I've been Kidnapped by Jess, Casey and Bob

Ok, so not really kidnapped, but seriously, it is impossible to pull yourself away from Ravelry long enough to get any knitting done, let alone blog about knitting! Crazy and I love it. I have found so many new friends, both those I can visit with the Western Maryland Ravelers, and those that are limited by geography.

So to make up for the lack of posting, I give you projects I have completed:

Slippers for my little girl:
Hat and Gloves for my little boy:
Hat and Gloves for my little girl:
Hat for my Mom that I actually have to redo because the yarn is so yummy and soft it became a hat for a giant:
Scarf for my sister-in-law in Frostburg colors:
I also have a skull and crossbone hat going for my son, a scarf for my Mom, a scarf for the MS, a stole for myself and I'm still working on those darn Monkey socks!!!

I've completely given up on the Halloween Mystery Shawl and little socks I was working on for my daughter. There are just so many cool things out there and so little time. That and I knit like... how does that go? Molasses on a cold day? Yeah, that's about right! Hee Hee

Ah well, Happy Holidays everyone and have a save and fabulous New Year! (why yes, I am setting the expectation that I won't be back until after the new year, thank you for noticing!)

A new project!

So my mom's wanting an earflap hat, a scarf and a pair of mittens and she even went and got the yarn for it! Dude, you can't beat that. Pretty, pretty yarn. I should have it all complete by, say, spring?? Just kiddin' ma!

Things are starting to get busy again. Little man turns 7 next Friday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Little lady's 9th, it's a roller coaster man! Job is good, kids are good and it's the holiday season. Trying not to jinx it with thinking something bad's gotta happen soon... I've got issues, man, issues.

Fiber Festival

The kids, my Mom and I hit the road yesterday out to Berryville, VA for the Shenandoah Fiber Festival. I have never been to a fiber dedicated type thing, so it was something I was really looking forward to.

The kids learned how to weave on a loom (daughter is sporting an Odessa):

I bought a Rakestraw Spinner and spun my first yarn:














And got some yarn and roving from some friendly llamas and alpacas:


The festival was a ton of fun. It was small and I liked that because I was able to talk to just about every vendor there (except the ones I just didn't understand... why were there jewelry vendors there?!?!). It was so educational and interesting. I'd like to hit a few more small ones before I do something crazy like go to Stitches East or Sheep and Wool. Those are gi-freaking-normous!!

Anyway, it was a great day and now I'm off to finish watching my Skins get spanked by the Pats... ugly.

Settling In...

I have been thinking about you, oh blog of my life. But my part time job went full time this month and it's been a bit busy! I am in no way complaining. I am so blessed to have this position and I am thrilled that they liked me enough to want to bring me on board full time. God is Good... All the Time! Yes sir!


On the knitting side of thangs, my Mom sent me some pictures of completed projects, her lap blanket I made for her birthday and my sister's bag. I am seriously thinking of hiring my mother to take all pictures of my finished projects. I'm mean, she added candle and pumpkin realism! I'm going to add a clear vinyl (like shower curtain from the dollar store) to the inside of the bag. The learning process never ends! ;)


Jonathan (and no I don't know why I can't spell that name to save my life!) got his blanket on Monday. Very exciting stuff. Now I just need to slyly suggest that I should have a picture or two...

Teacher converences were this week. Aside from both of my babies being complete genious, they are also well rounded and "a pleasure to have in class". That phrase cracks me up, it's a staple and I've heard it from just about every teacher since I was in grade school! But they both are really doing well, the phrase I did like hearing was that they are both self-motivated learners. Above grade level in reading and math. It's just amazing what a year can make. My little man had a rough kindergarten, but he enjoys going to school now. Happy happy, Joy joy!

So, I will probably touch base again in what, another week and a half? LOL

A long time coming...

I am so bad at this! I really need to get on the ball with blogging, there's just so much stuff out there to do! :)

So, I finished the blanket for Jonathon - woo who! Sent that bad boy out and I can't wait to see if they love it or not. Now I'm working on my sister's birthday present, which is obviously not a surprise present. It's the Dream Swatch and I'm doing it in SWTC's Bamboo in the Parrot colorway. Beautiful stuff. I've got to figure out how to steam block this thing though. I will use the Emerald City of Ravelry to get that answered.

And I would love to say that I was able to keep to my "finish what you start" diet thing. But, see, there was this Halloween Knit-A-Long, and this headband my daughter loved and this cute toe up sock in a dreamy cranberry superwash... yeah, let's just say I've got no will power to speak of! And accepting that fact is forward motion, so stuff it! LOL

Are you ready for some football?

It's Sunday night and I'm watching some Bears vs. Cowboys (why, oh why, are the Cowboys going to be 3 & 0???) Can ya tell I'm from DC?? LOL

Anyhow. I am remaining faithful to little Jonathon's blanket. Taking it out during football practices and cheerleading bonanza's. The little man will be snuggly warm there in Southern California soon. I'd say I'm 40% finished. It's cute and I'm happy. Then it's on to complete my KAL socks and then I'm going to start a couple of hats and gloves for the kiddies. I've found a couple of cute things on the wonderful Ravelry (I. AM. SO. ADDICTED.)

I'm really enjoying the groove I've got going on with this knitting thing. I've even inspired a couple of cheer moms to start up their habit as well, a very cool thing for a fairly new knitter. When do I get to stop considering myself new? There are so many things I want to learn in this knifty little kraft, I will probably always consider myself a novice. But I'm happy with the fact that I'm staying fearless, I look at something and if it looks pretty and something I think someone would like, I'm game! The habit itself is very theraputic (well, maybe not the whole begging the kids for 5 more minutes of not fighting, but every other part... oh, except when I find a mistake... and when I lose my needle... well, most of it is theraputic).

Well, tomorrow is the start of a new week and I need to be bright eyed and bushy tailed to tackle it, so off to bed for me. I am anxiously awaiting an offer letter to full-time with the company I've been contracting for. Maybe tomorrow...

Got my invite, got my invite!

Yeah baby. Got my invite and have sunk into the addiction that is Ravelry. It is super fun, incredibly easy to navigate and so damn hard to walk away from. I'm supposed to take pictures of projects and stash and such, but I have been so entertained looking at other peoples projects, all the different groups (I frantically joined 26, it was just so much fun!) and all the pretty, pretty yarn. I got myself hooked up with being able to pictures on this computer, now I just need to do it!

Since my last post, I finally finished MS' satchel, started and finished a shrug for my daughter, cast on a purse for my niece and frogged my LYS socks a couple of times. I've settled on toe-up, two at a time, magic loop monkeys for them. So far I've got both toe increases completed and I'm ready to start the pattern. I got the pattern from Jennifer O'Sullivan's website, the pattern is called Los Monos Locos (The Crazy Monkeys). Super cute. We'll see if I make it past the whole gusset thing, I am notorious for that not being a sure thing.

Big day tomorrow in cheerleading world. And it's going to be an all day event, with little man's game, then little lady's half time show for all teams. At least it is supposed to be beautiful. I love the fall!

Until next time! :)

School Days and Back to School

All things are going really well with this second week of school. I got to meet with the teachers last night for Back to School and get a glimpse into what my 1st and 3rd graders lives are going to look like. Both are making a great impression on their teachers so far and I can say both teachers are making equally grand impression to us. What a relief! Now if I can just get the princess to stop shutting her brain off when it's time for homework, things will be smooth!

On the knitting front, I have put myself on a "Must Finish" plan. I have to finish each project before moving on to the next. So I am solely working on MS's satchel now. Then I'll move on to the LYS Socks. Then little Jonathon's blanket (after deciding the pattern I had chosen was just not making me happy). And so on from there. Forward movement, baby!

On a brighter note...

Man, what a downer that last post was, huh? Not that I am any more clear on what the hell I'm doing today, but I guess I've got my sense of humor about it all back. I had to rip back on my sock yesterday (big pout). I messed up the heel, but it's looking good now. I really, really wish I had my Gateway computer so I could get some freaking photos uploaded. This computer blows.

I'm thinking about starting (yes, I know, it's only the illusion of progression - bite me) the Leavened Raglan from Interweave's Fall 2007. It looks all soft and cuddly. I wonder if I could make a v-neck? I'm a little gun-shy after my Billy-Bad Ass feelings about my sister's bag and the beat down that came right at the heels of that! I like the Placed Cable and Tangled Yoke sweaters too, but the raglan reminds of the dream sweater I hunted down my senior year of high school. So it's that one I want to jump on.

Mmmm, knitting may be my way of avoiding my life, but at least it involves gifts for friends and family (well, when I finish something)! :)

Has it really been 10 days?

Well, time flies, as they say. Though I don't know how much fun I've been having. My LYS Socks are still on the needles, as is my sister's satchel, little Jonathon's blanket that I may end up giving to him when he leaves for college, all the same UFO's (unfinished objects) looking at me from the corner.

I think my knitting is mirroring my life. I feel I have stopped moving forward. Or I am waking up again and realizing things like just having clean clothes for the kids and making the choice to get out of bed each day is no longer enough. And strangely (and sadly), this awakening is making me not want to get out of bed each day. I want to bury my head and just be happy with the status quo DAMMIT. I am safe in that space, with no one expecting anything from me and praising me for what little I have been able to accomplish. The part of me that so knows all that is a cop out is being over thrown by the "I'm the victim", the "I'm just too tired" and the "Good enough sometimes is" parts of me that are so much louder than the grown up, responsible me.

And so I hide in my knitting without ever really finishing anything. I start a million things, because starting something feels like forward movement. It is not, it is all smoke and mirrors. It just turns into the ball of such-and-such in the knitting corner reminding me that I'm going to have to get off my ass and do something. Hike up my skirt, suck it up, cowboy up - however you want to say it, I'm at the crossroads and I'm scared of either direction. You know you're fucked when even the road often taken frightens you.

LYS Sock KAL with a side of High School Musical 2

So, if they had fixed my computer the first go around I would have pictures of all the fun I've been having this evening, but that is another story all together...


Anyway, I received today in the mail the first Eleganza Yarns (my LYS) shipment of the Sock Club. So exciting words can not even express. The yarn is beautiful and so soft. Very pretty colorway, "Mendocino", in a 100% Merino Superwash Wool. The yarns for this KAL are hand dyed by Diane Kelly of FireSong Fibers (no website for her). The yarns aren't available for the general public for a whole year, so just those involved in the knit-a-long get to play with it. I feel so Paris Hilton! ;)

My daughter is spending the night at a friends house to watch HSM2, so it was just me and the boy tonight. Oh, don't get me wrong, we had to watch the thing too, but I didn't have to sit through miss thing swooning of Zac or whoever. Though my son can throw down on the dance floor, he was shaking a tail feather for sure. So he shimmied and I wound my ball of pretty pretty yarn. And stuffed my face with all kinds of bad crap for the mother/son bonding. I don't get to hang out with just one or the other very often, so I really look forward to it. Especially after getting so stressed with the two of them at each others throats all the time (I did mention that school starts very shortly, yes??).

So a nice relaxing evening, being silly with my baby boy and playing with yummy yarn. Schweet!

The one with the happy dance

School starts in 11 days. Insert picture of me going all Lord of the Dance and you'll have an idea of how happy I am that this is finally happening. Working from home is a blessing, I am not complaining. I just feel that our upstairs neighbors will benefit from the lack of yelling, crying and plain old dramatics of this summer. Granted a good portion of this list was done by me (hee hee) but you know what I'm saying!

I am meeting with EJ's teacher next week. I'm praying it's a better year for him this year. Far too many details to go into, but he and I and his kindergarten teacher didn't really, er, click. And he deserves to have someone who believes in him. I am not the kind of mother who feels their child does no wrong nor am I the kind of parent who lets the school raise their children. And I feel that when a parent reaches out to a teacher to come up with a game plan for a child/student then that teacher better bring it because that is supposed to be a winning combination. Argh... feeling that old mama tiger coming out. Ahhh, anyway, new year, new beginning!

I am off to watch the finale of So You Think You Can Dance and finish MS' satchel!

Mmmmm, more humble pie please!!

Ok, so remember in the last post how I was talking smack about how great a knitter I am becoming??? Well, I should have known that was just tempting the knitting gods... I am an ass. The little satchel that I was supposed to present my sister with today turned into a TWO FOOT WIDE monstrosity. Yes, I know I am yelling. For the love of all that is holy, it was two freaking feet across. What the hell was I thinking. I just cast on all happy and stupid and continued to be so blissfully impressed with my mad skillz that I got blindsided by my own ignorance!! Ok, Shannon, sure you want to cast on that many stitches when it started out as your sons messenger bag that you felted... felted Shannon, as in stuffed in the wash and watched it shrink. Dear freaking Lord. Cotton doesn't do felting... ya think??

My daughter is an amazing little munchkin, she looked at it and said that looks like a pillow. A pillow, shear freaking genius wrapped in an 8yr old body! So my sister is getting a cute little satchel (already all cast on) and a kick ass matching pillow! That's what I meant to do from the beginning... yeah, that's the ticket! ;)

Where I commence tooting my own horn...

So I'm working on my sister's satchel/purse thing and I'm taking elements from the organic cotton grocery bag I made for my other sister (going forward they will be known as M(iddle)S(ister) and L(ittle)S(ister), MS and LS, that'll work) and elements from my son's messenger bag and a stitch pattern that I think is cool. And I'm sitting there knitting away and thinking to myself, when the hell did I get so confident in my knitting that I can incorporate different patterns... all together... at the same time??? I mean really? I'm so impressed with myself, mostly because no one else in the house seems to care! It has nothing to do with cheerleading or football, hence it does not register on their scopes. Speaking of, off to football practice, knit bag in hand! :)

First Post

So, this is my first post. And of course I'm not set up where I'm at to add fun pictures or anything organized like that...

I'm completely looking forward to playing with this and being just as geeky about knitting as I've been warned that I am. Plus, I can't pass up an opportunity to share my opinion where I can just choose not to read anybody's response. With my two munchkins running around, that's not something I can enjoy on a daily basis in the real world!

So, now all I gotta do is get some pictures of the Dwelling Place blankets that are in various stages of finishing, pictures of the great number of projects I've got going on top of all that and any pictures of the kraziness in between!

Happy, happy, joy, joy