Be Careful What You Look For

Ya, so we found it.  The wiring in the house IS THE ORIGINAL WIRING.  It's like a hundred years old.  I don't quite know how I feel about living in a house where the wiring might start a fire at any moment.  I have WAY too much yarn and fiber.  If it caught fire I would be the crazy lady running back into the house, braving the flames and smoke, to rescue my yarn and knitting supplies, sweaters, fiber, spinning wheels, etc.

Also the boiler is THE ORIGINAL BOILER.  I know nothing, zero, zip about boilers.  But a hundred year old, coal burning boiler doesn't seem to great.  I guess you have to watch the gauges on it and take buckets of water down under the house, where the boiler is at,  to fill it up at least once a week so that it doesn't run out of water, build up too much pressure, and explode.  I don't know how I feel about that either.

I am really torn.  Is it worth the risks?  It has been standing for over a hundred years after all--no fires, no exploding boilers.  Eight rooms, a yarn shop in the front............a fire destroying all of my yarn..........What would you do?  Would you risk it?  Does it sound worth it to you?  I have to have some input here.  Let me know what you think.

Misc.

LOVING our new place! We are almost completely unpacked.

HB bought some new furniture for the living room. Our old couch weighs just slightly more than a grand piano and it takes 4 really buff football players or 6 regular people to move it. (It was a double lazy boy couch with a table top island in the center. 8 feet long and three feet deep!) We have moved it three times and that was that! I am only one little girl and HB can't help at all because of his back. So it was time for the couch to find a new home! The one we replaced it with is very nice and the money from the old one paid for the new one (YEAH! I like when that works out!). Plus we got a LOVELY chair to match. HB said I needed a really good "knitting" chair. He is so wonderful! He is also looking a coffee table to match that, as he descibed it to me, has "two big drawers under the table top for storing yarn". (Don't you wish your husband would shop for things with your yarn habit in mind? I am really spoiled!)

I got his mittens finished. Unfortunately I still don't have a picture of them. I promise to post one of them this week. They turned out really nice! Wait til you see them! HB was thrilled! He shows them off everywhere we go.

I will try to get some pictures of the new house and furniture to post with the mittens for next time.

Gotta go for now.
Happy knitting!

Changes--It's About Time!

It was bound to happen. I am just surprised it took 13 months! We quit the motel and moved out! I quit--sort of--in May when I went to work as the store manager for a fireworks warehouse, but HB has held on until we are all so miserable and sick of the place that we couldn't stand it another second.

I know that managing a motel doesn't sound so awful, but being "live-in Managers" is the most awful job on the planet! I worked one hunting season for a meat processing plant--processing all the hunters' deer and elk. It was a smelly!! dirty, long hour, messy job. BUT! I would rather do that all year long than work one more day at that motel!

You have to realize that almost every person that comes in asking for a room is tired, been driving for hours along some pretty boring landscape, surrounded by a lot of semi trucks, fighting the wind across the prairie, etc. and they are irritable! I had no idea that the general public--traveller--has completely abandoned all of the manners that I am sure their mother or grandmother taught them was proper! Just thinking about the experiences I have had, I have to just shake my head in disbelief. It really is disappointing to see so many people behave so deplorably. Even older people!! who I know that were raised in a society where manners were expected! I want to yell at them, "What would your mother think if she saw/heard you acting like that!"

Anyway, on top of the terrible atmosphere of the place, the rude guests who have neither brains, common sense, nor manners, the owner of the motel has robbed us for the last time. He is the biggest liar/cheat I have ever met! I am sure the only reason he has gotten away with it for so many years is because he and his family own most of the town we live in. I have heard all sorts of gossip about them and the things they have pulled over the years. It's interesting, he could be a force for good in this community and have a really up-standing reputation, but instead no one in this town respects him and to say you are related to him is a put-down.

So, once the "straw broke the camels back" last week HB and I went out, rented a condo and started moving out. The place we got is really cute and the kids are so happy they don't want to go back to the motel and help pack. I can't blame them. We spent the weekend moving all of the big stuff and should be completely out by this coming weekend.

In the mean time, I have almost finished the November Sockamania pattern. It is going to be great! Really easy, fun, sport weight yarn so it will make up fast, etc., etc., etc. I listed the yarn for the pattern in my etsy store earlier today and the pattern will be available November 2nd. The October pattern, Autumn Leaves will go on sale in my store the same day.

I am also in the middle of making HB a present for our anniversary. I can't post pictures until I give it to him because he will sneek in here and peek. But I am so excited about it!! I can't wait to see his face when I give it to him. I will post pictures later.

Well, I better be off! It's almost lunch time and I haven't got anything done this morning--too tired!

My First Sockamania Design

I was so excited to get my October sock design posted that I forgot some details on the pattern. Ooops! It's all fixed now. Here is the sock:





It turned out really good! I am going to be giving this pair as a Christmas present.....maybe. I really like them a lot! If I keep going I will have at least one pair of socks to give everyone on my Christmas list. I have made A LOT of socks this year! I will be listing the "Autumn Leaves" pattern for sale on my etsy store on November 1st if you would like to get it and aren't a member of Sockamania. (members get their patterns for free).


SOCKAMANIA DESIGN SNEEK PREVIEW: I am already about 1/4 of the way through the November sock. The yarn is a little heavier and the sock is knit on size 3 needles so they make up a little faster. I will have three different colors that the socks can be made from available in my etsy store and there will be a link in two weeks to the yarn in case anyone wants to use the same yarn I did for the pattern. I haven't made anything with this yarn before. It's different; not the usual wool, or bamboo style sock yarn. I am anxious to see how the finished item looks. I like it so far. The pattern requires good stitch definition and this yarn delivers! Stay tuned for more sneek peeks!


It snowed!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday morning it was pouring rain and about 60 degrees F, but by noon the temperature had dropped to about 40, the wind was blowing and it had started snowing little flakes. HB and I went to Salt Lake for the afternoon and when we came back it was snowing hard and accumulating. It was very cold last night so the snow is still on the ground. WHAT HAPPENED TO FALL? I mean there are still trees that haven't even started to turn colors. There is still green grass for crying out loud! I have a feeling that Fall is going to be very short lived here this year. Oh well, out with the summer clothes and "HELLO" sweaters! My new sweater is almost finished--just the buttons to sew on. (I'll post pictures soon!) I can't wait to wear it!


Anyway, happy knitting!

I Will Survive!

Well, believe it or not, I have finished the October sock design for Sockamania! However, I had planned to give the socks away for a Christmas gift to a relative but they are so........hmmm what is the word? WONDERFUL, LOVELY, AWESOME, AMAZING, ETC. that I want to keep them. Not being conceited, but I designed a GREAT pair of socks. HB was even surprised when, as a result of not getting the proper attention for them from him, I told him I designed the pattern for them. He's like, "Wow! I thought you had knit them from a book or something." (Then realizing what he just said he quickly recovered by saying, "Well I'm not surprised. Everything you make is amazing. I just can't believe how talented you are.") They really are exciting. I just hope they aren't too difficult. They really make up quickly once you complete the first pattern repeat and have the basic idea of how the pattern flows. The toe is a little tricky, but I think it will be ok. I LOVE THEM! I will post pictures here after the pattern is revealed October 1st for the KAL.

No hearing coming up in a week! Yeah! I think........I guess......I hope it's a good thing anyway. HB, completely fed up with six years of pain and suffering--more from the insurance company and lawyers than from the injury--decided to settle; "take the money and run" so to speak. He just wants to be able to get care when he needs care and help when he needs help without having to wait 3-6- or 12 months for the insurance company to ok it--because they are looking for a way to call it "not reasonable or necessary". He decided that since all of his surgeons and doctor's have said that there isn't anything else that can be done for him, except the placement of a spinal stimulator, that he wanted to move on. There are some "alternative medicine" treatments out there that he would like to try, but the insurance companies won't pay for them. He sees this as his opportunity to try them out. It's kind of scary! I sure hope we don't regret it at some point.

We are still stuck in this awful place. I keep hoping that we will leave soon, but nothing yet. We found out the other day that the motel owner is selling the place. He won't come right out and tell us, because he doesn't want us to leave until it's sold, but some people came by to look at it and then the next day a consulting firm of some sorts called and said that their client was interested in purchasing the motel. So who knows how much longer we will be here. Seeing that our house is part of the motel, if the motel sells we loose our house and jobs. That can be taken as good and bad, if you know what I mean. Good, because then we can move away. Bad because then we don't have anywhere to live and HB doesn't have a job anymore.

It should be interesting to see how things go for the next several months for us. Don't you think?

YES! No wait...Maybe? Oh forget it!

I have been sulking for the past week. I had everything in place to move us back "HOME"--a house, some money, school, people to help us, etc. when some lame-brained doctor decided to change my plans. Within 24 hours of having the first load of belongings headed for Colorado, HB's doctor notifies us that the best person for him to see is right over the mountain from where we are right now!

I am not going to pretend here, I AM NOT HAPPY! Some of you out there may not know this about me--other's of you have had the misfortune of knowing this about me--but when I am not happy about something I become terribly un-pretentious. I am a "no nonsense", up-front, "tell it like it REALLY is" kind of person anyway. BUT, when I am unhappy that part of my personality becomes painfully obvious. HB, knowing that my name means "Thunderbolt" in native american languages, has commented several times that he can see the "dark clouds" gathering above my head. He has been around long enough to know that when the "dark clouds" start gathering the "storm" isn't far behind. I spent most of this week pouting and crying and acting like a three year old. Then I spent two days feeling depressed. Today, I am beginning to feel slightly annoyed.

Ok! With that said, no, I am no longer moving back to Colorado anytime in the near future. I gave up the house I found, cancelled all of my plans and opportunities, and pouted about it all the way back from Colorado Wednesday night.

To make matters worse, my bestest best friend of almost 10 years went and did something stupid, hurt my feelings, and now we aren't on speaking terms. I am not usually one to hold a grudge, unless you really hurt my feelings and won't say you are sorry and try to fix it. Which she has no intention of doing because she thinks she is justified in what she did. WELL! At least I am no longer moving into a house right by hers! (I wonder how long I will have to give her the "silent treatment" before she pulls her head out of the clouds.)

Anyway, so you can see why I am feeling slightly annoyed today. Nothing seems to be going MY way right now. I don't know why I am fussing--nothing EVER goes my way. Which is why I do so much knitting. Knitting always goes my way!! (or it doesn't "go" at all!) I have made one and a half sweaters and spun up the yarn for socks and then knitted them up in only two weeks--and I work outside the house 45 hours a week. I have pictures of the first sweater, but haven't taken pictures of the socks or the progress on the other sweater yet. I will try to get the pictures of the completed sweater and socks on here by Monday.

I really don't know how the rest of the world copes with trials and troubles without knitting. Maybe the rest of the world doesn't have coping problems like I have......surely they have trials and troubles also. I do love my knitting and yarn and fiber. It is so predictable, soft, loyal, dependable, and available. It is always there for me when I need it. There to comfort me and tell me I can work through anything if I can work through a 12 color changing pair of Turkish Socks. If I can knit an icelandic sweater in the dark or with my eyes closed surely I can make it through living in Wyoming for a little longer? Yarn is such a good friend to me. Everytime I get even near a yarn store I can hear it calling to me, "Come see me. I will go home with you and be your best friend forever. I will never betray you or hurt your feelings. I will give you hours and hours of knitting pleasure and help you forget all your problems."

I really am not loosing it.......However, I am living in Wyoming so who know's!

Random Socks N Stuff

I didn't get the Sweater pictures, but here are the pictures of the socks I finished. (I barely got these--I was VERY busy knitting on my sweater last night! If I wait a few more days it will be finished and I will just take a picture of it on me!)

I really like them now that they are done. These have been a WIP in the knitting bag for months! I don't know why either. They were super easy. Once I got in and was working on them they were done in no time.

The pattern is called "Rollercoasters" and I got it from Yarn Addict Anni's sock of the month KAL Sockamania. The yarn and pattern was from her etsy store Here. The yarn is a hand dyed superwash wool and bamboo blend yarn. It washes up really nice! I still have great stitch definition!

We had some of the bands that are playing in the Warped Tour stay the night last night at the motel. 3oh3, All Time Low, Valencia, and a couple of others we hanging around and The Daughter got to get autographed pictures with them and autographed CD's. She was a little excited needless to say!

This is her with the bass player from 3oh3. Notice the huge smile!And this is her with members of the band Valencia. She had a great time yesterday! I've never seen her so anxious to work the front desk. All of the members of the bands were really nice and we barely knew they were there except that their huge tour buses were parked all the way around the motel. No wild and crazy partying or anything. HB ran some of them around town to the golf course and restaurants and said they were "just normal kids".

I heard that Red Hot Chili Peppers stayed at our motel last year or the year before--now THAT would have been fun for me!!! I like the bands that stayed with us last night but Red Hot Chili Peppers--they are right up there on my list of fav's!

So, the motel was fun for the first time in a year. LOL!

Misc.

I am sitting here at work, bored for a change. The store is cleaned up and the empty spaces are slowly refilling. I had to let all of our seasonal help go--something I have been dreading since I hired them all on. I had the best crew ever! It was very difficult to decide who to keep and who to let go. There were a few who made it easier by volunteering to go first, but others it was not so easy and I would have liked to keep them all. I won't be here next year, but I made sure to note on their exit interview the ones that should definately be hired back next year should they want to come back.

I miss my knitting. I was shopping around Etsy the other day looking at all the knitted clothing that people have for sale. There are some wonderful projects out there. I keep wanting to knit some sweaters for the family and me for winter, but I just can't find the time--not to mention I keep telling myself NO NEW PROJECTS! until the ones that are laying all over the house are done.

I am considering going back to school to finish what I started a couple of years ago. It is the only way I can see to get us out of the mess we are in here. I guess I will go back and read over my blog and remind myself what it was like to go to school to make sure that it is something I really want to do. I am sure that a magic wand would fix things much faster but since mine is missing I will have to do things the long and difficult way instead--oh wait that is how I do everything, I must enjoy it.

My boss is supposed to be here next week for inventory. I am not looking forward to it. Some of the kids that were here last year have been filling my head with horror stories about how terrible he behaves during inventory. I have witnessed him act like a 2-year-old myself. I am trying to convince myself to relax, not stress, and not quit this job before he gets here--I am not very convincing.

Well, I guess I will go home. HoneyBunny is having an especially difficult day today so I told him I would be home early. I hate the motel (living there)! but I have to go home sometime.

TTYL.

Knittin' Myself Silly

I really hope that I am not the only Knitter out there that worries about this...............

Each time we go anywhere in the car I take my knitting. Occasionally we go somewhere that my knitting needs to stay behind in the car. For some reason I hide my knitting in the car or in the trunk. Why? Well, I don't want it to get stolen. No matter how much HoneyBunny assures me that no one is going to break into our vehicle to steal my knitting I still worry. He has assured me that if they were to steal anything it would be our stereo system, items from our emergency bag, etc. "Ya but what if they really like the yarn? You know how nice this yarn is!" His reply, "Trust me, no one is going to steal it." How does he know? There could be some homeless or desperate yarnaholic out there somewhere just looking for their next fix. I am glad he is so understanding and patient with me because my daughter thinks I am nuts!

So I have to know, do you hide your yarn or knitting in fear that it might get stolen out of your car or house? I can't be the only one that would be relieved to find that the burglers only took the television and stereo but didn't touch my yarn stash.

Ok, with that said, now for my latest knitting adventures.......and I must say that living in "Crazy Town USA" promotes A LOT of knitting!





I knit all of that in the last week and a half. I am not joking! All of them are my own designs. I especially like the dishcloths!! and that last brown sock with the tan details! No, the family is walking around in clean clothes and have eaten at least two meals a day. I don't know how I did it. I didn't knit Saturday because The Daughter and I went to Salt Lake to go look at prom dresses and yarn stores. I didn't knit Sunday because I thought my hands probably could use a break. Somehow I managed to knit all of that in that short amount of time. It was fun!!!!

And yes, I am sure I have just about knit myself silly at this point. Oh, well. At least I am enjoying my days a little more.

Anytime!

Anytime.........I just keep telling myself that things are going to get better and things are going to start going good anytime.

I am having a really difficult day. It actually started Sunday at church--kind of an odd place for a bad day to start I know. I hate it when I am faced with the reality that some people are loved and special and I am not (or so the people around you act). I have been brooding over this fact for a couple of days. Then my son decided to try to go to boy scouts here again. It was just as bad as it was a month ago--the last time he went and swore he would never go again. THAT WAS IT!! I had taken all I was going to take from this town of mentally incompetent, male chauvinist pigs!! and empty headed, brow beaten, ignorant women. I marched down to the church and the scout leader and I had a talk. Well, actually, I was talking mostly to the brick wall, because he obviously was not listening, and he was talking to a woman (who has 100 times the IQ he is used to addressing) as if she was one of the stupid women he is used to dealing with. He is so lucky I grew out of my habit of kicking/punching boys who think they are better than girls simply because their dad said so! After several attempts to get Neanderthal Man to understand the point of the conversation I gathered my children and walked out, without saying good-bye or anything. I hope he gets abducted by a legion of Amazons and has to spend the rest of his days as a lowly servant to them!!!

So, now what? Do I just never go to church again? There is no way I am going to get my son to go. The men who are the scout leaders are also the boys youth group leaders--one of which thinks that it is his job "to turn these boys into men". OVER MY DEAD BODY WILL THAT MAN TURN MY SON INTO SOMEONE LIKE HIM!!!! MAKE NO MISTAKE!!

I think I will pack up and go back to Earth where the real people live, or at least the morons are still out-numbered enough that you don't notice them as much.

As if all of this isn't enough, HoneyBunny was told, again, Monday that his back is not repairable. In other words he has a "failed back". He keeps falling down because he will suddenly not have any feeling in his legs. He has fallen twice here at the motel in the hallway and once at Walmart in just the last three weeks. Aside from being scary, it is terribly demeaning and embarrassing for him. Each time he hurts himself also, either his ankle or his knee. Today he fell again and rug burned his arm really bad. I don't know what to do. It's awful. Maybe if we had a boat-load of money the doctors would be more motivated to help him. Moving here to the armpit of America was not a good idea--no doctors, no specialists, etc. that's for sure!

I just want to go home. Can I?

Oooo! Ahhhh!

And here, for your fiber/yarn viewing pleasure, are my latest adventures:

This is my latest yarn off of the spinning wheel. A luscious blend of satin angora, wool, and bombyx silk. I LOVE IT! And "NO!" Julia you can't have it! (She has bought some of this from me in the past and knows how amazing this yarn is). I have one more skein to finish and then I have to find the right pattern so that I can make something for me out of it. This first skein came up to about 320 yards of sport weight sized yarn. I can't wait to wear it!

This is some LOVELY fingering weight, merino/bamboo blend yarn that I found at a yarn shop the other day along with...............................................

This delicious kid mohair/silk blend yarn and..................................

This yarn.

Aren't they all just wonderful!! I can't wait to knit it all up! That beautiful blue mohair blend is going to become this, and the other two skeins will become socks. The Daughter especially likes the Tofutsies so I am sure she will end up with some socks from it.

I have pretty much recovered from my "Spring Fever" for now. It snowed 6 inches in the last two days and dropped down to 21 below zero. Somehow that just seemed to take the wind right out of my sails. So I am back to loving winter and feeling like a bear all snuggled up warm and safe from the ice and cold. We are supposed to see more snow the next few days.

And now I am off to create my latest idea. I thought of it the other night as I was trying to go to sleep. If it turns out well I will post pictures here and list them for sale in my etsy store. Stay tuned................................................................................

Monday's Escape

The Ancient Ones

Homes built of stone and mud

Sacred dwellings

Whispers from the cobwebs

Shadows in the corners

Stories of the hunt

Painted on the wall

Reverently my hand touches Theirs.

I am in escape mode right now. The doctor wants HoneyBunny to go on disability--preferrably permanent disability. We are having a hard time trying figure out how we are going to make it. I always "run away" to my "secret garden" when life gets this bad. My secret garden is the canyons and deserts I grew up playing in. My indian ruins. The ghosts and spirits that haunt them were my friends, the kachina people would laugh in my ear and play games with me. I miss them and the time I spent there. It was my safe place then and so that's where I want to be now.

My Blogaversary Came and Went

I must apologize for not writing on the anniversary of my blog. Two years!! Wow! It doesn't seem that long. I have been so caught up in all the drama in my life right now (ok for longer than just "right now") that I didn't have it in me to write. Between The Son growing up, summer break coming about without me being available to entertain my kids, HoneyBunny's never-ending back problems that is ruling his life, etc, etc. I just haven't felt like writing.

I have been knitting and crocheting though! I have finished The Daughter's swim suit--it's very cute but I doubt I will post a picture of her in it, but I may post a picture on my Ravelry page. And I finished another pair of summer socks for HoneyBunny.

He loves them. I love that they used nothing but left-over yarn! After all, a hole in the stash means that there is room for new yarn! Yeah for new yarn!

With the little bit of warm weather we have had our river here is trying it's best to flood the roads and whatever else lies on the banks. I checked out the USGS site (geology stuff) to see how high the river was running and it said that it was at 97% of normal and 11 feet above normal.

If you look closely at the background you can see the bridge that is usually 11 feet higher in the air.

The river is providing me with a source of distraction from all of the other "stuff" that is threatening to devastate me. I love to see Mother Nature take control and remind us that she does what she wants when she wants to and our efforts to contain her rarely work. I believe we should live in harmony with her not fight to control her.

So, that just about wraps it up.

Happy Blogaversary to me!

Time Saving Technology

Supposedly computers save us untold hours of time and space. However, if you really think this is true, take a closer look at all the paper we waste making copies and have something go wrong with your computer.

I have spent HOURS and HOURS over the last two weeks trying to figure out what is wrong with my computer and printer. It has not saved me one minute of my time!! Something has gone wrong with my printer and it has somehow done something to the computer that it is attached to. I just want to tear my hair out, really, about now. I hate when there are technical difficulties!! It just makes me crazy. The reason, of course, is because instead of knitting I am sitting here trying to figure out what has gone wrong with my computer and how to fix it. I would much rather be sitting here knitting and relaxing rather than being all stressed out and angry at this stupid machine that is supposed to make my life easier and give me more free time to do the things that I enjoy.

Several years ago the computer I had before this one got spy ware or a virus or something and I lost EVERYTHING! All of my pictures of the kids birthdays, Christmas', Easter, baptisms, etc. I am still sick about it. No, I didn't back anything up because the stupid thing wouldn't turn on and let me once I realized what was wrong. I HATE TO LOOSE ANYTHING--ESPECIALLY PICTURES THAT ARE IRREPLACEABLE. So, the minute my computer experiences one little glitch I start freaking out and feel sick. I just know I am about to loose all of my pictures again. And wouldn't you know it, I haven't backed them up for a couple of months! Of course, nothing that would allow me to back up pictures is working either!

I really don't feel good right now. I am actually considering sending my pictures out to all of my online storage places so that I can figure out what to do with them from there. At least they won't be lost.

Time saving! HA!

Random Ramblings

I really don't have anything particular to talk about today. No real title, no real subject. I just feel the need to go on and on about whatever. The main reason is because I still can't find a job!! I am going crazy! Never in my (blank) years of life have I had trouble getting a job. I just see an ad., go in, apply, interview--usually on the spot, and "poof" I have a job. NOT THIS TIME! I have been applying for everything under the sun for four months and have NOTHING! I am beginning to feel like I have leprosy or lice or some other disease that the mass population is terrified of. (Oh no! I'm on my pity pot again!) BOO-HOO-HOO. What's wrong with me?

Aside from this all else is good. HoneyBunny is doing fantastic after this last surgery. It has helped so much it makes me angry that his stupid (ooops! not really) surgeon didn't think to try this two years ago!! The Daughter and Pooh Bear are counting the days until Summer Break and can't wait.

Maybe I need to do some knitting. Yeah, I think that is the problem. I have been so busy job hunting, creating resumes, shopping, holiday-ing, goofing off in general, playing on the computer, and cleaning the house that I haven't done much knitting at all.

As fun as knitting sounds, though, HoneyBunny just called with an entire list of "Honey-Do's" for me. "Bring me my phone ear piece--I forgot it again. Take my boots in for sizing. Pick me up an energy drink on your way. Oh! and bring my hand-held CB so you can talk to me when you get to the job site." As if I don't have anything else to do!

Well, I better get going if I am ever going to get to my knitting today.

"Getting to know me, getting to know all about me"

I have now been tagged by Awesome Mom--I think she is just paying me back for tagging her. This one is more difficult because I need to link to a bunch of blogs I have written. So we are about to see how creative I can be with my computer in order to accomplish this.

1. While sitting on my "pity pot" for all the world to see, I wrote a lot about my family. I am not prone to this type of post, but it certainly gives a reader an idea of why I knit SOOOOOO much.

2. What are friends for anyway if they can't help you find more patterns than you could EVER possibly knit. They can be great enablers when you share an addiction to yarn, patterns, or fiber!

3. It isn't a secret that I have more UFO's and WIP's than are really necessary. I do it so that I don't ever get bored with what I am working on and so that I always have the perfect project for whatever I am doing in addition to knitting--riding in the car, waiting at the doctor's office, watching a movie, cooking dinner, etc.

4. Well this one is just silly! I am supposed to link to something I love. DUH! that's like my whole blog! Knitting, HoneyBunny, anything to do with rocks, knitting socks, yarn, fiber, Halloween--pretty much in that order.

5. Anything......with lots of pretty pictures.


Now I am off to tag five others!!

PS: I am still making yarn--pictures next time.

7 Things You've Always Wanted to Know About Me!

I've been tagged! Now I have to think up seven things about me that are at least partially interesting. Here goes:

1. I love to knit! Wow, that was tough to come up with. No, really, I LOVE to knit. My husband asked me at one point if it was my mission in life to leave behind as many knitted items as possible. To which I responded, "Well, duh!!"

2. This one is good! I have NEVER knit or crocheted a test swatch for a project in my life. I just have never seen the value of wasting all that time knitting a silly little square when I could be knitting the project instead. (Isn't that naughty!!! Oh the shame!!)

3. I would like to someday make a pair of cashmere long john's, for me of course, (you know the long underwear things you wear under your clothes to keep you warm outside in the winter). Can you imagine how WONDERFUL that would feel?

4. Pizza is my favorite food! I have worked in small town pizza resturants in the past and had the opportunity to eat pizza at least once a day every day (sometimes twice depended on how long the work day was). Did I get sick of it ever? Not once! And I love every pizza topping out there including anchovies--in fact pizza is very good with anchovies, pineapple, green peppers, olives, onions, and mushrooms. Some of my other favorite combinations are pepperoni and onions, mushrooms and pineapple, and vegetarian. MMMMMmmmmm! Now I'm hungry!

5. I know how to survive in the wilderness with nothing but a pocket knife. This comes from a combination of years of camping, hiking, reading up on the subject, a college course in wilderness survival, and practise.

6. I have never been lost. Whether in a city or in the forest I somehow always know my way around. I have been told that I have an "internal compass". Whatever it is, apparently not everyone possesses this ability because my husband is frequently lost--even when he is some place he's been ten times.

7. Hmmm. What to put for 7........Oh! How about this! My name comes from a native american language and means "Thunder bolt". HoneyBunny thinks it fits me--not sure exactly what he is implying by that.

There you have it! 7 random things to know about me. Now, I have to tag seven other people.

Yarn Addict Anni
Hege
My Ice Cream Dairy
Awsome Mom
Under the Afternoon Moon
Tania
The Delusional Knitter

Consider yourselves TAGGED!

Misc.

HoneyBunny goes in for surgery at 6 am! tomorrow. I am all ready with three pairs of socks to knit in various degrees of difficulty, the cashmere lace scarf (I am DYING to start this!!), and a bead-lace-fluffy-neck-head thing called "Ice Queen" from Knitty.com. That should keep me busy. He is a nervous wreck, as usual. We've been out "shopping" for two days spending money like there will be no tomorrow. (That is what he does when he gets in a fluff about stuff). We are going out to eat tonight so that the house isn't left a complete disaster. So, I think everything is taken care of.

P.S. Remember the son that my parents convinced to move in with them nine years ago that I mentioned in my Pity Pot blog? HE CALLED ME TODAY TO TELL ME SOME EXCITING NEWS AND FINISHED BY TELLING ME, "I love you Mom." I have been crying since......well actually from the moment he said, "Mom, it's me".

Things are definately looking up. I just hope the trend continues through tomorrow!

In Hiding Today

I have found that when everything goes wrong I go through several stages.

1. Anger. More like mad. I am so angry that it causes insanity, hence the "mad" description.

2. Denial. I can fix this! There has GOT to be SOMETHING I can do or someone that I can call and fix all of this mess.

3. Revenge. I start thinking of ways to make people pay for all of the wrongs they have committed against me and my family. (This is where things take a turn for the worst and get ugly).

4. Depression. I don't sleep, I don't care, I hurt inside and out. I have chest pains. I quit knitting. (SHOCKING! I know. For those of you who know me, just knowing that I would let time pass without picking up yarn and needles is really scarey!)

5. Attempts to resume living. This is where I knit until my hands hurt, I get head aches, my neck hurts from being so stressed out, I can be seen "petting" my favorite yarns, and laughing at stupid tv commercials in an effort to "cheer up" (I don't even like tv!).

6. Hiding. I don't want to go out, I don't want anyone to call me because I can't handle anymore bad news, I can't handle anymore depression or anger (madness), I don't want to open my curtains, I don't want to get dressed, I daydream about running away to my "undisclosed location in Mexico" and not telling anyone, and my hands hurt from knitting too much (I finished the hooded sweater, dyed and skeined up a thousand yards of yarn, knit my Sockamania sock to the half-way point, and finished the hand spun yarn fingerless mitts yesterday--and that was just in my spare time while I wasn't running errands, shopping, meeting friends for lunch, crying over my husband dilemma, cleaning up a MUDDY dog, picking up kids from school, etc, etc, etc). I'm not depressed, I just want to hide from everything.

Hiding is where I am today. I have been running around the internet reading all of your blogs. I am so happy to have all of you visiting me here!!! Your blogs and comments have picked me up and helped me each day the last two weeks. I can't say thank you enough. I hope that each of you receive an added measure of peace and happiness in your lives for showing so much kindness to me. I wish I could send all of you something knitted out of the softest warmest fiber--that's my way of showing how much I love/appreciate you. When I give knitted items away I feel like I am giving you a hug that you can wear everyday.

So, onward (forward, upward, something). Here is the yarn I dyed and skeined up yesterday. I know, I know, I am NOT a "pink person", but I really like it combined with brown. And Daisies are my MOST favorite flower so I had to do something to pay tribute to them. Both yarns can be found in my etsy store.

I will try to get some pictures taken of all the FO's for next time. The hooded sweater is GREAT!

Well, I HAVE to go to the grocery store or there will be problems when The Daughter gets home from school--there's nothing to eat or drink in the house. Which means I have to shower, get dressed and drag myself out to the car--kicking and screaming, "I DON'T WANNA GO!!!" I'll have to reward myself when I get home with an entire afternoon of SERIOUS knitting................. and hiding.

Etc, etc, etc

Wow, thank you so much for all of your kind words of encouragement. You will probably never know how much it has meant to me. Things have not improved--in fact my son hurt his shoulder really bad at scouts Wednesday night--but it just helps so much to know people care about me. (When you don't have the love of your parents it's very easy to believe that no one should or could care about you).

I don't really feel like writing, but thought I should catch you up on my knitting. I haven't knit much this week because of depression, but last week I did quite a bit. So here are the pictures.

These are some fingerless mitts that worked up so fast I was even surprised when I got done. I literally made them in the duration of a movie. The pattern is "Evangeline" from MagKnits January 2008. I hand-dyed some peruvian worsted weight wool and used the wrist length version of the pattern. Though I am not fond of bright yellow and greens they are still very pretty. The color reminds me of daffodils--and I LOVE daffodils. They are a surprise present for someone. I really hope she likes them!

These are some basic socks I made with some of the yarn I got from Hege in a yarn swap. I love these! especially the colors! I am unusally fond of olive green and tan. Midnight blue is my favorite color, but olive green and tan come in a close second. These will be a birthday present for HoneyBunny.

This is the start of this months Sockamania pattern. It has little lace hearts all up the foot and then on the leg. I am not to the heel part (you knit them starting from the toe). I couldn't resist making them in Valentine red--again, my hand-dyed yarn.

And finally, I began making another pair of fingerless mitts. These are "Dashing" from Knitty: Spring 2007. The yarn is some of my handspun. It's a yarn that I have been so enamored with that I couldn't bring myself to knit it. It is a blend of cashmere, silk, angora, and a little bit of extremely soft, dark chocolate colored wool. These will definately be for me--I get a little possessive with MY yarn. I am so in love with these; the pattern is simple and beautiful, the yarn--I really don't need to comment further on my love for it, and they are working up quickly. When I showed them to HoneyBunny he exclaimed, "Wow! are those for me? I can't wait!" Ummmm NO! I'll think about letting him borrow them, maybe, if he is really nice, does everything the doctors tell him to do, and he gets well and never hurts himself again.

It always improves my mood to talk about knitting. I love knitting and everything it has done and continues to do for me. As silly as it sounds--to those who don't knit or haven't been knitting for many years--knitting is what gets me from one day to the next.

I knit to live and live to knit.