Quietish

2 out of 3 sweaters for the fam are complete. In other words: 2 Hobbits down, one Bowtruckle to go.

After taking so long on Cian’s, I’m a bit worried that when I do get going on Justin’s sweater it will take me til Summer next year. He’s definitely not a wide fellow but he’s pretty long.

I loved Cian’s yarn and the sweater is nice, but somehow I wasn’t excited enough to fly through this one as I know I have been in the past. So I’ll have to think awhile before picking just the right thing for Justin that will be entertaining for me at the same time.

Yesterday, pre-block.

Pattern:
Figured it out by looking at Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown Reinsel
Yarn:
Plymouth Galway Highland Heather, less than 3 balls (!!!). I got a bunch of it from Bonne Marie, and still have enough for an adult sweater.
Comments:
Knitting Ganseys was an excellent guide to the different elements of a traditional gansey. Cian said he liked the “christmas trees” motif from the book, so he got a bunch of those on either side of the diamonds. I’m glad to have gone through the method of making this.

Ok, loads to do today. I’m off for now!

So Jamie has already gotten her first packet of fundraising for school. Wanna buy something and help us out? They have it set up so that it can be done over the internet. Much better selection and much easier than the booklets they send with the kits.

Anywho, here’s the info:

MUSTANG ELEMENTARY-MUSTANG is having a fundraiser. You can shop online at

http://www.gecklerstore.com/store/brochures.php?sID=mus1392

The group receives profit from the sale and the seller will receive prize credits. Enter the seller ID below to begin.

Seller: Jamie Waits
Seller ID: mus1392

Thank you for your support.

If the link above does not work, please use the following link and enter the seller ID: http://www.gecklerstore.com/store/index.php

Yesterday Jamie was in the other room drawing pictures (probably of birds) and I could hear her as she began to tell Cian what her picture was about. She said “I am drawing a story” and then told him about the animals in the picture. They could change into other animals. She included crazy, swishing sound effects.

So I called them into the office where I was sewing something and told them a bit about Animagi.

“What kind of animal do you think you’d turn into if you were an Animagus?” I asked, my preschool-show-host voice surprising me.

“A penguin.” Jamie, of course. She has a thing for Piplup.

“A woolps.” Wolf. Cian has not yet mastered the use of the -f- sound at the end of words.

“What would I be if I were an Animagus?” I was sure it’d be “Turtwig!” or some other such creature.

“You would be an owl.”

I’m quite pleased. I’m not sure I would have thought of owls first. Don’t get any ideas. I will not be carrying anyone’s mail.

——-
Anywho. Nothing new to show on the knitting front. Cian’s sweater has a few inches on the first sleeve, but I’m moving pretty slow.

My brother’s on his way to California and I believe will be stopping by tonight. Must. clean.

Since it’s been so long since we’ve had one. How about a puppy dog picture?

Ginevra, sitting atop the crates.

Sorry I’ve been so quiet. My internet connection is completely uncooperative lately. I seem to be able to log in now though, so I will take my opportunity to post.

Sorry for the randomness although really, life is pretty random.

First: Please look at these pictures of my lovely girl-hobbit, who has been enjoying dressing herself for school.

Second: I was about to post a pic of a good local-knitter friend who finished sock1 of a pair of Fred and George socks this past week when I checked my email and saw that she had just finished sock2. Go look.

Third: FUZZY KITTEN!!

Fourth: I love Bonne Marie. *hugs* CLICK for her post. She totally rocks my socks, often.
I shall now, once again, not tag anyone. I’m lame that way.

I stayed out way late knitting tonight, so I’m off to veg. Smooches!

Since Jamie has been spending her afternoons at school Cian and I have, more often than not, spent the time between drop-off and pick up at Charlie Bean.

Yesterday after I picked Jamie up, we popped BACK in for “dinner” before I rushed off to knit in Norman. The dude that usually brings me drinks throughout the afternoon accused me of being a coffeehouse addict.

Then today when Cian and I arrived our normal 45 minutes before Jamie’s dismissal, the gal who also waits while I do told me that we really smell like coffee. And that it was a good thing. Well yes, there are certainly much worse things to smell like.

Then this evening as I worked on finishing up the toe of my current sock, I took a whiff and sure enough, even the knitting smells like coffee. They do tend to be roasting beans when we’re in there.

Anywho.. I said yesterday that I would pop in and show my knitting progress.

Here’s Cian’s gansey. I still haven’t charted the sleeves, but I intend to keep them simple so that part will be easy enough.

And my sock, which is actually a few rounds from done now.

BTW, this is a Cedar Dancing Sock from Cat Bordhi’s new book. Spiffing!

Now I’m going to go walk jog (I totally need to do a Rivendell update soon) and then have some coffee because I actually didn’t have any today. I just smelled like it while I drank tea.

I haven’t posted in like 5 days. And I have no idea why.

Here, let me distract you with a cat doll.

And a very purple pic.

I’ll see if I can cook up something interesting to post before we escape with Kelly and her crew for the weekend.

Last night as I was trying to settle into our evening video-game playing routine, I began to gather my things to work on my granny squares. I quickly discovered that the hook I have been using, my favorite, is missing. It also happens to be the only hook I had in that size.

After a bit of a tantrum, I rummaged through my leftovers and found something I could play with while I wait for the morning and the opening of shops that sell crochet hooks.

The yarn I pulled was a coupla small balls of a skein of Schaefer Lola (which became 2 sides of a small purse bag thing that are current blocking, btw). At first I couldn’t even remember what I had knit with this yarn in the first place, and then when I remembered that it was socks for Jamie I realized I hadn’t seen them in ages.

I spent a little time being grumpy at Justin for not remembering the socks either, then I dug around a bit and found them in our bin of winter hats and scarves. Today I’m stunned that I could have forgotten I made them, that I could have let their absence go unnoticed, and that I still can’t even remember when I made them. I suspect it was sometime this winter, in between charity items. Most likely still in 2006, back when I was still buying yarn regularly.

No pattern. Yarn mentioned above. The Lola is totally soft and wonderful. I like to cuddle it (I do vaguely remember being at the shop, cradling it in its little skein form like a soft baby bunny, squoooshing it, and calling it George). The awesomest thing is that Jamie doesn’t remember them either, and is very pleased to be wearing new handknit socks today. Thanks mom! lol

Jamie. In school. Crazy.

Today was the first day for all the kids in town, but the Kindergarten classes had a sort of orientation that the parents had to attend as well. So it was a short day, but we got more information about things and the kids had story time and stuff. There weren’t any cryers in Jamie’s class, but then everyone had their parents too.

Jamie would like you to know that the fish pictured behind her in the entrance area are very cool.

I really ought to start on a school scrapbook. Wonder if I still know how to do that sort of thing.

The first of at least 3 sweaters I plan to make for the cold weather season this year is done.

I had been thinking about my current knitting and decided that I wasn’t going to be excited about what I was doing unless I had a goal. Since sweaters for Jamie, Cian, and Justin were something I definitely wanted to do this year, last week I cast on for the first of them and was much happier for it.

Finished this weekend.

Pattern:
A yoked sweater, with some basic guidelines from the Handy Book.
Yarn:
A hand-spun, hand-dyed, but label-less yarn given to me by a local knitter friend who wasn’t going to use it. Thick and thin with a lot of texture. And purty girly colors.
Comments:
I wasn’t sure how far the yarn would go, so I made this just the right size for Jamie. I would normally make something larger so it would fit longer, but figured I could make a 2nd sweater for her this year if I had enough time.

I’ve already got a start on Cian’s sweater, but left it in knitter-pal Jeanell’s car last night after we went to see OOTP. Well, all of my WIPs were in that bag, but yeah. She’s on her way up here now to kindly bring it to me. I was starting to get twitchy.

A conversation over lunch today.

Cian: Dad, can you make me a hotdog?
Justin: Poof! You’re a hotdog.
Cian: You can’t use magic, you don’t have a magic wand!
Rose: Daddy has a magic wand. Didn’t you know? (to Justin) Show him.
Justin: (gets wand) Poof! You’re a hotdog!
Cian: That’s not a magic wand. That’s a knitting needle.