She’ll Have To Learn

She seems to think everything for baby is really for her.  Do you think she’s trying to tell me something?  Look at those oh so innocent eyes!

Mifflin is making herself nice and comfy on a baby cocoon I knit up quite a while ago, actually. I don’t think I ever got a picture of it and posted about it.  But I pulled it out yesterday when I was packing up baby’s stuff to prepare for the move.  I wanted to get it on my Ravelry project page.  The pattern is Button-up Baby Wrap by Kimberly Wood.   The yarn is Knit Picks Bulky that I dyed myself.  Maybe you would like to see the actual project?  I promise it will look much cuter with baby inside!

So It’s Friday

Friday means Finished Objects.  But guess what?  Big surprise that I didn’t finish anything this week.  I really feel like the week just started and finished.  No in between.  I’m really trying to remember what I’ve done this weekend and feel like I don’t have anything to share.  I haven’t accomplished anything this week.  Well, besides a decent amount of work on hubby’s Christmas present.  Even if I had finished that, I wouldn’t have been able to share.  That’s one of the things I don’t love about gift knitting.  I can’t share till they’ve been received.  Luckily I don’t have much more to do, gift wise. There are things I do love about the Christmas season.  Decorating.  Snow.  And Baking.

Decorating. I’ve done a bit of that this week at least.  Decorated the whole house for Christmas.  Now I just need a Christmas tree to make everything complete.  Either tomorrow or Sunday we will be going to buy our Christmas tree (no matter what the hubs has to say about it).  Then I will really feel like it’s Christmas.  Face it- no matter how many Christmas movies you watch, how much Christmas music you listen to, and how many presents you’ve wrapped, it doesn’t feel like Christmas till you have a real tree up.

Snow.  We’ve had plenty of that. I just wish the sun would join the snow so I can get some decent pictures.  Edgar took his first adventure in the snow.  He was a bit, well, confused.  And it is the only time he came back in the house voluntarily.  That tells you what he thought of it right there.

Baking.  I made Chocolate Pretzels.  Not Chocolate covered pretzels, but the pretzels you put in the oven with Hershey kisses on top, then place M&Ms on them.  They are pretty much heaven.  Especially if you use Peanut Butter M&Ms.  And they are also pretty much the easiest “baking” I’ve ever done.  Sunday will be much more of a feat.  I have 3 batches of the Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies (thank you Paula Dean) to make.  On Sunday I will be getting together with some neighbors to do a cookie exchange.  It was my idea to do this, and I’ve heard of them but never participated.  I told a few girls here, and then more friends were invited.  So I’m making more than planned, but that just means I get more goodies and we have a bigger variety of sweets!  I decided to get this cookie swap going because I love Christmas cookies too much, and I don’t want to make a bunch of different kinds just to eat them all.  This way I get a variety, but only a few of each!  Less carbs, calories and sugar for me.  I’m sure the hubs won’t mind.

If you were disappointed not to see any finished objects, then I suggest you head over to Tami’s Amis to check out everyone else.  I’ll leave you now with some pictures of Edgar taking on the big, fluffy, white stuff.

Oh Happy Day.

Hoping you can sense the sarcasm in my voice.  Needless to say I have to complain.  I’m not a big fan of complaining, but sometimes it’s just necessary.  Well, first I find out some people aren’t coming that I planned on for Thanksgiving.  Which is cool.  You should do what you want to on Thanksgiving, but I don’t like when I have to find out about it through another friend, because I discover that some people I invited are going there instead.   I mean, how tacky really.  I don’t mind when people do what they want to do and I always want the freedom to do what I want and not feel bad.  I really am just mad because this always seems to happen to us.  We tried to have a Super Bowl party last year, a birthday party for my husband, and things really just never seem to pan out.  We plan, I cook and people that we are expecting don’t come.  Or we find out a few days before that they aren’t coming.  As much as I love living in Germany, I’m really excited to go back to the states where we have family.  Because really, you can always plan on family.

So I went shopping for our feast because we still have some great friends coming, and although it will be a little more of an intimate party than I expected, we are still going to have a great old time.  I’m determined.  So my fridge is stocked and my menu is planned, and everything is ready to go.  Then life decides to throw me another curve ball.  Apparently I just wasn’t meant to have a working refrigerator for the week of Thanksgiving.  It started getting a bit warmer this weekend, so I turned the temp down on it so it would get colder. Then it didn’t.  So first thing this morning I called facilities on post.  She told me she would get back to me between 10 & 12 about when the contractor would come to fix it.  When she called over an hour earlier than she said she would I was hopeful, then she said he would be here between 1200 and 1800 (for you civilians that means between noon and 6pm). 6pm!!!  I cannot wait that long, so I told her this. She says he has 8 service calls today, he never knows how long each will be.  I just wanted to scream at her “just come here NOW!!!!!!!!!”  But, I kept my calm I said I have groceries in my fridge I need to worry about and would appreciate it if they could keep that in mind and try to keep me at the top of the list.  I do think that they need to think about stuff like this, instead of just coordinating where they are going by location.  Unless they want to pay to replace my groceries and get me to the commissary to buy them.  So, needless to say, I’m waiting on them to come repair my fridge.  And I hope they can repair it and that they don’t have to replace it.  From what I’ve seen they replace fridges all too much around here instead of just fixing what doesn’t work.  My groceries (the important ones) are at my friends house, who will actually be joining us for Thanksgiving.  She is such a good friend and I’m glad I have her to depend on.  And since she called me so much earlier than she said, I’m hopeful that he will get her to fix my fridge nice and early. I’m being optomistic.

Then I got home from my dear friends house.  And my cats are running wild.  Which isn’t all that unusual so I don’t pay that much attention. I should have paid more attention.  Down in that little spot by their water dish is my project bag, with my husband’s Christmas present in it!!!  But seems a ball of yarn was missing……it was spread from the bottom floor to the top floor.  Now, you must understand my house to really see how annoying this is.  We live in a split level apartment, and have 6 stories.  Yes 6.  So needless to say one ball of yarn was wet, and unraveled throughout the house.  I’m not happy.  After everything I’ve been going through, it really wasn’t what I wanted to deal with.  And now the cats know Mommy is not a happy girl.  They both got into big trouble!

It’s Not Friday Anymore

I know, I know.  I’m a bit late.  I was actually going to participate in FO Friday this past week.  FO Friday is a meme just like WIP Wednesdays.  Why now?  Because I actually have an FO to share!  So yeah, I forgot.  Of course I looked at the calendar today saying ok, todays friday.  I think yesterday I thought it was Monday, and Saturday I thought it was Sunday.  SO  I have really been off my game lately and have had no idea what day it is apparently.  And thats with a gadget on my desktop that tells me what day it is.  Anyway, I’m going to pretend today is Friday anyway and show you what I’ve finished.

#1 is my citron.  Finally!  It was actually done a few weeks ago, but I still had to block.  I waited till after the fam left to do so.  And now I’m getting very frustrated because I had pictures of it blocking and I cannot find them on any camera, or the computer.  Although I know what camera I took the pictures with and they are gone!  GONE!  Technology can be so frustrating sometimes.  So you are subjecting to seeing the “other” pictures.  These pictures were taken after the citron was done, before ends were sewn in and before blocking.  And truthfully, I’m so close not to showing you these because these are nothing compared to the post-blocked citron.  Ugh.

#2.  Ok, not really a finished object, but it is half finished.  I have one glove of the Hands Over the Fire gloves done.  And I’m so happy to have it done!  The second half of it knit up so fast once I really got going and got the hang of the cables.  I was even able to memorize the pattern.  Right hand will be cast on very soon so I can wear both!  But it sure looks great minus the fact that ends still need to be sewn in.

 

Now let me introduce you to my trouble maker.  After making the citron it was sitting out for about a week.  One day I came home and it was sitting next to the cat’s water dish and not on the side table where it was left.  It was still folded might I add, but had a wet spot here and there.  I am SO lucky it wasn’t dropped right into the water bowl and swished around.  I don’t need a felted citron. It was hidden well after that incident.  Then I finished my armwarmer.  Left it on the table when I went to bed.  And it was in our bedroom doorway when I woke up.  No harm done to it though.  The culprit?  Edgar.  Not sure if I’ve introduced him yet, but he is our cat that looks like a cow.  He acts like a stoner.  And he is obsessed with yarn.  But usually just yarn, not the finished objects.  Those aren’t fun because they don’t unravel like yarn.  So I don’t know what his recent obsession has been but lets just say everything is getting put away from now on, even if it is done.

 

Behind Bars Seems Appropriate

 

 

 

You can see the "cowness" factor in here. That's Mifflin next to him.

 

 

Blog Swap-Day 2

So after saying goodbye to my husband today for two weeks, I decided it was time to open another package!  I actually choose 3 little individually wrapped ones.  Two were taped together so I knew they went, and Tammy G said that more were taped to the original one I opened.  Now that I thought about this, there were 7 cards in the box.  So it makes sense.  A few just fell apart in shipping.  There’s actually a lot to these cute little things, so maybe I should just let the pictures do the talking.

I love tags to put inside my knitting, so those were just perfect!  I even put some in my box to my swap partner because I think they are all so darn cute, and useful!  Then that big circle thing is also pretty damn cool.  I know there was a bit of a glare on the picture but it is called a 3in1 Knitting and Crochet Tool. It is a gauge check, a needle and hook check and it even gives you yarn and gauge recommendations!  Never seen anything like that before!  And the mini-lunch box tin is so freaking cute.  I’m obsessed with owls.  This is actually a recent obsession.  Ever since I moved out of my parents house.  And you can blame it on my Father.  He has collected owls my whole life and just recently I’ve become interested too.   And lately there have been so many cool patterns with owls on the market for scrapbooking, bags, and as you see little tins.  Stuff like that.  Well, that darn tin is perfect for my knitting odds and ends when I travel that it would have been just perfect.  But lo and behold, it’s full of presents too!!!!  List time: tape measure, funky pencil sharpener/eraser, 2 row counters (which not only do I need, but my cats will love!), point protectors, mini-markers, and more giraffe themed stationary!   Tammy G, I think you are a swapping goddess!

I Needed This – Blog Swap!!

So I have had a rough few weeks as I have posted about several times. Unfortunately the storm hasn’t stopped.  On Friday, we also lost little baby Thia.  They don’t know what happened, and she was doing so well.  It has been so hard for us to mourn this loss, and my husband is heading home on leave tomorrow to go see his family.  They need him there, and he needs to be there.  Today is the memorial back in the states for the twins, and tomorrow is my Grandfather’s funeral.  It’s hard not to be home right now, and to be so far away.  I’m sure you all can imagine.

So I needed a pick-me-up.  I needed something that could put a smile on my face.  And guess what came today!!  My blog swap parcel from Tammy G over at Life and Yarn or Yarn and Life.  You should all take a little trip over to her blog (not until you are done reading mine though, of course!)  So we are supposed to send 7 separate parcels.  Mine has 10 parcels in it!  And well, if you count the ones that are 2 taped together, than there really are 12.  My Tammy G you are quite a generous swap partner.   Don’t worry though, I’m not complaining!!  And the wrapping paper has such cute knit patterns on it!  I love it!

So I opened my first parcel.  And it says on the inside of the card “A kit to help with the knit”.  Did I mention her cards have a cute knitted pattern on them too?  Inside I found homemade stitch markers, giraffe patterned pencils, and a needle gauge.   All so useful too.  And the stitch markers are handmade!  I have to say, the one thing I was hoping to get in this swap was nice stitch markers, and Tammy G must have just read my mind!  And the best part?  They are little kitty themed.  So adorable!  Definitely put a smile on this girls face.  I needed this, that’s for sure.

Sorry for the blurriness of the picture.

Now, I have a confession to make.  I’ve felt like such crap, that I really just needed to break into another package.  The fact that there were 10 parcels felt like it was giving me permission to do this.  I mean, things happen for a reason right?  Just like the timing of this gift.There was no order to follow, except for the second parcel.  So I’m bad, did I mention that?  I picked the fluffy package, that squishes in my hands!  And let me just say, this yarn is to die for.  And that is not an opinion, that is a fact!  The card read “Ya said you’re not afraid of the bright, hopefully you won’t have to shade your eyes in the light!”  I love her little rhymes. I have seen blog posts about this yarn and it just looks so luscious!  (yes luscious is my favorite word to describe yummy yarn!)  Ahhh….Mini Mochi!

I would like to thank Eskimimi for organizing this swap in The Blog Hub group on Ravelry.  It was so fun to organize and send out to my partner, and it is just as fun opening my gifts!  Join me tomorrow for Day 2 of Blog Swap!  And I’m thinking I might open 2 gifts tomorrow too.  For 2 reasons.  Mainly because I’m going to be wallowing at home, and will be all alone on the day of my Grandfather’s funeral.  Another reason is because my family is coming on Thursday, and we will be doing a lot of traveling after that.  Which means……lots of blog material!

WIPW, A Book & Some Bad News

Well, but the Citron and the Skyp Socks are both still on the needles.  The Skyp Socks will probably be on for a while since I’m not a knit-a-sock-a-week kinda gal!  I’m a bit slower than I would prefer, plus I’ve been ADDICTED to the Citron.  There are five sections in the Citron.  Or tiers as I like to call them.  I’m almost done with the fourth.  It’s a fast knit and I’m plugging right along with it.  I’m really loving the way the colors look.  I can’t wait to see how it looks once it is blocked.  After knitting this, I have decided that I will definitely buy some more Malabrigo Lace in the future.  I really didn’t like lace knitting.  After making this Citron, I have been opened up to the world of lace with a warm welcome.  I guess the yarn you use can really make a difference in your take on the concept.

I’ve also had something on the needles that I refused to share.  It’s not like I don’t want you to see it!  There’s just two people whom I don’t want seeing it!  That’s because it is a baby gift.  My husband’s brother and his wife welcomed their second son into the world last week!  And his name’s Cameron……I just love it!  This sure was a kick in the butt for me since I’m only about 1/4 of the way done with the gift.  It’s just a bit of an intricate stitch pattern that’s hard on my hands, but I need to get over it.  I pulled it back out last night and figured I would give you a nice little peek.  Really only because I love teasing!!

Also, I tried casting on a pair of leg warmers last night.  Turns out I need a bigger circular needle of some DPNs in size US 6 or US 7.    I’m going to check out a new yarn store  (yay!  it’s only 20 minutes away too!) that my friend from A Tangled Yarn discovered a few weeks ago.  I’m hoping they have what I need.  A large circular would be the best, because I just realized I would be able to do 2-at-a-time!!  Now that I know how to do that.  It’s not just for socks anymore……  My friend requested leg warmers for her daughter.  I decided on the Lil’ Legwarmers pattern published on the blog Knitted Fresh Daily.  I really need to spend some time perusing her blog. It looks pretty entertaining. You should go check it out.  I’m using a yarn I’m really excited about.  I picked it up around here somewhere (here being somewhere in Germany).  It’s called Lana Grossa Bingo Print and has small segments of gray to green to pink.  I just love the colors, and I think the little girl receiving them will too!

Onto the book.  I can’t believe I read it in a week.  With all, and I emphasize the word all, going on in my life right now.  We will get to that later though.  The book: Made From Scratch; Discovering the pleasures of a handmade life.  Being a very crafty person, I thought this was a book concentrated on crafts, and recycling for personal use and whatnot.  I was quite a bit off track, and I guess that happens when you don’t read the description of the book.  I’m blonde sometimes, what can I say?  But the book is about self-sufficiency.  Basically, living off the land, buying local, raising chickens and bees.  That sort of thing.  With a very minor mention to knitting and spinning.  I have no objection to this way of life, and some I agree with and some of it I don’t find practical.  For me.  But this book…..I just couldn’t put it down.  The author Jenna Woginrich just writes well.  Everything flowed so well, and made so much sense.  I didn’t feel I was reading, as much as just listening to a friend.  And I think that’s why I read it so fast.  I do suggest it, to anyone who has even a small interest in self-sufficiency and making more of an everyday connection to our ancestors in everyday tasks.

Now onto the bad news.  Remember when I said that it was basically pouring cats & dogs in my life?  And I mentioned that on top of a whole lot of other stuff my Grandfather had a heart attack?  Well he died this weekend.  He was a very kind and generous man who was very good to his family.  But in the past few years he’s changed.  Alot.  After this heart attack I knew it wasn’t going to  be much longer, and I was right.  Good news is that he is in a place right now where he can see well again, and he can walk and talk.  And he made it there just in time to join his wife for their wedding anniversary.  My cat’s also sick.  Really sick.  He had to spend two nights at the vet’s place and he still hasn’t really eaten anything.  More on that tomorrow, since this post seems longer than I had anticipated.  If you haven’t gotten bored yet, thanks for reading!!

Poor Girl

So I feel like a guilty Mom.  Not that I really know what that feels like yet, but I can imagine it feels something like this.  I have two adorable cats that we got as kittens.  Their names are Edgar and Mifflin.  Mifflin after The Office.  If you watch than you don’t need any other explanation.  All the characters work for a company called Dunder Mifflin.  And Edgar is after Edgar Allen Poe.  My husband is a huge fan.

Well, we may have gotten both of them as kittens, but Rob and I sure didn’t want anymore kittens.  So naturally they were getting fixed.  Edgar had his surgery once he was old enough.  The vets here on post were able to get him in right away, he had blood work done, and then his surgery the next day.  He came home a bit groggy, but was fine a day or two later.

Now of course a females surgery is much more invasive.  It took months to finally get her in for surgery.  And before surgery she has to have blood work done.  Needless to say, Mifflin is sick of the vet already.  She had to go in 4 times- once every week for a month.  The first time they tried to do her blood work they couldn’t get enough blood.  Her veins are so tiny!  She also doesn’t like to sit all that still, even if Mommy is trying to soothe her.  So she had to go back.  The next week.  Which means the surgery was post phoned.   They had to sedate her so they could get enough blood to do her tests, and everything was all good! Whats next?  Surgery right?  Or so you would think.  She went in for surgery the next week and the pre-op procedure didn’t go so well.  She wouldn’t go down for the procedure.  So, back home she goes!  AGAIN.  Finally this week she had her surgery, and everything went well.  She sure likes to give the Vet a hard time!

She came home and looked so drunk.  Really, she was on some great drugs.  Which was good, because I sure think she would have been in a lot of pain.  She tried to walk and fell over.  She was swaying back and forth like a drunken fool! She even fell asleep in her water bowl.  And of course, she isn’t allowed to lick her stitches so she has what they call an Elizabethan Collar on when we can’t watch her.  That big radar looking thing!  I hate it, but I really feel so bad for her.  And if you could see the incision on her, you would too!  I almost wonder if I did the right thing.  Sometimes she looks like she’s in so much pain and just doesn’t move.  I know I did what I needed to do, but I can’t help feeling bad.  She is my baby and so precious.  I hate watching her in pain.