because sometimes knitting sucks

Wow, my knitting sucks today - I won't get into detail but man - I feel like I need to go to a knitting language class - I am just not interpreting things worth a darn today. I'm stuck on heels and gussets - I wanted to throw my knitting at one point - just hurl it accross the room but then I came to my senses and walked away. Do you ever feel like selling your whole stash and walking away from the craft? Ever wonder why you have squirreled away more yarn that one can knit in a lifetime? Maybe that's just me - today. Tomorrow will be better, right?!

Thankfully, a bright spot is the most recent installment of MadelineTosh's Magnolia Society...


gracious (however, I should rename it grateful after this crummy day)

At first I thought it was very similar to Ginger - but alas, notsomuch.



I'm not sure what it will be, but it is like spun gold - and a real boost after hating Knitting.

p.s. Knitting, I know you are a dear friend - we'll make up tomorrow and forget this day. *wink*

web wanderings and a birthday shout

A fun and interesting meme I found over at Minerva Turkey. Wowza, I was amazined at how long I could surf around on Flickr - there is some amazing stuff over there, what a time sucker. Luckily, I woke up at 4am last Saturday and accidentally carved out the time for a little flickr frivolity.

Here's how it works:
Type your answer to each of the questions into Flickr Search.
Pick an image from the first page of hits (don't cheat)
Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.




I was pretty excited by the final product - the colors are delicious.

Another fun thing I am going to take up on is the Tour De France KAL - I was involved in this last year. It is so fitting as my husband works at Trek and um, a huge poster of Lance is hanging on our basement wall. This year it coincides with my husband building me an awesome road bike - I am a little excited - not "spinning wheel excited" but excited nonetheless. A little nervous really.

Last up is a Happy Birthday for my little Tutti - she is a whole 3. Personality plus, this girl! She didn't nickname herself Tutti Devil for nuthin. She has given me a run for my money since she came out of the womb, but she is that girl that says "I love ya, mama" out of the blue - so it all balances out.

better days and a Sundara Spolier

waterballoons + freezie pops = Monday success

I think it was a week ago today I wondered right here why I had signed up for parenthood. Today this mama feels a little redeemed. I was more prepared to play myself and that always makes the time we spend more fun, not because I am just so much fun, but I feel like a parent playing along keeps things moving and cooperative. If I leave my girls to their own devices, hairpulling and yelling often ensues, and somedays I just don't have the energy. So I would say that today evened up the score for now - kids = 1, mom = 1. Next Monday will be the rubber match.

I'm continuing to drag along on my Yarnissima test knit - yikes I feel like a bit of a late bloomer here. I need to get focused. This week really lacked knit time. I usually knit after the girls are in bed or in the car - well, I think we had something going on every night - I hope this week is a bit quieter for so many reasons, knitting of course being one. Sanity is a close second.

Last up let me show you my Seasons installment from Sundara. I chose the winter season - I am not disappointed, I don't think Sundara ever comes up with anything ugly, not ever. Maybe "less fabulous", but never ugly. 1000 yards of lace weight. Eek, lace, I know. But is awful perfect for the current Project Spectrum element, and couldn't you see an Ene? *ravelry link* (so could I, which led me through my darned house looking for Scarf Style - do you think I can find it? doh!) Or what about a Lily of the Valley? (Holy "nupps" Batman!)


granite falls silk laceweight

Take care knitting friends!

mojito mojo and some fancy test knitting

I have recently discovered the mojito and well, I need to share the recipe. It actually came with my Mint Mojito Yarntini for the sock club last summer - so I need to credit Jessie for this find. I got some "Kentucky" mint from the farmer's market to stick in my herb garden and darnit, life is good. What a fresh, yummy drink.

Minot Mojito
a few sprigs of mint crushed with 1/2 of a lime's worth of juice at the bottom of a glass
Then add 4 teaspoons of fine sugar (I used regular ole sugar)
1.5 oz of light rum (stir it up and fill the glass with ice
top it off with club soda and a couple more mint sprigs.

mmm, so good.

On another vein, I have had the privilege of test knitting for the Yarnissima. Someone was unable to keep with it, so I got to join up a little later in the knit, and I must admit - this is such a thinking knit, that it has been slow going. It is tricky to carve out sit-be-quiet-concentrate time, this is just not a regular commodity, as you surely can relate. But I present the first bit of *ravelry link*Zum Dirndl (I love the way the word rolls off the tongue...dirn--dl)...



It is such a clever design, as always. I am mid-gusset for now - if you haven't had the interesting pleasure of tackling a Yarnissima gusset and heel, it is truly unique, like watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly. In keeping with my Yarntini theme, I am using some Yarntini red semi-solid - it so gorgeous and great to work with.

I have previously completed one Firestarter, this was a good "cut your teeth" pattern for this technique. I don't typically like toe-ups but for Yarnissima, I would start at the heel if she asked.

coming up for air

I have finished a single Loksins which compliments air for project spectrum. I love the pattern, it is a simple 8 line pattern with some fun coin lace gizmos that look like cables, that I modified to stretch down the heel. Mama Blue's Sea Merino is nice to work with, what a lovely sheen. (btw - she is having an update tomorrow - at 6am for us central standard folks.) "Mama" offers a $5 rebate when you can show a finished project with her yarn, I am aiming to save since I am newly stalking her like mad. *giggle* no, seriously.


Loksins in Little Wing





Now really, yarn aside, does anyone else ever feel like they would like to knit themselves a padded cell? I am just up to my ears in arguing, uncooperative kids today and can't help but get a little lost in a bevy of self-deprecation - sheesh, how did He decide I would be fit for this parenting gig? I see so many great parents really enjoying it, being good at it and sometimes I wonder, is something wrong with me? Please know that my kids are safe and loved and my dh and I are doing just about everything we can think of to keep them from turning into anti-social crazies but...I know, kids are kids - but wow, somedays are just so hard - my day job is way easier. Today the score is Kids 1, Mom 0.

okay, I need to let you in on a secret - when I feel particulary sad about parenthood - True Mom Confessions really makes me feel like, "I aint that bad." oooh, now that is sad.

Surprise!

I must preface by saying...this was the longest week I have had in awhile. I am reveling in some Saturday sunshine - after a week of rain and flooding in my area of the midwest. The small town where I work is experiencing a lot of flood problems - most of the bridges have been closed, major traffic angst. It feels somehow apocoloyptic - the crazy tornnado skies, sirens blasting, emergency personnel and city employees working overtime. The jail even asked that I not order someone in for the weekend because they were getting close to septic backup so severe that they were looking to take all of the inmates to the fairgrounds - how Con-Air is that? The interstate is closed, rivers bulging. I feel blessed to live on higher ground but so many people are struggling right now.

To escape some grim reality, a girl has to knit. I actually have been knitting, though not as much as I would have liked during this busy week - but I did finish my Baby Surprise Jacket today - sheesh, finally. I had to try an applied and cast off i-cord edge after seeing Frickknits' version. The i-cord was great till I had to stop and seam, so I cast off the i-cord and tried to undo the wrong end to continue around the neckline. Doh! So I set it aside for the week - but was able to finish at last this morning. It is far from perfect but not bad for my first BSJ. I cannot recommend the DVD enough - a visual learner like me can way benefit from a little Meg Swenson in the living room.



Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman
Pigeonroof Studios Sportweight in Royale

I would like to make more, the knit really is a surprise, it just looks like nothing until you cast off and put together the puzzle. I would love to make a larger version for my 3 year old to sport this fall. Next I am thinking I should make the February Sweater as a warm up for my very own ladies version - the most queued pattern at Ravelry, gratis from the awesomest flintknits. Such big ideas, huh?

I've got more knitting to share later, for real.

kitchen swap

Marisol of Purls Just Wanna Have Fun organized a sweet little kitchen swap - and my partner was Knittingma. What a great partner - first of all it was so fun getting to know more about her - I mean we had commented back and forth but this was a cool new element, swapping some cool kitchen stuff.

First, she sent me a very kitschy pear loofa, I love it! My husband was fruitlessly (get it, fruit-less? doh!) looking for our old scrubber this week, well, let me tell you - I could not crack open the pear. I couldn't. But I will, in secret. And a neat apple drainer plug - so cool! And the most awesome dishcloth - I had a heckuva time trying to find a nice dishcloth pattern - thank you Becky for taking the legwork for me. I will definitely be making some more - as well as the funky felted oven mitt/ potholder pattern she included. So many things, however, the chocolate was quickly eaten. In the interest of keeping it from getting melty - a girl's gotta do....



We were also to include some handwritten recipes in the swap package, truly, this most cost effective piece was my most favorite - I mean hand written. I love that. I never get letters - or recipes - so this was truly appreciated. Well, she sent me an awesome pesto recipe to try as well as several other neat ideas, including a no-bake potential-birthday-treat-idea for my little one who turns 3 at the end of the month. My gosh, she's not that little anymore, is she? Oh gosh, let's gloss over that.

Thank you Knittingma for the awesome swap - and if anyone has any clever morning *all day* sickness busters - surf over and tell her I sent ya!

I am seriously buttons away from a tiny FO - here's hoping tomorrow I can finish it up and have something knit to share.

a new era of project spectrum

air - gray, yellow and white. i rarely employ this palette - so i am kind of curious to knit outside of the box during this two month period.

air inspirations...i think gray clouds + silver linings, glowing sun through overcast sky. i think peace and wholeness. but then, i think the entire project spectrum process based in elements provokes calm and quiet for me. it's all very sensory. i think of my yoga practice filled with inhalations and exhalations - my soundtrack for this period shall be my favorite yoga cd, i wake up every morning to oceans of peace...when class begins with this, i know it is fate i am there. think about sharing in peace - listen here. *okay, a bit new age but seriously, very relaxing*