To Be or Not To Be

I'm seriously considering deleting this blog. I just don't seem to have time to keep up with it.....Anyone else find that a challenge?

Surprise of the day: I saw gasoline selling for $1.98/gallon in town today. Yep. Under $2. Can you believe it?

On the needles: Bias Betty Scarf in Koigu KPPM (pattern obtained through a Knitty swap) and The Wonderful Wallaby in horrible Woolease.

Soon to be on the needles: Little Slip of a Thing purse from the Fall Knitty. I have yarn to make a black and red one for myself and a charcoal grey and hot pink one for daughter. I'm using Patons Nature Wool and plan to double strand it.

Pictures: use your imagination, because I have none.

New Knitty

Some of the Knittyheads get really fired up when they think it's time for a new Knitty to come out. Anyone who posts with them for a while realizes it's best to be on alert for fake out "new Knitty is up" posts! What can I say? They're an enthusiastic group. I actually forgot the new edition was out on Monday! I must say, the fall edition certainly makes up for the summer edition which in my not so humble opinion was kind of...well, not at all to my taste! There are actually several things in the fall issue that interest me enough that I just might make them.

I love Lucie, and I'm not talking about the old sitcom! The yarn is delicious, the shape of the sweater is fab. I even like that the bell sleeves are not too belled. Viveka is a little hottie, too, but way over the top in terms of bell sleeves. Maybe if I were 20 years younger.... The color combination is really nice, and the v-neck is flattering on most people. Serrano is another sweater that has caught my eye, and I think husband would look fabulous in Avast. Sherwood has some nice cabling going on, but I don't knit for anyone small enough to wear this one.

There's only one hat this issue, Sugar on Snow. It's cute, but I don't know if anyone here would wear a cute hat....I don't wear hats, husband doesn't do cute, and daughter only does cute when the mood strikes. You know how teenagers are. There are FOUR sock patterns. I'm off my sock kick, but at least these are going to be in the archives when the mood strikes me next.

In non-wearable items, Lizard Ridge is calling my name. I don't think an almost $200 afghan is anywhere in my future, though! I'm also having trouble imagining Kureyon as being cuddle up soft. It does soften with washing, but not that much! Little Slip is a cute bag. I'm thinking some boring color combination like red and black, or pink and brown, or blue and brown.... This may be my first project out of this edition. What about Ayla?? She may be targeted for the little girls, but how many of you big girls out there want one for yourself? Me, me, me!

I only had one Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment while looking through the patterns in the fall Knitty, and that was when I saw Intolerable Cruelty. Are there really women out there who want to draw that much attention to their rear ends? Mine doesn't need to be laced up...strapped down maybe, worked out, definitely, but not laced up. The pattern is otherwise nice looking. While it's not my style, the flounce around the hem certainly would appeal to someone younger and sassier...like daughter perhaps. However, even she with the cute little derriere was puzzled by the lacing effect.

I'm still plowing along on the Irish Hiking Scarf, and it is coming along nicely. I attached the fourth and final skein of yarn last night. I'd debated on whether or not a fourth skein was needed, but I happened to see the "little" gift recipient this afternoon. Gosh. He's gotten so tall! He'll need a long scarf.

Oh, you mom's can relate to this one, I'm sure. Daughter is all better from her illness--about 100% recovered I think. I, on the other hand, went to bed early last night with a 101.7 degree temperature. I'm feeling just yucky enough to be a grump but not so ill that I'm ready to give in and see a doctor about it. Maybe if I just stay focussed on something else, I'll spontaneously cure myself.

Crafty Times

Saturday we spent most of the day wandering around Aiken, SC at this festival. We've been going to this off and on for the past 16 years that we've lived here. Sometimes the festival is a hit, and sometimes it is a miss. This year, I think it qualifies as a hit. There were a lot of booths there with lots of real arts and crafts. Our favorites were the lady selling hand made soaps and toiletries and the lady selling hand made children's clothing and monogrammed purses. (Katie, I thought of your wonderful sewing when I looked at this lady's things.) We bought several tubes of lipbalm and a roll on stick of lotion (Looks like a deodorant container), and Daughter bought a monogrammed purse. We had to wait over 2 hours for the purse to be monogrammed!! I don't think the lady knew how popular her booth would be. Her items were very well made and priced right. The Mennonites were there with their yummy baked goods booth. I came home with a carrot cake with cream cheese icing for only $12. It is heavenly.

I picked up a denim hand made purse from another vendor. The purse is painted with the SC flag emblem of the palm tree and crescent moon. I'll likely use this for a small knitting tote. Seeing all these nicely sewn bags has me in the mood to make one myself! I just need to find the right pattern.

Pictures later this week...I hope.

Take Two

I had a well thought out post ready to go, hit submit...and Blogger ate it. So, here we go again.

Remembering
Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the day my dad passed away. I can't use the "D" word about him. I will never think of him as that...he's just not here. Daddy was way too young when he left us--only 57 years old. He'd fought cancer for a year, but the beast won. No matter how much time goes by, I'll never stop missing him. He was such a wonderful man and such an important part of my life. We think our parents are invincible, and until that terrible day when he got his diagnosis, I thought Daddy would be around forever. Truly, I never thought the cancer would beat him. He didn't let it win by any means. He fought every step of the way.

The world lost another good man yesterday, Steve Irwin, the Croc Hunter. My heart hurts for his wife Terri and their two children. Steve was another one who seemed invincible and who left this world too soon.

Not a Good Way to Spend a Holiday Weekend
Daughter got sick with a cold while I was at my meeting last weekend. She seemed to be improving but developed a high temperature Saturday evening. Her temp was 102 when she woke up Sunday morning, so we made plans to be at the walk in clinic when it opened at noon. Daughter's diagnosis: Walking Pneumonia. Three prescriptions later, daughter is starting to feel a lot better. Thank goodness for weekend clinics! I was so pleasantly surprised at how fast we were in and out of there. It only took about an hour to sign in, fill out the forms, and see the doctor. The place is also covered by our insurance, so that's a bonus.

Knitting News
I'm well under way with the Wonderful Wallaby. I have 3 inches of ribbing and 6 inches of body knitted and am about to start the picking up of stitches for the pouch. This pattern seems well written and fairly easy to work. As a self proclaimed yarn snob, I hate to tell you that I'm using cheap yarn to make this sweater! Yep. You read it here first. I'm using...gasp....Woolease. Now don't think I've gone over to the dark side! I was just at a point of impatience and had to start this sweater. I also didn't want to invest a lot in the first one in case I didn't like the pattern. So far so good....I plan to make more Wallabies and will use nicer yarn for the future ones.

What is Disney Thinking??

We happen to be a family of Disney fans, and Phil of the Future is one of the Disney Channel programs we all enjoy. I can't believe they cancelled it! There's a group on line trying to save the program. I figured it's worth a shot....

Knitting content will return to this blog tomorrow...or the next day.

I Need Yarn

Yes, I need yarn all right! Ha Ha! We're about to make a little run to the best darn LYS in the world--Hook 'n Needle. I don't know how they cram so much into such a small space. I've also printed out a few 50% off coupons for AC Moore, so we'll probably run by there as well. Daughter is in need of some clothes for her Cotillion classes, so perhaps I can trick husband into a Dillards stop as well. It should be a pleasant day as long as everyone stays calm and takes their knitting projects with them! I'll plant husband in a chair at Dillards to knit while daughter and I scour the racks.

I think some people may have gotten the idea that I'm upset about the comments on Knitty re. poor pictures on blogs. The post there was primarily about bathroom mirror shots, and as Turtlegirl pointed out, I have never posted one of those. However, that topic got me thinking about the photos I do post, and I know that I could probably do better if there was more time to take photos. The problem is that I don't have a lot of time. The person who posted the topic on Knitty kindly gave some suggestions about taking better photos, and I'm going to try to apply her advice to my work. The bottom line is that this blog is for me and having you guys read is just a bonus. If I can do a better job, then why not try? I have a brand new digital camera that I'm trying to figure out. It seems that technology gets more and more complicated, so it's going to take me a while to read through the manual and figure this camera out. Hopefully you will see some shots taken with it before too long.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone.

Photo Phree Phriday

I don't feel it in me to have decent photos today, and after reading a post about poor photos on blogs on the Knitty board, I've decided to just not put up my craptastic pictures today. Maybe I'll have time to get outside this weekend and attempt something better. For now, I'll have to paint you pictures with words.

I'm currently working on a Good Ole Cable scarf using some Knitpicks Wool of the Andes. I love the pattern. It is easy but so beautiful. The yarn color is a sort of pine green with a touch of blue. It's quite pretty and has been in my stash for a long time. I think it is the spruce color pictured here.

Next up is an Irish Hiking Scarf. I'm so pleased with how this scarf is turning out, particularly since it is meant to be a gift. I'm trying to knit a little love and happiness into each stitch. I'm enjoying working with the Knit Picks Swish Superwash. It is soft and gives great stitch definition. The color is red pepper.

I'm in a serious case of lust with this cabled scarf in the new Magknits. Oh my word! I don't have any cashmere in the stash, but I do have some gorgeous worsted weight alpaca that just might do the trick. I'm not sure how the drape of those two fibers compares, but I may swatch just to find out if the alpaca is up to the task.

I'm considering a yarn shop run to Hook 'n Needle this weekend. It all depends on whether daughter's plans to see a movie with her guy friend pan out. I'd like to go dig in Maureen's sale bins and see if she has a copy of this pattern.

I think I mentioned that my Knit Picks order finally arrived? Well, there was a problem with one of my size 7 needle tips. It will not screw onto the cable. A quick phone call to customer service, and problem solved. They are shipping out a new set of tips to me, and I don't need to mail these back. I tell you, customer service at Knit Picks cannot be beat.

I know that I didn't mention daughter's first volleyball game of the season. Our school has a brand new and fabulous gym, and the girsl played their first game there. I'm happy to report a win for both the A team and B team. Daughter is playing on the A team this year, and I hope she has a good season.

Speaking of the new gym, it is gorgeous! The ceilng is very high, so it's doubtful anyone will manage to hit a volleyball all the way up there and gain themself a penalty. The hardwood floor is so beautiful, too. We now have nice bleachers on both sides of the gym, and they can fold up when not needed. One end of the gym has a glass wall that looks out onto a large foyer. Across the foyer is a new weight room which also has a glass wall. It's so open and airy! The kids also have new locker rooms and showers which they all appreciate.

Next up is our new fine arts center which includes art studios, music studios, and a new performing arts theater. It's so exciting! Daughter will get a lot of use out of this facility as well as the gym. I'm glad that these things were built while she still has 5 more years of school in which to enjoy them.

I'm very grateful to the patrons who've donated so much money towards these two projects at our school. We are fortunate in that our school is backed by some very wealthy people who've left money to the school. I think both building projects are paid because of donations. The majority of families with students at this school are every day working people, not the "rich and famous."

Did I brag about my other student yet? Husband is back in school working on a Masters in Education. His goal is to be a middle school science teacher. I'm proud of him. It's been almost 20 years since he was last in school, so I know this is a big adjustment. He's so smart, though. I know he'll do great--probably end up on the Dean's List knowing him.

Beverly: Yes, if you have a bermuda bag pattern, I would love to have it! I'm sure we can come up with a swap of some sort or other.