Cheating Is Fun!

Not cheating on your spouse, or cheating on a school exam...I'm talking about cheating on your knitting! I have decided to drag my Legare Circular Sock Knitting Machines out of the closet and into use once again! I am going to crank out a couple pair of socks for my sons for Christmas. When you consider the time factor, using a CSM (circular sock machine) is an unbelievable time saver. I can knit a PAIR of socks in about 2 hours from start to finish. Yes, they are plain stockinette stitch but that's what the boys like. Above is one of my CSM's. I have 2 so that I can keep them set up at different tensions for differing yarn weights. One will knit fingering and the other sport weight yarns. I bought mine when they were reasonably priced. Now I see that "refurbished" machines are $2000.00. That is craziness! One of mine is from eBay and I paid $150.00 for it, and took it apart and painted and cleaned it myself. It was fun to work on, and I have to admit, I was amazed that it worked after I reassembled it! I still prefer to hand knit my socks, but when time is crunched, and I need gifts for the guys...my CSM comes to the rescue. Below are some socks I've knit on my machines. They are very basic with a short-row heel (not my favorite) and a mock ribbed leg. Easy, fast, very basic...but they keep your feet warm and that's what matters! Two of my sons work outdoors year round so they need toasty feet. In Minnesota that means wool socks and lots of them!
It is getting WAY cold here in the Minneapolis area. When I walked the greyhound this morning I was cold! By the time we had walked our mile my legs were stinging and burning from the wind blowing right through my jeans. I was so happy to get home and have a nice hot cup of Constant Comment tea. Supposedly this weekend we are getting snow...up to 6 inches. Snow's fine, it's the bitter cold I don't like. Winter is here for at least the next 4 months...it is the best knitting months of the year!

I am going to get my CSM's out now and set them up so I can start cranking. I will post any socks that I make. Have a great weekend and stay warm!

One Down, One To Go!

I have finished one of Mariah's mittens! This is a cute pattern but written only up to an adult size small. I don't quite get that?? Why not a medium and large size also? Anyway, it was a quick and fun knit and I've already started the second one so they will be ready for Christmas giving. Now I need to get the last 2 inches of my moms sock knit. I am giving her one of my many socks that have languished for years with a half-finished mate. I have been working on finishing the mate for a complete pair. My mom loves hand knit socks! She has to wear special shoes for a foot problem and the hand knit socks are so much more comfortable. If I'm really ambitious I may try and finish another pair for my elderly aunt.

We have had an offer on our little Victorian house. I have such mixed feelings about that. I raised my 4 kids there and lived there for more than half my life. The people haven't made an "official" offer yet but our realtor seems to think that they will. Life can be complicated some times.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! One of my favorite holidays surpassed only by Christmas. We will be celebrating at my nephews. I have to bring candied yams and have been searching the internet for a recipe. Some are very basic and some are what I would call "gourmet". I love the recipe site Recipezaar. It is one of the best recipe and food sites I have found. Check it out...you can find a recipe for about anything you want. I like that they give the nutritional info for all their recipes since I am diabetic. There is also a newsletter you can request and some fun communities to join. Bon Appetit!

Baby it's cold outside! It is starting to feel like winter here in Minnesota. Still no snow but the temps are getting into the brrrr range. I don't mind the cold but I wish we could have a little more sunshine. It's been dreary and dark since the beginning of October. I need a little sun to take the blues away.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, food, and fun! Count your blessings and all the things you are thankful for.

Logan, Mittens, and Houses

My daughter and son in law Jon just got an update on the cutie from Guatemala! This picture was taken at Logan's 4 month check-up. He weighed in at 14 lbs 8oz. I guess they don't need to worry about him not getting enough to eat! Looks like he's lost most of his hair but he still has those adorable lips and big brown eyes. I can't wait to get my hands on this little guy. Stacey, Jon, and Mia will be leaving for Guatemala on Christmas day for a week with the little bugger. They are so excited. I think they will have a difficult time leaving him behind when they come home, but hopefully they will get him in February or March and then he's theirs forever! Fortunately, the elections were successful in Guatemala a couple weeks ago and the new president is pro-adoption.

I have been knitting! I am working on a pair of mittens for Mariah for Christmas. Mariah is my son Tyler's girlfriend and she LOVES the color pink. So I bought some pretty pink Galway and am knitting her a pair of Maggie's Rags cable heart mittens. They are turning out so cute. The pattern is fun, but not that well written. Mariah wears a black jacket so I think that pink mittens will look nice with it. If I was really ambitious I'd knit her a matching scarf. It will depend on time, working full time really cuts into the knitting time. My goal this year was to have all my Christmas shopping done by Dec. 15th so I could relax the week before Christmas. I am shopping today with my Mom but she wants to go to Kmart and that is one of my least favorite stores. I am going to look at sheets, big deal...

We are having Open Houses on both the houses, one every other weekend. It is a real pain in the behind to have to make sure that your house is spotless every second of the day. It's not me that's the problem...I blame any messiness on Walker or Summer the greyhound. She sheds, not a lot, but enough. Walker has a tendency to leave dirty clothes wherever. He even had a little pile next to his dresser that I found after the Open House last weekend! Oh well, we do live here and people can't expect it to look like a model home. I am still so undecided as to which house I want to sell. I have set my mind to the fact that whatever house sells, that's the way it's meant to be. I will be happy in either.

Tomorrow night is our monthly knitting group, we meet the third Thursday of every month. We are a fun crowd (Deb S. you should join us!) I was thinking that next month it would be fun to have a stash exchange for Christmas, or maybe a gift exchange. We usually have a little Christmas party with cookies and cider. Most years Janet makes us make an ornament...one year we made little needles out of toothpicks and knit a tiny little square and glued this to a tiny little ball of yarn. It was cute! We used left over sock yarn, the needles were round toothpicks with a seed bead glued to the end. It gave me a new appreciation about knitting on "small" needles! This knitting group is a fun group, if you live in the Minneapolis area and would like to join us please email me for directions.

We had our family room (picture above, white lines by sofa are sunshine!) and the bedroom next to it recarpeted last week, just in time for the Open House. I have to tell ya...I am impressed with Lowe's. They were very nice to work with, quick, friendly, and best of all...they did a great job. Every time I've tried to get something done by Home Depot it takes HOURS of waiting and filling out papers and they never have enough people to help. Not so with Lowe's. We were helped quickly, she was knowledgeable, and we bought our carpet, set up the install date and left the store all within 20 minutes! That makes me happy! And the family room looks great! Now all I need to do is go to the fabric store for fabric, and make those valances for the windows. I've been going to do that for the last 3 years! Now I'll get it done and the house will sell and I won't even be able to enjoy that room. The things we do for love...

Lot's Happening!

Yes, I am still alive and well, just a bit stressed out! My estranged husband, Steve, and I have decided to give it another try! We have put both our houses up for sale and are just waiting for one of them to sell. We will live in whichever one doesn't sell until we decide where we want to move. I would prefer to stay in either of the houses but Steve thinks it would be nice to start fresh in a different house. The house he lives in is the one we raised our family in, so I have a lot of attachment issues with that house. Mine is newer and more modern, a 4 level split. The old family house is a little Queen Anne victorian, photo above is a bit blurry. I like them both so I guess it doesn't matter where we end up. I feel like my family is whole again and we belong together. He's been my sweetheart since I was 18. I am happy.

I haven't been knitting much since all I do is clean this dang house! Have to have it ready to show at any moment. What a pain in the behind. I did find this pattern that I would like to try. You will need to click on the far right pair of socks to get the free pattern. It is for socks knit from the toe up that have a funky sort of gusset. They are very cute and look like an interesting project. Anyone out there knit these yet? I have some pretty pastel yarn that would be perfect for these. Just what I need, another sock project to go unfinished for decades!

Well, I just needed to check in quickly to let the 3 people who read this blog that I am still among the living. I do need to go mop floors now and then rip out the carpet in my family room since it is being re-carpeted this Friday. Work, work, work....sucks!