Happy Monday to You

Wanted to do a quick post before I leave for work. It seems like morning is the best time for me to do posting since my evenings are so full.

On the home front: Everything is in place for us to take possession of the house June 2---I am pretty excited. I read through my blog last night and realized how many times I said "if we buy a house" or "if we buy the house we're in" or something to that effect. Isn't it funny how putting something in writing causes the wheels of change to move one way or another?

I spent a little time packing yesterday and found all kinds of neat things that had been hidden away. It's almost like Christmas....Hubby and I went to Target yesterday and looked at furniture. I'm pretty surprised at how nice some of their furniture is. We will probably wait to get new stuff until we actually get to the new house (no reason to move it twice), but we did snag some pretty well made gaming chairs for $78.00. They were marked down from $99.00, so we snagged two. I had been looking for some nice gaming chairs for the kids but most of the ones I've seen are flimsy---these are pretty heavy.

On the gas front: It is down to 3.06 a gallon (that is as of yesterday, we all know it changes). Not great, but better than what it was. It is still going to put a huge pinch in my errand running and buying. A friend from Wyoming said gas there was $2.89---lucky.....and then I think " $2.89 LUCKY?!! I want gas under $2.00 again!" Ever notice that it may go down, but creeps right back up, like the gas companies are slowly numbing us...I did see a funny thing this week though. When gas hit $3.10 in Wichita, one of our stations here still had it for $2.96--there was a line of cars 10-15 deep of really big cars and trucks waiting to get gas at that price. Here's my problem: If you have one of those huge gas eaters and are idling in a line 10 deep, by the time you get to the pump, you have burned off any savings, and probably wasted an additional amount of gas.....think about it.

I picked up the new Interweave Knits last night, mainly because it had a really good article about knitting toe up socks---the last couple issues I passed on because there was not enough "non sweater/shirt" stuff. I think they should have a little more accessory patterns, more socks, bags, hats, etc for those of us who are not ready to commit to an intricate sweater or camisole (I know, everyone's a critic!) . They do have really wonderful sock patterns and hat patterns and their stitch technique articles are incredible, so it is not like I never buy it, I just seek out the issues with a little more accessory patterns or easy sweater patterns for beginners. I will say that there is a cables sweater pattern (it has a sweater for the woman and a vest for the guy) that piqued my interest. I think I could see myself doing those....which is another reason to buy it. I will be able to look through it more this evening when I take a kid to soccer practice, so I'm sure I'll have more to say. However, I do have to add that if you see the new issue. it is well worth the cover price, s snag a copy.

I guess I'm at the bottom of my coffee cup and that is a sign I'd better get ready for work!
Great griends and good coffee to you and yours!

Sundays...

At some point today I have to suck it up and actually make it down to the basement to start packing it. It is probably a good thing that our new house is a bi-level and the lower level is actually a functioning part of the house (it has the family room, 2 bedrooms, a full bath and the laundry room, and a walkout to the yard) so it can't be a repository for delayed decisions, which is exactly what our basement is right now. On the sunny side, this will be like an archaeological dig I guess....

Cute bag pattern alert: http://www.cidermoon.com/cm0128.html I found this link by lurking in Brown Berry's site: http://thebrownberry.blogspot.com/ that I found by lurking in Cactus needles blog http://cactusneedlles.blogspot.com/ How's THAT for blog dropping!!!
I am downloading the pattern to do one of my very own when we get to the new house and I can pull out my yarn!

Gas Price Blues

I'm not sure what you guys are used to paying for gas in your neck of the woods, but gas just hit $3.19 a gallon here in Haysville...YIKES!!!! I am seeing a long summer of very little pleasure driving if this keeps up. I am already brainstorming ways to save gas or not have to use the car at all. Luckily although we live in a small town, a lot of what we need is either here in town or on the way to/from work. I've told the boys instead of getting in the car to drive the 1/2 mile to the video store, we are going to brush off the bikes. This could be a good thing--if I don't injure myself trying to ride my bike.....it's been a while. A LONG while. If we had public transportation from Haysville to downtown Wichita (where I work), I would soooo take it. as it stands, I have already had to make decision about the way I shop. I had a 40% off coupon from Michael's Craft stores that was burning a hole in my pocket--they have a quilting book I REALLY want that is $25.00....Instead of making the 15 mile trip into that side of Wichita, I got online and found a used-like new copy on Amazon.com for $12.00. Even with the $3.99 shipping, it was cheaper than running my car to the local store. As much as I like the idea of shopping local, it may not work for me if it not a store in an area I have several other errands...I guess one good thing is that I will be at home a lot more and will have plenty of yarn and fabric from my existing stash to get projects done....One of these projects is a paper pieced quilt from class I took a couple weeks ago. You know, the one that cost me $250 extra because I fell in love with the instructors 1940's Singer featherweight and ended up buying one on eBay....I have posted a picture of two blocks--one completed and one in the process of completion. Paper piecing is tricky at first because you are placing the fabric on one side, then sewing on the paper side. Once the block is completed, you tear away the paper and just have the perfectly formed square. It's really neat, but it was hard for me to grasp at first. The thing I like the best is this method makes perfect use of all those scraps that are too small to use normally....Plus you don't have to be a stickler for matching/coordinating colors....The colors in these blocks are from a quilt I am working on--my first quilt to be precise..

A Day of Rest

I ended up using my last comp day today instead of going in an working. I felt like someone was having a party in one side of my head, and while I was the host, I was only allowed to watch...not good. I ended up laying down and got up at 2:20! Talk about sleeping the day away! Oldest child just left for his history class at the junior college. I really do wish I could talk him into just staying put and finishing his college here. I guess we'll see how the summer goes for him.

I've got to run down to the sewing machine shop tomorrow to trade out the free motion foot I got yesterday -- after talking with the salesman, he definitely got the wrong foot off the rack. No biggie--I should have thought to ask when the packaging said for a memory craft embroidery machine....I thought maybe they were interchangeable...They're not. With gas prices the way they are, I will probably wait until tomorrow to go since I have to be downtown anyway for work. I am trying to package trips together so I am not using as much gas as I usually do running around. Realistically that is how I should have been doing it all along.

There is a knitting group at Panera Bread tomorrow. I would love to finally be able to attend one of their meetings--it has been so long! We'll have to see. Every time I commit by RSVP'ing, something happens that makes it impossible for me to attend, so I don't want to jinx myself.

Not so funny fact about my blond dachshund: She barks at air. Repeatedly. Loudly. While I am trying to sleep.....and no, she doesn't have a turn off button. I've looked. Just as bad is the fact when scolded, she lays on the floor and growls repeatedly with occasional yips at the offending entity which, by the way, doesn't exist! It sounds like a continual motor with an occasional misfire.........

New House News and etc.

We will be moving June 2nd and have reached an agreement with the current owner regarding how much he is to pay towards what needs to be fixed on the house. It was mainly stuff that started from lack of maintenance on the outside (deck unsafe, windows leaked) and the inside of the house has been well maintained, so we didn't get bitchy about splitting some of the costs...If I haven't said it before in this blog: If you own a house, inspect the windows and things around the house--fix the small things before they become big things. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way! Eric and I have discussed the fact that we have a friend that is a contractor and home inspector, and it would be worth having him come out every couple years to look around the house to see if anything jumps out at him...

And so begins the long process of packing. Do you realize how much junk accumulates in nooks and crannies if you aren't looking? One the good side: I am finding things that I lost and can really use now. One the bad side: I am finding things I lost and have NO IDEA why I bought them in the first place...I better get over this impulse buying....and that is before I address the yarn stash and the fabric stash!

Speaking of yarn and fabric: I haven't had much knitting content lately because it seem like I haven't really had the space or time to knit. I miss it. I will be able to have my stash out in the new house and will have a place just for me to knit. I am looking forward to that. I will also have a place for both my sewing machines and fabric. I think half the problem with a stash of any kind is that if you can't see it, you don't know if you have it and end up buying more (a direct allusion to the above paragraph)...

My oldest son is still planning to move to Iowa to live with the girl he met over the Internet. As a mother, I am just hoping this turns out OK. He is 20, so I really don't have the option of saying no...It is a little unnerving that he will not be going to college. We are currently paying for his school, but have explained that if he moves out and lives with someone, he is responsible for school from there on out. I really wish he would at least finish his college. I know, BREATHE....

I took a machine quilting class last night with my friend Sue. It was really informative and just what we needed to get us to the point of being able to quilt the lap sized quilts we have pieced and waiting for that step. Sue doesn't have a portable machine of her own, so she used my little Brother NX200, which is the one that misbehaved the last time and lead to the Featherweight "incident"--you know, the one where I had to use the instructor's 1940's featherweight and got obsessed to the point of buying one...anyway, it behaved fine. So did my Janome 6260 QC --right up to the point where we put on the free motion foot...I didn't have one for this machine so I ran by the dealer to pick one up yesterday. The dealer gave me one for the wrong model. Damn! Partially my fault for not trying it on the machine before I took it to class...I used the shop's Bernina. While it was nice, I am happy to say, I am not looking to buy one and I am more than happy with my machines! However I have come to the realization that I am blessed and spoiled.....I am going to start piecing a 9 patch quilt this month. It is a pretty traditional setting and it will help me work on getting my fabric cut and pieced so the seams actually meet. Since I know the basics now, I am going to work on making quilts for all the kids when we get settled in the new house.

I guess I'd better head off to work. With gas at $3.10 a gallon, I fully realize I am blessed to not have to sit in rush hour traffic. By the time I leave, it is pretty much a straight shot except for traffic lights. I am not happy about having to shell out this much cash for gas! Hubby and I are discussing getting a really small car for when it is just one person and saving the vans for when everyone has to travel together. The vans get decent gas mileage, but it could be better. We can't afford a hybrid--although that would be nice..

Have a great morning and good coffee to you!

Bad Weather-Prayers for Tornado Victims

As many of you may have seen on the news, this has been a really crappy week for weather here in Kansas. Greensburg, Kansas, a little town 110 miles from Wichita was literally flattened. 95% of the town is gone. If you have never experienced a tornado, you are blessed. I am asking that as you read this, please say a prayer for all the residents of Greensburg and the other towns that got hit.

Tornadoes are terrifying even on a small scale--and Greensburg now has the task of literally rebuilding the town from scratch. The sad thing is this tornado hit on the day after the 8 year anniversary of the one that hit our little town and wiped out a large swatch of it. My heart goes out to everyone affected.

Just a quick post tonight--it has been really bad weather all day and tonight it is no different. Lots of thunder, lightning and pounding rain. On the bright side, it is really cool outside, so I have been sitting on the porch watching the rain.

It is lightening outside, so I'd better cut this post short.

New House Progress

Approx. 1 month ago we signed the contract on a house just down the street from us. We've rented the home we live in for almost 12 years now and the landlord wants to sell it. Our current house only has 925 square feet of finished space (it also has an unfinished basement that would add 400-500 feet if it were finished....) and it is starting to feel cramped with 5 people in it. It was fine when the twins were little, but now they are teenagers and their mass has increased (we won't even start on mine), it is really cramped. The landlord wants an awful lot for the square footage, so we decided to bump up our price range and ended up buying a 1,965 square foot home...We don't take possession until June 2nd (the current owners close on their new house June 1) -- but it feels like the whole process is crawling. Buying a house is much more stress than you see on those home shows!!! I thought it would be an easy, painless process. Word of advice to current homeowners--if you have a deck-especially a second story deck important to getting to the back yard---TAKE CARE OF IT. That way, when you sell your home, you are not shocked by the inspector giving it an unsafe tag and the contractor giving you a $5,000 estimate! We are in the process of haggling that out. Actually a good rule of thumb is to just take care of all little things before they become big things. The window that leaks and causes the sheet rock to pull away from the window frame is not going to go away or freeze in status. It will get worse. The patio door that isn't working well will not magically fix itself, and yes, you will be surprised at the end on how much it costs to fix all this!!!

I am looking forward to getting into it and making it ours! The twins will share a room, but it will be twice the size of what they are sharing now. My oldest son is talking about moving out and going to live with his girlfriend (don't even go there...) in another state, so we may have a guest/quilting/painting/etc room...That would be so great!

In other news, I saw some blurb on AOL news that gas is supposed to reach $4 a gallon in some parts. WTF !!!!! It is not amusing me to gas my van up as it is! I am seriously thinking we are going to have to look at getting small cars for running across town when it is just one or two people and keeping one of the vans for when all of us are going someplace. Does anyone own or know anyone who owns one of the hybrid cars? I'm seeing lots of stay at home activities in my future! I guess that is a good excuse for the stash of yarn and fabric I have built up....We may just have to investigate some alternative power sources in the future. It would be nice to power the kitchen by solar---it may be a little too much to ask to power the whole house, but once we get settled, we may investigate taking part of the house off the grid. Solar power in our area is still a pretty new idea and not mainstream, so it may be hard to find someone who can convert us...

On the art side: I am going to start watercolor painting again. I have had the urge to paint for several years and never found the time (I used the "I'm not a professional, not a real artist, not....crutch) and it has been nagging me. I recently found a book by Dori Kanter entitled "Art Escapes" and it is very empowering! You really have to get this book. Even if you have never painted or watercolor is not what you perceive as your style...It has exercises that teach you about color, composition etc that can be transferred anywhere...My friends are nuts about the artists way books, which I will eventually work on (I own that one and Vein of Gold by the same author of Artist's Way), but this one is very hands on. Love it!!

I guess I'd better head off to work. This my version of morning pages for those of you familiar with Artist's Way, but unlike the suggested stream of consciousness pages, I'll edit my blurbs and not subject you to my random blatherings. Those I will save for a notebook.....

Good day and great coffee to you and yours!!

Possessed and Possessions

It's official--- the sewing machine I took to the paper piecing class is possessed.

I plugged it in last night, determined to fix the problem, and it ran like a charm. I tried a billion different ways to get it to do what it did at class, but no luck....figures. This is the sewing machine version of taking your car to the mechanic for "that noise" that never happens when anyone is looking at it. Oh well, it has been an incredible machine (it is a Brother NX 200---the least expensive of the line, but an incredible machine at any price) so I guess I should give it one time of being temperamental....However, it did cause a little bit of trouble--- if it had behaved, I never would have touched the little featherweight, which in turn means that I would not have spent time eBaying...oh yeah, and I wouldn't have bought one....OR--maybe my "little brother" realized that paper piecing dulls needles and wanted to save me money by forcing me to get a machine strictly for paper piecing...Great, I am imbuing my machines with the ability to have cognitive reasoning....
I know. I need more coffee.

Quilting Class

This weekend I took a paper piecing class at a local quilt shop in Derby and really had a good time. Actually, the first 2 hours I was really frustrated and ready to throw in the towel because it was just not clicking. Couple that with the fact that my sewing machine that had been running perfectly during the last week, decided it was not going to cooperate at all. We had the most amazingly patient instructor though--he let me use his little Singer Featherweight. I had never seen one before--I thought it was a toy. The instructor said he pieces all his quilts on this little 11 pound machine from the early 50's/late 40s. It only does one thing--sews forward...but I completely fell in love with it. There is apparently quite a following among quilters for this little machine. The instructor said he paid $300 on eBay, so I figured I'd scope it out. I bid on three and got outbid--they went for $340+. I finally found a good auction and in the last 2 minutes, I put in a bid for the highest I was willing to go---I got it for a really good price--far below what the others went for....And far below what some of the other auctions ended at. This machine will be good when I am going to a quilt class that doesn't require any fancy stitches--just straight sewing. I already have fancier machine for other purposes.....I like the pattern we got in class-it is comprised completely of scraps and snippets. It will be a good block to piece as I start working on more quilts and get more scraps...I am looking forward to moving and having space to put up my machines in a permanent spot so I can work when the urge hits me. I will have a corner with all my yarn and knitting stuff too....it's all good.

On the housefront, we had the inspection and they found a couple things wrong--the deck definitely needs to be redone--it comes off the second level where the kitchen is and leads to the yard, so it is key to the house. And then windows need to be replaced along with the downstairs patio door. Water has seeped into the corners....We haven't heard anything from the owner on what they intend to do (options will be to fix or lower price of house so we can make repairs needed...). I hate waiting. More news as it comes in.

This has been a really good day for just hanging out in pajamas and getting boxes packed....The kids are off from school tomorrow, but I can be sure there is not going to be a lot of productivity going on in the house when we are at work...However the trash man is going to be really unhappy when he hits our house.....Why did we not do this before now?

The mystical legacy socks

I was feeling bad when I realized I constantly whine about the infamous legacy socks and yet no visual proof exists as of recently....so here! See--they are real. Today was Jeremy's piano recital so not a lot of time to actually work on these...but I did think about them. Does that count? Oh well. Here are pictures of both the recital and the socks in progress. Yes, I am working on the pair at the same time instead of doing one, then the other. My reasoning was that would keep me from getting the dreaded second sock syndrome, but I think the correct terminology should be "completed pair syndrome"....

Random Ramblings!

We are in the process of trying to pack to move in June--it suddenly seems like the more we pack, the more there is? It feels like we have had a possessions zip file and as we get things in boxes, the rest of the things DECOMPRESS! I am starting to ask hard questions about how much we want to take over to the new house--even if it is twice the space! I am sooooo looking forward to the move--it is more than a month off and it feels like eternity. I am starting to feel how really small this house is! How did we cram 5 people in this small of a space for 12 years. Granted, the twins were little and so was everyone for that matter (!), but HOLY SMOKES! I am really looking forward to having the extra space to have people over and to entertain. I can finally take advantage of the cookbooks I collect!!!!Good things all over! The only thing we are waiting on is the inspection of the house. That happens Wednesday. Hopefully all is well. The deck is the only thing that looks like it might need replacing, so we will see...It leads off the top floor from the kitchen(the house is a bi-level), so it is pretty impotant to the design of the house....

On the flip side, I am seriously thinking about taking a summer class at the local junior college this summer. I have college algebra and speech left to complete my degree and I have been putting it off for quite some time. I had collapsed my hours at work a while back with the intention of going back to school but then took on extra hours in a department that is my main love, so that got put aside. My hours in mediation have collapsed, so now I have time to do a couple classes. I think just one class would be done easily in the summer--especially speech, since the class would be smaller. While I have no problems presenting speeches to groups, for some odd reason, the thought of a formal speech class has always terrified me. Time to get it done!

Jeremy has a piano recital today. Hopefully I will have pictures -if my camera cooperates. I am seriously considering getting a different camera this month. This one is nice, but it takes quite a while for the shutter to snap the picture--resulting in blurred pictures often. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

On the knitting side--I completed an extra round on the legacy socks today. I HAVE to turn the heel or my son is going to end up with a pair of thigh highs--and we all know how cute that won't be on a teenage boy!!! They would have to be presented with a side order of psychotherapy!

We Bought a ........

HOUSE!

We have been renting for almost 12 years at this same spot but last month the landlord announced he wanted to sell. The price he is asking is a bit too high for this amount of footage, so we decided to bump up our price range when we saw two houses one block over for the same price. One has 1,800+ square feet and the other had 1965 sq. feet. The smaller one had a FIREPLACE, which was a big plus, but my hubby loved the huge walk-in closets of the other, so we put a contract on it. Move in day is June 2 (the other party doesn't close on their new house until then). Now begins the task of purging.....do you know how much junk accumulates in 12 years?! I am purging a ton of yarn so I don't have to move it to the other house (reality: I can rebuild my stash...the other just sounds better.)

Yikes....we bought a house......

ARGGGGGGGGG!

Remember the legacy socks I have been whining about finishing? Well tonight after perusing so many knitting websites and seeing the spectacular handknitted socks, I was sooooo hyped and ready to GET 'EM DONE! So I putter over to the bag I so carefully packed the project in ( I even put them in a zip lock so no buggies can get in after reading a really scary story about wool moths--but I digress....anyway, I pull out the project and remember exactly why I completely adore this yarn (Baby Star by Laines Du Nord). Out comes the project, the extra yarn that I am so OCD about getting (so I never run out mid project), the tape measure, stitch markers, and pattern. Wait---where is the #$#$% pattern? Certainly I packed the pattern with the project....NOT! What was I thinking? Maybe if I could figure that out, I would know where I put the darn project!!! ARRRRRRRGGGGGGG! So, needless to say, I will have to go to my LYS to pick up another copy of the pattern. Luckily it is a giveaway pattern, but it sits right next to this yarn that is my weakness! Did I mention Baby Star comes in RED? This is going to be an expensive pattern. Not that the yarn is expensive ($7.00 for 1.79 oz--50 grams for you metric people) but I can't go into the store and not fondle this yarn, which then means I have to buy it. It's the yarn store version of "you break, you buy", which happens because I drool on the yarn.
Darn. However, tomorrow I will go to the store and set a goal to at least get to the heel. Turning the heel is intimidating me, but I guess I will learn to frog....I would have pictures, but it appears my camera is MIA somewhere in the house (I hope)...

Oh yeah, I also inquired about buying a Columbine spinning wheel today.....Maybe that will offset any yarn considerations...luckily hubby does not read my blog--as far as I know. If he does, I'll know it....Hi HONEY!

Spring has sprung

What a gorgeous day it was today! Hubby and I went to a friend's house where she and I dumped him to watch multiple "24" episodes (we don't have cable internet and can't get on the website to watch the complete episodes without our computer completely locking up) while she and I shopped. It is so rare that I actually go shopping, it actually was fun. I desperately needed shoes for work and shoes for play. I scored big at Shoe Carnival with my favorite brand (Ryka)--I found a pair for 25.00 and they were having a buy one get one 50% off---so I bought two pairs of the SAME Ryka shoe. Considering I have seen this pair for 70.00, I was soooooooo happy with myself. I love this brand, so I grab them when I can afford them. There were other good deals, but those were my best steal....

Starting next week, I promise more knitting content! I realized I had taken a little detour from knitting and really need to get back on board. I will be working out of the One Skein Wonders book -- it really has some great patterns!!If you haven't seen this book, run to Border's or Amazon and oogle it...you won't be disappointed. I really want to work on some fingerless mitts, but I'm having problems getting in the mood when it is warm out.....

On the home front, we are considering whether to buy the house we've been renting for 11 years or to try to find something else with a little more space. We have looked at a couple houses that were real duds, but friends tell me to just keep on going...isn't that the "kiss a lot of frogs" theory?!! We are so living it!! However, there are some houses we are looking at that have fireplaces, which is on my wish list of a "perfect home" I can SO see myself sitting in front of a fireplace knitting in the winter...I guess time will tell. I really dread packing and moving though....not to mention I love our neighbors.

Within the next couple weeks, I have to catch up with my travel goals of exploring and knitting in little towns around Kansas. I got snowed under at the beginning of the year and was unable to do any road trips. I did get a book of towns in Kansas with some really interesting places, so I will be sharing them with you soon.

Better run, it's time for bed. Last week was a really bad week for sleep, so I need to make myself try to catch up. Good dreams to you!

Morning Post

Technically I should be getting ready for work....instead of sitting here with a cup of coffee posting a blurb....the time change has really been hard for me to adjust to! Especially since every morning since Monday has been enveloped in a really thick blanket of fog. This morning is not quite as foggy, but it still has a little fog involved. I am looking forward to this weekend when things slow down a little. I think a three day weekend would be great right now, but we don't have any of those coming up for a while....

While cleaning the basement, I realized that my yarn stash is REALLY big--I have yarn stashed that I : a) Have forgotten about b) SHOULD have forgotten about and c) would like to forget about! So, the ones in the last two categories are going to be packaged together in lots of 6 skeins and given to members in my knitting group that are teaching others to knit. A large amount of it is acrylic Red Heart or Simply Soft, which I still like for certain projects (project that will see lots of use or are going to households that do not understand that wool felts)---but I really need to clear space if we are going to have to move or have the house appraised so we can buy it.
So far this year I have not kept up on my knitting resolutions, but I have pulled out the legacy socks and am going to figure out exactly how to finish them. I am looking at toe up socks next time. My son that likes hand knit socks (go figure, he's 13 and actually appreciates the work involved) has really large feet. If he ever grows into those, he will tower over me!

I guess it is time to get to work. Great coffee and soft yarn to you and yours!

The legacy socks

In the process of cleaning out, I pulled out the ever present LEGACY SOCKS. Remember these? These are the socks I started--my first socks-my only sock attempt--and then stopped after the cuffs got done.......Well, I made the mental commitment that I am going to sit down and get them done in the next couple months. I adore hand knitted socks--really, I do! But it seems I got to the part just under the cuff and froze...So I am going to go down to my LYS and have her sit with me while I get over the learning curve. I even have a video in my knitting DVD collection that features socks, so REALLY---I have no excuses. And the fact that I really found the k2p2 cuffs very relaxing to knit....
I woke up to really thick fog this morning. I like fog, however it makes driving downtown a challenge. There is a category of drivers that I run into (hopefully not literally) that I call Peek-A-Boo drivers. If they can't see the light from a mile a way, it doesn't exist, right?

Have a great day! Knit a row for me!

And a Happy Tuesday to you!

I am looking forward to the end of the week---this has been one of those whirlwind weeks where I've gotten too little sleep and have too much to do!

I have been stressing out because the landlord told us he wants to sell the house SOON. We have been here almost 11 years...I know, money wasted. However, it was right for us to rent. We'll have a good lump of money to put down on a house, but I am wanting to look at what is available in our little town. The landlord is going to ask an awful lot for the square footage of this house as opposed to the tax appraised value. We have an appointment with a realtor to look at other properties on Friday. I do dread the whole moving business though. Hubby is holding out hope he can talk him down on the price, but LL seems to be pretty firm that paint and new carpet is going to net him $15,000 above the tax appraised price. Did I mention there are quite a few newer homes on the market for only a little more than what he is considering? Yep, this is stress....oh well, so is life.

On the work front, I added 15 hours to my work week-up to 35 hours for the time being. They were needing extra hands and I have extra time, so I put my name in the hat. Hubby is pretty adamant he does not want me working 40 hrs a week since it gets so busy around our house, but 35 is manageable. I get off work at 4:00. I may shift it around so that I get off at 3:30, but for now this is the schedule. I plan to use this extra money for new furniture, which we really need. Our current furniture has seen lots of animal paws and human traffic. If we move, I plan to take very little of our current furniture with us (as little as it is already) and the new furniture will be a little more contemporary.

I guess I'd better scuttle off to work...Have a great Tuesday!

Remember Me?

I kept waiting for a really cool picture of a current project to post, but as you can see, I've hit an unproductive patch! And the bad part is there are two great project right at my fingertips! The cupcake hat and the baby Albert coat call to me, but I haven't had time to pick them up! I've got to learn to prioritize,I know. It should be KNIT,eat, sleep,work....I know it's all part of the cycle of life in general. but it doesn't make it any easier to look at my yarn stash and know I have the making for several projects if I just get started!!! I may just have to go to my LYS for a fresh round of inspiration....Luckily my destashing resolution did not say anything about pattern buying---so I've managed to stay pretty close to keeping it...notice I said PRETTY CLOSE...we all can't be perfect!

Seed catalogs are starting to come in with increased frequency---I can't wait to plant a garden this year. I haven't in about 3 years, and I really miss it. I am going to dig up the flower beds in the front of the house this weekend if it is warm, so I have plenty of time to amend the soil if needed. I used to grow tons of zinnias when we lived in Oklahoma --they grew with such ease! I have planted zinnias several times here with no good luck. I think it is my soil. Zinnias make wonderful splashes of color set in a vase in any room. Although one year I learned not to cup the flower with my hand after a rainstorm. Did you know bumblebees take shelter from the storm by pressing themselves to the underside of a really big zinnia? I found that out the hard way!!!!
I have bought a ton of veggie seeds this year. I want to can a lot more than I did last year--which will be easy since I DIDN'T CAN ANYTHING last season...How's that for setting the standard? Hell, if I can get one jar of jam canned, I've met the goal...snicker...

I guess I'd better start getting ready for work. Have a great day and knit a little for me (hey, just because I'm slouching doesn't mean everyone should follow my example!)...Pictures to come eventually (how's that for non-committal)...

Sunshine

After weeks of grey and windy days, today is sunny and windy. Wind can be a pain, but at least it is warmer. I don't have to work because of President's Day...not sure what makes this day special, but hey-it's a paid holiday so I'm not asking!I guess it's like Mother's Day, but for someone you may not like that much...

Sue (my friend and cohort in trouble and mischief) and I have a quilting class today, which will be great fun after our weekend cutting and sewing marathon. I went to her house at 3pm on Friday and left at midnight. We were pretty sick of cutting by Saturday morning so we took the day off and went from noon til midnight last night. Thankfully I had brought both my machines, so we each had a machine and it made the work go faster. We are going at a breakneck pace because it is part of a class--next quilt, we are going to work on it together and spread out the work. We'll do one for her together, then one for me....and so on. I'm sure her husband would love to have his kitchen and dining room back! With all the sewing, I neglected my knitting bag. I am going to disappear to a coffee shop this weekend and do some much needed knitting. Pictures later (although no promise of how much later the way my week has been going!)..

Have a warm and sunshine filled day, even if it is not in your neck of the woods!

Cool Hat!

Check the link for a really neat hat from Now Norma Knits..it is her pattern for a Dulaan Cupcake hat....http://nownormaknits2.typepad.com/now_norma_knits_2/2007/02/cupcake_hat_for.html
I am soooooo casting on one of these this weekend! This looks like it will be a quick gratification project while I am working on the Baby Albert coat. I have some Lamb's Pride Bulky in my stash....actually I have a LOT of Lamb's Pride bulky in my stash....I really wish I knew how to do fair isle knitting--the top would look so cool with fancy designs. Actually, I may order some bulky yarn from Knit Picks (the destashing resolution just came crashing down) and dyeing it myself so it self-patterns, or has color variations (I'm thinking something glaringly festive like purples, blues and red/oranges thrown in for contrast....much like the colors I chose for the quilt I'm working one...oh, and some bright yellow highlights thrown in to add some dash...I know, it'll look like Mardi Gra threw up in wool...). I see so many neat things to knit lately, but there is not enough time for me to do them all, so I am learning to not bite off more than I can chew. I may need dentures by the time this is over.....

Warm wishes and cool yarn to you and yours!!!