Sugar Bunny Boulevard

Busy Bee

Mommy has been a busy busy bee!  I took pictures of this bee in the flowers when we visited the William Allen White house in Emporia, Kansas a few weekends ago.  He was probably the biggest bee I have ever seen in my life - this picture is close to life size if you can believe it.  I did zoom a bit but he was giant!

• Yarn for The Loopy Ewe is finished and mailed
• I don't know how long it takes for it to be listed in the Loopy Shop once it arrives but I do know picture taking has to happen.  And various other things.
• Very important package of pink dye for Pink Ribbon Sock Yarn has arrived just in time for me to leave on the trip to my sister's wedding in Michigan
• I can't prepare the kits when I'm not home
• Probably not a good plan to ask my sister if she'll consider rescheduling her wedding because I haven't gotten the kits out yet
• Pink Ribbon Sock Kits will begin shipping July 7
• It will be nice to move all of this yarn out of my house and into someone else's house
• Packing for the Michigan trip is interesting - it's the first long road trip I've taken with knitting included (Estes Park last summer didn't count because I was doing the driving!)
• I strangely believe I can knit at least two sweaters on the trip
• And a dozen pair of socks
• I'm only taking the yarn for one sweater
• And 1.5 pair of socks (one pair of socks is already 1/2 finished)
• I'll be visiting this lady
• And this lady
• And this lady
• I strangely believe I can visit at least a dozen yarn shops on the trip and that my husband and two small children will be thrilled to do so
• I only plan to visit this one though I just might have to visit this one as well since I'll be in the neighborhood  :)

Everyone take good care of every little thing and have a super wonderful and fun and Safe 4th of July - even if you don't celebrate the US Holiday!  XOXOXOXOX

Beautiful Things and Surprises Revealed

Happy Spring Wednesday Everyone!

Sunday afternoon there was an estate auction two houses down on our street.  The neighborhood was a bustle of cars, people walking, a din of chatter and auctioneer sounds.  We picked up a few goodies and Jeff shuttled back and forth between the auction and our house depending on what they were selling at the moment.  For a while I sat on the porch swing knitting while Emeline and Lila Pearl played on the porch and ran about in the grass.  It was a beautiful sunny day - perfect for the auction.

Emeline was down in the grass picking dandelions and wandered over to the driveway.  She stopped in the middle of the driveway and stared for a moment at the garage.  Then she said, "Mommy..... Mommy!  Come see this!  Mommy.  You have to see this beautiful thing."

For a few days every spring our driveway is covered with a halo of bring pink blossoms - the red bud trees are stunning.  I actually hate those trees the rest of the year because every single tiny pink blossom produces what seems like approximately one hundred wafer thin seed pods that litter our driveway and patio later in the year then crack open and release four or five small disc-like seeds which get stuck on your shoes, feet, etc, and get tracked through the house.  Think cat hair.  These seeds and pods haunt you like cat hair.  The cat can be dead and gone for twenty five years but you still find their hairs around the house - even when you move to a different house.  Yes - the seed pods are like that.  The only thing that keeps me from cutting our red bud trees down is the picture above.  When they are in bloom I would like to set up a tent at the end of our driveway and stay out there until they're gone because it is a beautiful sight to see.  And I'd still be nearby to a bathroom.  I was happy to know Emeline notices these beautiful things in our world without being prompted.

It's always a fun and unexpected surprise when someone who I don't know ads me to their "Friends" on Ravelry.  I always wonder why in the world they want me for a Friend if they don't know me.  A few days ago I received a notice that Cedric added me to his Friends.  When I get a new request I always add that person to my Friends, then click on their picture to read their profile so I can learn more about them.  Cedric is a 74yo man.  He has been knitting for over 70 years.  And lives in the Shetland Islands.  This is all very interesting to me.  Even more, he's all of this - lives in this place - and has a computer and is using Ravelry.  And he has less than 40 people (at the time of this writing) on his list of Friends.  I am so honored that Cedric added me to his Friends.  Hmm.  His birthday is November 9th.  Maybe he wants to participate in the Ravelry Scorpio Birthday Swap this year!?  You never know.  I could ask him. 

Although I haven't been posting a whole lot, I am getting caught up on Bloglines.  Why oh why do I love to read so many blogs?  I'm keeping the number down - less than 200 unread posts now when it was over 2000!  And I'm happy to say I did read - a bit of skimming might have happened - but I didn't just wipe it all out and start anew.  I'm not commenting much (who has time? actually I would have time but my ancient computer doesn't like to leave comments - that will all change when we get our Economic Stimulus Check next month!) but I'm reading reading reading!  :)

SURPRISE TIME!

So the surprises.  I have three surprises right now.  I'm keeping one as secret a while longer.  The other two are ready for a Reveal!  Yay!

Surprise #1:  I told you I've been writing a sock pattern to be released with a kit.  Here's a little more information about it.  I've got my fingers crossed that you'll LOVE this!

Introducing Pink Ribbon Socks!

These are not the final pattern photos - I'll probably try to get the giant sack of yarn stash out of the way for the final photo shoot.  heh

The kit concept began with this colorway - called Pink Ribbon.  After I dyed it and I saw this yarn I was instantly inspired.  The pattern came together quickly in my head and with some research, lots of swatching, and diligent knitting, my idea became an actual knitted item (even a pair!).  Now the pattern is on paper, has been charted and is on its way to my test knitters!  Wow!  The original pair of Pink Ribbon Socks fit my daughter Katie perfectly (and it was her turn in the family sock knitting queue).  She wore them for the first time to school yesterday.  For some reason that made me nervous.  hehe

The Pink Ribbon Sock Kit is a limited edition and will soon have a web page with instructions for preordering.  The kit will cost $40 plus shipping, international orders will be accepted, and $20 of every purchase will be donated to the national Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation!

The Pink Ribbon Lace pattern begins at the top with a cable twist and goes down each side of the leg, seperating at the gusset, carrying the ribbons to meet in the front and back.  The Pink Ribbon Lace pattern continues down the front of the foot and at the heel concludes with a cable twist.  The foot and leg can be adjusted in length by adding or subtracting repeats from the pattern, or adding stockinette at the end of the foot.

Complete instructions are given in the pattern for heel flap construction, turning the heel, and completing the toe.  Alternate toe construction can be substituted for what is given in the pattern.

There will be 100 kits available, and each will come with the pattern, hand numbered, in a sheet protector along with 100g of the exclusive Sugar Bunny Boulevard Pink Ribbon colorway and the receipt confirming your donation to the Susan G. Komen foundation. 

If there is an overwhelming response to the kits there may be a second limited edition release later this summer in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.  At this time I haven't found a way to release the pattern for sale on its own so that the money can bypass me and be donated directly to Susan G Komen with an automatic download.  If anyone has ideas for this please let me know.

Surprise #2:

If you can stand it, I do have one more surprise.

Sugar Bunny Boulevard yarn and stich markers will soon be for sale at The Loopy Ewe.

I think that sentence stands alone.  If you're reading this you probably have a clue.

Had enough surprises?  Okay, then I think I'm done for now.  And next time I promise to show and tell about my Wee Tiny Sock Swap experience of 2008!  Yay!  I really love WTS.

Have a super wonderful rest of your week - enjoy the beauty of spring all around you - unless you're cussing about snow still falling - but still there must be some beautiful things to be appreciating, right?  Like you could pretend that you live in Australia and it's supposed to be getting cold and starting winter now?  :D

Take care of every little thing and I'll see you back here next time or maybe in your blog comments!

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Where Is Spring?

Happy Friday Everyone!  :)

So it's supposed to be Spring.  The season of renewal.  All over blogland people are suffering from the fact that Winter doesn't want to let go.  Spring is trying to come forth and it's having a hard time pushing past the bully that Winter seems to be this year.

Spring appears to be the season when kids who play spring sports (track and baseball and tennis anyone?) are constantly cancelling practices games and meets because of rain - in some cases, snow.  Sheesh.  C'mon already, Spring!  Let's have a bit of tweeting birds and sunshine!  Where can we rustle up some flowers and butterflies?

Actually, just across the street Mr. W's pear tree is blooming - not quite all the way yet but looking oh so pretty and his yard is FULL of daffodils.  My favorite bulb.  I really need to be thinking Spring Flowers when the weather gets chilly this fall!

I nearly froze to death this morning getting a picture of the pear blossoms.

I've been dyeing and spinning a bit of Spring too.  Wanna see?

Sunshine.  This is the first time I've spun sock yarn that I felt really satisfied with.  How long did it take me to get to this point?  Thank goodness I didn't know how long it would take when I started spinning.  I feel like I've been spinning a looooong time and it's been what.... less than two years?  lol  Finally sock yarn that isn't too thick, isn't overtwisted - it's Just Right.  And beautiful.  Sunny and happy.  88 grams.  395 yards.  Not for sale.

New Leaf.  Dyed to sell but couldn't.  I'm keeping this one and dyeing more.  :)

Apple Blossom

I was trying to do a shop update today but the week got away from me and we've been sick, the rain is getting us all down, and really all I've wanted to do is knit.

Emeline loves to use my camera.  Yes, it horrifies me to see her walking around the house with it but she just begs so sweetly and promises not to break or drop it.  She usually sneaks it out of the kitchen but this morning I allowed her to take some pictures.

She actually takes very interesting and Good pictures!  Here's one this morning of me... what else?  Knitting.

I've been doing some secret knitting and guess what.... you won't believe it.  Pattern writing.  I'm writing a sock pattern that will be available as a kit very soon (I'm really hoping first week of May?).  Very exciting.  I have some other secrets - one that I know you'll find out about... another I'm patiently waiting to hear about.  Fun fun fun and it's all about yarn and knitting and fiber.  Yay!

Having the babies around keeps life interesting.  Emeline is, once again, working on potty training.  No diaper now for about three days.  Several accidents and some long awaited successes as well.  Hopefully Lila Pearl won't be far behind!

Everybody have a wonderful Springy weekend - whether you have rain or the coveted Sunshine!

And take good care of every little thing.  :)       XOXOXOXOXOXOX

A Gathering of Ducks

Surely you have realized by now that when my blog is quiet I am busy.  I've tried keeping the blog out of my mind for at least a week because if I tried adding it to the juggling act I'm trying to put on I'm sure everything would crash.  ha  Blogging sounds and seems so simple but it takes a lot of thought and planning!

So I've been trying to get my ducks in a row and you know how that works.  They don't want to fall into line easily.  And I'm often distracted by things like.....

and

Thank you everyone for your concern about the fate of Lila Pearl and the sweater.  I think I replied to most of the commenters and will assure all lurkers:  No Childen Were Injured During The Repair Of This Sweater.  Jeff did read about "the incident" on the blog and called home right away inquiring about Lila Peal's well being.  She really never knew anything was going on.  A quick "LILA PEARL!!" and she immediately surrendered the scissors.  After I started breathing again I inspected the damage to find only one cut of one stitch so it was a classic text book kind of repair - thank Heaven.  It delayed completion of the sweater by maybe 20 minutes and the whole thing was fixed and finished that night.  More details and photos on my Project page in Ravelry.

The biggest thing I've been working on since completing this sweater has been setting up a web site and shopping cart for Sugar Bunny Boulevard!  The blog address will not change, and there is a link to the new shop in the sidebar so if you've been a regular reader here at the blog you probably won't notice anything different except that I will hopefully be mentioning shop updates more often!  For new people who are looking for yarn, they'll be directed either to my web site home page (www.sugarbunnyblvd.com) or directly to the yarn shop at http://shop.sugarbunnyblvd.com.  I've begun advertising in specialty forums on Ravelry and will eventually get in line with Google searching so at the moment I'm hoping to focus on spinning and dyeing for the shop.  Whew.  Picking a shopping cart was Not Easy.  What I'm using was my third stab at choosing a shopping cart and it's STILL not exactly what I wanted.  I think Zen Cart would have been an excellent choice but all the CSS necessary to customize it the way I wanted was liquifying my brain.  I ended up using the shopping cart option available through GoDaddy.

I know there are probably people out there thinking I've abandoned the afghan project.  But no - we have not!  We are planning a trip to Greensburg on Saturday, March 8, and from what I've been told, they NEED THESE AFGHANS!!!  Apparently there are a LOT of FEMA trailer homes in "FEMA Villiage" as they call it, and they are not well insulated.  It's cold out there!  So I'm updating my admin info and getting everything together for the book I intend to include with each afghan.  The final step is to decide how to make a care label.

If anyone out there still has an afghan for seaming that needs to come back to me, please try to get it finished up and sent out ASAP.  I haven't cross-checked my list yet with what has come back but I know there are still a few out there.

Whew!  Okay.... is there anything else??  OH!  YES!  My WLC'08 is going GREAT!  I've lost 2.5 more pounds making a total weight loss of 12.5 lbs in 5-6 wks - I don't know exactly how long it's been.  I haven't been going to the Y for the past week because I've been working on getting the store/shopping cart thing set up but hopefully most of that is on autopilot now and I can start going to bed a little earlier now.

Everybody take good care of every little thing!  More this week with a belated "B" post!  XOXOXOXOX

Cozy Things

When your pumpkins start looking like this.....

.... it's time to start doing things like this.....

Drinking warm things.  :)

Making yummy treats.  This is a totally made-up recipe but I'm calling it chocolate hazelnut cheesecake bites (surely there's a shorter name out there).  Benny and Katie are taking them to their church Christmas party tonight.

Knit with Yummy Yarn!  This is a somewhat made-up scarf pattern for Katie's band director made with black Lion Brand Cashmere Blend.  Think it looks manly?  I did a lot of swatching to come up with something interesting that would use the yarn I have (3 skeins) and not be too girly.

I hope you're doing Cozy Things inside and having a very nice week before Christmas!  We're nearly through with our shopping and Emeline visited Santa last night.  She's been assigned to make him some cookies in exchange for a play Kitchen.  Hope we can satisfy his request!  :)

Take care of every little thing, stay safe and warm, and if I don't see you before then, have a wonderful Christmas!  XOXOXOX

Think, Worry. Knit, Breathe.

Monday, 1:30pm mammogram

Room is pleasant, tech is a lady I know from church.  Plenty of chit chat.  She explains the procedure, how they compare the films with a database of other mammograms that have shown signs of cancer.  That's cool, I think to myself.  She says "wait here while I get these cleared by the radiologist."  She comes back and states he needs "another press" of one angle.  She takes three or four more pictures then takes those heavy square x-ray plate things back to their little processing room to the side of the exam area.  It's then that I notice that she had put the film in question - the one he wanted another "press" of - on the light box on the wall.  I started to gather my things and the next time I turned around the film was gone and the light box was dark.

This film looked, to my untrained eyes, like any picture you've ever seen of a mammogram with some kind of white spot in the middle.  Slight panic.

I go across the hall, have the sonogram, and she says "wait here while I get this cleared by the radiologist and make sure he doesn't want to talk with you about anything."  I questioned, "he would talk to me if there was a problem?"  She said she thought he would if there was a problem.

She came back and said "go ahead and get dressed, he doesn't need to talk to you.  That sounds like good news!"  I just look at her thinking she is telling me a complete bold faced lie but I didn't ask about the film I saw - I just left and went home slightly concerned wondering what in the world I had seen.

Tuesday Morning I phoned my doctor's office and talked to Jill (I think she's the office manager but I don't really know).  I asked when we'd get some kind of word back and she said they NEVER get the report back the next day - it would be at least Wednesday or Thursday.  I told her the story of seeing the film with the white spot that looks just like all the descriptions on the breast cancer web sites.

Wednesday I think and stress and worry.  All.  Day.  Knit knit knit knit knit knit knit.  I knit half a sweater on Wednesday and nearly finished a sock.  Almost time to get the second sock started - I'm so rockin' on Christmas knitting.

Thursday morning (today) 7:30am, I take Emeline to the doctor for another x-ray on her arm - knit knit knit knit knit knit knit.  Only a few more rows to go on that sock toe.  Get home and start back on the sweater.  Need more yarn.  "How much?", I think to myself.  "Mmm... one skein?  Better make it two." 

10:30am  Phone rings.  Jill says "There is a benign cyst in your right breast.  Benign.  It's okay.  Does that help to ease your mind?"

I phone Jeff.  "Looks like I'll live until Christmas... there's a benign cyst and they want me to come back for another ultrasound in three months.  Can you pick up two skeins of yarn for me?"

I'm finally winding down from the worry.  It's time to breathe.

A Time For Everything

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven.  Eccl. 3:1

I have mentioned in my recent posts that I've been in a house cleaning mode lately.  I've tidied many things.  Put things away.  Thrown things out.  But I have left the afghan stuff in my dining room in a slight disarray.  Bags and boxes of finished afghans.  Bags of squares to be put away for now.  And a few remaining unopened packages that came in the mail the week prior to the afghan seaming event (Sept 15th) and any that came after that.  There aren't many - six, to be exact.  Not many at all.  A few large boxes - some I expect have a completed afghan, some I anticipate squares.  A few small envelopes.  I have anticipated squares in each of these.  Just last week I received yet another small'ish box - the very last straggler I expect to see.

Unlike the other packages that have arrived I opened that late arriving box wondering if there was something unusual.  Nothing at all unusual but there was a lovely note from the sender thanking me for the opportunity to knit something for others which helps take her mind off the recent stressors of caring for her husband since he has developed alzheimers.  It hit close to home since my grandfather has suffered with alzheimers these past few years and my grandmother sent squares for the project.  It was a nice refresher for me to read that note from the woman and I realized it's not just squares.  Or afghans.  Or people in Greensburg.  I'm glad for the happiness it brought her to knit for this project.

So I opened another of the envelopes.  The name was familiar.  I got a lot of packages during the project but some names came over and over and some others just stuck in my mind for unknown reasons.  This package was like any other - I expected squares.  But there were not squares.  This package from Vicki in Kentucky contained a scarf.  So nice.  Pretty and colorful and nicely knit.  And stickers.  Awww.  For my two little helpers.  :)

And a precious hand written letter.  My favorite part of this project so far - the notes cards and letters.  On the day I opened this letter I had been struggling with the afghan project.  Mentally thinking things through - weighing various advice from others and trying to decide if we should push to get afghans delivered in December or wait until after the holidays.  All things were telling me to wait including recommendations from people with direct contacts in Greensburg.  At the top of Vicki's letter it said:  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven.  Ecclesiastes 3:1.  A direct message to my heart and mind that waiting was the right thing to do.  Oh what a relief to read those words.

Vicki went on to explain that the scarf in this package was for me.  Me.  And she told various reasons why.  It was a dear sweet letter and I read over it several times.  She wrote a precious prayer which I will share in another post.  She sent this package just before the seaming event but I didn't open it until more than two months later.  At first I felt a little badly for that but I realized that her opening message to me was A Time For All Things.  Oh thank you Vicki.  Again, I so needed those words.  And I'm wearing this dear scarf with a smile.  Thank you so much.  :)

I'm holding the letter again today reminding myself of the verses.

A time to be born....  Eccl. 3:2

Yesterday afternoon we got a phone call announcing that my brother Jason and his wife Zoila (pronounced Soy-la) who live in El Salvador had a new baby boy, Henry. Such a sweet time for anyone.  Baby is big, Mama is small, but it all worked out naturally and they're both home and fine.  And apparently neither my brother or his wife know anything about babies.  ha  Thankfully infants are resiliant and Zoila is young.  They'll survive and adjust to the new changes in life. 

... and a time to die.  Eccl. 3:2

Last night we received a phone call from my dad telling that my grandfather passed away quietly and suddenly.  It's never easy to let someone go.  I wasn't really close to him but I have fond memories of him as a grandparent. 

• He took me fishing several times and kindly put those white crickets on the hook for me and never once teased me about being squeamish about it. 
• He grew popcorn in his garden. 
• He made venison summer sausage (I think he made it!).
• He was a milk man in his younger years then managed the dairy department of their local grocery store until he retired. 
• He was blind in one eye but you'd never know it.  I couldn't tell.
• He always had a flat-top and it seemed mysterious and amazing to me that someone's hair could stick straight up like that.

I'm sure there are many things about his life and his past that he probably never thought were even slightly interesting that I would love to know.  And I didn't know him well.  Today he's in a better place and I'm sure there are many who are happy to see him now. 

A time to be silent... Eccl. 3:7

So my mammogram went fine on Monday.  I am quietly waiting to hear back from my doctor.  I phoned her office this morning and the girl told me it will be Wednesday or Thursday before they get the radiologist report with the results.  When I was having the mammogram it went quickly and wasn't painful at all.  I think the process and equipment have both come a long way since the horror stories of 15-20 years ago. 

I'll let ya know when I hear from them.  In the mean time take good care of every little thing.  :)

Not Just A Skimmer

Apparently Daddy isn't just a skimmer as he tries to make me believe.  He came home with a box of outlet plug thingies on Tuesday night and before he could tell me about it they were in place (because I saw them and put them there!).  :)

And apparently y'all aren't skimmers either.  Wow.  I was really amazed at some of the comments I received on my last post.  I tried not to make any big deal about the "something".  Thank you so very much for every single comment.  And every thought and prayer and vibe flying my direction. 

I had my appointment this morning which went about like I expected.  I hadn't been there in two years since my follow-up after Lila was born so it was really nice to see my doctor again and catch up with her (she seems more like a good friend than my doctor). 

I tried to explain and even showed her where the tiny bump is.  She couldn't feel it.  I'm not exactly skinny and the bump is very small so her normal method of examination wasn't raising any red flags for her.  She did explain that I have fibrocystic breasts (though the bump is in a lympth area under my arm).  Funny how we don't exactly know what breasts feel like besides our own (at least most of us don't). 

She has scheduled me for a diagnostic mammogram (extra thorough, oh hooray) and also breast sonogram (must be the digital thing I read about while trying not to worry).  This is scheduled for Monday at 1:30.  The scheduling secretary said WOW!  That's fast!  I guess they had a cancellation because otherwise I wouldn't be able to get in until January. 

Overall the doctor said there were no red flags to her but the fibrocystic condition means the breast tissue is lumpy and thick and irregular and it would be difficult to know if there was anything unusual.  She's the most cautious doctor I've ever had and in this case I'm glad about it.  So next step is mammograms and then more waiting for at least a few days to hear back from them I would guess.

Thank you so much for your concern and well wishes.  I'm knitting as much as possible to avoid looking at all of the worry-enabling information on the internet.  I've nearly finished a short sock  in the past day and have two (knit) Christmas gifts ready to go under the tree as soon as it's up!

Take good care of every little thing.  :)

XOXOXOXOX

Thankful

I'm feeling thankful for Hands lately. 

The hands in our house, big and small.

The hands around the world that made every stitch in every afghan square for the families in Greensburg, Kansas.

My own hands with their occasional ouchie twinge.  I just try to be as careful as I can so they don't get worn out before I'm ready to stop knitting.

The hands that type and send me comments and emails.  I'm so eternally grateful for those beautiful hands.

The hands that make things.  And bake things.  And knit and sew and write and drive and push and pull things.

Last Saturday morning was a Pancake Breakfast fund raiser for the band kids going to the Alamo Bowl.  Whew, we're inching upward to the goal ever so slowly.  Fruit sales were better for Katie this year than last year too.  She has also been given a special opportunity to earn a $300 scholarship toward the cost of her band trip if she writes an essay about her band experience and why she wants to go to the Alamo Bowl, etc etc.  She's earned around $200 so far, meaning we only have to come up with about $100 more.  We've got a few fund raiser ideas up our sleeve.  OH, and she got a surprise $25 for getting 1st place in the Science Fair last year!  Cool, huh?  She told me about it and I said GREAT! You can put it in your Band Account!  ha  That sort of deflated her shopping plans.

After the breakfast Katie stayed to help and we took the other kids to the park.  I took that opportunity to get a picture of Lila wearing her Fetching Mitts and see how she liked wearing them.  It wasn't TOO cold out but it was a good test.  She never once took them off which I think is fabulous for a toddler.  Anyone with toddler mitten experience KNOWS that toddlers first priority is to see how quickly they can remove said mittens.  Meaning, the entire hand is uncovered no matter what because they'll do everything in their power to get them off including chewing, screaming, rubbing snot all over them, etc etc.  Fetching Mitts are the Next Big Thing in toddler hand coverings.  Don't mess with mittens if you live in an area where they won't get frost bite between the house and car.  I took the girls to the doctor this morning for the FluMist (no shots! Yay!) and I was so glad Lila Pearl had her little mitts.  It was absolutely FREEZING COLD (air temp 35 degrees and wind chill...?? COLD!) but they stayed on her little hands.  I'm in love with them!  :)

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US.  I have been a horrible friend and haven't replied to the wonderful people who commented on my last post.  Kelly - girl, I am seriously not ignoring you!  I can't seem to get around to writing anyone!  I love you all.  Every single one.  And I know there are people out there reading my blog who do NOT comment and that's okay but I'd love to know who you are.  Every comment is so dear and sweet to me and is read by everyone in the family.  Even the babies love looking through the pictures on my blog and we tell them what people say about them and to them.  It's very sweet.

I'm thankful for the thousands of hands that have touched my life this year.  But even more thankful for the hearts behind them.

Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving Day and safe travel for all! 

Take good care of every little thing and hopefully over the weekend I'll get the final touches put on Lila Pearl's birthday video to show you next time!  XOXOXOXOX

ETA:  I just got the my Entrelac Scarf Pattern pdf uploaded and I've added the pattern page to my sidebar under the heading "My Free Patterns".  Check it out and let me know if you run into any broken links or problems!  :)

Lost in the Frosting

Hello dear people out there.  I feel like I've been buried in work or book writing or something and haven't been in touch with my friends in a long time. 

The truth is, I've mostly been avoiding the blog.  And virtually all blog reading.  I spent too many weeks (months actually) with a frenzied focus on the blog and trying to produce information and updates about the afghan project to inspire and keep people updated.  Things are much quieter right now with that project and I've been doing other things and taking a much-needed breather from the blogging intensity I was feeling.  I'm blogging about once a week right now and that's about as good as it will get for a little while.

The knitting is happening as well as changes in the seasons and growing children.

My entrelac knitting class at Twist went very nicely.  I was very comfortable with the number of students (5) and felt good about the pattern tweaks I worked out.  I'm going to be providing the pattern in my sidebar as soon as I can figure out how to do a multi-page pdf with my scanner.  Might not be too difficult but is more thinking than I have time for at the moment.  But soon... it's coming along soon.  :)

The entrelac scarf I made nearly 2 years ago is at Twist on display until I finish the store sample I've been working on since.... embarrassingly - July.  My first several attempts to start were ripped out by the babies about four times.  I finally have it nearly 50% finished.  Two balls to go, which I think is about 15 hrs of knitting.

I've taken a break from working on the entrelac scarf to make a scarf/hat/mitt set for little Lila Pearl.  Ever since getting the box of Cascade 200 from Margaret in Canada in which she also sent 2 skeins of Koigu Kersti, I've had the 2 skeins of Kersti sitting on a side table in my dining room (along with the 2 skeins of cashmere).  The Kersti has been calling my name saying "Oh Laura.... what will I be?  Who will love me and wear me and pet me and call me their own?  How long can you resist me?  What pattern will show off my pretty colors and softness and texture so different than other yarns?  HMmmm???"

It's a lot of pressure.  Day in and day out.  Listening to that Kersti yarn that way.

So finally inspiration struck and I decided to pull out the 2006 Holiday issue of KnitSimple magazine and try a chevron scarf that isn't your everyday chevron scarf.  I pulled from my stash, a nice skein of Mountain Colors 4/8's Wool in a very dark colorway called Obsidian (this was also a sweet RAOK gift two years ago at Thanksgiving time just after Lila Pearl was born).  Excellent contrast to the baby pinks and purples in the Kersti.  When I finished the scarf to Lila Pearl's 2yo dimensions I had a lot of yarn left.  So I pulled out the pattern for the popular Fake Isle hat.  Not too matchy for the scarf - yes.  I liked it.  Whipped those two patterns out in 2 1/2 days.  Amazing.  Now for the hands.  Yes.  I started the sweetest pair of tiny Fetching mitts you've ever seen.  I put the first one on her and she didn't want to take it off!!  Mitt success, I would say!  The 2nd mitt will be finished tonight and the set will be complete.  I made the set to go with her coat.  I think Lila is the 3rd child to wear this coat but I love it - the lining is SO SWEET!  And Lila is so proud of her hat and scarf set.  Emeline wants to know when I'm making one for her.

I will try to get pictures of this on her some time - the hat is SO darn cute.

During my relaxed blogging time I've been not only knitting but reclaiming the corners of my home.  Cleaning up.  Emptying boxes that have sat since we moved in (and I'm still no where near done doing that).  I reorganized the laundry/utility room/back porch over the past week or so and wow - last night Jeff said "it looks like you've remodeled in there!"  I can't do something like that when I'm blogging more.  It's become obvious to me that blogging takes WAY more of my time that I ever thought.  But I'm trying to keep track of projects and hope to organize my yarn stash SOON.  It feels like blogging is play time right now and that I need to work on the house more.  I'm sure I'll get tired of working on the house soon enough.  heh

So that's pretty much what I've been up to.

DADDY:  Jeff has been working as much as I'll let him (he says that somehow I don't "let" him work overtime as much as he would like thinks he should).  I love and admire his commitment to his job and providing for our family and his desire to stay home and play with the babies and grant their every Princess Wish all day long.  He's a good step-dad and spoils the big kids more than I think he should sometimes though he says the same about me.  He's definitely having to learn how to live with teenagers and hopefully the reality of the big kids will make it easier when the babies are in high school.  Uh huh.  I'll keep telling myself that.  heh

BENNY:  Sixteen and still doesn't have a drivers license.  I don't think I feel too badly about it.  He has to log 50 hours of driving time but for some reason hasn't put a priority on the "writing it down" part.  He doesn't have anywhere near 50 hrs anyway but it doesn't help that he hasn't been writing it down.  He really hates that I want him to write 11 minutes, or 17 minutes.  Or 22 minutes.  To him that would have read 15, 20, and 25 minutes.  Uhhhh.... no.  Not in my book.  Nearly perfect grades - all A's and one very high B (88.55 or something).  Major over achiever, which is funny because with minimal effort he could still have the same grades.  He just exceeds the minimum expectations in nearly every way possible.  Made his Mommy VERY happy when he decided not to play basketball this year.  Yay!  We can actually have meals as a family!

   

KATIE:  Wants to do everything but doesn't think it's necessary to consult me about it.  How interesting!  Wants to try out for cheerleading during basketball season.  Oh?  Wants to be on the bowling team.  Oh?  Might run these things by me first.  One thing at a time please.  We're trying to raise $500 for her band trip to the Alamo Bowl in December.  Uhhhmmm.... not sure how this is supposed to work out.  Maybe I need to raffle some yarn.  So far the fruit sales and pancake breakfast aren't exactly raking in the cash.

SUZANNAH:  Likes being the big sister to Emeline and Lila, hates being the little sister to Benny and Katie when they get to go do stuff.  But then it's kinda nice when she gets time with Me and Jeff and she's just the Big Sister!  Playing the flute in band - just amazing.  First year flute and playing with 2nd year kids - she's doing as well or better than several of the 2nd year kids.  Fitting in to band VERY well (sigh of relief).  Just needs to work on cleaning her room and we'll be all set.

EMELINE:  Taking swimming lessons at the Y.  This is her first session without me in the water and she's loving it SO MUCH that the teacher has to take her out of the pool and put her in my arms screaming at the top of her lungs that she wants to SWIM!  Potty training?  What?  I don't think so.  I'll start using the potty when I'm good and ready and not one second before.  Loves to perform and sang Jesus Loves Me for our Wednesday Night Bible Class a few weeks ago.  That was a very sweet moment.  I didn't even know she knew all the words!  Is a very protective and doting big sister.  Rarely expresses jealousy moments.  Loves to compliment her baby sister as being a Princess and a Precious Doll.  When I put the red handspun and knit scarf on her that I made last year (for her!) and told her that I made it for her she said "Oh Mommy.... you're so SWEET!" and threw her arms around my neck with a big squeeze.  Awwww.  :)

LILA PEARL:  If she doesn't want to use the Potty then I will!!  What?  I actually have to do something in there?  Can't I just proclaim that I have tinkled and pooped and be praised and get chocolate or something???  Hmph.  It's nice to be the baby but I'm ready to boss people around and I don't take any bull from anybody.  I'm memorizing songs too ya know!  I'll make a great Mommy - "NO!" is my favorite word!

The other day I was talking to Emeline about some of the movies that we have on video tape since we only recently got a DVD/VCR combo after going for quite a while without a VCR.  I told her we could watch  Homeward Bound, a movie about two dogs and a cat that get lost in the forest.  Frosty the Snowman was another on the list.  After thinking about it for a little while she said "I want to watch Lost in the Frosting!"  heh

I feel like I've been Lost in the Frosting and I'm very happy about it.  The Frosting on the Cake of Life.... like going to parades. 

And knitting what I want without worrying that I haven't taken pictures or told anyone about it.

Like cleaning the corners of my home and preparing for the holidays.

Like spending time chatting with the kids, reading to the babies, and watching movies together. 

Life is good and it's good to get Lost in the Frosting sometimes.  :)