Picture Thursday

A good time was had by all last night on the boychild's birthday! His gifts were all declared "awesome" and we had ice cream pie, what more could you ask for?
I just love the "deer in the headlights" look on that second pic. He's starting to show some gangly awkwardness already!

How about a couple of flower photos? I had some gorgous lilies left over from the last round of weddings. They weren't open enough so I got to keep them, that's always a nice bonus!

And lookie here, knitting content!! Can you believe it?!

This photo is two of the three "Branching Out" scarves I've completed. The third one is MIA.. we know how that happens around here. I actually think that the missing scarf is in a ziploc bag in my van, waiting to be brought in and blocked. Of course these two aren't blocked either!
The orangey coral one on the right is Bamboo yarn and the one on the left is Soy Silk, both from Southwest Trading Company. I can highly recommend both these yarns, they were a dream to work with! Especially the soy silk, it's just gorgeous and drapey!

And.. I'm zooming along on my Christmas stockings. I'm past the heel on one after just a few evenings worth of "tv knitting" Here is a photo of the stocking I made for my hubby last winter, and the one I'm working on now. They will all be done up in the ivory yarn with holiday motifs on them. The boychild has requested a reindeer and the girlchild wants a candy cane, and also some handspun yarn from her bunny to decorate the top. Guess I'd better get busy!

P.S. Yes, that is THE missing needle from the previous post. I'm so glad I found it! It's a vintage plastic circular that used to belong to my grandmother. I haven't been able to find any of these circs anywhere else but I just love them. I have a couple of sets of them and I always keep my eyes peeled for them at thrift stores.

Whew! Wordy today aren't I? I suppose I'd better do something productive like pick the children up from school and figure out what's for dinner tonight! Back soon! *mwah*

09.29.05 @ 12:36 PM PST [link]

Happy Birthday, Dirty Sock Boy!!

My little dude is 8 years old today. Happy Birthday!

Big goings-on here, I'm taking cupcakes to school, woo-hoo! And then tonight he gets his favorite dinner, meatloaf and mashed potatoes. There is a pile of presents waiting for him so he'll be just thrilled. I'll post a picture of the present opening as soon as I can.

And yes, the blog got a bit of a new look for fall. Yet another way to assure that our warm weather continues! :)

I'm off to frost cupcakes, back soon!

09.28.05 @ 08:49 AM PST [link]

How to make things happen
For the last three or four weeks, I've been tearing my house apart, trying to find a specific knitting needle that I need for a project. Last winter, I made my husband a new Christmas stocking, and this year my kids want Christmas stockings that match. We won't go into the craziness that is my Christmas planning, as that's a tale for another day. I start really early, let's just leave it at that.

Anyhow, the missing knitting needle has been evading me for weeks now. I tried the "It'll come to me in my dreams" approach to finding things. Alas, thinking about it before I went to sleep didn't help me find the missing needle. It did help me to remember what project and yarn the missing needle had been last seen with. So, some progress there.

I put out an All Points Bulletin for the missing needle with my family members, who could clearly care less. The exchange went something like this.

Me: "I REALLY need to find my knitting needle, it's white, about *this* long, last seen heading North in a ziplock bag with some red wool and a half finished baby hat."

Ungrateful Children and Bemused Husband: "Um, it's SEPTEMBER, and really freaking hot out, why are you thinking about Christmas knitting already?"

Me:"(Shrieking) "Do you have ANY idea how long it takes to knit a Christmas stocking? I NEED to find it, look everywhere! Leave no couch cushion unturned, No closet unexplored! I NEED to find it! NOW"

Ungrateful Children: (Slowly backing away) "Uh, yeah... I think we have homework to do, good luck with that!"

No Longer Bemused Husband: (Grabbing car keys and wallet) "I just remembered, I'm going out for cigarettes! Back later!"

Me: (Still shrieking at the retreating forms of my family, vein in forehead starting to throb) "See if y'all have new stockings this year, ungrateful little rugrats!"

Still, no needle.
I tried a different tactic, I decided to get all Zen and stuff, thinking that if I leave the matter alone for a while, I'd find the lost needle when it was the right time and when I was SUPPOSED to find it.
I should have gratitude for the needles I do have and that I can find, although they don't get me any closer to a damned Christmas stocking, right?
Yeah, so the Zen thing wasn't really working for me either.

I went back to frantic searching mode. I could be seen casting about in all the places where I stash things in my house, muttering and generally seeming to be insane. A fine point that my family members would clearly be happy to expound upon with anyone.

Finally, once I saw the calendar and the fact that it was only 99 days until Christmas (!!!) I decided that drastic measures must be taken. I had to go out and buy a NEW circular knitting needle (in a strange and not very versatile size) Just to shame the first needle into revealing it's hiding place.

Of course, it worked. There are rules of the universe and this is one of them. When you cannot FIND an item and you buy a replacement, you will have two of that item FOREVER.
Unless, of course, you do something stupid like return the second one or give it away. If you dare to MOCK the universe...then, of course, the universe will be pissed at you and you will promptly lose the first item again.
You will have to start the whole dreadful process over and you will be destined to repeat the first steps until you come to your damn senses. Don't ask me HOW I know this, trust me.

Future generations will wonder what the crazy knitter needed with TWO #7, 16" knitting needles and what she could possibly have been thinking!
Ahhh, grasshoppers, when you can take this pebble from my hand, you shall be ready!

In related news...we've been having some cooler weather, so I plan on putting my fans away into storage, and taking the window air conditioners down for the fall. This will ensure some nice Indian Summer weather for us for the next few weeks. You can thank me later.

I'm off, I have christmas stockings to knit!

09.26.05 @ 09:24 AM PST [link]