It is only $1.99, after all...

I got my knit picks package in the mail, yesterday. I am a bit disappointed with the pattern, but $1.99 is easily half the price of a lot of patterns, so I really shouldn't complain. It is one piece of double sided paper. The chart of the whole vest is on the back. On the front it refers to the chart on the back, but says "Red lines on the chart..." I can see where the mean, but the must have copied an original that had red lines onto a black-and-white copier, because they are most definitely NOT red! They have an abbreviations area on the bottom of the back that they must use for all the patterns they have or anticipate ever having. Most do not apply to my particular pattern. The front has a pic of the vest in color and a KnitPicks icon in color and the front of the paper is kinda slick. Like I said, it is only $1.99. They should make them downloadable for $1.99 and this quality. I am also a bit intimidated by this pattern. I have to steek. I want to know how to steek. Now I have to steek. SCARY!!!

I got up to about the elbow in my Aran. Then I realized that the pattern directions weren't clear. I have to increase two stitches everytime I increase. It didn't say that, and I only increased one stitch. I had to pull out all the way to the cuff. It hurt a bit. Now, I am up to 1/2 way through the second repeat. Oh, well.

I forgot to mention a couple of things. First, at the swap, I got a bag of cotton yarn. I thought it would be good for quick washcloths. I can make them for the baby. They will be easy when I am in the hospital or after the baby comes home and I can't do something complex. So, I decided I would start one to take to the movies on Sunday. I knit garter stitch on size 7 needles with some worsted weight cotton. Before I left the house, I cast on 40 stitches, and did the first row. When I left the movie, I had gotten all the way to 5 1/2 inches. I also caught a knot in the yarn, and since I didn't have scissors, I held it off to the side, and grabbed some more yarn from the ball to keep going. So, the washcloth is 8" wide and will be 8" high when I am finished. I wanted to make it garter stitch, because I wanted it truly mindless. No pattern, no rolling edges, nothing. Just knit. I will see if I like it as a washcloth in garter stitch or if it is too rough.

um...

Sleeves. Well, I decided. I don't like to do both cable sleeves at the same time. I tried, I really did. I didn't mind the small cable that is mixed in with the ribbing for the first 3". But the more intense cable wasn't fun to do two at the same time. I will try again for the next sleeve I make that is stockinette stitch. I got done with the first 3" of both sleeves and am working on the fourth repeat on the first sleeve. It goes fairly fast.

We watched Herbie Fully Loaded Sunday evening. We went to the $3 show. It is a very cute movie. I know NOTHING about NASCAR, and it would have helped, but it was not important. If you get the chance, you should watch it. I started to cry two times.

The Yarn Swap was this weekend. I got rid of some things. More importantly, I got some things. I got I don't know how much Dale yarn in two colors plus one each of two other colors. Now, I just need a pattern. I got some Sirdar yarn? and a pattern for the yarn. It is self striping and makes cute baby things. I got two balls of Homespun. I haven't ever used Homespun, but free was too good a deal to pass up. I got a magazine. Unfortunately, I can't remember the brand at the moment. I got some size 7 metal dpn. I think there is more, but that was Saturday, and today is Tuesday. I am at work and I am tired. I will try to get some pics up soon.

I love my husband. We were watching someone's Biography, and her husband said that she was "giving and selfless." My husband said "that's what you are. I was trying to describe you to someone, and I couldn't think of the words. That's what you are - giving and selfless." Of course he didn't think he was being sweet, he was just happy he had found those words. I cried a bit.

Baby - Part of me doesn't want to have a girl. I am comfortable with boys, a girl will have my DH WRAPPED around her finger in a matter of minutes. I am scared of his capability to discipline her. There is no way I would want to be my oldest son's younger sister! Fashion these days... A couple of day's ago, I read this post, and it gave me hope. I really want an Ayanna (the chosen girls name) because I have been in love with this name since I was pregnant with DeAndre' 7 years ago.

Baby news

No knitting content, today. Just ultrasound pics.


Foot 

This is the foot. You can make out the toes and the heel.


Leg and foot 

This is the leg with the knee and the foot.


Profile 

This is the first of three profile shots.


Profile with hand 

This profile has "its" hand in the air over "its" forehead.


Blow-up of profile 

This is a blown-up pic of the profile.

The boys came. They thought it was cool for about five minutes. Then they wanted to leave. It is SOOO nice to have a "real" doctor (nothing against county, it isn't thier fault they have no money). Plus, I really like this doctor. She did suggest that I might consider having a c-section, though. I had bad tears with both boys, and there are residual side effects. Having another baby vaginally might cause my residual side effects to get worse. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but I am NOT ruling it out at this point.

Thank you secret pal!

Look what I got in the mail yesterday! My secret pal wrote a note on the packing slip that I should put it in the baby's room. She didn't even know that I was already going to do a farm animals theme!


Cow print

It is about 8 x 10. HOW GREAT!!! THANK YOU!!

I finished the front of the Aran yesterday, and cast on for both sleeves. I am maybe an inch into the ribbing, with two more inches to go. I have my ultrasound today, so maybe a pic or something tomorrow.

A Goal reached!

Mind you, it was a small goal. But reached, nonetheless! I got the last full repeat done on the front of the Aran! The rest of the front includes shaping for the neck. The total rows for this is the same 24 as the repeat. I am now in the row where I have to knit 72 stitches in pattern, place center 30 sts on waste yarn and work two balls at the same time. BTW, I never use two balls at the same time. I think it is a waste of yarn. I do one side then the other. I put the side I am not doing first on different waste yarn. Since I have soo many knitting events to go to this week, I WILL finish this soon. I might even finish it today! My goal for Monday is to get somewhere in on the sleeve. I haven't worked the sleeves, yet, so I am not going to guess how far I can get. I am going to start the sleeves by doing both at the same time. I may give up on this at some point, put one sleeve on waste yarn, and finish one at a time. I am okay with this. I just want to try it. Of course this means I will have to work two balls at once. I might not like this much. We will see.

Speaking of two balls at once, I ordered the pattern and yarn for a vest for my DH.


Fair Isle Vest

I am going to substitute this color:


Hollyberry 

for the tan color, and use the black with it.

I CAN'T WAIT. I have NO deadline for this!!!! I will have to work on it in secret, and I have a baby coming, so if it happens to be finished in time for some holiday, he will get it for that holiday. If not, he will get it when it is done. I have some options - Christmas, his January birthday, Valentine's day, father's day. OR next Christmas, his January birthday, Valentine's day, father's day!!

DeAndre' lost his tooth on Sunday. We have lived in our house for a little over a year and he and his brother have lost teeth since we have been there. This time he decided that the Tooth Fairy needed help, so he cut a hole in the screen in his window to make sure she can get in.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAISY!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is our dog's birthday!!! Please forgive no knitting content today, if you don’t want to hear my dog’s life story, wait until Monday.

I don't know what I have said before about her, but please forgive me if I am repeating myself. I got her for myself for Christmas in 2002. She was 2 1/2. We got her from the pound. We know very little about her past (for example, her birthday). When she went to the pound from her previous owners her name was Mugs, she had a leather collar with silver buttons that were maybe 2" in diameter, and she was pregnant. The policy of the pound with pregnant dogs is to put them in a foster home until the puppies are placable (sp?). Soon after she went back to the pound, we walked in one Sunday morning. It was me and the boys (my HUSBAND didn't want to come cause he would want every one). She was the first one I saw. Due to the leather collar, I assumed she was a boy. She was the only dog in the place that didn't have a paper on the outside of the cage because she was sharing a cage with another dog. I was partial to boy dogs because we had always had boy dogs. We continued to walk around the whole place but none could compare to her. We took her outside to the place they have set up for visiting with the dogs to see if they are okay for you. She didn't want to interact with us very much, but I soon discovered that if the boys were on one side of the covered outside cubicle, and I was on the other, she might come to me a little. We chose her.

Since she just had puppies, she obviously hadn't been fixed, yet. The other policy the pound has is if an animal isn't fixed, it doesn't go home with the new owners until the pound arranges for an operation. And we had to pay more for her than for another dog who may have been already fixed. Plus, we couldn’t pick her up until after she had the operation. So, although I had envisioned coming home with my new dog, I had to wait from Sunday until that next Wednesday.

Wednesday morning came, and I took the boys to school, went to the dollar store to get her some things, then went to the pound. I think I got there around 9:30. They didn’t open until 10. I waited *patiently* until 10 so I could go get my baby.

Her foster mom, who had renamed her Maisy, was there and wanted to meet me. She informed me that Maisy didn’t much care for men. By the time we got out of there and I had coaxed her into the car (that part took FOREVER), it was time to pick up my son from his morning preschool class. I took her with me, and didn’t go in the school, just had another parent get DeAndré for me. We went home, and left her alone in the house for a little while when we had to go get Malik some time later from school. My husband got off work at either 7 or 8 - I can’t remember what his schedule was then. I called him at sometime in the day, with plans to pick him up from work with Maisy. He was so excited (for the first time) to say “my dog Maisy Brown” on the phone with me after I had her. I’m pretty sure that her foster mom needs to have a chat with her husband. She has not only not never had a problem with my husband, there have been times that I wondered if they couldn’t take care of themselves, and I was only in the relationship to feed both of them.

She took a LOOOOONG time to get comfortable. One night we heard her bark, and we both looked at her and couldn’t figure out what that noise was. It was the first time she barked. I could never find a toy she liked, until one day she found a ball of my yarn that was ATTACHED TO A PROJECT! She liked it at like 10:00 at night - I bought her some balls the next day! It is still the only toy she likes. She has always jumped at the slightest movement or loud noise. She used to move anytime I moved. (She still does this, but not to the same extent.) She used to move anytime someone wanted to walk over her when she was on the floor, now she just lays there. She is a black lab mostly, but she HATES water!!! Except to drink. When I picked her up, she had two grey hairs between her shoulder blades. Now her whole beard area is grey, the underside of her tail, and lots of other hairs here and there. She gets grey from worrying, which she does often. She doesn’t like other dogs, she is scared of them, even the little ones that she can step on if she wanted to.

WE ALL LOVE HER SOOOO!!!

(These pictures were all taken a couple years ago at the park on the same day. I ran out of film before I got one with DeAndre'. He was not happy with me, and I guess I forgot to fix that problem.)


Maisy and Daddy


Me and Maisy


Maisy at the park


Maisy and Malik

She is rolling around here:

Her favorite thing to do at the park

Continental

I had a class at Yarn Garden last night. It was a one-time, two-hour class about Continental knitting. I already know how to Knit from the Fair Isle class earlier this year. I had to learn purling. It wasn't the easiest thing I have learned. I was a bit frustrated. I did feel confortable with my knitting, though, so when she was discussing ribbing and fair isle, I just worked on my purling. I'm still not very good AT ALL!! I am not discouraged, I know I will get it. I just want to do it backwards all the time. However, backwards creates a twisted stitch. I can fix twisted stitches, but I don't want to have to. Anyway, I will keep plugging away on it until I feel more comfortable.

I got notifications yesterday about upcoming events: Yarn Swap, Knit at the Movies Nite and Yarn Shop Hop. The first two are in August and the third one is in October (email me at jenknitter AT gmail DOT com if you would like further info).

Aran update - I am done with 3 1/2 out of 5 repeats of the front. This means I only have to do 1 1/2 repeats before I do whatever neck shaping needs to be done. Hopefully, I can have that done by Monday.

The other evening there was a girl on the bus who was knitting. I only rarely see knitters on the bus, and usually when I do, I am either too uncomfortable to go up to a complete stranger and start talking about her knitting, or I don't see her until one of us is getting off the bus. However, I saw this girl as soon as I got on, and I even got to sit next to her. She is working on a scarf/shawl for her wedding coming up the middle of next month. The yarn looked like a kid silk haze (from what I have seen of that kind/brand of yarn). She was using needles that were large enough to get a lacy material. However, she was just doing a seed stitch pattern. I realized at one point that her project had no yarn-overs in it, it was just the nature of the yarn with those needles. I asked her if there were any yarn-overs in it, and she looked at me and (it was so cute) said "Yarn-overs?"

I have been scrapbooking, again. I bought a bunch of stuff from QVC a long time ago. I am making a book for the baby. Right now, since I have no pictures, of course, each page is just a beginning. However, there is one 12 x 12 layout for each of the months of the year starting in December (I can change this if the baby comes early or late). It was nice to get something done. I'm gonna go to a local scrapbook store this weekend to buy some more pages. I want some pages to put footprints and date, time, weight, and noteable events: first step, first tooth, that kind of stuff.

I guess that is all for now. The boss is gone until August 22. He will be calling a lot, but YEAH!!!

THIS JUST IN: check this out!!!

Pictures and tagged

First picture is my "fat" baby a couple of weeks ago.


Me at 18-ish weeks

Here is a good shot of my camera. Please excuse my DH's pictures.


My camera

These are the gifts I received from my Secret Pal a couple of weeks ago.


SP 5 gifts

Yarn Harlot pics:

I got Yarn Harlot getting pics:


Blogging the blogger

I think the podium that Powell's had for Stephanie to stand on was GREAT!!! Look at all the books, and even a place to put the bookbookbook.


Podium

Sorry if this is a bit blurry:


Blurry Harlot

I knew there was more I was supposed to post yesterday! I was tagged by LisaB.

5 things I miss from childhood:

1. My grandmother's house.

2. The house I grew up in.

3. Going to the beach.

4. My dad being off so much cause he was a teacher.

5. ???

I don’t much feel up to tagging today, so if you want it, take it!

Check out this review in a local paper about a LYS.

All kinds of stuff

So this one might be a really long post. I have been really busy at work, and have had NO time to post!!! I have been jumping in to put a link or something, but no time to actually make a post. Here are some updates (hopefully, I will have time to push "Publish" before the boss has work for me to do).

I had already heard about this, but now I have a link. Check out this article from Seattle.

Yarn Harlot came to town. I am in two pictures. I have a red shirt on. If you scroll down to the group shots, I am in the second one and the third one. In the second one, I am all the way on the right, in the third one, I am there, but kinda covered by the microphone. My DH used to work (for a long time) at the hotel that Stephanie must have stayed at, because the pic of the Beefeater is taken at that hotel. My husband doesn't really have internet access at work, so he can't look at his pic. I am going to now give him my blog address (even though he had it before) so he can see if he knows him.

I met this blogger, however, we didn't exchange information until I saw her blog about the harlot-y visit!

I also met Kelley from KnitPicks! It was wierd, because I recognized her but couldn't figure it out for a long time. Then she said something (I don't remember what now) and I felt like I was in the presence of royalty. She brought her dog in the dog's bag. You know those dog carriers that can only hold those dogs around the size of cats?

Stephanie even recognized the name of my blog. She has actually been here!!! I felt soo honored!
I finished sock number 1. However, now it is my Step-Father's birthday present (his bday is Christmas Day), because I have two presents due in less than a month, so I must finish those first! The two presents are the Aran - due on September 7, and the afghan - due on September 3! The afghan is probably 1/2 done, and the Aran is more than 1/2 done with the front, then the sleeves left. I don't know if I can pull these dates off - pray for me.

I have pictures, but they are at Walgreen's. I will (try to) pick them up tonight and post them tomorrow or at least this week.

We have insurance, now, so I made an appointment with my Ob/Gyn. I get to have a real appointment with a real doctor in a week and a half. I even get to have an ultrasound. (We don't wanna know the sex of the baby.) The boys are going to come with me to see the baby. I think they are getting excited since they can see my tummy pooching out.

Well, it seems like there was more that I wanted to say, but if there is, I can't think of it now. I wanna hurry up and post this before it gets crazy here, again, so I can have a post, so here goes...

No knitting content

After all the troubles my DH had at his last job, it is nice to know he is somewhat appreciated at his new one. I am keeping this, though, in case we run into troubles later on down the road!



Marcus' award (Fletch)

Book signing

So, Wednesday Stephanie aka Yarn Harlot will be at Powell's to sign her new book. I am meeting some people there from a LYS. I work downtown, so I am going to try to reserve a bunch of seats. If anyone wants to be added to this list, let me know, and I will see what I can do.

I just talked to the boys. They will be home at 7:30 tonight. We have been apart since Wednesday evening, and we haven't talked that much. Malik wants to spend the night at Papa Tom's house (that is my dad - he who took the boys to Denver). DeAndre', however, made it clear that he wanted no part of that arrangement, and wanted to come home.

I will update you all tomorrow.