Sugar Bunny Boulevard

A Weekend For Knitting

Hello world.  I have 12 hits on this blog, which I believe to be all mine.  Surely they are because I haven't told anyone about its existence yet.  I'm okay with that.  I don't feel like I have anything to show people yet.

It's late on Friday evening and I have a whole weekend ahead of me.  Most of one anyway - church carves a good bit of time out of the day on Sunday.  Regardless, it's a weekend in which I have nothing significant planned and my three oldest children are at their dad's house for the next week.  There is a basketball tournament tomorrow but it's 1 1/2 hrs away in Glen Rose and I really don't trust my car to make the trip.  I'll hopefully be getting a "new" vehicle some time in the next month when my tax return money comes.  Then I can be a traveler again and go visit nice yarn stores in towns that have nice yarn stores.  ha  Mine does not.  My town has Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, and Michael's.  And they all have virtually the same thing.  Not one skein of 100% wool yarn to be found in this town.

I haven't done any further knitting since last night because, by some miracle, I went to work today.  Only the 2nd day I worked all week.  Benny went to school and things might actually be back on the track to "normal", whatever that is.  Seems like January is the month when you think "the holidays are over - now we'll get back to normal."  HA HA HA  As if.  This is the month of snow days and sick days.

I have been looking at a lot of patterns and making a wish list of yarn to go with them.  Of course I can buy patterns at Hobby Lobby that call for yarns they wouldn't carry in a million years.  So I have to shop for the yarn online or patiently wait until I can go visit yarn shops in Austin or Dallas.  And of course I have no references so who knows if there's really any good shops there.

I think I should check the internet to see if there might be a knitting guild in Waco.  That might be just the place to start!  I'll report on my findings tomorrow.  :)

In the mean time, here's another photo of my littlest darling, Emeline:

I'm Knitting A Sock!

All right.  I know it's not so exciting to a more experienced knitter but I'm very excited about my first sock project.  I have lofty dreams of making a pair of knit socks for every member of my family as Christmas gifts in 2005.  ha  As if that could happen.  But a girl can dream.  ;)

Here she is... my first sock!  hehe  Of course I haven't done a gage swatch.  So I don't have a clue if I'm near the mark on gage.  My k1 p1 ribbing looks entirely too loose.  Weird, really.  But I was still getting over the feeling that I was weaving a bird's nest.  I'm much more comfortable with the DPNs now and make a round in about 6 minutes.  Since I wasn't used to working in the round (as opposed to turning my work) my ribbing was seed stitched for about the first two rows.  But I decided "this is for myself - I don't care if the ribbing is messed up at the top of the first sock I've made for myself!"

I had another "sick day" at home because now my son is sick.  He started the day with a sore throat and 102.3 fever telling me he wasn't sick and should be playing in the basketball game tonight.  I took him (and my knitting bag) to the doctor thinking this was a great opportunity to get some work done on the sock.  Wrong-o.  Doctor's offices are so efficient these day (or at least ours is) and we were out pretty fast.  It was the Wal-Mart pharmacy that made me wish for my knitting.  Of course I didn't take the knitting into Wal-Mart.  But that's behind me and I did a few rounds tonight when I got home.  Now my son has a 100.8 fever and is still insisting that he isn't sick.  I hope the medicine kicks in so he can go to school tomorrow - Dr. said don't let him to go if his fever is 100+ and I'll be sticking to my guns about it.  He wasn't going to sign a release for him to go back tomorrow but I promised that if he was still sick I'd keep him home.  Benny has a basketball tournament on Saturday that he really really wants to play in so hopefully his fever will be down in the morning.

My best friend, Paula, called this evening.  She had tried reaching me at work and heard we've all been sick.  I just had lunch with her last Thursday and we planned to meet again early this week so I could get a diamond ring from her that she wants me to list on ebay.  We'll be getting together tomorrow so I can get the ring.  When I answered the phone she said "What are you doing?"  I said, "Knitting a sock."  She said, HUH?  I said, Knitting a sock!  She said, That's what I thought you said!  She asked who the sock is for and I said, Myself!  She said, WELL.... Imagine that.... you're doing something for yourself.  It's a rare thing, me doing something for myself.

Not much else to report, but I'll leave with a picture of our little darling Emeline.  This was after her bath a few nights ago.

Day Two: Answered Prayers and Socks!

Oh the joy of starting a new project.  It's like having new clothes, a new hair cut, new toys, a new pad of paper... a new project.

As if I expect this to be a long-term relationship or something.  heh

Things are coming along with the socks.  And yet, no picture.  Well, it's only about two inches.  Let me make a little more progress.  Maybe tomorrow or over the weekend I'll post a picture.  My 13yo son (Benny) was amazed by the progress I made while we sat together chatting on my bed before he went to his room for the night.

You know those silly mistakes you make when you're tired?  I started trying to learn to knit socks after midnight - something silly had to be going on.  I started following a pattern that wasn't the one I got the materials for.  It was a 4-needle pattern.  I started, though, with just three needles.  After all, I don't know what I'm doing - and flying by the seat of my pants here, I didn't know you were supposed to use another needle to knit onto.  I figured this out during row three.  That, I believe, was the last row I did last night.  And yet, through the k1 p1 ribbing, I ended up with the same number of stitches I started with.  A true miracle.

Tonight I picked up the needles with new eyes.  And realized I had been using the wrong pattern.  By the grace of God (there's no other way to explain it) the pattern I was supposed to be using (simple beginner sock) had the same number of stitches (56) as the one I began with (ribbed ankle sock).  And then I realized... oh, the first pattern was a 4-needle pattern.  This one is a 5-needle pattern.  Thank goodness I bought two packs of DPNs.  hehe

And DPNs.  I thought the 4-needle pattern was like wrestling an octopus.  This 5-needle pattern just makes it appear that I'm knitting a bird nest.  It's crazy looking.  I'm sure someone watching would think I'm playing with a weird toy that's supposed to be very intellectually stimulating.  heh  I think that's about right.  So I divided the stitches evenly among four needles, knit onto the fifth needle, and things are coming along just fine.  I dare say quickly.  Surely my mother would have already finished one sock.  heh  Or maybe I'm a better knitter than I thought.  I've taught myself how to wrestle five DPNs at a time (how have I kept from poking my eye out?).  I can do anything.

This has been an exciting day for so many reasons.  I have so many bloggish things to write about and so little time.  So many ideas floating around in my head.

The biggest reason for today's excitement (no, it's not sock-related) is that I helped someone in a big way... or guided someone else to do the real helping, I should say.

In December 2004 there was a house fire in our small town.  Of six people in the house, three died: the step-father, the 5th grade son, and the boy's friend who was staying over for the night.  The surviving mother and two daughters moved into a small rental house next door to me just before Christmas.  I didn't know who it was and because of the holidays (travel) and recent illness (allergies and bronchitis) I hadn't met them yet.  My children came home from school when things started up again after New Years and told me who the new neighbors are.  It was a pleasant surprise to learn that they are living next door, and I felt badly that I hadn't been over to meet the mother.

Last night the older daughter who goes to junior high with my two oldest kids came over to have dinner with us and watch a movie.  The children showed her where the shelf was with DVDs and said to pick one that she would like to watch.  She leaned down then stood up and said, "I can't see them.  My glasses were in the house when it burned."  I felt so badly for this girl and told her that we'd find a way to get her some glasses.  She probably thought "yeah, right."

This morning before he went to school my son said, Mom, are you really going to get her some glasses?  I said, Yes, I absolutely will.

Today at lunch I went to the doctor's office where my children have their eye exams and get their glasses.  Trying to keep my emotions about the situation under control (and, in hindsight, probably fearing rejection), I told the doctor's wife the story and why I was there:  would the doctor consider donating his services or any supplies to help this family?  If not I would find a way to pay for it myself or do a fundraiser and get the money - I wanted this little girl to be able to go there and get some glasses no matter what.

The woman hardly let me finish the story before saying they would make sure this girl would be wearing some glasses, and would give her an exam if her prescription was more than a year old.  It was hard not to break into tears.

After work I came home and went next door.  I met the mother, who had no idea what had transpired last evening at my house about the glasses.  I explained about the visit to the doctors office and that they would be sure her daughter had new glasses, which she could go there and pick the frames herself.  She just broke into tears, so did I, so did the girl... it was all very overwhelming and just very awesome.

I told virtually every person I saw when I got back to work after lunch, and told everyone about it at church tonight and told my husband about it (he lives in another state - that's another post).  I was just so happy for this family.

So today we have answered prayers for this family, and a new project.  It's a very very good day.  :)

Day One

This is my blog.  My web log.  I'm not a techie... or tekkie?... it's Day One.

I'm not blogging to get comments, though I'm sure over time I would find it to be nice.  I'm not blogging to be noticed.  To me a blog is like a diary that everyone can read.  So I suppose I will write carefully considering that my mother and husband will eventually learn of this blog and certainly want to know if I'm saying anything about them.  ha

My blogging goal is simple:  to provide a foundation of motivation to do things that make me happy.  I am very happy when I'm blogging (what?).... no.... I don't know why I said that.  lol  I am very happy when I'm working on sewing, needlework, beading, eBay selling, and a wide variety of "me" things.  Regardless of who the project will ultimately be in the posession of, the activity makes me happy.

I am a wordy kind of girl, so I will try to keep it to a minimum tonight since it's already getting late, tho it's not after midnight yet, which would be the normal time I would get a wild hair and do something like start a web log.  Blog.  I have to remember it's a blog.

Quite a long time ago I stumbled across the blog of a young girl, back when blogs were online diaries or something like that, who was getting bazillions of hits on her web page.  I had made a "family web page" for myself and my first three children, and was interested in how someone could get so many hits per day!!!  It was because she had interesting things to say.  I was very interested in the things she had to say.  Basic teenage girl diary kind of stuff.

Not too long ago my dad was bragging on his girlfriend Sharon's blog (aka KnitKnack).  I thought, "What in the world?"  She has a blog?  How interesting could her blog possibly be?  Well, I found it quite interesting.  She is a knitter.  I am a creative person.  I knit occasionally.  Actually rarely, but that's not the point.  I've done a good bit of knitting in the past and might again in the future.

I've read her blog nearly every day for about the past three weeks or so.  Maybe a little longer (okay, there was a contest involved).  It's been so interesting I started reading her archives on the days she didn't post.  heh  She refers to my dad fairly often in there, which is interesting to me since they live on the other side of the USA from me.

Reading Sharon's blog has inspired me to want to knit a little... really a lot, but once I get started I'll probably remember it's such a slow thing for me and that slow progress means I lose interest.  I don't want to lose interest, but it happens.  Occasionally I finish a project.  I'll post pictures of some projects a knitted project that I have finished.  Now that I think about it there have been two... but I only actually have one of the knitted projects I've finished.  The other was eaten by something.

This might also be my eBay seller blog, my crochet (quilting, sewing, beading, blah blah blah a million craft projects) blog.... my life with four children blog... life with divorced parents.... life living in a different state than my husband... life being allergic to cats... life working at a law firm... or any number of different life blogs - all at the same time.  I somehow fear that this won't truly qualify as a "Knitting Blog" because 99% of the content will be about something other than knitting.

However, back to the original point here... it's Day One (ohhhh... don't forget "Perpetual Diet Blog").  Day One of my blogging life.  I will not be an obsessive blogger.  So far I haven't told my husband that I was even pondering creating my own blog but eventually he will have to know because the monthly fees will come out of my checking account and I'll have to explain what that's all about.  heh 

Back to the original point again.  Sharon has inspired me.  Inspired me to knit again.  And inspired me to blog.  Thank you Sharon. 

My mother, Carol, is also a knitter (an awesome one - I will never knit as fast as she does), as well as a quilter (of beautiful quilts) and a master at any other needle art or creative thing she ever wanted to do (oh - that's where I get it from! hehe).  She tried to teach me to knit as a child.  I don't know how old I was, probably not older than eight or nine, when she tried to teach me to knit.  I say "tried" because I found it difficult, therefore didn't really want to do it.  Progress was slow and quite unsatisfactory.  The things I remember about it:

• It was winter time and there was a fire in the fire place.
• I used red yarn.
• The needles were gold colored.
• My tension was WAY too tight.

Another reason why it was difficult.... I'm left handed, Mom is right handed.  Everything she ever taught me of this sort I did backward from her.  So I faced her and did a mirror of what she was teaching me.  She was "turned around" when looking over my shoulder and had a hard time coaching me, I think.

I tried knitting again when I was expecting my first baby.  It was a DARLING sweater set with a diamond pattern, fairly difficult for a virtual beginner.  I finished one bootie and part of the sweater.  Every time I picked it up I thought "WHY didn't I wash my hands that one time before working on this project?"  It was a light green color and you could easily see a very dirty row of knitting.  A woman where I worked coached me a bit to help me realize I was twisting every stitch (probably why my tension was so tight way back when) and not quite doing things properly.  From then on I was a "knitter". 

To me, a knitter is someone that's doing it properly, regardless of number of completed projects or frequency of them.  Of course that's because I have very few completed projects and know that I'm doing it properly.  heh

After that it was about two or three years before I bought a "So You Want to Learn How to Knit?" book (or titled something similarly).  I had two children by this time and the itch to knit something.  In the late summer I got the book and went straight to the only tasteful project in the book:  a cute hooded zip-front child's sweater.  I made it from marroon acrylic yarn.  It had all the parts including cables.  I learned a lot and got that thing done very quickly.  I LOVED it.  I was a stay-home Mom and had enough time in my life to do some knitting and enjoyed it tremendously.  Right away I made a sweet little baby sweater from a vintage pattern for my infant daughter in white yarn with a little shiny strand through it.  Not so easy to use because it liked to split but it was a precious little sweater.  She grew too fast.  And at some point it was eaten by a mouse, I believe.

Well, it's nearly midnight.  I think I've typed PLENTY for my first post.  It's Day One.

Back to my inspiration.... I was inspired to make socks.  Then I thought, SOCKS??????

Today I stayed home with a sick child (2nd day home so the sickness was pretty much over by this afternoon).  We "went to town" to do a deposit at the bank and I stopped at Hobby Lobby.  This is not where you find "nice" yarn.  I thought maybe there was a remote possibility I could find some wool to make a swatch for a felted purse I would like to make.  But no.  Not one skein of 100% wool in the whole place.

I did, however, see a pretty color of sock yarn.  A blend, yes.  With a free pattern.  One of those variegated yarns that makes its own stripes and patterns.  Then I had to get the DPNs.  Ugh.  I fear them.  But I know there's nothing I can't do. 

Can someone.... SOMEONE.... someone please tell me if a pattern calls for 5 DPNs, why do they sell them in sets of four?  Huh?  Anyone?  So I got two packs of size 3 DPN's.  Any a little box of stitch markers.  I will be making some of those neat little beaded stitch markers that I've seen.  And some DPN point protectors.  There are quite a few "new" knitting gadgets available since the last time I browsed.  I'm sure I'd think I had died and gone to heaven if I actually visited a real yarn shop now.

Santa... actually we suspect it was Mrs. Santa... made my daughter Suzannah a knitting bag for Christmas filled with needles, hooks, two skeins of yarn, a few other small easy needlework kits, a beginner crochet book for kids, two beginner knitting books for kids, and a sewing kit with scissors.  She was the sick child who accompanied me to Hobby Lobby (along with baby Emeline) and had a blast looking at the yarn and accessories.

It's now midnight and my final point still has not been made.  About two hours ago I was "just about to start" the socks.  I'm sure you know how those things go.

I'm now going to bed.  With the yarn.  The two packs of DPNs, stitch markers, point protectors, pattern... and intent to start and maybe knit something to take a picture of tomorrow.  Two or three rows ought to be good enough.  :)