Well, here we are. At home. Yes, I know it’s a school day, but the snow is coming down with great purpose this morning and Eric and I decided that staying at home was the better choice for us. Eric called about twnety minutes after he left to report doing a brisk 20 mph down route 12 and said I had certainly made the right decision (not right enough for him to turn around and come home, but I think making it in on snowy days is a badge of honor for men).

We shoveled twice yesterday. This morning, you can’ t tell. If it’s warm enough, we’ll head outside and do it for Eric before he comes home, but that’s only if it’s warm enough. Right now it’s right at zero. That’s too cold. It’s windy today too.

It is also 66 in Orlando right now. WHile I am relishing the snow, I can say that I can’t wait to be warm and be able to get out of the house. We’re in serious hibernation mode here.

Emily is prowling around the house, so it’s time for me to go.

The Good News: It’s not pinkeye
The Bad News: It is a stye and it’s uncomfortable.

The Good News: Only five days until vacation
The Bad News:Tomorrow is Monday. Blech!

The Good News: Emily’s finally asleep
The Bad News: It only took an hour….

The Good News: This blog software is sure making my life easier
The Bad news: It’s harder to modify.

Let’s talk about my eye. Woke up yesterday morning with a strangly familiar twinge in my left eye. Proclaimed to ERic that I was sure I was getting pinkeye and that today would tell if that was so.

Well, today didn’t tell us it was so and it appears to be a stye! Hope it clears up soon, becuase BOY is it ANNOYING!

For those of you who didn’t know, I now knit. Besides scrapbooking, it’s my favorite hobby. Well and reading. Those three are sort of a three way tie. So far I have knit two scarves, a pair of mittens, a hat, a baby hat and a pair of booties. I have discared another pair of mittens and a really ugly messed up sock.

Currently on the needles are another pair of socks (for me) and a pretty white side to side sweater for Emily. Knitting is just so neat. Emily’s sweater (shown here is knit starting at the right front and will be knit, in one peice, until I get to the end of the left front. The sweater is in three peices, body and two sleeves. I don’t understand why you’d want to knit a sweater another way. There is also a larger version that I just might make for myself once Em’s is done and after I’ve made the felted wool slippers and bag I’ve been dreaming about.

Scrapbooking: I have made a lot of progress this month. My hope before vacation is to finish my Christmas 2003 album (just 10 more pages). I’d like to have one mini-album done BEFORE starting another. I also have one more page to do on Emily’s 2000-2001 album, which I should get to so I can call that album finished as well.

Books: I am once again trying to read 100 books this year. Last year I sort of petered out and forget to keep track. We’ll see how this year go. I have read five books this month and have antoher one in the works. I have discarded two due to “lack of interest”. Disobedience by Jane Hamilton and, oddly enough, Little WOmen. I remember loving this book as a kid, but I can’t get into it right now. My list of “to read’ books is over 100 at this point, so something has to give.

Recipes: It’s a week of repeats as we use up before vacation.

Hooray! I’m unsure of the exact finished length, but it should come to her waist if hung around her neck, which is probably perfect. She wears a short jacket and while I considered making it longer, I didn’t feel it would look right with a short coat. I’ll see my mom in a few weeks and might give it to her to give to Jolene early, along with a copy of this. She is teaching herself to play guitar. Both electric and acoustic. I’m jealous!

In any case, here’s the finished project…

More work being done on Emily’s two needle socks. The knitting is going very slow. I suspect I’m up to about 5 inches and after mesuring her last night think the socks need to be 12 inches, so just about half way there. Today isn’t a “knitting” day (though I did knit at the hospital while waiting for Eric during his bone scan). I also cast on the remainder of cha-cha to try and make a thin scarf for me. Decided that the colors looked cute up against my coat and it’s a shame to waste the yarn, so I’m going to see if it’ll work out to be long enough with about a half of ball of leftover. If not, no biggie. I can tear it out and buy another ball or just start over and gift that scarf to Emily.

In boring un-hobby related news, I have spent the majority of today cleaning house. Weee. With Eric being off for two weeks, it’s been long an enlongation of the holidays and the house was trashed. I still have to clean upstairs (you wouldn’t believe that mess that is Emily’s room) but laundry is all caught up and the downstairs is sparkling again. It’s so much more comoftable to be in a tidy house.

AND the weekend isn’t over. Am about a ball and an eighth through the Cha-Cha scarf and am about three inches in on Emily’s first two needle sock. No new projects planned as of yet . I’m too lazy to deal with the camera, so no pictures of either project at this time

No new up-coming projects to report on as of yet either. I’m actually happy right now becuase there is such a differece between the yarns, gauges and patterns that I’m using right now. Both are free form knitting, really, I just knit somethig simple until I’m done and then finish it off. That makes for simple, portable knitting, for sure. I brought Jolene’s scarf with me to the MIL’s last night and worked on it while Eric, his mom, aunt and uncle were doing Genealogy stuff that I lost interest in. The two needle socks have been a car project that I finally brought into the house and will take one or the other along with me when we go for Eric’s bone scan tomorrow. Also, the differencebetween the eyelash yarn and regular old worsted yarn is huge as well and the gauge is so different. I’m knitting Em’s socks on since 5 needles (thinking about frogging and moving to threes, but I really need to see how these fit first) and Jolene’s scarf is on 11’s.

I think making the promise to work through what I have before buying more is a good thing. Not as fun, of course, but I tend to be a stash accumulator. For instance, you should see my scrapbooking supplies. I’m on a spending freeze until I can work through my stash o’ paper. I have too! I’m out of room to store it and I certainly don’t want my knitting projects to get that out of control either.

is back on the needles. As I noted yesterday, I ripped the entire scarf, rewound it and decided to start again. I am being super careful and counting every row as I tend to want to add stitches with this yarn. So far, so good. I’m probably three inches on. Only 69 more to go! I also did some work on Emily’s two needle socks today and yesterday and are about three inches in on those as well. I’m afraid they’ll be too big, but I have to finish one before I’ll know for sure.

Was nearly drawn in by some Lion Brand Polar Spun at the store today. I’ve been eyeing the yarn for a while, but had no idea what I would make with it. I really want a fun scarf to go with my new coat, but I don’t think Polar Spun is it. I’m still leaning toward Boa.

In other non-knitting, but still craft related knows, today is a “scrapbook” day. I do assign days to work on crafts. I know I have a problem, but I have to divide the time as have two hobbies that I adore and feel this is the best way to approach the system right now. I have three albums (a matter of about 20 pages) that I want completed by February. And another, oh, five or so I’d like to have completed by the end of the year. We’re hoping to have another baby in the next year or so and I’d really like to be caught up with all of the old stuff before a baby comes to distract me.

In non-knitting, non-craft related news, we took our Christmas tree down today. I get so depressed doing this. I freely admit that Christmas wasn’t much fun for me this year, bu the taking down of the tree is just the END of CHristmas and I hate that. Mostly, this year, because it was just NO fun. Between stressing out over getting things done (and Eric trying to attempt to convince me that they don’t matter) and the whole cat bite thing on Boxing day, it was just an unfulfilling season for me this year.

ANYHOW, the taking down of the tree meant vacuuming up needles and we decided today that our old vacuum just wasn’t doing the job anymore. The damn hose gets clogged so easily meaning I spend more time digging out pine needles with crochet hooks and (gasp) my knitting needles (there really is no other way to get them out) then I do vacuuming up the mess. We got a newer, stronger, smaller,vacuum and I’m thrilled with it. It did such a nice job. I suppose we should probably clean house tomorrow and use it on the whole thing.

I haven’t wrote at length yet about Eric and the cat bite. On Christmas morning Eric’s mother’s cat attacked him, bitting his right knuckle. It sounds pretty simple, but he ended up with a roaring infection and went into the Hospital on the 26th and stayed two days. The darn infection was streaking up his arm in less then twenty four hours. The hospital puts him on two antiobiotics and his hand is so sore and swollen that he can’t work (he’s a network engineer).

After a week or soreness and being swollen he went back to the doctor who ordered two more weeks of antiobiotics (which cause a problem in that they swell his hand up and cause more pain) and a triple phase bone scan to rule out infection in the bone. If he does have infection, it will mean surgery to have it scraped (blah!) out. Poor guy. Needless to say, he’s home this week as well and probably feeling a little stir crazy as he is NOT a homebody.

To those who left kind comments yetserday, thank you! :o)

In opening news, I have completely frogged my sister’s scarf. The eyelash, while knitting quickly, somehow convinces me to pick up stitches and the scarf was a good, inch or two wider in one spot than planned. Eric kept saying it looked fine, but today, after thinking a bit, I ripped the whole thing out and decided to start over AND be more careful. I think I’ll also slip the first stitch of the a new row as opposed to knitting it as I seem to get a better edge when I do that. I’m a bit disappointed as I had about a ball and a quarter knitted up, but I can’t let it be completely imperfect (I can deal with a few fairly invisible mistakes, but I can’t let something so huge go) and so, little sis will have a perfect Cha-Cha scarf instead. It’s more than a month to her birthday, so I should hit my mark in plenty of time. If I’m afraid of running close, I’ll take it with me to WDW at the end of this month for plane and room time knitting.

Am also having to re-work the two needle socks I’m making for Emily. I ended up frogging the two or three rows I had already knit this afternoon and started over. I was concerned about them being too wide for her and dropped a stitch I didn’t feel like picking up (I was in the car, and it was easier to frog then to wait).

I bought Knit Christmas Stockings by Gwen Steege before Christmas and Eric and Emily and I went through to pick out what we wanted to day. Eric picked out the very simple Lodge Stocking (at least, I hope to goodness it’s simple) and I picked out the Star pattern stocking towards the end of the book. Emily, of course, picked out the Snowman stocking, which is the very first (and a most complicated looking pattern) in the book. I might tweek the colors a bit as I don’t like the limey, olivey green color used at all. I know it’s not MINE, but it DOES have to hang in my house

I’m dying to buy some new yarn and needles, but am now on a spending freeze until after our vacation. Bummer. I did get Eric to agree that if I use up what i have I can buy early, but that will never happen. I have several skeins of yarn at home right now, gray bernat,(two needle socks for me) yellow bernat(just about anything I can make for Emily), blue sugar and cream(unplanned), red heart light ‘n lofty in three colors(one to finish off Eric’s second sock, one for a puppy puppet and one now unplanned), a small ball of green(swatch bunny), a ball of white dk(unplanned), a ball of red worsted(unplanned), an untouched ball of white with gold dk(unplanned), a ball of blue and white (unknown weight-unplanned, but I will probably knit up baby stuff and mail off to a charity knitting group) and I think that’s it. But, as you can see, my chances of getting anything knew before March is slim to none. Too bad as I’m ready to start something knew!

I also froget to mention the two skeins of cha cha, but they are accounted for. I’m just dying to get into some more luxurious yarns. I know I have good things here for a first time knitter, but when, for instance, I read Rob’s blog at threabear, I go just about CRAZY. I WANT NEW YARN!

Okay, rant over. I think I’ll be putting together a new blog tonight. I tired to set the goal of reading 100 books last year. I feel off the wagon, but thought I’d try again this year. I have a gather of great books I’m taking home with me tonight (lucky, me, I work at a library) to get started. Two by Kaye Gibbons, one by Elizabeth Berg, one by Jane Hamilton, one by Susan Monk and one I can’t recall. The Gibbons and Berg titles are pretty small, but I’m looking forward to trying to achieve this goal.

That’s right. We had a “winter” storm. It started snowing here about noon yesterday afternoon and snowed like crazing until evening. It also snowed some this morning-great big flakes! I know most people aren’t crazy about snow, but I love it. The only bad thing is, it’s very cold, so the snow is very dry and very unsnowmanlike, which is a tragedy as far as Emily is concerned.

I think I knitted way too much over the weekend. My wrists and fingers are sore today, but today is a knitting day on the schedule and so I’m knitting slowly anyway. I haven’t knitted much today, just a few rows on Emily’s scarf that I was hoping to have done tomorrow, but I will not after all.

Also did some more rows on Jolene’s scarf last night. If I have time to sit down at it, I should be able to finish it this week. Hooray! One thing less to do in Feb, which is good as we live for Disney World on the 31st of this month. I can hardly wait. I was also happy to find out that knitting needles are no longer considered contraband on airplanes now, so that should give me something to do on the way down and back (as well as something portable to do in the hotel room at night). I think, though, at the rate I’m going that I’ll need to come up with a project.

I am thinking of removing the yellow sweater from the list and doing some two needle socks for Emily instead. While I’m not opposed to making her a sweater, I have suddenly developed an aversion to a a sweater in school bus yellow. She looks so much prettier in other colors–that and I dislike school bus (and most shades of) yellow. Call me selfish. I think it’s awful nice of me to have tolerated the fact that Eric came home with a school bus yellow coat for Emily anyhow. Of course, I did send him, alone, to buy the coat.

Tonight’s a work night-boo and hiss. I have enjoyed the short weeks that have surrounded the holidays.

Added More
Okay, so I ended up frogging all of Emily’s scarf. It felt so…I don’t know….tight for a scarf. T he darn thing plopped instead of flowing. I think I’m going to go back to my sister’s scarf, finish it and knit Em’s scarf on the 11’s as well.

I used the frogged stuff to start a pair of yellow two needle socks for Em instead, so the socks will be moved to the WIP and the scarf will be moved to the waiting list. However, one of these days I swear I’m knitting something for me.

I bought a new coat today in bright red. I have recently found a fondness for red and I think it might deserve a scarf knitted in the “boa” line of yarn, in white, of course, would be divine.

I’m going to bring Jolene’s scarf in to my co-worker tomorrow night. She expressed interest in a similar scarf and I said I’d love to make it. She offered to pay me, but I probably won’t charge for more than the yard. I love doing the work.

If you look to the left you’ll noticed that there has been movement in my FO/WIP list. I was so worried about finishing Emily’s bright yellow mittens before she started back to school, so I brought my knitting in from the car and went to work on it. Here is the happy, chocolate-faced girl modeling them.

You’ll also notice that my sisters “Crazy” scarf has moved from being a planned object to a WIP. I found some Patton’s Cha Cha at Michael’s last night and the colors are just SO my sister that I picked up some size 11 and two skeins of the yarn. I was a little worried that the eyelash would be hard to work with, but it’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it. I did have a nightmare last night due to a dropped stitch, but overall it looks pretty good.

This is my own design, not that there is any designing. I cast 22 stitches onto size 11 needles and am dong garter stitch. I didn’t see a reason to do stockingette as you’re not going to be able to tell the pattern anyhow. I estimate the length is about three feet or so (haven’t measured) which will put the finished work at about six feet. The perfect length, I think. I know she’ll be thrilled with the gift. She was very excited when I called her and asked her if she wanted one.

However, I think I have over knit the past few days. My fingers and wrists are a little sore. I could sit down and scrapbook, but the snow is so lovely and knitting just seems to add to the overall snow/cocoa/winter atmosphere. Besides, Emily must have that matching scarf by Tuesday. It’s going to be REALLY cold.

I’m starting today off with the Friday Five. I missed last week and wanted to make sure I got this week’s in. So, without further ado…

What one thing are you most looking forward to . . .
1. . …today? At this point, curling up next to Eric, with my knitting and watching American Wedding

2. . …over the next week? Working on my New Year’s resolutions! Starting Weight Watchers on Saturday and the big snow hopefully coming Sunday

3. …this year? I am hoping to see Eric get a new job, which will mean a new house and a new baby. :o)

4. …over the next five years? The further success of my spouse, the growth of my children and my return to school to finish my degree

5. …for the rest of your life? Lots of happiness with Eric and the health and happiness of my children and family. Nothing means as much to me as their health and happiness. I look forward to growing old with the love of my life, successful in our endeavors at raising our wonderful children

What a nice bunch of things to think about.

Continued working on Peanut’s mitten during our trip the store. I have to bring the yarn, needles and pattern in from the car. The 1×1 ribbing, while slow, is pretty mindless and I should be able to knit and watch American Wedding with Eric tonight. I turned out one good mitten about two mittens ago, so I’m going to closely follow the pattern and rip if I have to.

I also think Emily’s ribbed hat will need to be redone. I stopped knitting too soon and then sewed it funny. I don’t know it’s fixable, but it didn’t take long, so I can certainly re-make it.

As I mentioned, I am chomping at the bit to take on more projects, but I am holding back an really wanting to get the work done that i have planned and started.

Finally got some knitting done today. Just a little bit, but every little bit counts. I finished the first 1.5 inches on the cuff of Emily’s first mitten. I have ripped out this tiny bit of work about 15 times. I had been cranking along on it fairly well when I noticed that I must have fallen asleep on the pattern for a row or two. The pattern calls for the first stitch to be slipped on then follows in a 1×1 ribbing. Again, must have knit the first stitch as the rib is all mucked up. Try to frog in the car, which just makes a mess. I think I’m on my fourth cast on for just this little inch and a half! Ugh!

I wanted the darn things done before Emily started back to school, which is now in four days and don’t know if I’ll make it in time

Am also trying hard to restrain myself. I really want to buy some circular or dpn to make socks with! I really want to learn how to do this. I’m longing to make a pair of fuzzy feet. However, I do need more time doing simple projects. I always want to jump into hugely advanced techniques as soon as I can and that just puts me off completely. The projects I have lined up right now are very doable for my skill level and hopefully by the time they’re done, I’ll be ready to move on. I do have patterns for two needles socks–one of which is already completed, so it’s not like I’m totally out of the sock making game. As you can see by my list of projects, I shall be quite busy and am seriously considering knitting my sister a cool scarf for her birthday in February.

Anyone else have a long list of New Year’s resolutions? I have the usual things–losing weight, getting organized, etc. I also am going to add a “learn to do something new” thing this year. I have a wonderful keyboard collecting dust under the bed that I have no clue how to play. I’m going to learn this year. I also want to return to speaking Spanish and German and getting to some point of conversationalist with them as well. Thank goodness I work at a library and have all these things on hand.

Craft wise, I have also managed to do four scrapbook pages this weekend. I have been longing to sit down with my needles and knit myself to a lower stress level, but this week, I just wanted to see some results. Four scrapbook pages seem larger in volume then the knitting I could have convinced myself to do.