Friday!

Here is one of the items I have been working on lately.  It is all my own design.  I have not written it down.  I guess I should do that.  Not that I will ever make another one like it.  I started out with a granny square, and deviated a little bit.  I got bored and in my boredom, I created other rows to give it some interest.  It is a one of a kind blanket. 

This one will be lap size only, I am not going bigger.  Pretty much the red will have 4 rows and then I will finish it off with a dark blue edging.  Probably single crochet.  Nothing fancy. 

The yarn used in this blanket is Willow Wash, 100% acrylic.  I know, I have said time and again that I hate acrylic but, this stuff is amazing.  Yep, I am saying it.  It is soft and doesn't make my fingers peel like other acrylics out there.  You know the one I am talking about.  It is harsh, it is nasty and it is cheaper. 

I have to fight the cats and the dogs away from my blanket.  They are thinking it is theirs.  No, it is mine! 

This one has been fun.  After I finish it, I have plans to work on more socks.  I am currently working on a new pattern and it is fun but, the yarn does not do it justice.  I will have to change to a solid colored yarn to show the pattern off.  I have plenty of sock yarn so, this isn't a problem at all. 

One good thing about being a knitter and crocheter, I will be warm.  My family and friends will be warm. 

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful weekend. 

One Project Almost Complete! Yippee!

I have been crocheting away over here and I am almost finished with my item.  I can't tell you what it is since several people read this blog and they will find out what it is.  It is a surprise and it is a Christmas present.  Just know this, it is almost finished and then I get to start on something else.  I so can't wait. 

The sock is coming along and I have plans to try to finish it this weekend.  Notice, I said try.  I need to go visit my family member in hospice this weekend.  I was going to go today but, I was coughing last night and I woke up feeling lousy.  So, I have to stay away until I am feeling better. 

I wish the headache and nausea would go away.  Ugh!  I put boxes together today for the charity items and I have two large postal boxes ready to be mailed out.  I just need to take pictures of all of the items for the chapter scrapbook.  I also have more items coming in from the ladies at the next meeting. 

Next item on the agenda, wheel chair bags for veterans.  I have to start that project, soon.  I will need them completed by the next meeting.  These bags will go directly to the VA hospital here in Houston. 

Best part of those bags, they are community service hours.  I have 74 community service hours so far.  I am looking to get more. 

I also have a wedding present to create in the near future and the hubby is telling me to move the boxes off of the love seat.  I almost have one box completely cleaned out from the current project.  I can't wait until I am down that one box and then on to the next one. 

Woohoo!  Then I was perusing a yarn site and found a totally cute new afghan pattern.  I might need to order in yarn for that.  Just what the hubby wants to hear.  I have more sock yarn that needs to be knit up into socks.  I am thinking about this one sock yarn that is sitting on the couch.  I found it last night in my yarn stash, it is a blue mix that I painted last year.  I might need to make one of the nieces a pair of socks for her birthday.  I just need her shoe size. 

Back to work! 

House Cleaning Takes a Back Seat to Sock Knitting

Yesterday, I spent my day out at the hospice.  A family member doesn't have long and we are trying to spend as much time as possible with him.  So, instead of taking my knitting as I should have done, I spent the day trying to keep myself entertained and spending time with my family member.  Today, I am supposed to go sit with him again and this time, the knitting will be going along.  I have several projects going right now...what knitter doesn't?  I have to make an afghan for a friend's birthday.  I decided to go ahead and make one since she loves my work and she has been hinting how nice it would be to have one made by me. 

I have a new sock pattern that I am currently writing and working on.  I haven't decided if I should offer it up for free or to sell it.  There are so few good free sock patterns out there.  I know that people want to make money on their patterns but, it is really nice when someone offers up their sock patterns for free. 

I am still trying to work on charity knitting.  I found out the school has 1400 children and there is no way that I can knit for all of them.  I will have to start earlier next year on this project for those children.  I might even choose a new school to knit for next year.  I have to see about this.  There are so many needy children right now that it is very hard to pick and choose which group to send my knits to.  The ladies in the chapter are truly wonderful to help me out with this.  I love that about them so much. 

I managed to hurt myself, again.  Do not ask me how this one occurred.  I managed to pull either a groin muscle or the inside thigh muscle and walking is excruciating.  I have been hobbling along with it.  It sadly is getting worse.  My quad on my right leg is aching since it is having to take up the slack.  I noticed today it is creaking.  I sound like I am 80 instead of 43.  Hopefully, it will heal and I can get back to moving at my fast pace.  I can't stand walking slow, drives me up a wall. 

I have no idea when house cleaning is going to happen since I am out of the house and hurt.  I am going to have to hobble over to the area that needs attention and just plop down on my butt and work on it as best as I can.  I will have to drag myself around on the back end.  It works.  Sadly, it is the best that I can do right now. 

I am also about to start work on another charity project for disabled veterans.  I am racking up those community service hours.  I will be sewing wheel chair bags.  They are really cute patterns and the community service hours will be going to my DAR chapter.  Our chapter will have a lot of those hours this year.  The bags will go to the local VA. 

I have fabric galore so, this will work out nicely.  I need to start cutting out patterns and working on that in my copious spare time.  Ha!  I think that will be after midnight sometime. 

Yeah, I know that should be for sleep but, the way it is going, who needs sleep? 

Stress!

Well, after the family reunion, I was at my sister's house and it was discussed about who would take Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I decided to do Christmas, it will take me that long to get my house in order.  I have yarn every where.  Since I have been knitting charity items, I have yarn hanging around and I have to corral it and get it upstairs into my office. 

I am working on a special project right now that does not have anything to do with charity.  This is a Christmas present.  It should be well received.  I have been working on it for about a week or more.  I lose track of time these days with all that is happening in my life.

One of my family members is being placed into hospice care sometime this week.  He was given only a month to live by the doctors.  Sadly, he was diagnosed only a month ago with his condition.  It has been a hard time for all of us. 

Saturday I am supposed to be going to a reunion for the high school I went my freshman year.  It closed after that year and then I was shipped off to another school.  So, I am going to go to see the school before they tear it down.  Several friends are going to be there and asked if I would come.  I didn't realize I was so popular.  I guess so. 

Life is getting crazy!  I was asked to custom knit a pair of socks for a friend's son.  Right now, I have no yarn to do that.  I need to order some in for the knit.  My hands are killing me.  She also wants it custom painted.  I don't have a problem doing that for her at all.  I just need to know his colors. 

Hopefully, I can finish the item for the Christmas present this next week and then I can move onto other things.  I want to knit myself another pair of socks.  I have some beautiful yarn that I painted that needs to be knitted.  I also want to spin myself some sock yarn.  I have some gorgeous hand painted fleeces to work with.  :) 

We had a cold front blow in yesterday!  I was so excited.  We are only up to 86F out there, instead of our usual 95F+.  It has been really hot here. 

Tonight our low is supposed to be 57F.  OOH!  I hope so.  I have a new blouse I am wearing to my meeting.  I can't wait to show it off.  It is going to look good with my DAR pins. 

Back to Work

Yesterday, I took a day to go shopping with my sister.  I needed a few items.  So, I went ahead and zipped over to her house and she drove.  I had my knitting bag with me just in case I had a time to sit and work on the hat.  It is slow going on this hat.  I still hate the yarn but, I can deal with it doubled.  I can't deal with it at all in the single form.  No way! 

We hit the local craft store for my items and then off to lunch.  We had to pick up my niece from school so, we went ahead and drove over to the school.  She needed to talk to one of the other parents so, she went visiting, I grabbed my knitting bag and started working on the hat.  I still haven't decided if I should make it an elf hat or a regular hat.  I guess I will figure it out. 

I also started working on the family Christmas present.  I am making it this year.  I decided we have enough crap in our lives, why not make something that will work for everyone and be beautiful as well?  So, I am working on that. 

I also noticed I have a huge amount of boxes with yarn sitting on my love seat in my family room.  They are multiplying but, they have yarn in them that will be become something truly wonderful over the next 12 months.  I have plans for that yarn and working with it, keeps me at home.  I like being home every once in a while.  I stay out of trouble if I am at home. 

The hubby had me write down my throw it together chicken tortilla soup recipe.  He asked me what my measurements for the spices were.  HUH?!  I don't measure, I guesstimate.  I don't have time to get out the measuring spoons and measure each item out.  I am an on the fly cook.  He wants to make my recipe, I guess and put it on his computer.  He was kinda freaked out by the number of spices I used on the countertop.  Oh well, that is just the way I roll. 

Yesterday, I went outside since I noticed the pool was on extra early.  Now, I know why our electric bill has been out of this world.  The pool has been running for 10 hours a day.  Holy Smoke!  So, I went ahead and readjusted the timer to 6 hours a day for the Winter season.  I run it all winter long.  Since it doesn't freeze here, there is no point in turning it off.  I let the water keep itself filtered and the dogs love it to drink out of.  Yeah, I know they shouldn't be having pool water but, who is going to stop them?  They think of it as one giant water bowl. I keep it low chlorine during the winter.  Enough to sanitize it but, not enough to over sanitize it.  Just enough to keep anything funky from growing.

I have been in jewelry making mode over here.  I have some really cute pieces and I need to make more.  I have necklaces galore and I have bracelets galore.  I haven't found a venue that will work for me right now but, I am still looking.  I want something close to home.  I don't want to have to haul myself all over the place for this. No way! 

What a Day!

I should have known sleeping in today would cause some sort of freak reaction to my day.  I woke up around 10:30 am which is late for me these days and managed to miss breakfast but, not lunch.  Hubby took me out for Chinese today.  We get home, I decided to go ahead and get the oil changed on my car.  I grabbed my knitting bag just in case there was a line. 

I get there, no line, I am the first car up for an oil change.  Great!  I go to the counter and tell them about the leaking left front tire, would they take care of that, too?  Sure no problem, they would deal with it.  So, I am sitting there knitting and it is hot in the place.  The service manager comes out and tells me that my tires need rotating, they are past due on this...okay go ahead and do it.  So, in walks another woman who wants her oil drained and she is complaining because there are other people in front of her.  So, she starts making phone calls on her cell phone and screaming at someone on the other end in Spanish, the headaches started.  I am trying to be polite and not say anything but, my patience is wearing thin and I gave her a look, she gets up and goes outside with her phone.  Yay! 

So, I am still sitting there working on my current charity knitting project, a hat.  In walks a man who wants his oil changed and his car inspected.  He finds out there is an hour wait.  He isn't happy but realizes that there are several more people ahead of him, he doesn't have a problem with that.  He sits down and starts reading the newspaper.  I am still knitting away, and he asks me what is going on with them today.  I said, well, I am there for my oil to be changed and now I am up to tire rotation.  They finally get to the rude woman's vehicle and they come walking in with her air filter...uh, you know those are supposed to be changed?  Right?  The one off of her truck is thick and black with gunk.  Even the technician is holding it with one hand in horror.  No idea how in the world the thing runs.  I am surprised it can make it out of her driveway.  She tells him to put it back in, the truck runs fine.  How?  So, he explains how she needs a new one.  The sad thing is the air filter was a K&N and they aren't cheap but, she ruined hers.  I guess whomever she bought the truck from never told her what they used for an air filter. 

I looked on line today to see how much it would cost to put a K&N on my car.  $63.99.  It has to wait until I can afford to buy one.  Maybe next pay check.  They are so worth it.  We have one on the Aurora and it is the best thing in the world.  I bought that one.  We have recharged it twice.  Once after a sand storm coming out of San Antonio one weekend, the winds were so high, they were blowing the dirt out of a field onto the interstate.  So, we had to recharge the filter.  We also recharged it when the car hit 100,000 miles. 

So, I finally managed to get my car back and I get a call, they forgot to put the engine cover back on my car.  I had to go all of the way back.  Ugh!  So, by this time, I have a full blown migraine headache.  I decided to stop and pick up some grilled chicken for supper tonight since there is no freaking way that I am cooking at this point.  I stop and tell the girl behind the speaker that I want a 12 piece grilled meal.  She comes back with a 3 piece grilled meal.  No, that isn't what I said.  I told her what I wanted again and she came back with that damn same answer of three piece meal.  Finally I let her know that I would not be buying a damn thing from her since she couldn't get the order right.  I pulled out and I know she was pissed off but, she needs to realize if she can't listen to what I am saying, then I won't be giving them any sort of business.   I came home.