Diving Into The Frog Pond!

Head first, here I come! I cannot believe that I have started my much awaited purple cardigan for the seventh time and need to frog it AGAIN! As you can see by the photo above, the size is way off. Yes, I checked my gauge...twice. I must be knitting tighter than when I knit my gauge swatch because there is no way that I am anywhere near being on gauge. This sweater will be small, about 42", which will not fit a busty gal like me. I was knitting the 54" size since I wanted it large enough to be comfy and to wear t-necks underneath. So, I guess this means I rip out again and start over with size 10 needles instead of the 9's I was using. I am so bummed. Do you think this yarn is cursed? Maybe it wants to be something else. All I know is that I really want it to behave and become the cardigan I so want! I'll give it one more try. If it's another failure then the yarn gets a time-out and I knit something else. I feel that 7 attempts is quite enough.

I have started to look at townhouses even though I doubt I will move until spring. There are quite a few in the area where I live that I like. I hope that I am making the right decision. Both Walker and I are sick of yard work and snow shoveling. When I have a day off I want to relax and enjoy it, not pull weeds and mow the lawn. I know that Walker will move out someday and then I would have all the work to do myself. The idea of a townhouse really appeals to me. As long as I have a deck or patio so I can sit outside and read or knit, I will be happy. I'm not a gardener so I won't miss the yard. And as far as Summer the greyhound goes, we walk 3 times a day now so that won't be a problem. She'll probably miss the fenced yard a bit but she's getting old and doesn't run around much anymore. I found some one level twinhomes built in 2003 so they are nice and fresh. Problem is, they rarely go up for sale. I talked to a resident there to get an idea of what the neighborhood is like. She said it was quiet, and loved living there but there has only been 2 units for sale since they were built! I suppose that's a good sign...the owners like their place and stay! The twinhomes are on a quiet street and there are only about a dozen units. They are one level with walkout basements and the backs face a game preserve that will never be built on. There is a marsh area with a pond and woods. It would be beautiful to sit on the deck and have a view like that! Plus, there are walking and biking paths near by for the dog and I to take our daily treks! Please say a prayer that I can snag one of these units for my own. Yes, there are lots of others townhomes in the area, but I sort of have my heart set on one of these. I believe that all things happen for a reason and if I am suppose to live there then it will work out. Fingers crossed!

Happy Birthday Baby!

Okay, so he's not really a baby, but he is my youngest, and to me, he will always be my "baby". Walker, the youngest of my 4 kids, turned 20 on Saturday, Sept. 22nd. I didn't get a chance to post on Saturday since I worked all day and we had a party for him that night. So today is the day that I will embarrass him and post a few unique facts about Walker.

1. He is called, by his 3 siblings...Baby Walker.

2. He is also called Deeds. Long story. When he was little he wanted a cat. Tyler, his brother, is deathly allergic to cats so we could never have one. For Walkers second birthday I bought him a stuffed, life-size, orange tabby cat. He loved it, actually, he still has it! He couldn't pronounce the words "kitty cat". Whenever he tried, it sounded like "deedle dee". For years he got called Deedle and then it was shortened to Deeds. His older brother still calls him that...much to Walkers chagrin.

3. Walker has a tattoo of a circle of flames with his initials in the middle spelled out in Chinese characters. He cannot pronounce them either!

4. Walker has broken each arm, the left while biking, the right while playing rugby. He also had to have surgery twice...once for each break. We sincerely hope this trend has ended.

5. There was a time when orange was the only color Walker would wear. We are sincerely glad this trend has ended! While in this orange phase, he also wanted to eat only Ramen. Thank goodness, neither one of these "trends" lasted long.

6. Walker is my only child that has curly hair...and I mean curly! His hair is thick, dark, and if allowed to grow, produces big spiral curls. Beautiful! This is why Walker always has short hair!

7. Walker is extremely patriotic. He loves America and isn't afraid to say so.

8. Walker thanks me every time I make him a meal. Really. There isn't a time that he doesn't tell me...thanks for dinner mom. Good meal mom. Thanks for the grub mom. I guess I raised him right.

9. Walker has never made a Christmas list. Unlike his brother Tyler, who usually had a 3 page list of wants, where they could be purchased, the costs, and how he wanted them wrapped! Not Walker, when asked what he wants for Christmas or his birthday, he always says...surprise me, get me whatever you want, or even...I don't need anything. Amazing, ain't it?!

10. Walker weighed over 10 lbs at birth. Actually, 10 lbs, 1 oz. He was an adorable baby that has grown into a great young man.

11. Walker says good night to me every night...even if he has to wake me to do it!

12. Walker thinks that one day, he will win the Powerball. I SINCERELY hope he's right!

Happy Birthday Deeds! You are precious and I love you always!

I have started the purple cardigan and it is awesome. I finally got it going without any screw-ups, amazing, I know! I am liking the KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Chunky and their Options needles. It is knitting up fast and I am hoping that it will be done by next winter! Yup, I can't put anymore stress on myself so I am giving myself a year to finish it. I don't think that's unreasonable considering I work full-time. I am looking forward to retirement so I can knit for long periods of time without falling asleep!

Did anyone catch the premier of "The Bachelor" last night? It looks like it is going to be a good season. I thought last year was a bit bland, but Brad, this years bachelor, looks to be a lot more exciting. Should be fun! I love the dynamics between the women...it's so dramatic that it's hilarious. They always seem to be half tanked! I think the network keeps the booze flowing freely so they can get some good footage of the women making asses of themselves. It's sort of pathetic, but I still love it!

I Have Uninvited House Guests...

MICE! Luckily I don't hate mice, nor am I afraid of them. But, they are not allowed to reside in my home unless they sign a lease and pay rent! I thought I had seen a little flurry of fur under my stove the other night but didn't think much of it. Last night I dropped a few kibbles of dog food on the closet floor and left them thinking I'd sweep today. Well guess what, those little kibbles were gone this morning! Somewhere, probably under my stove, is a stache of dog food waiting to feed some hundreds of mice babies. OMG...I have to get the poison out since I can't do the trap thing. I hate to have to "dispose" of the bodies. I know, pretty juvenile, but it seems that every time I use traps the dang mouse is never actually dead. He's always just caught by his toe or foot and then what do you do? Last time that happened I felt so sorry for him that I let him go...outside of course. I have even used "live" traps. Yes, they work, but not very good. The mouse tripped it about 6 times before I actually caught him. Then I walked him over to the field near my house and let him go. Am I too nice? Should I be hell-bent on wiping out these little suckers? Maybe I'll try the poison...again. We used to live in a house in the country where we got lots of mice, there were horse and corn fields around us. I used poison once and the house stunk for weeks! When I moved to this house I never saw any mice. Until lately. I caught one in the live trap in the spring and hadn't seen any since, until now. I suppose they are trying to find a warm place to hunker down for the winter. Well it ain't here! I'm bringing out the big guns, figuratively speaking of course, and dishing up the poison tonight! Adios furballs!

I got a new KnitPicks catalog yesterday and was really impressed with their new needle line called Harmony Wood. They are laminated, colored wood needles and a real thing of beauty. Since they are laminated sheets of colored wood, squeezed together under pressure and glued with a special epoxy (my father was a wood worker) they are probably very sturdy. I plan to order some of the tips since they are compatible with the Options set I already own. I'm not usually a fan of wooden needles, too much drag, and the tips are so fragile. But these may be different. We will see! They sure are pretty to look at, and once again, KnitPicks doesn't pick your pocket with high costs.

On the knitting front...not much to report. I am in a knitting slump. I need to get back my knitting mojo! Since I am off today I have 2 things I want to do...make choc chip cookies and cast on the purple cardigan! Again! For good this time! Since our monthly knitting group in tomorrow night (if you live in the Minneapolis area and would like to attend please e-mail me, we'd love to have you join us!) I feel that I should have that darn cardigan going at least a couple inches. I've been saying I was going to have it finished in time for cold weather, which in Minnesota will be a couple months from now. I best get going on it NOW. My right hand is sore, especially my fingers. I fell last night while walking Summer the greyhound. It had rained all day and the ground was soaked. I was walking on the side of the road and a car came around the bend quite fast so I stepped off the road unto the top of the curb. Bad move, the ground there was slippery mud and my feet just flew out from under me and down I went. I landed in the grass so I didn't get hurt, other than my dignity. But today my right hand and wrist are sore. Maybe knitting will loosen it up and help make it better. Oh...the people in the car watched me fall and just kept on going. Nice.

I am off to pull Big Blue (my Kitchenaid mixer) out of his garage (the pantry cupboard) and start those cookies. Walker will be thrilled to see some homemade treats when he gets home from work. What will I do once he moves out? He is such a joy to have around. He'll be twenty on Saturday, and as much as I hate to think about it, someday he will leave home and I'll be alone. That may be a couple years since he wants to go to school but hasn't a clue as to what for! He'll figure it out, they always do. He'll be the last to leave home, the baby, and it will be hard on this ole mom!

Nothing New Here...

I have ignored my blog for awhile and now I feel guilty! Funny how that works?! I have been very busy at work and having to stay later than usual. Hopefully work will calm down this next week, I don't handle stress at work very well and I hate that rushed feeling. Other than that, life is pretty much the same day after day. I haven't knit much, just a little on the Baby's Breath Socks. The pattern is very pretty and easy to remember, a good pattern for a first try at a sock that is other than stockinette stitch. It is a Jean Townsend pattern and she sells it at her blog. All her patterns are very nice. I'm using KnitPicks Essential sock yarn and liking it O.K. It has a tendency to "fuzz" and look fluffy. The pattern will get lost if it gets too fuzzy! I'm knitting them on 2 circulars, also from the KnitPicks Options line of needles and loving them! I keep trying to order more but they are always on back-order.

My daughter Stacey got some new updated pictures of Logan. He is a doll baby! He is 2 months in the photo and is up to 10 1/2 lbs...just a little pee-wee. My last two baby's (Tyler and Walker) both weighed over 10 lbs at birth! Yikes! They are both tall and handsome now! Walker will soon be 20 years old and I will no longer have any teenagers. My baby is growing up. Good thing I got grand-babies to fill the void!

I dragged out the old bread machine today. I haven't used it in a couple years but I decided we needed some cinnamon rolls. They are rising as I type and will most likely be consumed before the days end. Since the weather here has cooled off immensely, like highs in the 60's and lows in the 40's, I feel like cooking and baking. Not a good thing for my diabetes but I do try and control what and how much I eat. I went to the doctor yesterday for my blood work and hopefully my A1C will be at or below 7. That is the true test for diabetes and my last A1C was 7.7 Not bad, not great, just okay. I know that if I'd lose a few of these extra pounds I could probably get rid of the diabetes all together! That would be awesome.

Has anyone seen the new Cat Bordhi book "New Pathways for Sock Knitters"? It looks very interesting to say the least. I have called all the local yarn shops and no one has it in stock yet. Maybe I will try Amazon, save myself some money too. The book has gotten good reviews and sounds very different...but then isn't that what Cat Bordhi is all about. Being unique? It's a bit pricey for a sock pattern book, around $30.00.

And for all you sock addicted knitters be sure to check out Maia's blog. She is doing a mystery sock knit along and it looks to be fun! Very fancy, and she has charted it out so it's easy to read. Looks to be for the advanced knitter though, sort of a complicated pattern. She is such a wonderful knitter and her patterns are truly great...you rock Maia!