COUNTRY JAM!!

Wow, Maggie and I had a great time!! Lots of good music and fun. I can't believe I actually saw Jon Bon Jovi!!!! It was simply AMAZING! I know it is like screaming when you capitalize all the letters in a word, but I don't care! That was my intent. Reba was wonderful and she had Kelly Clarkson with her. Montgomery Gentry fantastic as well as our favorite, Trace Atkins. I bid on a signed guitar from him and we got it. It now has a new home in Maggie's room. I told her that if I find that on the floor in a messy room, it will become mine. We'll see how long the room stays clean. I'm guessing a few days.

Patrick's team took second in the baseball tournament. He did very well again.

I am so tired, so I am off to bed to read more of my new Harry Potter book and get a good night of sleep. Happy knitting!!

Okay, I was going to post pictures, but the kids used my camera and the battery needs charging! Ugh!

I am working on my June pattern from the Rockin' Sock Club.
Instead of using the yarn that came with it, I am using Crystal Palace Panda Cotton in the Caribean Blue color way. I love the yarn that came with my pattern, but the pattern is a bit busy and I wanted the work to show up. I will probably use the STR yarn for just a basic stockingnet stitch sock.

I am thinking of signing up for the Master's Knitter program. Anyone out there done it? Do you recommend doing it? Cindi at YDK has done it so I know she will be a help if I decide to go for it.

I won't be posting for a few days because Country Jam starts tomorrow. I will be going with Tom tomorrow and then Maggie and I will go on Friday and Saturday. Bon Jovi will be the headliners on Saturday night!! I can't wait. It is weird that my daughter loves this band as much as I do. I'll have lots of pictures on Monday.

Have a great weekend all and Happy Knitting!!

Okay, I just checked Shelly's blog and she is having a contest. Go on over and read the details and you may win some yarn and a book.

You have got to hear this. It made me cry!! Did you check it out? How amazing was that little girl?

My wrists, elbows, and shoulders are so sore from too much knitting. I forgot to take pictures of the baby pants I made to go with the sweater!! The shower was fun and the gift was appreciated. I hope to get some pictures of the new baby wearing the outfit. He is due on August 9. His name will be Brecken. Isn't that a neat name? Okay, I'm off to bed. Happy knitting!!

We went to see this at 12:01 a.m. on July 11. It was a good movie. We got home at 2:45a.m. I really liked the books better, but the movies are fun too.

I finished the baby sweater and I'll post a picture soon. Off to bed, I seem to be turning into a night owl. I'll have a rude awakening when school starts in Sept.!!! Happy knitting.

Oops, I forgot the picture!!

Monkey socks are finished!! Yipee!!!~ Yes, they are only ankle socks, but I was tired of working on them. I guess I just didn't feel the love that a lot of the knitters in the blogosphere did. I bound off too tight though, so I need to redo that. I am working on a baby sweater, so hopefully I can post a picture of that by Sunday. My great nephew is coming to stay with us tomorrow, so I'm not sure how much knitting I'll get done. He will be four at the end of this month, and we can't make it to his party because we have a wedding. I bought an ice cream cake from Culver's so we will have that tomorrow along with giving him his gift. He is so cute and funny!! I helped my niece when she was in labor and saw him being born. What an experience. I can't believe that was four years ago already. Have a good weekend and Happy knitting!!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY AMERICA!!!

I have no new knitting news to share. Maggie is finished with softball. Her game last night ended because of lightning and rain. They were playing a very good team, and were only behind by two runs. It was sad to end the season this way. We have two nights off from watching baseball and then Patrick has a tournament this weekend. One game Friday night, two on Saturday, and one on Sunday. I hope to get some knitting done while I watch the games.

Maggie had some friends over yesterday for swimming, so now today Grant wants to have some friends over to swim. I guess that is only fair, but I have so much housework to do. It is hard to get the inside work done when I am outside supervising the pool. I know, it sounds like I am complaining about sitting around the pool, I am fortunate that we have one in our backyard. It is just difficult to get all my other jobs done during the day when we are out in the pool. Maybe I need to chill a bit and get over it. It will get done sometime.

Well, thanks for reading. It wasn't a very exciting post today. Happy knitting!!

Thursday Maggie and I took a kool-aid dyeing class at The Yellow Dog.
This is Maggie with her yarn.
This is my best friend Chris. She took the class with her grandchildren, Andrew and Robert. She also brought her daughter, Kaitlinn. We had so much fun. We also made our own knitting needles. Cindi was very patient with all of us.
I think I will try and dye some yarn with Patrick. He would enjoy this. He was suppose to take the class with us, but his big brother gave him a hard time about it, so he didn't come with.
We had a baby shower at my sister's house yesterday and Maggie and I ended up staying overnight. I didn't sleep very well, so I am off to bed. Happy knitting!!

FINISHED SOCK AND REALITY CHECK

This is the first sock made from the yarn I got from Shelly.
Isn't it cool yarn? It was fun the see the stripes come alive. I bought some sock blockers from The Loopy Ewe .
I don't like how my legs and feet look in pictures, so I thought this would be a nice way to show my socks that I complete. I may have made the sock a bit too long, but it's okay with me. I'm just glad I finally have a completed object to share with you. Now to explain the reality check part of the title.

I heard from the technical school about starting the sonographers program. Guess how long the wait is to get into the program....Fall of 2010!! That is if you have the classes needed just to get on the waiting list. I probably would need a few classes first, so we are looking at getting into the program in 2011. Then two years for the program. Now, I am not a spring chick, and this is the first time I have really thought about being a middle aged woman. By the time I finished with all the schooling, I would be 49 years old. Not very likely to get a job, huh?! Even though my body feels middle aged sometimes, I guess I never really gave my age much thought. When I get together with my friends, I still feel like a kid. I graduated from college 20 years ago and will be going to my 25th high school reunion in August. After I got the phone call, I was pretty bummed. My kids will be in college in 2011 and 2012. Patrick will graduate in 2015. We didn't budget for me to go back to school, so I guess I won't be.

I am okay with not going to school, what I am not okay with is the reality of being a middle aged woman. I need to process this. How could I not have thought about my age before now? It's weird, but I never really did. Birthdays have come and gone and I just keep on going. Being out of the job market for 14 years never really came to mind until now. I guess the best thing I can do now is try to enjoy my choice of being a stay at home mom, with teenagers!! It is just another chapter in my parenting book. I'll have to let some of the crap that my son says to me just roll off my back and try to not let it hurt my feelings. I've decided that I can just take a time out for myself when he gets to me. I'll remove myself from the stress(if possible) and hopefully that will make the tense moments a bit easier to deal with.

Well, my hands are sore from the marathon knitting I did today to finish the sock. I'm going to take some A*v*l, and go to bed. Tomorrow Maggie, Patrick, and I are taking a class at
The Yellow Dog.
By friend Chris and her daughter and two grandsons are taking the class too. We will be making our own knitting needles and dyeing yarn with Kool-Aid. It will be fun!! Happy knitting!!

New Look

Do you like it? My neighbor, Patrick, helped me with this. He is wonderful with computers and didn't mind helping this old lady with her blog. We had fun trying to figure out how to make these changes and I can tell you that I learned quite a bit. We may do some tweaking in the future, but for now, this is what y'all get.

No new knitting news, but I will post some pictures later of the socks I am working on with the yarn I bought from Shelly.
She has ventured into the world of yarn dyeing. Check out her stuff, it is really nice yarn. It is soft and fun to work with. I am making just basic toe-up socks. She sent me a pattern of hers in with my purchase. She wound the yarn into skeins too. What service!! Go buy some yarn from her.

I need to get to bed. Happy knitting!

I've made a decision to try and go back to school. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, but I don't want to go back to teach. I tossed around the idea of Cosmetology, but after talking with my hubby and a neighbor, I have decided to look into being an Ultrasound Tech. I am going to go to our local technical college to see about enrolling. What has prompted this idea?
Well, it is hard being a stay at home mom sometimes. I don't like having to ask my husband all the time about purchasing stuff. I want a Hybrid car and hubby isn't too sure about that. If I have my own income then I could make the payments and not worry about it. Yes, we both agreed when we had our kids I would stay home, but I feel like a little kid asking my parent for money. I've heard many people say, "well it is your money" together, but really come on, he has the paying job and I don't. Yes, I work hard, but don't bring in one cent to this household. My kids are older now, and why not go to school while they are in school? My oldest child said a really nasty thing to me yesterday, and I have had it. This is what he said when I kicked him out of the pool for not following the rules, "Kiss my A...."! I was shocked! I have never, nor would I ever talk to my mom that way.

I'll just have to see if I can get into the program. Happy knitting!!

SUMMER VACATION

This was the first weekday of summer vacation. We all slept in and it was wonderful. The kids spent some time in the pool and I read. I didn't look at the calendar, and oops! Maggie had a game tonight. We arrived 10 minutes late, but at least we made it. They won and that was nice.

Gracie seems to being doing okay. She is walking normal and is eating and drinking enough. I have gotten creative when it comes to giving her the required medication. She seems to like vanilla yogurt the best. I am just going to keep hoping she will beat the odds and be with us for several months. We go back to the U of M on Wednesday afternoon.

I did work on my Monkey socks yesterday and I am almost finished. Work continues on my blanket too. Well, it is late and I need to get up early tomorrow to drive to Somerset for Maggie to get a manicure, pedicure, and hair cut. (all part of her birthday present) Miss Maggie turned 13 yesterday!! I have two teenagers now. What fun!???? Happy knitting!

Update on Gracie....she has congestive heart failure. We probably only have two months with her. We are giving her medication to try and get the fluid out of her lungs, so next week we'll see if it is working. For now I guess it is a waiting game. I am so sad, I just cannot believe we will be losing another pet so soon. We gave her a good life and I am glad we rescued her from the shelter. She is a sweet girl and everyone at the U of M just loved her. If you want, keep sending Gracie good vibes, she could use them. Thanks.

Secret Pal=Wonderful This was in my mailbox yesterday. Sock yarn, Knit Pick needles I was wanting to try, raffle tickets for a quilt in Alaska!!, salad mixers in the shape of claws also from Alaska, yummy candy, and a mug. Thanks Secret Pal. It was just what I needed because........

Gracie
Yesterday when I woke up I noticed that Gracie wasn't walking quite right. She looked awful. I called the vet and was able to get her in within a half hour. They took x-rays and blood work. The vet then sent us to St. Paul to the University of Minnesota Vet Hospital. Maggie and I made the trip over there in about 1 1/2 hours. They took Gracie from us to evaluate her. We didn't see the doctor for about another 1 1/2 hours. Gracie has a clot in her femoral artery which usually causes paralaysis immediately. They can't get a pulse or blood pressure reading in her back legs. They will be doing an EKG tomorrow because they think she has a heart condition as well. It was quite a traumatic day for me. I couldn't get Tom on his cell phone for about 6 hours, finally he called us back while we were waiting for the vet to come talk to us. I know I did the right thing by going over to the Uof M, but the cost is extremely high. Tom and I usually discuss things like this, but I had to make a decision and go with it.

There is a 40% chance she will recover, but of that 40% , 25% will get another clot. I guess we need to wait and see what the results of the EKG are. If you want, send some good vibes for Gracie. When the vet called this morning, he said she was a very affectionate cat. We agree!! I hope she comes out of this okay. We don't know a lot about her because we got her at the Humane Association 2 1/2 years ago. We think she is somewhere between 4-7 years old.

My weekend of doing whatever I wanted didn't turn out the way I was expecting. I did get a little knitting in on Friday night. I watched three movies!! I know, that is a lot, but they were movies I know Tom wouldn't want to see. Go check out the blog at the Yellow Dog.

I have such wonderful friends.

Here are pictures of my sock yarn scrap blanket. I am having a lot of fun making this.
If you want directions on how to make this blanket, check out Shelly's blog. Her blanket is just beautiful. She was kind enough to send me some left over yarn from her blanket. If anyone else has some scraps, please email me at jaciquigleyATcharterDOTnet and I will send you my snail mail address. I figured out it take approximately 8 yards to do a square.

I am working on socks and my sweater. I need to get most of it done by June 19. Wish me luck!! We want to take pictures of all of the class participants to send to Sally Melville. More baseball and softball games this week. Tom and the boys are off to Milwaukee on Friday for two more Brewer games. I am staying home with Maggie because she has a pool/slumber party for a friend that she doesn't want to miss. I was looking forward to going to Milwaukee to shop cuz my birthday is Sunday, but I understand that when you are 13, going to a pool party and slumber party is much more important than your mom's 43rd birthday. Maggie and I have a bridal shower to attend on Sunday as well. I will have the whole house to myself on Friday night. I can't remember the last time I had this whole house to myself for more than a few hours. What should I do? I will get to watch whatever I want on t.v. and knit into the wee hours of the night!!

Well, it is off to bed for me. Happy knitting!!

Tom and Maggie in Times Square, NYC, April 27.
New York City, April 27. Picture taken while waiting for the subway. Gil Rogers
from Guiding Light. He was so nice. He didn't mind having a picture taken with us at all.

I bought myself this wonderful ring last fall, but just got around to putting it up on the blog. I purchased it through Dixie, at The Yellow Dog.

I just love this ring, I never take it off. If you want one, contact Dixie, and she can order one for you. I believe the designer lives in California. We are having a surprise 80th birthday party for Tom's mom tonight and his brother and sister-in-law and son are staying with us tonight. I need to finish folding clothes and wiping down the kitchen cabinets. I love my husband because he is so helpful with the cleaning. He vacuumed the whole house and swept the hardwood floors. I did the bathrooms and kitchen. It goes so much faster when you have help. Mr. Patrick even pitched in this morning to help us. He is such a good boy.

Have a great weekend. I hope to post a picture of my scrap blankie by Monday. I am having fun with it. Go to Shelly's blog to see pictures of her blankie and the inspiration for mine.

(Maybe you have noticed that I have links on my posts now. I just figured out how to do them!! It really wasn't that hard, I just didn't understand the written instructions I had gotten!)

Happy knitting!!

FINALLY!!

I got a picture onto my blog!! This is the wonderful gift I got from my Secret Pal 10 in April!! Sorry it took me so long to post a picture!! I love everything so much!! Thanks Secret Pal!!

We are off to the chiropractor and flute lessons, so maybe tonight I can post some more pictures I have been waiting to share with all of you!! Happy knitting!!

FO, HONEST!!

On the way to Milwaukee I knit Maggie a Calorimetry from Knitty. Can you believe I actually have a finished project?! I know that I am probably the only knit blogger who has just completed my first one, but I was waiting for the perfect yarn. Scout, hand-dyed some to match Maggie's ski jacket. It is perfect for her!! Of course I am still trying to get my picture to load onto photobucket so I can transfer them to this blog, but no luck. I am such a computer imcompetent. We had a nice time, even though the Brewer's lost both games!! They are currently winning, which is nice, but we are home!!!

I am going to work on my Monkey socks and hope to get them "off my back" this week! Then onto the socks from The Loopy Ewe sock club. Happy knitting!!

Again I have no knitting news, except I did wind three skeins of yarn into center pull balls today. That's it, I got nothin' else. How pathetic is this? Where do the days go?

I have decided that I am going to stop working on my sweater for now and concentrate on sock knitting. I have joined the Rockin' Sock Club from BMFA and also the sock club from The Loopy Ewe. I just can't get into my sweater now. I have a good reason, but it is pretty catty and I need to work it through. I know I shouldn't compare myself to other knitters, but this one in particular just takes the fun out of knitting this sweater. I will finish it someday, and I know I will love it.

We are going to Milwaukee again for two more Brewer games. I hope they win. We are staying at a hotel with an indoor water park so the kids are very excited. That is what we will be doing all day Saturday before the game and on Sunday morning. I hope to figure out my new camera and what I am doing wrong. I just can't get the pictures onto this blog!!

Have a good weekend and happy knitting.

No New Knitting...in other words, a bad blogger.

I haven't done much knitting lately. Where does the time go? Miss Maggie tore a ligament in her "good ankle" in phy.ed yesterday!!! Some other student tripped her and tackled her while they were playing "touch" football!!! This same student hurt two other kids before Maggie and was still allowed to continue to play!! I am pretty angry about the whole thing. She will be out of phy.ed as well as softball for another two weeks at least. She is now using crutches to walk. The left ankle that she sprained 10 days ago is better but getting sore using it to support her walking now. I think she needs to take a year off from sports to let herself continue to grow and not get hurt. The dr. thinks she is growing so fast that her muscles and tendons, etc. can't keep up with the bone growth and this makes her more likely to get hurt.

My Patrick turns 10 tomorrow!! I can't believe how fast these past 10 years have gone. All my babies are in double digits now!! Hard to take sometimes. I hope you all have a great Mother's Day (if you are moms). Happy knitting!!

PLAY BALL!!!

We are busy with softball and baseball games. I'm not sure how much posting I'll be doing, but I will try to post at least once a week. I love going to the kids games!! Miss Maggie sprained her ankle last night at practice, so she will be watching her team play for a week. She is so accident prone!! We have a very good relationship with our chiropractors and her orthopedic surgeon!! Every spring for the past 5 years she has had an injury!! Knees, shoulder, wrist, and now ankle!!

I am plugging away at my sweater back and some socks. I am loving the mitered squares for the blankie too!! I hope to post some pictures this weekend. For now, Happy knitting!!

NEW YORK CITY

We had such a good time in NYC! Boy the time just flew by. The seats we were able to get for both the shows were great. We were in the 5th row from the stage for The Lion King and the 4th row from the stage for Wicked. Our friend's son had a walk on role in Wicked and we all just had tears in our eyes while he was up on stage. He is 16 and I know this won't be the last time he is on a Broadway stage!! We all got to go back stage after the show. It was great.

Maggie just loved the city. I may lose her to a big city some day. She really had fun. We did a ton of walking!! We did some shopping as well as sight seeing. We went to ground zero on Saturday morning. We rode the subway on Friday night. While we were waiting for our train, I noticed a man that looked familiar. It was Gil Rogers from Guiding Light and All My Children!! After Tom and Maggie talked me into it, I went over to him and asked if he was on Guiding Light. He said yes, and I was so excited. I told him I have watched that show since I was 5 years old!! He was so nice and we even got pictures taken with him. I'll try and get it posted soon. I am still trying to figure out how to get the picture from my new camera onto the computer. Somehow I get them loaded on but when I try to upload them to photobucket, it doesn't work. My hubby and I went to Tiffany's!! He bought me a bracelet. I am so lucky!!

I wasn't able to check out any of the yarn shops I wanted to. Just too many things to fit into the short trip. We were with 7 other people, and it gets a bit hard to do everything that all of us wanted to do. We may go back next year and take all the kids. The boys were pretty mad that they didn't get to go, (even though they didn't want to when we made the reservations back in December!)

I need to get dinner started. Hopefully I'll have some fun pictures to post tomorrow. Happy Knitting!!

NEW YORK CITY!!!!

Tom, Maggie, and I are off to NYC tomorrow morning!! I can't believe how fast April has gone! The boys are staying home and my niece is staying with them. We will be seeing The Lion King and Wicked! So exciting. I'm taking some socks along to knit and hope to check out some yarn stores if I am lucky. With the hubby along, who knows!!

Have a good weekend and Happy Knitting!!

OFF FOR THE WEEKEND

We are going to Milwaukee for the weekend to take in two Brewer's games. The kids are very excited. I think we'll try and get to the Milwaukee Zoo tomorrow too. The weather is suppose to be beautiful!! Finally!

I am still plugging away at my sweater back, and hopefully will be finished in time for class on Tuesday. I have started a mitered square blanket too, and is that ever fun!! I made a Crayon Box Jacket a few years ago, and I get a ton of compliments when I wear it. These mitered squares are addicting.

If anyone out there in blogland has any sock yarn bits and pieces that they would like to donate to my blanket project, you can email me at jaciquigleyATcharterDOTnet and I will give you my snail mail address. I would appreciate it very much. Check out Shelly's blog to see the inspiration for this project. The link is at the right of my post. I am still trying to figure out how to make links in my posts, again, I am a bit of a computer incompetent. I think I have come a long way since I started blogging six months ago!!

Well, I'm off to finish up some laundry and get packed. Oh yeah, I forgot one other thing! Send good thoughts for my oldest son. He has been struggling with some issues and he isn't gaining weight but losing!! He has lost 12 pounds! At 5'8" he only weighs 95 lbs. We are taking him off one of his medications to see if that helps, seeing another doctor today before we leave, and just trying to get him to eat high calorie foods. Keep us in your thoughts, I would greatly appreciate it.

Have a good weekend and Happy knitting!!

This is the sweater I have been working on. I need to finish the back by April 24 which is when the next class meets. I like how it is turning out. I am also working on my Monkey socks. I'm glad that I started over. I am enjoying working on two socks at once. Scout's yarn is great for the Monkey pattern! Maybe I will be able to post a picture sometime this weekend.

Patrick has baseball practice tonight and Maggie has softball practice on Sunday, so I can get some knitting in while they are on the fields with their teams. The sun is shining and we got above 50 today!!! I hope we don't get anymore snow this spring!! I am so ready to open up the house and get the warm fresh air in here!! Happy knitting!

Secret Pal 10

I got my package today from my secret pal. This is the first time I have done secret pal. I also bought a new camera today, and the battery is charging, so I will post a picture of my wonderful goodies as soon as I can. I got a cute Easter Bunny toy, some great smelling lotion, a wonderful skein of sock yarn, and a cute matchbook flower garden. You take the "match" sticks out and plant them! Isn't that a cute idea? Thanks SP10 for all my wonderful stuff.

The kids and I just got back from seeing "Blades of Glory". We all thought it was hilarious!! Some parts were a bit over Patrick's head, which I am glad!! If you like Will Farrell then you will love this movie!! Tom went to Milwaukee yesterday with some friends to attend a Brewer's game at noon today. He called and said it was freezing down there!! We had snow this morning!! It think it is colder for Easter than it was at Christmas!!

Okay, so I ripped out my Monkey sock and started over. I have cast on both socks and am going to do the pattern toe-up on size 0 Addi's. Hopefully I will like the fit. Size 2 was just too big, so maybe I will do size 1 for the calf part. Pictures to follow soon!!

I started my STR sock and now have one complete toe. I am waiting for my Addi #00 to come in so I can work on the sole and instep. I did start yet another sock, Monkey, from Knitty. I am using some yarn that I got from Scout's Swag. I worked it on size 0 but ripped back to the ribbing and now am working on size 2's. I don't like to swatch for socks, since the amount of time swatching can be used to just make part of the sock and rip back if I need to.

Do I have a problem? What do you think? ALL I WANT TO DO IS KNIT!!!! I hate housework!! I would rather leave dishes in the sink and go knit while the kids are at school!! I find that when they are home and working on homework or watching their t.v. shows, then I feel like working in the kitchen and folding laundry. I make a terrible housewife!! Oh well, hubby is very helpful with the chores around here, he actually likes to clean!! I think I will just let him so I can knit more!!!

Hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend!! Happy knitting!!

I delivered the finished baby sweater today. I didn't take a picture, but the twins mama told me she would take one for me. I don't think the girls will be wearing them until this fall!! They are 8 months old and are still peanuts!! They weigh around 15 pounds. Maggie and I had fun seeing them and watching them roll around. I started my socks for the STR club last night. The colors aren't my favorite, but I need to go outside the box and that is why I chose to sign up for this sock club.

I don't have anything else to blog about, so I'll close with Happy knitting!!

FINISHED MITTENS AND A NAUGHTY PUPPY!

These are Maggie's mittens that I finished almost four weeks ago. I must get this camera fixed or else buy a new one!!!

Mr. Todd got into my yarn while I was working on the baby sweater this afternoon!! Did I scold him right away? No, I ran to get the camera!!! I am not a very strict mama!!
Todd and Richie are really good friends. Todd doesn't understand why Richie isn't very playful right now, but the vet said that by this weekend, Richie will be more like himself.

It's Spring!!!

The weather has been beautiful! Yesterday it was in the upper 70's. Today it is also going to be warm! I went to St. Paul, MN yesterday to check out a yarn shop called The Yarnery. It was worth the trip. I got some bamboo double points for my friend Chris, some Cascade 220 to make felted slippers for my hubby, a sock book, Knitting Vintage Socks, by Nancy Bush, and of course some Koigu sock yarn!! Maggie went with me and after the knitting store we met my niece, Joanna, for lunch. She had a birthday on March 22, and I didn't call her!! What a bad auntie I was!! We all had a nice lunch and it was good to see her. I hadn't seen her since Christmas.

Maggie and I then went to Woodbury Lakes to shop for clothes on our way home. We are going to NYC the end of April, and I needed some dressy clothes. The tornado sirens went off while we were there!! No one seemed too concerned, so after Maggie tried on some clothes we went to my sister's house in Hudson to wait out the storm. Nothing serious even happened near us. We got home around 8:00. I really needed a change of scenery and just to get out of the house. It has been a long winter!!

Today Todd and I have been on two walks already!! He loves being outside. We will probably train him for the invisible fence in the next few weeks. He just came into the room with a shoe!! Gotta go!! Happy knitting!

Just a quick post today. Our cat, Richie, is in the hospital!! He was throwing up a lot on Wednesday, so I took him in to the vet. They kept him over night, and ended up doing exploratory surgery yesterday. He had a lot of bleeding ulcers in his stomach and an obstruction in his small intestine. He may have swallowed a string cheese wrapper that he found in one of the boy's garbage cans!! They think he may have Inflammatory Bowel Disease!! They took a biopsy of the stomach and are watching him. He may not come home until tomorrow or Monday. What a way to spend Spring Break!! It had only been three months since Mel died, and I am still grieving so my nerves are not the best to deal with this whole new episode! I love these animals of mine so much. Thankfully we have a very good vet clinic who takes very good care of my furry kids!! We have kept the clinic busy since about October when I took Gracie in for a sore on her neck. It ended up being from scratching at her ear which was plugged with wax and she ended up going under anethesia and having it removed to finding out she had a punctured ear drum. Mel had a yeast infection in his ears over Thanksgiving, died in December of cancer, Kipper had a bladder infection shortly after that, we got Todd and all of the vet stuff that goes along with a puppy, I took him in on Tuesday for a bump on his neck, which is a result of all the vaccination, and then was back with Richie on Wednesday!! My husband told me to ask if they are going to add a wing to the vet hospital and name it after us!! Thank goodness he loves these animals as much as I do, and has a good job!! Okay, enough!!

I am off to the Yellow Dog for some adult time and knitting!!! Have a good weekend. Happy knitting!!

The progress I am making on my sweater is wonderful. I am really enjoying this pattern. I am also working on the baby sweater. My kids are on Spring break this week!! They had dentist appointments yesterday and hair cuts today. We saw the movie Wild Hogs yesterday. We all enjoyed it. I went to Border's tonight to meet with the knitting group out there. I needed some time with fellow minded people!! I don't know if I will have time to blog again before the weekend, so I'll just say happpy knitting to you all now!!

This is my son's favorite day! When he was little, he thought this day was just for him!! The first thing my mom said when she met him hours after his birth was this: " Boy he has a sparkle in his eyes, I think he will be your little leprechaun!" He has lived up to that!! He is such a sweet boy, but has made me wonder at times why he does certain "naughty" things!!

I have been working on my sweater from the class I took on Tuesday. It is Sally's Knitting Bag Sweater from Sally Melville's Color Book. I am really liking how it is coming along. I also want to start my socks from the STR club!! We have been watching the NCAA tournament, and I am in first place in the bracket pool that my hubby has with his fellow workers!! I think it is really funny!! I had no idea what I was doing, but so far so good. There is one guy at the office who is a big know it all, and he is in last place right now. I would just love to finish ahead of him!! I sound really nasty don't I? I am generally a kind hearted person, but this guy rubs me the wrong way.

I hope you all have a great St. Patrick's Day! The Quigley's will be having corned beef with cabbage and potatoes for dinner!! Happy knitting!!

I feel like I have to have pictures everytime I post. Since the camera is acting up again, I haven't been blogging. I have now decided that I can still post without pictures. Maggie's mittens are done!! I started another baby sweater, and pulled out a WIP from last year. I am starting a sweater from Sally Melville's Color Book tomorrow in a class. My sock kit from Blue Moon Fiber Arts came on Thursday!! I can't wait to start these socks!! Too many projects, not enough time!! Happy knitting!!

I finally have another completed project. This patterns is from http://www.gardineryarnworks.com/ and is Karen's Sugar-Free Sock Pattern. I think the yarn is Lush, but I misplaced the ball bands, so I'm not sure. I started another pair of mittens for Maggie to go with her ski jacket. I am also anxiously awaiting my package from Blue Moon Fibers for the STR club. I can't wait to see the yarn and pattern!!
//www.scoutj.com/wanted people to post pictures of their tatoos, so here is mine. I love the Green Bay Packers, so that is why I got this tatoo. Some people get tatooed for sentimental reasons, I just wanted to get one for my favorite football team. Simple as that. I thought about getting one on my shoulder of a hummingbird, just cuz I like them too, but haven't done so yet. Do you see that cute little puppy in the right hand corner? Mr. Todd loves to lick toes and then chew on them!! I love this puppy so much!! He has been so easy to house train. Wednesday we start puppy school with him. I am looking forward to seeing the other puppies in the class.

Well, I guess that is all I have for now. Happpy knitting!!

SECRET PAL 10 QUESTIONNAIRE


1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
wool, bamboo, non itchy fiber, I hate acrylic
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a case similar to a CD case for my needles
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I have been knitting for 13 years. A friend taught me how to knit starting with dishcloths. I would consider myself advanced.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No

5. What's your favorite scent? cinnamon

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Of course, I love chocolate and Haribo Gummy Bears

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I also read and scrapbook, I don't spin

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I love country music.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? Red is my favorite color, but I like fall colors too, rust, brown, greens, gold, purples, blues.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?I have a husband, three kids, two dogs, and two cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Scarves, hats, mittens, no ponchos!!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I love to knit socks and mittens.

13. What are you knitting right now? W0rking on some socks

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I usually use Addi turbo circulars for most of my projects.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes, got these for this past Christmas

17. How old is your oldest UFO? A cabled vest, 11 months old!

18. What is your favorite holiday? I love Christmas

19. Is there anything that you collect? Well, it would be yarn and scrapbooking supplies!!

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I just subscribed to Interweave Knits.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Entrelac(not sure if I spelled it right!)

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes, US woman size 8

23. When is your birthday? June 3

Okay, so I don't have any pictures of knitting to post. I did manage to finish the pair of felted mittens for Maggie's friend and her mom felted them. She is going to send me a picture to post. I am almost finished with my Karen's Sugar-Free socks, so hopefully I can post those in the next few days. I have been a bad blogger, but somehow my knitting mojo just isn't around. I still get pretty tired most days. I look forward to feeling normal again. It has been 4 1/2 weeks since my surgery. I really thought I would have more energy than I do. The weather is terrible and that doesn't help. I think I will just keep on working on socks for now. I did finish a baby sweater that I started last fall. After I had to rip out the sleeve because of a wrong dye lot, I put it away. The girls are getting bigger, and I think it will fit them soon. I have to start the other one, so maybe this weekend that will be my goal. Hope this finds you all well!! Happy knitting!!

These are the beautiful flowers that were delivered this afternoon from my wonderful husband. I love tulips and he usually gets me these every Valentine's Day. I am such a lucky woman.
Patrick made this wonderful Valentine sentiment while I have been reading blogs tonight!
I love this kid!! He is the best!!! Do you see what his shirt says? He can be a stinker at times and I have often heard these words come out of his mouth!! He has been very helpful while I have been recovering from surgery. I am so blessed to have this boy in my life.

I have finished one sock and started a pair of mittens for another one of Maggie's friends. These next pair of mittens are felted and I am using Cascade 220. The recipient is my best friend's daughter. I made Chris some felted mittens last year and Kaitlinn loves them. She asked her mom if she thought I would make some for her. Of course I would!! So maybe tomorrow I will have more pictures. Happpy knitting!!

KNIT MITT KIT SWAP AND FINISHED MITTENS

The first picture is of my kit that I received from Vicki for the KMKS. It contained a beautiful felted bag made by Vicki, Cherry Tree Hill Sock Yarn and mitten pattern, Brittany dpn's, three packs of Orbit gum, and a big bag of Haribo Gummi Bears. Notice that one pack of gum and the gummy bears are missing!! Hubby has the gum and I ate the gummy bears!

This next picture is of the mittens I made for Maggie's friend, Lauren. I used a generic mitten pattern from Yellow Dog Knitting and Rowan Kidsilk Haze and Heilo together. We just had terrible below zero weather and it is starting to warm up some. I guess from Friday sometime to Tuesday we had 82 hours of below zero temps! I should have had these done for Lauren before all that cold hit us..but my surgery knocked me on my arse. I hope she likes her mittens!

The sun is shining today and it looks so beautiful outside! The cold is a bit more bearable. I plan to start on a pair of socks for myself. I will be using some STR that I bought around Thanksgiving. Okay, so I need to go rest. It is amazing how the smallest task makes me tired. Happy knitting!!

I know this is a knitting blog, I just don't have a lot to show right now. I am working on a pair of mittens for one of Maggie's friends. I am using Rowan Kidsilk Haze and Heilo. One is finished and the other will be by tomorrow. I hope to post a picture then.

My nausea and headache are gone!!! Each day gets a little better. I started to feel a bit more like myself yesterday. I just have to take it easy and try to enjoy the fact that I have a reason to lay around and not do too much. It is very hard for me to not be going in a million different directions. This will be a good time for me to reflect and see how and where I can simplify my life. I tend to bite off more than I can chew!! I took three knitting projects and eight magazines plus a novel to the hospital with me!! I really thought that on Monday afternoon I would feel like knitting and reading!! Well, the joke was on me!! I just started knitting on Saturday and have only looked at about 5 of the magazines. I guess it is good to be optimistic!

I need to get to bed. Happy knitting!!

Just a quick post to say that I am home and doing well after my surgery. The worst thing is the nausea and headache that I have been experiencing, so I am just trying to sleep a lot. Thanks Cindy B., for the prayer shawl! Also thanks to Dixie, Cindi, Jane, Sonja, and Erin from YDK for the beautiful flowers. I received other beautiful flowers too, but my mind is a bit mixed up now. Thanks again for all the well wishes. Happy knitting!!

Knitt Mitt Kit Swap!!

I received by package from my swap partner today!! I will take a picture and try and post that tomorrow. Vicki made me a beautiful felted bag and included some Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in the Winterberry color way. Also included was a pattern by Cherry Tree Hill named Supersock Mittens, Brittany #2 double point needles, three packs of Orbit gum, and a package of Haribo Gummy Bears. Thank you so much Vicki!! I can work on these mittens while I recover from my surgery. Again, I'll try to get a picture up asap. Happy knitting!!

Before Christmas I had posted that we were searching for a Nintendo Wii for Grant. Well, yesterday was our lucky day!! Tom got up at 4:30 a.m. and went to Target and stood in line for the "magic ticket"!! I went out there at 6:00 to bring him coffee and a paper. I was willing to trade places with him, but he declined the offer. As a seasoned Green Bay Packer fan, he had all the necessary clothing to keep him warm. He brought home the ticket at 7:15. I went back when the store opened at 8:00 to get the Wii. Grant was so thrilled!! I hope I don't have to buy another game system, ever!! This was too stressful!! We felt like the people from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!! We scored a golden ticket! The boys spent most of the day playing the games that Grant got for Christmas.

I am having surgery next Monday, so today I am going to my pre-op visit with the doctor. I am anxious to have the whole thing done. I know a lot of woman who have had hysterectomies and feel so much better afterwards. I just get a bit nervous about being put under. I will have a whole month to recover and knit which sounds wonderful. I have many friends who have offered help with driving my kids to activities and I am so blessed. My neighbors will come over and let Kipper and Todd out while I am in the hospital. I hope to be home by Tuesday.

I am still waiting for my Mitt Kit Swap package to arrive. The one I sent to Canada made it and from the email I got, she liked everything!! Yeah! I need to go get Grant from school. Happy knitting!!

Am I adorable or what? My mom is letting me post on her blog tonight. I love being in my new home!! Here are pictures of my new furry family! First is Kipper, who is being very good to me. He shows me what to do when we are outside. I love playing in the snow and following him around the yard.
Next is my new sister, Gracie. I love chasing her around the kitchen and family room. She is really fast, and she jumps up onto this neat climbing thing and gets away from me!! I know she loves me though!
This is my other furry brother, Richie. He is starting to play with me. I love to growl and bark at him. He just lays on the floor and bats at me with his paws. I know that we are gonna be wonderful friends. My mom said to tell all of you knitting friends that she has been so busy playing and cuddling with me that she hasn't had much time to knit. I think I saw her working on some Packer socks though. Do you think she will knit me a sweater? It is getting really cold outside here in Wisconsin.
Thanks for letting me into your blogland. Mom says she just loves to read about all of you wonderful knitters and your lives. Someday maybe we can meet!! I need to get to sleep now because I have some cats to chase and I need lots of energy for that. P.S. Mom said to tell you all Happy Knitting!! Love, Todd

Still no pictures!

There have been a lot of pictures taken of Todd, I just don't have any on a CD to load onto the computer. Hopefully by this weekend I can post some. He is a great puppy and we are having a lot of fun with him.

He's here!!!!

We picked up our puppy on Saturday!! Todd is so cute and soft!! I haven't knit a thing since the puppy arrived, but have had lots of fun cuddling and playing with him. He slept in his kennel on my bed the past two nights and has slept all night. His potty training is going well too, we just have to watch him and look for the signals. This morning he went to the door and cried to go out!! I am so proud of him. For those of you who are reading this and not much of a dog lover, I know I sound a bit wacky, but I can't help it!! I adore this little bundle of energy!!

My camera has major problems, i.e. hard drive or some such thing, so I will try to get some knitting pictures on here as well as a few of the puppy, as soon as I figure something out with a camera. I did start a pair of mittens for one of Maggie's friends, and also a pair of socks for me. Happy knitting!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Tom and I were married 15 years ago today. Tonight we are going out for dinner with some friends for sushi!! The Packers play at 7:15, so it will be a quick dinner then over to their house for the game. I hope you all have a great New Year's Eve, fun and safe, and a great 2007. Happy Knitting!!

PUPPY LOVE!!!





Here is a picture of our new puppy, Todd Leo Quigley. We had so much fun meeting him today. His mom and dad are very nice dogs. We were able to play with him and one brother and two of his sisters. Three other puppies were able to go to their new homes already. We can pick Todd up next Saturday. I can't wait. No knitting pictures to share, sorry.

I don't have any pictures to post today, but I just needed to express how much I enjoy reading other people's blogs and making friends through my hobby of knitting. It is fun to know that other women and men out there are fanatics about knitting too. This fall has been an interesting one to say the least, but I am grateful that I have my friends, in person and in blogland. Someday I would just love to be able to meet the wonderful knitters that I have been "meeting" through this blog and others.

We are going to visit our new puppy on Saturday, then we can pick him up on Jan. 6th. I can't wait!! He is very cute. I will post pictures on either Saturday night or Sunday.

Tomorrow our pastor, Mary, is having her annual after Christmas Knitting Fest. I am looking forward to spending time with my fellow knitting friends and eating some of her yummy food. Happy Knitting all!!

Christmas Goodies
I must have been a good girl this year! Look what I got: A swift and ball winder!! Yeah!
I also got some Malabrigo Chunky to make felted slippers and a book, Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. I'm still very sad about my Mel, but I know we did the right thing. We have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy picked out and hopefully we will be able to pick him up this weekend. It will be fun having a puppy around.
The picture of me on Christmas morning isn't very pretty, but I am in my new bathrobe! It looks like a weigh a ton! I haven't lost any more weight this fall, but I haven't gained any back either. Hopefully my back will get better soon and then I can start working out again. I have to say that we had a very nice Christmas. I think the kids were happy with their gifts, even though we weren't able to get the Nintendo Wii. I will keep looking though. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Happy Knitting!!

Merry Christmas one and all!

I want to thank all of the wonderful knitters who have sent kind words during this difficult time. I just picked up Mel's ashes from the vet today. They were in a very nice oak box with a gold engraved name plate that also had his birth date and death date on it. I cried lots of tears again this afternoon, but I know we did the right thing for him. I sure do miss him and his goofy ways.

I hope you all have a great Christmas and enjoy time with family and friends. I think I may be getting a swift and ball winder, and if that is the case, on Christmas morning I will probably be winding some yarn while the kids play with their new toys!!

Thanks again for the comforting words. Happy knitting to all, and to all a good night!!

GOOD BYE MY FRIEND.....We had to put Mel to sleep today. We found out he had Lymphoma and that there wasn't anything we could do. He also had a clotting disorder that we didn't know about, and he was bleeding into his lungs. My words cannot express how sad we all are. We had him almost five years, not long enough. He was a very funny and naughty dog, but we loved him so very much. If you are an animal lover, you will understand that he was one of the family. He survived eating chocolate many times, got into rat poison in April and survived, and was kicked in the head by a deer in May and survived. I guess he had tempted the fates one too many times. We have wonderful memories of him and know that yes, life goes on. My bed will feel a bit more empty tonight. I still have Kipper and the cats, but Mel liked to cuddle and sleep under the covers when it was cold. I will miss this dog so much.

These are the kids Christmas stockings. I didn't know how to knit when we had Grant, so his was purchased at Dayton's (which is now Macy's). I did knit Maggie and Patrick's stockings though. I knit one for my husband, but didn't take a picture of his. Someday I will knit one for myself.


This is our cat, Richie, sleeping under the tree! We just love this guy!! He is naughty with the bows on presents, so none of them have bows or ribbons this year. The other picture was taken when he was sleeping on the cat condo we have for Gracie and him. We think taking pictures of a sleeping cat is fun. Cats sleep in such cute positions!!

I still need to get our Christmas cards started and mailed!! I probably won't post again until after Christmas. I have cookies to bake and a house to clean before Tom's family arrives on Sunday evening. We are off to my parent's house on Christmas day. Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah, if you celebrate these. Otherwise, Happy knitting!!

The tree has lights and ornaments, finally!! We put the stockings up and a few other decorations. It's beginning to look like Christmas! I have most of my shopping done and wrapped. I will work on the cards this week, and then next week will be for all the wonderful baking.

On the knitting front: I am working on my scarf, and hope to have it done for a picture tomorrow. My youngest, Patrick, is making a scarf too, so I will add that picture tomorrow also. I have my wish list on file down at The Yellow Dog, so hopefully hubby will go get some of the items next week. He took Miss Maggie out to the mall today and I guess they shopped for me there. All the presents under the tree are driving Patrick nuts!! Poor kid, he'll just have to wait. I will have some good photos tomorrow. Meanwhile, Happy knitting!

Santa Bears that I started collecting in 1986.

Finished projects!
I made this purse in October, but just put the lining in it and added the button. I used Rowan Tapestry to make it. I was going to keep it, but I may end up giving it away. I need to make a bag for my Mitten Kit Swap, so maybe this will be the one I send.



Finished socks!! They are just a basic toe up pattern that I got from Cindi at The Yellow Dog.
I used Twizzle by Mountain Colors. They are very warm, just right for the colder temps. we have been getting.

I'm still in a bit of a funk, but I started a scarf for myself today. The tree is up and hopefully we will put the lights on it tonight and decorate it. Tomorrow I will be going to church to look over some things Pastor Mary brought back from Jamaica for our prayer box stations. Miss Maggie was home from school today with an upset stomach. She slept until 11:00 this morning! I believe she is feeling better now. I think when I am done posting this I will go down and get my New England Village set and put it up in kitchen. I haven't put it out for years, since Mr. Patrick was such a stinker!! I think he is old enough now to leave it alone.

I am still trying to figure out this whole blogging thing and getting my pictures and script to go where I want. I will just have to keep playing around. Have a good day all!! Happy knitting!

Grief

The scrapbooking and rubber stamp community lost a wonderful woman on Monday. I had the pleasure of knowing this woman for about 10 years. Kelly and I weren't best friends or anything, but more like two people with a common bond of our love of scrapbooking. She worked at the bank where I do a lot of my banking so I knew her in that capacity too. She lost her battle with cancer after almost 4 years. She leaves behind a husband, two sons, and a daughter. The kids are in their early 20's. Much too young to be without a mother. My friend Chris and I went to the visitation last night. I am feeling very blue today. My family wants to go and get the Christmas tree and decorate for Christmas today. I just want to crawl back into bed and snuggle with the dogs and cats. We have Tom's Christmas party tonight. I guess life goes on, but my world is feeling a bit empty now. No knitting news, maybe tomorrow, or whenever I can get my groove back.

Thanks to the two people who responded to my blog yesterday. I wasn't trying to be judgemental or offending, I was just curious about why some people celebrate Christmas. I love that I live in this country and have freedom to ask questions like this. I appreciate all the men and women who are fighting for our freedom now or who have served in the past. No matter how you feel about the war we are in now, we do need to remember those risking their lives daily and send good thoughts their way. If you haven't figured out by now, yes I am a religious person. I pray for our service men and women serving all over the world. It is at this time of year that they are on my mind the most. Thanksgiving and Christmas are times for families and friends to gather together and in some homes, there is a person missing due to this war or the fact that they have enlisted to serve in another part of the world. No one in my immediate family is serving in the military right now, but my dad did serve in the Korean War. I just wanted to take this time to remember these wonderful people. I guess for me, Christmas is a time to celebrate the wonder of Jesus' birth, but also a time for me to reflect on all the wonderful blessings and gifts I have received by those who have served or are serving in the military.

I was just wondering.....


I know this is a knitting blog but I have been pondering something and I need to get it off my chest. I know there are people out in the world that celebrate Christmas but don't believe in God or Jesus Christ. My question is this: If you don't believe that Jesus was born, and he was the Son of God, why would you celebrate Christmas? Is it just for the gift giving/getting thing? Why not celebrate Hanukkah? For Hanukkah you get to open presents for eight nights in a row. I know that I live in a free country and people are free to celebrate whatever they want, in the way that they want. I just don't get the whole concept of celebrating a Christian holiday if you don't believe in Jesus Christ. I may have offended some readers, (I actually don't even know if I have that many) and I don't mean to offend anyone. I am just curious about this. I am truly not trying to sound judgemental, it is just something that I needed to write about. Any comments would be welcome. THANKS!


I'm off to try and finish those darn socks!! Happy knitting!

I'm back!!
We stayed an extra day at my brother-in-law's, so we didn't get home until yesterday. I wanted to post a picture of my finished socks, but they aren't done yet. My camera is still acting up, so picture posting will be on hold. My arthritis acted up over the weekend which meant that I needed to take frequent breaks in the knitting. We did have a good time and ate lots of good food.

The kids were very tired on Saturday night and I was thinking that we may have stayed too long, but we made them wind down with a movie and then an early bedtime. Sunday morning everyone seemed to be in better spirits. The kids didn't want to leave, but they didn't give us any trouble. We had an agreement that if we stayed the extra day that when it came time to leave we wouldn't have any arguments. Mel did fine with us too. Berkley just loved having him there. Mel wasn't too sure about playing with such a big dog and growled quite a bit at first. By the time we left they were wagging their tails at each other and taking turns sniffing. I was glad to be home. I like sleeping in my own bed.

I was able to get some Christmas shopping done today. I hope I can get that new Nintendo Wii that Grant wants!! When I was at Tar*et today they had the notorious Playstation 3, but not the Wii. When I went back a few hours later, all the PS3s were gone. I have tried to explain to Grant that I may not be successful in getting the Wii before Christmas and he just says, "But that's all I want". I'll do my best, but I refuse to buy from anyone on Ebay. It pisses me off that people buy these things and they sell them for profit and the kids who really want one, may not get one!! The kid has been talking about this thing since the spring!! Send me good thoughts okay, that maybe I'll be lucky enough to get one for him.

Packers are beating the Seahawks on Monday night football, but it's not over yet. I have to go and finish watching. Happy knitting!!

PUMPKIN PIE!!!

Well, it is that time of year! Turkey and pumpkin pie!! I made my pumpkin pie tonight and still need to make a pecan pie. We are going to Middleton, Wi for Thanksgiving. Tom's brother and his family live there. My kids are looking forward to seeing their cousin. We always have a good time. I only have to bring two pies and an egg bake for breakfast on Thursday morning. My sister-in-law loves to cook. It is her hobby!! She lives for holidays that require cooking lots of food. (I prefer the hobby of knitting and eating all that good food.) Our dog, Mel, has yeast infections in both his ears which requires daily cleaning and two different medications administered in the ears. He will be going with us. I can't expect our neighbor to have to deal with that. She will come and check on Kipper and the cats every day. I feel bad that Kipper is staying here, but he hates going in the car and my in-laws have a big yellow lab. I think adding one dog and three kids into his household will be enough of an adjustment for him.

I have one sock 3/4 done and have started another. I want to make sure I don't run out of yarn. I am looking forward to a lot of knitting time during the 2 1/2 hour car ride and while we are visiting. The adults watch lots of football and I get a bit tired of it, so I look forward to some knitting time by myself in the guest room. I hope all of you who are celebrating Thanksgiving have a wonderful day and safe travels. I'll post again when we get back on Saturday. I can't believe then the rush for Christmas will begin!! Happy Knitting!!

Well our plans have changed for the weekend. Miss Maggie decided she isn't ready for deer hunting. She is said she doesn't want to kill any animals and she is nervouse about being in the woods with all the people with guns. I was being very supportive in her quest to go hunting, but I have to admit that I am happy she won't be out there. I think she needed to come to that conclusion on her own. She may change her mind tomorrow, so for now we are staying home but we may have to go up to NR tomorrow.

In knitting news: I started a pair of socks and that is about it. I'll post pictures on Monday. Have a good weekend!! Happy Knitting!!

I read Scout's blog yesterday and decided to respond to the questions she posted.

1. How and when did you learn how to knit/crochet? My friend Kim taught me about 12 1/2 years ago. I started with dishcloths.
Who taught you? Maggie's Godmother, Kim
2. How has this craft impacted your life? (besides financially!) It really helps me relax! I have met some wonderful people through my hobby of knitting.
3. Pick at least one person to talk about who you have met through the knit-world and why you are thankful to have met them. Feel free to get all mushy. It is hard to pick just one person, so I am going to list two people, Dixie and Cindi, from Yellow Dog Knitting!! They are so wonderful and they have helped me become a better knitter. They are very encouraging when I think I want to take on a hard project. They are not only wonderful knitters, but I consider them my friends. I love to go down to the shop and just hang out and knit. No high pressure to buy anything, but I usually do. Everyone who works at the Dog really takes time to help the customers and their enthusiasm for the art of knitting gets passed along. I am so glad this shop opened three years ago. It really got my knitting to the forefront of my life.

I am feeling better about Maggie going hunting this weekend. I know she will be fine. I am looking forward to spending time with my mom. She wants me to take her to some craft fairs. Patrick isn't looking forward to that, but I know if I bribe him with candy or a small toy he will be much easier to deal with. I finished two dishcloths for mom, so I will be taking them to her this weekend. I am going to start on another pair of socks. Still no batteries in the camera, but hopefully I can remember to get some and post some pictures when I get home on Sunday!! Kristi of Red Dog Knits is having her babies tomorrow. Send her some good thoughts. Have a good weekend!! Happy Knitting!!

Okay, I forgot to take pictures of the scarves before I took them to The Yellow Dog today. Well, actually, I forgot to get batteries for my camera and then take pictures. Three scarves done for the record. I made a dishcloth for my mom last night and started another. I can't believe that I learned how to knit by making these. The sugar and cream yarn isn't the nicest stuff to work with! I have become a yarn snob! Sorry!! I really like the good stuff though.

I am starting some socks with some LUSH yarn. It is so soft!! Maybe I will remember to get batteries tonight after church council and take some pictures tomorrow.

Okay, anyone out there have suggestions for making teen boys happy with food choices after school???!!! I have bought Hungry Man dinners, Mac'nCheese, Soup, Cereal, Lunchmeat, bread, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomatoes, PBJ, Rice Cakes, Cheeze-It mix, Carnation Instant Breakfast, fruit, Microwave Popcorn!!! He stills says we have "nothing in the house!" AGHHHHH!!!! I bet if I had a bunch of candy and chips he would be happy!! I only get soda once in a while and the candy and chips are a rare treat too. Any suggestions would be helpful.

I need to run now and look over stuff for council tonight. I am doing the devotions/book study leader!! This is not my strong point. I can talk about knitting forever, but this stuff is really scary for me!! Wish me luck!! Happy knitting!!

GO PACK GO!!!

I love that the Green Bay Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings yesterday in Minneapolis!! YEAH!! The Packers have not had the best football seasons the past few years to say the least, but whenever they beat the Vikings, it is a good day for me!!


I finished another scarf for our cancer project and started yet another. My camera batteries are dead, so I will post pictures tomorrow.

Confession time: This weekend my daughter is going deer hunting for the first time and I am a wreck!! I know she is well prepared having taken hunter's safety and shooting her gun, etc. but I am still nervous about having her out in the woods with a gun. She will be hunting with my brothers and nephews and one niece, and I trust them all, but she's my girl, and it scares me. Just one more chapter in our lives that I have to let go and trust she will be fine. I never knew how difficult it would be to let my kids grow up!!
Have a good day, and Happy Knitting!!

This is my little cutie, Mel, modeling a scarf I made for our cancer patient project. I'm not sure if he is happy about wearing it or not!! I have to figure out what is happening with my camera. It seems like most pictures I take lately have that funky stuff on the bottom of them. Again, another technical thing I really know nothing about. I guess I'll have to read the instruction book that came with the camera and see if I can figure out what I am doing wrong. My husband and I are going to the movie, Flags of Our Fathers, this afternoon. A fitting movie for Veteran's Day! The boys will be going to, The Santa Clause 3, while we are at our movie. Hope you all have a good weekend!! Happy knitting!

We are having our first snow storm of the season. The roads are terrible!! It took me about an hour to take my kids to school this morning!! I can't believe what morons some people are when driving on a snowy day!! The visibility was terrible and there were people who only cleaned off a small portion of their windshield to drive this morning! Do they not think that maybe they may want to see out the other windows? I am not going anywhere until 1:30 this afternoon. Grant has a Veteran's Day program at his middle school and the band is playing. They also made quilt squares in 7th grade last year and now the quilts will be displayed. His square was in honor of my dad who served in the Korean war.

I started a scarf so hopefully I can finish that today and post a picture tomorrow. I hope everyone has a good day!! Be careful if you are driving in snow!!

No Pictures!

I have been a bad blogger!! I just haven't gotten pictures onto my blog but I plan to do it this weekend. I started a scarf and have been working on that. Nothing else is too exciting to write about. Hubby and I got into a bit of a squabble last night over voting!! He really insulted me when he told me I wasn't an informed voter!! I voted a different way than him on a capital punishment referendum! I won't tell you how either of us voted, but we did not vote the same way. I am entitled to my own opinions! This is the first time since I have known him that we have argued over voting. I told him that I don't have to agree with his views all the time and I will remember not to share how I vote with him in the future! Enough about this!!

I am going to go down to the Yellow Dog to knit with my best friend, Chris tomorrow!! I can't wait!! She just had carpal tunnel surgery two weeks ago, but is doing really well. It will be fun to spend some time with her. I will try to get some pictures on here very soon. Happy knitting!

Election Day!!!


We have a marriage amendment to vote on today and it is confusing the h#*l out of me!! I'm not sure if I voted the right way or not!!! Why can't they just word the stupid things in ways that everyone can understand!!! I don't want to get a law degree just so I can vote how I really feel about issues!!! This is the first time since I have been 18 that I have been so confused when I went to vote!!!! I guess my hubby voted one way and I voted the other, so I guess we just canceled out each other on this amendment!!

Knitting news: I still haven't taken a picture of Miss Maggie's mittens. Our LYS shot a commercial today and my wonderful friend who owns the store asked me to come down to be part of it!! Isn't that fun?! I had to be shopping!!! That was a stretch for me, but someone had to do it!! LOL (For those of you reading this who really don't know me very well, I tend to be a bit of a shop-a-holic when it comes to yarn, books, needles, bags, ect.)

I will be starting some scarves tonight for cancer patients at our two hospitals. Last year a group of women started this great program and I made a few scarves. This year we hope to get even more scarves and even for some men. It makes me feel good when I can do something for others. I figure that I get to use my knitting hobby for the good of others and that is just fun for me.

Well, I'm going to start a scarf and watch the election results!! Happy knitting!!

Answers for Secret Mitten Swap

The Questionnaire:
Are you allergic to any fibers? no

What are your favorite colors?red and blue

Are you a new mitt knitter? no How long have you been knitting mittens? 2 years

Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? multi-colored

What fibers do you prefer in mitten yarn? wool

Where do you usually knit mittens? wherever I can

How do you usually carry/store small projects? purse or small tote

What are your favorite mitten patterns? don't have a favorite

What are your favorite mitten knitting techniques? magic loop or 2 circs.

What new techniques would you like to try? fair isle

What are your favorite needles for knitting mittens? addi turbos

What are some of your favorite yarns? socks that rock, koigu, rowan

What yarn do you totally covet? cashmere

Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object? a cashmere bathrobe!

Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? addi turbo circs

If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? cashmere

Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? i love the original gummy bears by Haribo

What’s your favorite animal? dogs/cats, i have two of each

Would you prefer super warm mittens or something more like fingerless mitts? warm

If you were a color what color would you be? red (i'm a bit impulsive)


What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature? the sun shining through fluffy clouds


Do you have a wishlist? no

Anything else you’d like to share with the group today? i just want to have fun with this, no stress for anyone.

I was at scrapbooking retreat this weekend. It was a lot of fun and I got 33 pages done. I will post pictures tomorrow. I need to go to bed. I only got three hours of sleep today!!! Too much fun!! (I was sober the whole weekend in case you were wondering).

Sock Wars

My assassin isn't participating in sock wars, so I contacted her assassin. That assassin stopped knitting because her assassin sent her socks but she hasn't received them yet. I emailed my new assassin and told her that she needs to send the partially knitted socks on to her assassin. Does this make sense to anyone???!!! I just want some socks out of the deal!! I don't care if I die!! I want my socks!! Boy, I sound greedy!!

Confession time: I don't want my kids to grow up!! Here is the reason: It is scary!! I let Miss Maggie go trick or treating last night with a friend. It wasn't in my neighborhood, but one that I know a lot of people who live there. It was just scary letting her go out at night without me. I had talked to her about staying with the group, what roads she couldn't go beyond, etc., but I was terrified. SHE DID AWESOME!! She told me that the group crossed one of the streets that she was told not to, and she told them all "My mom said I can't cross Rudolph Road." She didn't cave into peer pressure and she was with some high school kids (brother and cousins to her friend). I was very proud of her. She went to one of my friend's houses to warm up and wait for the group. I was so glad when she called me to come pick her up. I hadn't seen her since 7:20 a.m. when I dropped her off at school. This whole letting go and letting them grow up sucks!! I know I need to let her go and trust her to make decisions, but at the same time I want to keep her with me forever!!

This is a knitting blog, right?!! Sorry!! I did finish Maggie's mittens in time for her to wear them last night and she loved them. I'll post a picture tomorrow!! I'm getting a new knitting bag that I'll show too!! Happy knitting!!