It's a New Year





Mom & Dad at his 90th party!



Well, once again two months have passed by without a single blog.  I do have a really good excuse though.  My dad passed away December 1, 2010.  He was 90 years old on August 23rd.  He had started having lots of mini-strokes but I think he died from a heart attack.  I saw him last on Friday after Thanksgiving.  He was doing pretty good and his death was sort of unexpected.   I really miss him but am doing well.  I know where he is and I know that he is alive and so much better than any of us here. The house is so quiet without him there and I know that mom is sort of lonely.  She went with us to Sevierville last week and stayed a few days at the condo.  We went to a show at Country Tonite which was quite good.  It was really nice to see her relax and get some good sleep.  

SO........this year will be different as I had him around for a long time!!!  

 I have been knitting some though, trying to finish up some projects that have been on the needles for awhile.  *sigh*  There just isn't enough time to do all of the knitting that I want to do. 

I recently have finished two baby blankets, 2 baby surprise jackets with another on the needles, and one hat.  I still have my Evenstar lace shawl to finish and it is already time for the next Lord of the Rings Series to begin!   



Jack and Aunt Sarah





Baby Surprise Jacket for Jack



It's almost Thanksgiving!!

I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving and I haven't been on here since June!!!  Wow.  There has been so much knitting going on.  I did finally finish the socks, 2 blankets and a baby jacket.  I have started another jacket and a scarf for charity.  Earlier in the fall our area had an Alpaca Day!  I took David to see the Alpaca Farm in Meadowview.  It is called Dreamland Alpacas and they have 40 of the cute little fuzzy, wooly and sweet animals.  They brought one out to the car so David could see it up close.  His name was Constable and he was SO Soft!!!  I just wanted to kidnap him.  I do have photos of that adventure.  Well, just wanted to catch up a little and hope to stay up on this blog a little better this winter!  Happy Knitting!!!

It's hot!

I have not been on here in forever!  It seems like I have been so busy lately that writing a blog went by the wayside.  I finished the socks, but they are too small.  They fit one of my sisters though so I guess she will get them.  I will have to make the other one a pair too!  haha  It has been so hot and not just the weather!  Somebody turned the furnace on inside of me and it switches on about 20 times a day!   It is so annoying..... 
Went to TX to see my brother.  Went with my two sis's and a niece.  We had a great time eating, meeting and sleeping. 

I am still working on my lace shawl.  It was put on hold while I traveled and I haven't started back since my return.  I am working on 3 baby blankets and need to start another one also.  That and the market bags that the guild has started will keep me busy for the summer.  I would really like to finish the two sweaters for fall and winter that I have on the needles also.  Maybe before it turns cold again...  hahaha  Wishful thinking! 

Now to see if I have any photos that I can post.    Well, here is one of the five of us at a restaurant.  I must not have taken one of the socks yet.  That I will do asap! 

Just call me Ms. Cranky

I have been so cranky for, oh about 4 days now.  Today has been somewhat better and I feel the atmosphere lifting off of my head so I must be clearing up.   This gloomy weather hasn't been helping either.  Its cold and gray which is how I feel on the inside.  I feel like the rainbow and the planets on that Jimmy Dean commercial.  They are so down and out, then "wham" they eat the breakfast and get their color and vitality back.  I have to do better!!

I am almost finished with the socks.  I have one finished and 1 about 3/4. Too bad I misjudged something and these socks won't fit my big foot, but maybe one of my sisters.   I finished 4 more rows of the lace.  Now just 12 more and I can start clue 5.  Since clue 6 came out this last Friday, I am way behind.  Oh well, as long as I finish it.  I have also started a baby blanket.  I have 2 friends who are baking babies so I want to get those going.   
Something that I am really happy about:  I am out of debt!  Well, I still owe just a tich to my parents but that is another story.  Back in 2006 I was having these feelings of having too much stuff and my bills stacking up.  I owed for college that I was paying,  a host of medical bills were piling up, and some credit cards from traveling.  My Church was having a Dave Ramsey class on finances and I signed up.  As soon as the class started, the retina in my left eye detached and I had to have 3 surgeries that fall.  It was horrible.  Of course that didn't help!  Anyway, I followed the class rules and even though I have slipped some (at times quite a bit) I have really tried to cut back.  I paid my last big bill this month and I am so excited.  I need to get my little car bump fixed and I have a trip to take to see my brother but I have no debt.  I have no debt.  Wow.  I'm telling you, his plan works.  I don't see myself ever becoming a millionaire like Dave but getting out from owing creditors is wonderful.  Now to reduce the clutter in my life and I will be so light!  I have been doing better and have reduced quite a bit over the last 4 years.  Of course when most of my life is in two rooms, how much can a person have?  Well, a lot actually!  lol   
Okay, that's enough griping or whatever for tonight.    I'll try to post pics tomorrow of the socks.  :)

Books and such

The socks are being knit with Berrocco Comfort Sock on size 3 dpns.  The Evenstar lace is being knit with Cascade Yarns Alpaca Lace on size 3 Circulars. 

I have to start back on the lace shawl.  I am already a whole clue behind.  Clue 6 comes out Friday and I am still on 4!  AAK!  I also have to get busy and order the 3000 beads that will be added on clue 7.  Talk about a challenge.  I have not knit anything this complicated before! 

What else is going on in my life?  I have been reading a lot lately.  Too bad its all junk.  They have made me laugh though.  I have two more Sookie books to read.  I just finished "Jane Bites Back" .  This book was funny too.  It is about Jane Austen.  She is really still alive and a vampire.  LOL  No, I'm not really obsessed with vampires and don't believe in them at all.   I just seem to be into this weird reading for awhile.  I think it takes me out of reality or something. I only like the funny ones though, not the seriously strange. I also went to the library yesterday.  I checked out Jane Austen's "Persuasion"  which I am going to attempt to read.  I have tried to read her books before but I have a hard time with them.  I haven't quite figured that out yet as I love to read and they are supposed to be classics.  I did listen to Sense and Sensibility on audio book and liked it pretty good.  I wanted to smack several of them though as I thought they were senseless.   I also have Julia Childs book, "My Life in France"   I enjoyed the movie Julie and Julia.  Since I took French, I have a fascination with France and would love to visit.  She is really quite interesting. 
Nothing else new this week so far.  Went to knitting guilds sit and knit last night.  We had a good time laughing.  Knitters can be so funny sometimes.  That's all I can come up with right now!  Bye!

This is the picture of the socks that I am knitting on the double points.  They have been quite fun, not at all what I expected! 

Start of Evenstar Lace Shawl

I wanted to post a picture of the Evenstar lace shawl from the beginning.  This was after just a few rows.