aquarium :: Shop
Logo :: Tee
Information :: Overload
Lend :: Lease

Friday Fail

Counting is hard.

Baby's First Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! This is a favorite of mine, and it does my heart good to celebrate a day of thankfulness. Every day, of course, there are many reasons to choose to feel thankful, and I know my days are better when I make this choice. I am grateful to be joining in with others in celebrating this day, and whatever I do today, I hope it shows.

So, what is with the title of today's post, you might ask? Well, the son purchased a house last month, (another reason to be thankful) so this is his first Thanksgiving in his new home. He played the part of the host for the big shindig. Since he is still very new to learning about the mysterious happenings of the kitchen, (so many stories) we brought the food.

Weird, wacky, and wonderful do not even begin to describe the day, and I do not have enough words to describe how thankful I am for it all.

Prepping and Unpinning

The cranberries are cranberrying, the pie is chilling, and the squash and friends are assembled and waiting for their time in the oven. I just have to stand on the Wii Balance Board with the turkey to see how early I need to get up in the morning. Everything else will wait for tomorrow.

Our weather continues to bounce from warm to cold with some rain in between, but I know that we will continue to have more cold days. That has kept me from just letting the pinned out pieces of my cardigan sit until next week. The seaming of Salt Peanuts is underway. So far, I only have the shoulders and half of the collar done, but it is progress. Once I get the sleeves in place, I think the challenging parts will be done, and the rest should go smoothly. Having The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques by my side always helps. Wanting to curl up in a new sweater and read a book or three helps, too.

Decisions, Decisions, Nothing

In a fit of madness, I almost considered beading the nupps on the Swallowtail Shawl I am knitting. That led me to trying to decide whether I want to bead or nupp. After that, I got lost in the stash, and I do not have a clue as to how that happened. Several more leaps followed, and I was on Ravelry looking at patterns. Then I was calculating yardage on some handspun. Then I was back on Ravelry trying to figure out what to do with 75 yards of laceweight. Then I was dizzy and my Tuesday was over. I hope yours was more productive.

Mumbling and Bumbling Through My Monday

Perhaps I need a jumpstart of sorts, because I am having trouble getting this week going. I feel like that guy from the Cheerios commercials back about thirty years ago. You know, the ones where the chalkboard stick guy tries to ride his bicycle up a hill, but then rolls backwards. I tried to find a video, but my google-fu eludes me at present.

The good news is that I made it to the grocery store, and I do not think I will have to return until after Thanksgiving. The other good news is that people are having a lot of squash this year. I know this because I saw someone taking the last two from the bin and then receiving apologies from employees about there being no more.

Maybe I need coffee. I think I have only had a couple of cups of it so far this month. Yes, coffee is probably the answer. At least I think it is, but now I have forgotten the question.

May the Way of the Hero Lead to the Triforce

I am more excited about this than is reasonable, but there you go.

p.s. I think that the music on the cd might be perfect (for me) to weave to, but I cannot explain why I think this.

Still in Pieces

I confess; Salt Peanuts is still pinned out, waiting for seaming time. I cannot determine if it makes it better or worse that it took me several more days to get it out of the water and blocked. I just could not crawl around on the floor with pins, schematic, and tape measure without going into a coughing fit. Anyway, that is my excuse, but I will get to it soon, because I want to wear this sweater. It just occurred to me that I need to make a decision on the closure. The pattern uses a ribbon, but I am not sure about that. I have not spent much time looking at ribbons, but nothing I have seen thus far does it for me. I do not think I want to go the button route, but it is a possibility. There is always the option of using a shawl pin or stick I suppose, but for now, I am thinking of using i-cord. It should work, and it would blend in with the rest of the sweater. Then again, I might just be using the closure issue to avoid settling in for a long seaming session.

Birthday Cupcakes

Ever since Joan started The Cupcake Fiber Co, I wanted to experience her creations, but the opportunity always seemed to slip away, just when I thought my time had come. However, thanks to a thoughtful birthday present, it is my turn! Oh, how I love my bfl/silk batts, the color is gorgeous, and the spinning is a dream.

Triple Thick Thursday

Some people are more challenging than others are when it comes to giving gifts. My stepdad is like that. He tells people to just forget about getting him anything, but that seems wrong, especially when I know of something he will like and use. Several years ago, I knit a hat for him. It was a plain, black, superwash wool hat. It bore a great resemblance to cheap, black hats that can be purchased anywhere. However, it was what he wanted, he liked it, and he has worn it often. Since wearing the handknit wool hat, he now knows the difference, and appreciates how it keeps him warm without making him sweaty. The problem is that he has several of the cheap, black, acrylic hats from the store, and is pathologically unable to get rid of anything. He keeps grabbing one of the bad hats, and then remarks how it is not as good as his wool hat. I figure the solution is knitting another hat for him, but not black.
Right now, he is in Afghanistan. He was back for a couple of weeks in October, and it was clear that he was skimping on his cold-weather clothing. I would hate for his frugality to hurt him when there is something I can do to help, so I decided to knit a hat for him. I tried to be sensitive to the fact that he prefers boring plain, so I chose some calm blue, and instead of a colorwork pattern, (which really adds warmth) I knit with three strands of yarn at once. This ought to keep Papa warm this winter in Afghanistan.

Auntliness is Next to...

Free childcare? Hrm--I think I meant something else. I do love being an aunt; it is one of the great joys of my life. In the biggest surprise of the year thus far, my sister told me that I will appear even auntlier towards the end of April. Our minds are still swimming over this news. My mom has been buying new things for the baby, and my grandma is crocheting and quilting away. As for me, I am waiting to find out what brand it is before I start anything. The projected date for that news is sometime in the first week of December.

Since my sister's big announcement, I heard the rumbling of a rumor, and then confirmation of said rumor. My brother and his wife are giving serious consideration to increasing my auntliness, too. Shhhh--that might be a secret, though.

Life is full of surprises.

Ten Repeats Tuesday

Well, I am going to have to check everyone else's Ten on Tuesday lists, because I do not have that many ways to use cranberries. Instead, here is a shawl on the tenth budding lace chart repeat on a bag of cranberries on a Tuesday.