New Addition

Well, I have been knitting on my socks - but there isn't a huge difference, so I am not posting a progress photo.

One of the best things about a blog is that you don't have to talk about anything that you don't want to! I want to talk about what has come into my house recently. Actually it is more of what The Big Texan has put together for me! He has been working on some sock blockers and darning eggs.

They are really pretty! Take a look!

Here are the darning eggs, they are made out of Bolivian Rosewood. He sands them by hand and become so smooth that they become almost soft. They are very dark , so the picture doesn't do them justice. But you can see some of the fine grain in the wood.




Here are the sock blockers. He has made about 6 pair. He is talking to the LYS about selling them on consignment.

I love mine!






Last Saturday, while I was out with my friends, he was at home, slaving away - unbeknownst to me - putting THIS together!



It is a cherry stained, Ashford Traveler! I don't know how to use it, and I don't know what to do. But I have friends who know how to spin and they are willing to teach me. I don't know what I have gotten myself into!
The Big Texan is happy because roving is cheaper than yarn and the roving he got for me will have to be dyed. So I should keep out of the yarns stores! I will be too busy getting the fleece to become yarn that I won't need to buy any more yarn for a while! I don't think that is the real reason, but that is what he says! He is trying to help me with my Fiber Appreciation, because it isn't really yarn! Isn't he funny?

Oh and just to prove I can talk about anything I want!

Here is a picture that Navy Nuke sent me!

Yup, it is a hamburger.

He made this the other night and called me! Why? Because it is sitting on a large dinner plate and it is about 8" across! He said it took up most of his big frying pan! Why did he want a burger that big? Because he could. He is too funny. I love that he calls me and tells me silly things like this. It keeps us close and involved in each others lives.

Army Guy and I had a super talk the other night about moral standards and personal expectations. These guys are soo cool. They have some pretty awesome opinions!

When Marine Man gets home, I know we will have some talks like that too. He is always up for an intellectual debate.

I miss all the guys since they have moved off, but they are wonderful about keeping all the lines of communication open so that we still feel close.

I love you guys!

Betty Boop is making a memory book for Marine Man - so that he can look through it and think of all of us while he is on the other side of the world. She misses all of them - but she talks to them as much or more than I get to talk to them. They call her at different times than they call me or The Big Texan.

Family doesn't have to live close together to be close, thank heaven!

Workin' or Knittin'

I have been working hard - and really enjoying my new job. They are nice people.
I haven't had a lot of time to knit though!!
I had a sock class on Sunday. I have homework I have to do before the next class and here is where I am....


My homework is to be past the heel turn and ready for the gussets...
I have a looooong way to go!

Why do I need a sock class? Haven't I been knitting socks?
Welllllll - yes, I have knit socks on double points.

I have knit one sock Magic Loop.

I have knit 2 socks Magic Loop.

I have knit one sock toe up.

I have knit 2 socks toe up and Magic Loop, but...

I have never knit 2 socks on 2 circs.

Sooooo - I am taking a class for that! It is really easy! I am so loving it. I know I probably didn't need to take a class to learn it, but I love company of the girls in my class! And I have the best teacher!! (She is a Knitting Fairy!)

Here is a close up of the socks:



Isn't it pretty yarn? A good friend (LIZ) gave it to me for Christmas. I have written a mock cable pattern for it. I have been wanting to knit this yarn and I really wanted these to be my next pair of socks. Sooooo two birds and all that.

I did knit a lot last weekend. I finished a dishcloth. I started to knit it and didn't like the pattern!


Do you see the funny straight part in the middle? I didn't like that & it was going to be HUGE! So I frogged and started over (with my own version of Feather and Fan) and here it is...



Sorry for the blurry picture - just one of those things. I like this version much better. It is just the right size too.

Oh - what happened to my afghan? Wellllllll - you see I have to finish my commitment knitting first!
I had a dishcloth to knit for a swap - done.
I have a pair of socks to knit for a swap - almost done, I am at the foot only two inches from my toe decreases.
I have a pair of socks to knit for my class - ok - not even close to being done, but working all the same!
I finished the felted bags (even the impromptu ones).
Next I will work on the afghan. REALLY!!

(even though the Big Texan just bought me the yarn to make the adorable FiberTrends Hedgehog...)

Birthday Haul!

I had such a great day! I got lots of yarn , visited with friends, and just had a great time. The Big Texan outdid himself. He got me this Opal Herbstmelodie, hand dyed.


He got me the entire "Feelings collection" of Opal Yarn.


And I got to pick out yarn from the LYS!
Here is the total haul!


Wow!?! Can you believe it? I am thrilled!

Then he took Betty Boop and I out to dinner. We went to the Melting Pot. YUM! It was a delicious meal and we all had a wonderful time.

Progress report:
Here is what I did on Saturday.
I felted the big bag that I made. It came out a little muddy looking and I even put it in vinegar water to set the dye - but once I 'shave' it a little, it should be fine. Now I have to line it - yuck. I hate that part.

I was trying to make a felted camera case for my new camera and the red bag is my first attempt. No - I didn't swatch. Why would I do that? It is a cute little bag. I have no idea what I will use it for - probably give it to Betty Boop. The pink bag is the second attempt. I like it and it fits the camera perfectly.

Now I am finishing the Sockret Pal socks I need to make, then I will work on Betty Boop's afghan. And maybe knit a pair of socks for me - did you see all the yarn I got?!

All in all, it was a wonderful birthday.

A Whole New Time

Well, this year is going to be new for me all the way around. I have a new job, and new friends. All my sons are married and moved out of the house. I have a (re)newed interest in my hobbies and I am on the board of our local knitting guild. I am pretty sure that we will have a new house by the end of this year or the next. It has been over a year since I had a cigarette. I am going to the gym and am determined to renew my health.
Since I have all this "new-ness", I have decided to clear out the old...
Oh I am not making any great resolutions or anything. I am going to do something much more difficult...


I am going to finish two projects that I started two years ago. One is a knit project that has hung over me from about the fourth row. The other is a quilt that I want to finish quilting so that I can give it to the Army Guy and have my living room back!!!

Now - I know what you are thinking - "Is she CRAZY!!?" And the answer is an unequivicable YES, I am. But I am also determined. I want to enjoy my hobbies and these two monkeys are on my back and I want them off!!

Here is the picture of my afghan...


I am embarressed to say that this is the exact same picture I posted over six months ago. I have not worked one stitch on it since then. NOT ONE STITCH.

It may take a lot of alcohol and serious "24" or "Lost" watching... but I am going to finish this. I am not posting a picture of the quilt because it is in a frame and it is hard to tell how much it has left to finish. Let's just say that I am NOT halfway on the quilting.

I may try to have a quilting bee in my home one of these weekends - many of my knitting friends also quilt and I could use the help. I am just so darned embarressed by my terrible quilting stitches.

6 Other weird things that I didn't share about me;

1. I LOVE sweet tea. It is my favorite drink when it is done right (which not many restaurants understand, but grandmas do).

2. I am shy - but I hide it by making like I am not. I absolutely will NOT show people that I am scared. As a matter of fact when I get scared and want to run - I completely relax. BECAUSE I WILL NOT SHOW FEAR. It has kept me from being targeted in haunted houses. I haven't learned how to keep my hands from shaking though...

3. I am afraid of the dark. Not just - oh I don't like it. But I do not have a truely dark room in my house. I have a path to my bed that I can turn off and on light switches so that I am never REALLY in the dark. I do NOT have an underneath the bed -because I don't want things grabbing me from under there. I have an old waterbed frame with a regular mattress in it. Yet I will still hop into bed from about three feet away if I am nervous or someone turns off the light too quick.

4. I have been teased because I eat things one at a time. I do not like food touching or mixing. I MUST have a little space between everything on my plate. I only eat Mexican rice & refried beans mixed (and that is ONLY at ONE restaurant). If it starts out separate - then it must end separate!

5. I do not look into a mirror before I leave the house. I often have shirts on inside out or backwards and will not realize it until I am getting ready for bed!!! I care about how I look - but I know there isn't much I can do about it - sooooo I don't look real hard.

6. I had to share six more weird things, I couldn't just stop at the original six.

Six Weird things about me

I have been tagged by Rebecca of The Yarn Bug to answer this meme that is going around.

Six Weird things about me

1. I get 'feelings' about stuff and just today knew the vacuum was going to be messed up (but fixable). Sure enough, my daughter decided to vacuum and almost burnt the belt (but we caught it in time). The Big Texan can tell you stories about how we have avoided car accidents because of my 'feelings'.

2. I have a name that is REALLY pronounced three different ways: Lise
My mom always said 'Lease', my dad always said 'Lisa', and my grandmother told me it was really pronounced "Leeza" and so I had all my high school friends pronounced it "Leeza".

3. My Father in Law calls me "Fred".

4. I think going to a movie isn't worth it without the popcorn. (Lots of butter)

5. When I get mad and have a lot of pent up energy, I clean.

6. I have an internal heater that kicks in when I go to bed. I only need one blanket and I will get HOT during the night, but I can turn it off if I get too hot. The Big Texan will ask me to turn on my internal heater during the winter. He also calls me his 'little furnace'.

Ok - I am going to tag Becky, Tasha, Liz, Manda, Shelly, and Shelly.
And anyone else who would like to do this.

Here is the finished Mock Cable cloth. I finished it last month - but forgot to post it.


Here is the Tote Bag (done correctly). I have to do the handles and felt it!! YEAH!!

Happy New YEAR

Well, it is several days into the new year and I haven't posted!! ARGGGHHHH!!! I cannot start out the new year that way!
Oh well it is ok - I put my (oldest) son and his wife on the plane Wednesday and I am just now getting everything back in order. We had sucha wonderful visit. Army Guy & Army Wife are the best people! (even if they are related).
I did NOT get much knitting done while family was visiting - and what I did - I had to frog (see previous post). But now - I have started over and it looks like it should. I think I am going to like this bag. I wish I liked the colors better - but if it comes out really nice - I will buy some better wool and make it again.

I am getting ready for my Fiber Appreciation. I have to put the latest Christmas gifts into my inventory (yes I have so much yarn that I have to inventory it). Then I will be able to make up some 'kits' and I will be all set. I have already paid for my STR club membership - so I am officially swearing off buying yarn until I have finished at least two projects!

Gulp

The Big Texan reads my blog and he knows about this - he also was smart enough to realize that he was going to be buying my yarn for the rest of the year. I am lucky that he doesn't mind doing that -and he is much better about showing restraint (where yarn is concerned anyway). So I am hoping my stash will NOT grow.

I really have some beautiful yarns and I want them to become FOs. I am going to feature a yarn in each one of my next few posts, that will also be part of my Fiber Appreciation. I think we get yarn because it is beautiful and we love it and then we put it away and do not look at it again and forget to appreciate it.

Oh - there are no pictures because the Big Texan broke our camera and I can't take pictures with it. It will still take pictures, but you have to hold the batteries in (with a death-like grip) and take the picture. I can't do that and take a decent picture. Maybe I can find a picture that I have already taken that hasn't been posted.

Oh - here is a great one of the Sea Tot!



He is sooo funny. When you walk out of the TV room and leave him to play - you will come back to this:



But that is only Stage 1.


Here is Stage 2:


Can you see where this is heading?


Yes it does - it leads to complete dismembering of the couch!

Army Guy and Army Wife have a puppy - She is cute! Her name is Winnie (like in Winnie the Pooh, I know Pooh is a boy - not a girl - but we all like the name).
So here is my GrandDogger:


And here are my two Puppers and GrandDogger:



The one on the left is GrandDogger, the middle one is Faline (she is three), and the black one on the end is Chessie (she is almost twelve).

Oh by the way - if anyone wants to make some EASY worsted weight socks - join this Yahoo Group. We make socks quickly! (because they are a worsted weight) and it is so much fun.

It is called Easy Socks. I promise the KAL that we are doing right now is super simple and you will learn a lot about socks.

PS. My next post will be in answer to a meme tag.