Froggy Shower

A dear friend is adopting a child. We (the knitting group) had a "baby adoption shower." It's a girl. She is roughly 14 yrs old (forgive me S, I forget how old she is). She is a beautiful "baby" and she has a delightful smile.



The shower was a surprise to the parents-to-be and soon-to-be-daughter. There was cake (of course) and gifts galore. DD and I had a lot of fun shopping for "baby girl." She is a fan of frogs (her new mom knits so this is appropriate). We bought this frog to "entertain baby girl". He is a puppet and he "talks". She also received a light for the back seat of the car, face wipes, a lollipop pacifier, hand knitted face cloths, a water "bottle" and many other wonderful, useful items including a stress ball for the parents :) Congratulations Mom, Dad and "Baby Girl!"




I made a pair of pink "booties" for baby girl. They will keep her "little" feet warm. I found the pattern while surfing the net. Quick, easy and cute.





This is in keeping with the frog post title and the fact I still suffer
startitis. The knitting group was knitting these socks. I flatly refused. By mid week, I lost the battle with startitis once again. I cast on for the fan socks by Heartland Knits. Check it out here: http://www.theloopyewe.com/browse/byvendor/heartland-knits/ Self convinced me that I did not need to keep track of the pattern. After all, (as self explained) I have been knitting for many years. But with the one armed husband and the chattering 16 yr old I lost count of the pattern rows. I am also not smarter than the pattern. It was necessary to frog this sock countless times. Until.......the lightbulb flickered and I announced to self that she was wrong. W-R-O-N-G! I did need to count and keep track of the rows. So while self convinced me to start the socks, I am in control of some things.........aren't I?



This is another thing that I apparently do not have control of, Mr. Bettis. He is not supposed to be on the furniture but this is what I came home to after "baby girl's" shower. Mr. Bettis lounging on the love seat. GET DOWN, BETTIS! Do you see the affect that order had on him?

It's a no win situation around here.

Startitis

From my "knitting research" Startitis is a dangerous knitting disease. A knitter starts many projects only to find them at a later date hidden from view as UFO's. I understand (ahem.....I can only go by my research :)that this disease of newly started projects results in:

1. Needles that said afflicted knitter thought were lost and henceforth said afflicted knitter purchases more needles.

2. Knitter has no idea as to what was started as there are only a few rows on the needles and said afflicted knitter did not put the pattern with project (one of those things where said afflicted knitter thought she was smart enough to remember what was started in the first place). Like that is going to happen, given that said afflicted knitter has been known to start many projects at a time and has no idea what was cast on in the first place.

3. This disease results in frogging hibernating projects aka UFO's only to once again....(and this is where I truly believe that once a knitter has had startitis, it is incurable) start new projects. After all, said afflicted knitter now has an abundance of needles and yarn from the first bout of startitis.

Startitis is attributed to many factors.

Stress, can come from a one-armed husband (read previous posts if you haven't caught up on the news around here) who is feeling better by the way and is in physical therapy. He is casted until Feb. When one armed husband finds it necessary to inform afflicted knitter of missed dust bunnies, one armed husband receives the job of sweeping. Thus giving the afflicted knitter time to start a new project and help the one armed husband with physical therapy :)

Boredom is just that, boredom. Whether said afflicted knitter is bored with a current project (and there could be many depending on materials and time for afflicted knitter) or just bored in general, said afflicted knitter starts a new project.

Ravelry and surfing the net also attributes to startitis. I would like to think that fellow afflicted knitters have no idea that they too, enable other knitters. (okay Sara, now you know)

Yarn manufacturers are the biggest enablers. I mean really, how dare they continue to produce soft wool/alpaca/angora/ cashmere in beautiful colors to tempt knitters. They truly are enablers of startitis.

All that said and done, I admit I suffer from startitis. Although every once in a while I finish something like my froggin' green gloves. And not a moment too soon. We received 5 inches of snow and ice yesterday.

By the way, these are reversible right and left gloves. I took the pictures outside and it was cold so I just threw them down in the snow/ice and clicked the camera.

A Knitter's Gift!

Ravelry knitters are the greatest. Bloggers are wonderful. Look what arrived today!
A red and white Loopy Ewe sock bag and a beautiful skein of yarn. When this arrived I thought it was sent to the wrong person. I am on a yarn diet until Ed returns to work. So I knew I had not ordered anything. I opened it to look for an invoice. No invoice. I opened the bag and there was a note from the Loopy Elves saying "This is from Sara." I took a deep breath and carefully peeled back the tissue paper and there was a beautiful cashmere/merino blend of yarn in my favorite colors. Pink and yellow. I was smitten. I held back the tears and shrieked with joy. I have wound the skein and I am starting a pair of socks. (imagine that) The red and white bag is perfect to tote (no pun intended) to the DD's school functions. School colors are red and white. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Sara, for the gift.

I handed the "one armed husband" a puzzle. He needs something to do at this point in recovery. He can prop the "hand" and work on this. Unfortunately it only took him a few hours to work this puzzle. He is very good at putting them together. Since this one was only 950 pieces and it took him a total of 2 1/2 hours to work it, I have found a 1500 piece puzzle. That should keep him out of my hair for awhile.
I find it interesting that he is growling over the dogs aka Mr. Bettis wanting in, out, in, out, in........welcome to my world, buddy!


I started the "my so called scarf". I'm liking this pattern. It is out of the Manos del Uruaguay worsted hand dyed yarn. It is a dense pattern and it will keep me warm if I ever get it finished.







These are "Self's Froggin' Gloves." Out of Frog Tree Alpaca sportweight and the pattern is from Interweave's Handy Book Of Patterns. I love that book. Size 3 needles. They are soft and warm. Self will need them next week. I'd better get moving on these.


P.S. Remember the resolution that I would get 2008's Christmas gifts finished early? "Self" became demanding and I am already behind schedule on the gifts. But Self must keep sanity while "man/toddler sitting."

The Second Curse

I am so ready to "chuck" 2008! I was downstairs dyeing yarn in my "new" dyeing area when I heard "drip, drip, drip." I went around the corner in the laundry area and looked. My feet squished on the piece of carpeting in front of the washer. I looked again, thinking the 2 yr old washer was leaking. Just my luck. But it wasn't the washer.



I turned and looked at the wall..............water was running down the wall! I yelled for the "one armed husband." Not sure why, instinct I guess. I mean really, what was he going to do with one arm? He came as fast as he could. I noticed a bubble in the dry wall above my dyeing area. (alright, this is where I did something stupid........again) I pushed ever so lightly on the bubble. It burst and water went everywhere bringing the ceiling with it. I screamed and Ed just stood there. Seems a pipe from the second bathroom sink was leaking. The "one armed husband" grabbed my dye pots to catch some of the water. I grabbed a tarp to throw over everything and we just stood there staring at the mess. We tried to fix the pipe but have you ever tried to fix something with the DH standing over you totally helpless trying to tell you how to fix "the" something? This scenerio doesn't work well when he's not helpless, let alone when he is.

So I called my dad. He has picked up the necessary part and tomorrow it will be fixed. The pipe will be fixed. I won't hold my breath on the ceiling. I know how this goes. Hey Diane, did you send this my way? Considering the "table saw massacre" and my DH's procrastination on repairing construction in our house, I figure the ceiling will be finished in 2 yrs......maybe. Keep in mind he was in construction for 20 yrs and everyone else's house was beautifully finished. Mine on the other hand? Well, I won't go there out of respect for his accident.

Alright enough is enough, this is the second thing to happen. Since everything comes in 3's I am steadying myself for what will come next. In the meantime, I knit.



We did get the Christmas tree down finally. But before we did there was this fluff ball sleeping soundly. I really think she was pretending she was outside under a nice evergreen far, far away from Mr. Bettis.




P.S. New song? I have now added "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

Man or Toddler

Okay, it's been a week since the "match" between my husband and his table saw. In case you are unaware of this match please read the previous post.

Ed is recuperating. We had another ER run on Sunday the day after the accident for major pain meds. The saw did what a saw does..........cut. I will say no more other than he is now in an immobile splint and so far the graft/repair is doing what it is supposed to do. Thank you for all of your prayers and support.

Now on to life with the husband home from work. I left him for a few hours today to attend my local "knit-in" for a little R&R. When I came home he was lying on the couch with the hand (what is left of the hand) on several pillows. Seems he was downstairs assessing the "ring" where the match occured in order to contemplate his next "job". He wants to tear out a wall in the 3rd bedroom for a new closet. What is he talking about? Here is his hand (what is remaining) in an immobile splint and he wants to do construction stuff........again? Anyway, he decided to try to lift a rather heavy box and the hand that is supposed to be immobile, bent causing an undo amount of pain.

I can no longer leave him home alone. I have a 5'11", 190 lb man..........or is that an overgrown toddler who cannot be left alone. I have to fasten his pants, button his shirts, tie his shoes etc. He spilled a glass of sticky ginger ale all over the laminate flooring and he now has an adult size "sippy cup." I'm thinking yards of knitted I-cord would be helpful keeping in a chair.

I will post pics of the knitting that I have managed to get done while "man-sitting".

p.s. You know the song, "I fought the law and the law won" Well my humorous self has been singing, "Ed fought the saw and the saw won." I told you we had to keep our humor.