The Wait is On!

The wait is on and here comes snow in the forecast. We are just waiting to see if a snow day is called or not. It's sleeting right now (those lovely little ice pellets) and snow is forcast for on top of it. I don't know if they brined the roads last night or not. If there is a snow day, I plan on working (finishing?) my Crocus Bud socks and maybe even starting a new pair. Like I need a new pair of socks. But my Daddy gave me some money to buy some yarn and I got an absolutely gorgeous sock yarn in a blend of my favorite colors so I am anxious to get started on them. That darn resolution keeps popping up that I made at the first of the year (don't start a new project until the current project is finished, use up some of my stash...oops...forgot that one when I got the new sock yarn....Oh well!). Will just have to wait and see!

Painting Update

Well, we did the Tibetian Red. Mom said it looks good so that is a plus. If you compare to the picture below, you can see it isn't nearly as bright as the first red.

Why do they call it a Sleepover?

My youngest hosted her first "big girl" sleepover with her friends. There were only 4 girls total, but here is a rundown of how the evening went. In less than 5 minutes the bedroom looked like a tornado took a hurricaine on a date on a Tilt-A-Whirl and vomited up the contents of not only a clothing store but a Toys-R-Us too. Then we laughed while pizza got cold on our plates. Then we watched a movie while we kept laughing and rearranging the disaster zone. Then we had brownies, brushed out teeth, had more brownies, more teeth brushing, and watched another movie. We finally fell asleep about 10:30 or so. Then the oldest daughter (who was at her own sleepover at a friend's house) called about mid-night, she wanted to go home. So hubby went to go get her, then turned around to go get the pillow they forgot, then came home and got here about 1:00 in the morning. At about 3:00 somebody had a little scary dream so of course I had to go out and rub a back. No, I don't know which child it was because a) it was dark and b) they moved in their sleep and where they originally started out was NOT where they woke up this morning. Then the alarm (hubby's..not mine) went off at 5:30 so sleep was no longer an option. The kids started waking up at about 6:30 and we were off. And even with the lack of sleep, it was a fun night. The kids played, and played, and played and enjoyed every minute of it.

The Evolution of Communication

For those that don't know me, I am a fan of Johnny Depp. Now, there are some (my husband and family are among those) that might say "obsessed fan" would be a better description, but I beg to disagree. I enjoy his acting and the abilities he has of making a character truly his own. I admire his eccentricity and originality. He is aesthetically pleasing for the female to gaze upon (duh!). He is a devoted father. Just becuase I have posters of him in my office(s). And pictures. And a calander or four. And maybe I've read a few biographys. And he might be the wallpaper on my computers, and the screen savers too. Course I don't have a room that I can devote to him (collection display envy going on here JM). Anyway......I have a friend at work (JM) who speaks the Depp version of the English language. We always know what the other one is talking about. We try to one up each other on all things Johnny. We go see the movies together when they come out. But it struck me today, that the two of us (and a few others that are in the JD fan club) can go on and on and on about him, and nobody else knows what in the world we are talking about. Almost as if we are speaking a secret language. We've gotten our fair share of eye rolls, and the indulgent "I thought you would like/appreciate this", but only those who truly admire his work are able to speak this language and understand when it is spoken.

It's just great to have friends that understand you!

Who Wants Spaghetti?

I would love to know what they really put in macaroni, spaghetti and spaghetti sauce. Not the ingredients listed on the box, nor the ingredients listed in a cookbook. But what they don't mention that they put in there. The reason I wonder this is because of the following conversation I had with my youngest child.

Her: "What's for dinner?"
Me: "Fried chicken."
Her: "Can we have spaghetti?"
Me: "No. You had spaghetti yesterday for lunch."
Her: "What else are we having?"
Me: "Mashed potatoes and brocolli."
Her: "We don't ever get spaghetti and we just had brocolli."
Me:" You just had spaghetti yesterday. And you had it last Wednesday for dinner. And you had it the Friday before at Mamou's. It's been since before Christmas that you had brocolli."
Her: "But you can't put brocolli in spaghetti Mommy."
Me: "No spaghetti. Chicken. Potatoes. Brocolli."
Her: "Can we have macaroni with it?"
Me: (Now close to pulling my hair out) "No. Macaroni is too close to spaghetti. No macaroni. No spaghetti."
Her: "But Mommy, spaghetti is long and skinny and macaroni is fat. Can we have spaghetti tomorrow?"
Me: "AAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Her: "What about macaroni?"

Do any other mom's get this? Am I the only mom singled out by the pasta monsters? Thus, I wonder just what is in macaroni, spaghetti and spaghetti sauce that has gotten my children addicted to it to the point that that is what they want for dinner every, single night. And no, it can't be a frozen spaghetti dinner. It has to be made. On the stove. With 2 pans and multiple splatters of sauce everywhere because they have to help me stir. And of course we have to have bread with it. Thus the second most frequent question from my youngest.

"Can we have baby bread with that?"

He Won, He Won, He Won!

Finally! Granted, it's not the Oscars, but finally Johnny Depp won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd. Being a huge fan, I was really excited when they announced his name and also when they announced Sweeney Todd as the best musical. (If you haven't seen it, it is WONDERFUL...and not just because of JD.) Eccentricity and originality are gifts, and he has them in spades (thank God!).

My Pattern is on a Website!!!

I just checked one of my favorite free pattern websites and my Mini Sock pattern is on there! Yippeee for me! Maybe my Crocus Bud Sock pattern will be on there soon too. If you would like to check it out, here is the link.

http://knittingpatterncentral.com/new_patterns.php

DaVinci is alive!

Well, hubby is at it again. He's working on the ceilings. Plain white (which is what I prefer). He's gotten the hall painted and is working on the girls bathroom ceiling now. Course, the house now smells like paint (from the Killz he used in the bathroom). We are still debating the colors for the walls. I still like the Tibetian Red but we will just have to wait and see.

I worked on a mini sock this morning in my rainbow yarn. Pretty cute, but I was really after an instant gratification thing. I've sort of lost the momentum on the Crocus Bud socks (Second Sock Syndrome). I did get my Crazy Toes & Heels book yesterday and would love to start a new pair of socks, but I made the resolution that no new projects until the current project is finished. So, I either don't do anything, or I get back to knitting my rainbow socks. Course, I could go ahead and finish the rainbow sweater I started for my oldest a while ago (3 years or so?) by sewing up the seams and then coming up with something to edge the jacket front and neckline (it's a cardigan/jacket). And of course I could dig out my Mom's Fat Cat sweater that I started a loooong time ago (10 years or so?), but I'm just not in the mood for intarsia right now. We will see what I end up doing in a little bit.

The girls are fighting over the computer (again). You would think that they would be OK playing on the one in their room, but Oh No. They would rather play on my computer because it is "faster" (their words, not mine). Thank goodness for my laptop! Dobby (the dog) is beside me giving me "that look" and sighing. It's almost as if she is saying "Mommy, can't I play on your computer too?". Maybe she will just lay down and take a nap while I work on my socks. Nice, homey, lazy Saturday thing to do. But 'DaVinci' just came out and asked me to do something so I guess I should.....he's doing all the hard work, the least I can do is wash the vent thingy he just brought out of the bathroom.

Back to Square One

Well....it came out in the wash (so to speak). Hubby told me last night he hates the red paint. He feels like he is living in blood (his words, not mine). So now we have to go back to the drawing board and pick out something else. He wanted to go with gray. Blech. I explained (quite eloquently) that I wanted COLOR. Not neutrals, not beige, not white or off white, but color. And because I am a reasonable person and am willing to compromise, I specified no blue (don't like it, don't go there), no green (too close to blue for my walls thank you very much), I don't want pink or mauve (even though I do like those colors), no gray or black (too dark), no light gray (too close to blue...see above), no yellow (ugh), no pastels (there is a man in the house....can't be super girly), no purple (never did like Barney), no orange (Go UT...but I have a limit), and no sports themes. Sooooo.......I now have a nice "Tibetian Red" (aka..maroonish but darker than the "blood" currently on the walls) that he is getting used to (aka....coming to grips with). Get ready for round 2 of the redecorating/repainting saga.

Pirate Captain Doll Pattern

I've now added a Paypal link for you to be able to directly purchase your own pattern! International buyers please contact me for additional shipping charges prior to purchasing. Thank you!

Free Crocus Bud Sock Pattern (Guidelines really)

Well, I tinkered and piddled, and this is what I came up with. I had a hank of Colinette Jitterbug in Mardi Gras. I tried 3 different patterns and had a problem with pooling of the reds (always on the top of the foot...go figure) so I decided to do a prototype pattern that would hopefully break up the pooling. This is what I got. Now, while I have written patterns in the past, this is really just more of a guideline for those that have knit socks before. While it is an easy pattern, if you are new to knitting toe up socks, it might seem a little daunting. If you find any errors, please let me know!

Crocus Bud Socks

Yarn: 2 balls Colinette Jitterbug in Mardi Gras was used. It is a fingering weight sock yarn, but I didn't use all the yarn.
Needles: Addi Turbos US Size 0 (I used 2 needles)
Construction: Toe Up with Short Row Heel
Made for a US Size 9 Ladies Shoe
Abbreviations used: K (knit), M1 (Make 1), YO (Yarn Over), P3SO (Pass 3rd Stitch Over), W&T (Wrap & Turn), P (Purl)

Cast on 13 stitches to each needle using your favorite cast on method. I prefer Judy's Magic Cast on (instructions can be found on Knitty)

Row 1-Knit around both needles.
Row 2-K1 stitch, M1 by picking up the strand between the stitch you just knit and the next stitch. Knit to last stitch, M1, K1. Repeat for second needle. You now have 15 stitches on each needle.
Row 3-Knit around both needles.

Repeat Rows 2 & 3 until you have 29 stitches on each needle.

Knit 10 Rows without increasing.

When working pattern for the foot, only work the pattern on the top of the foot, continue in stockinette stitch for the sole.

Row 1 of Pattern: K1, *YO, K2* Repeat from * across needle. Needle 2 Knit.
Row 2 of Pattern: *K3, pass the first stitch you knit over the other two. From now on this will be a P3SO. Repeat from * to last stitch. K1.
Row 3 of Pattern: *K2, YO. Repeat from * to last stitch, K1.
Row 4 of Pattern: K1, *K3, P3SO, repeat from * to end.

Tips: If you have 1 stitch with a space then 2 stitches, you are ready for a Row 1. If you have 2 stitches with a space and then 2 stitches, you are ready for a Row 3. When working your K3's, your second stitch (middle stitch) will be in the YO's of the previous row.....so if you have 1 stitch & a YO, you are ready for Row 2, If you have 2 stitches and then a YO you are ready for Row 4.

Now, work your sock until you are about 1.5 inches from the heel. I happened to work 17 rounds of the 4 row pattern. I ended by working Row 4 and pausing using Needle 1.

Time for the heel ! (Work on Needle 2 only)
Row 1: K to last stitch, W&T
Row 2: P to last stitch, W&T
Row 3: K to stitch before last wrapped stitch, W&T
Row 4: P to stitch before last wrapped stitch, W&T

Repeat Rows 4 & 5 until you have 7 unwrapped stitches between wraps, ready to work a knit row.

Row 1: K to first wrapped stitch, knit along with wrap (unwrap it), W&T next stitch.
Row 2: S1, P to first wrapped stitch, purl along with wrap, W&T next stitch.
Row 3: S1, K to first double wrapped stitch, knit along with both wraps, W&T
Row 4: S1, P to first double wrapped stitch, purl along with both wraps, W&T

Repeat Rows 3 & 4 until you have 1 wrapped stitch on one side. You will work the wraps on the first round when you work that stitch.

Resume working in the round starting with the row you left off at (mine was I had finished a Row 4 so I was ready for a Row 1 of the pattern).

On both needles work pattern stitch as written. This gives you a K1 at the sides to reduce the chance of ladders, while still keeping the pattern (mostly) intact. I worked 20 of the 4 row repeat.

Cuff: Work in K1, P1 ribbing for 10 rows (on Needle 1 it is K1, P1, on Needle 2 it is P1, K1)

Picot Bind Off: *Insert right needle into first stitch, YO, pull through and place on left needle. Repeat. (You have just casted on or added on 2 stitches).

Cast off/Bind off 4 stitches.

Place the one stitch from the right needle back onto the left needle and repeat from * around.

Weave in yarn end.

Note: My sock ended up being a little too big in the ankle, but fits the calf nicely and I think that it will probably shrink a little w/ washing and blocking, but I don't know for sure since I haven't even finished with the second sock yet and therefore haven't washed or blocked them yet. Please let me know what you think and if you notice any errors in the pattern. Thank you!

Free Mini Sock Pattern

Just fooling around w/ a mini sock pattern using 2 circs, toe up, short row heel. Took less than an hour so it was an IG project for sure. Sorry the picture is crummy, but I couldn't get a good close up. It really is kind of cute though.

The formula is as follows:
Small amount of fingering weight sock yarn. Size 1 circs (I used Addi Turbo's)
Using your favorite toe up cast on, cast on 2 stitches on each needle.
Row 1: K into front & back of each stitch (4 stitches on each needle)
Row 2: K
Row 3: K1, M1, knit to last stitch, M1, K1 around (6 stitches on each needle).
Row 4: K
Row 5: Repeat row 3
Work in st st for desired length (I did 12 rows).
Choose heel side.
Row 1: Knit to last stitch, W&T
Row 2: S1, purl to last stitch, W&T
Repeat rows 1 & 2 until there are only 2 unwrapped stitches.
Turn heel.
Row 1: Knit to 1st wrapped stitch, unwrap and knit, turn.
Row 2: S1, purl to 1st wrapped stitch, unwrap and purl, turn.
Repeat until all unwrapped stitches have been worked.
Resume knitting in the round for as many rows as you want (I did 12 again).
Work 2 rounds in K1, P1 ribbing.
Bind off and weave in ends.
Simple huh.

Home Improvement

Last night B painted our hallway. For years I have always stuck with bland, neutral colored walls. But this time I picked a bold, ruby red. He hates it. I want to paint the living room the same shade but he isn't wild about that. Who knows what will happen.

Hello!

Well, this is a first for me. I started this blog mainly so I can post any knitting patterns that I do that I am offering for free (or how to get in touch with me to buy patterns). Will have to stumble my way through figuring stuff out.