Hi Ho The Dairy-O The Front And Back Are Done!

You guessed it! The front and back of DMS's sweater is complete, despite the evil attempts of the pattern writer! I will begin, and hopefully finish the sleeves shortly. I may even learn to work my digital camera so I can post a picture of the long awaited sweater. Through this sweater so far, I have learned that bamboo isn't the only knitting needle in the knitting world, that Addi's don't infact suck, and that if I ever find the person who wrote this pattern I will pull his or her hair!!!

Things I can blame my mother for...

My mother is the one who initially taught me to knit; unfortunately, it didn't really stick the first time though. My fault, not hers. That being said, there was the work before play gig. My husband has been out of town for almost a week, and at the beginning of the week I thought I would knit the entire time. Ask me if that is what I did, go ahead, I double dog dare you? Ask me if all I did was knit, and nothing else. The answer is an emphatic NO! I did all the crappy little chores that would not get done if I didn't do them, and that only mattered to me because a nasty little voice in my head kept saying, "Come on, work before play. You can knit later." Let me explain, I think there is some kind of a spell that mothers cast on their children. Once you are fully an adult, all or most of the things your mother taught you, the fun and the not-so-fun eerily begin appearing like magic in your life. In your 20s, who cared if your place was clean? Dirty dishes, get to them later. Dirty clothes, buy new. Don't want to iron, not a problem, there is a dry cleaner on every corner. Then your 30s come, still in your own groove. Then you hit 35 and all the fun stuff that used to be just fine with you now starts to bring up nagging little thoughts like I can't stand this mess; just look at this closet; and who left that (whatever that is) there?!?!?!

Your 30s keep rolling, and before you know it the bloom is off the rose, and you are closing in on 40, and that damn spell is working like a charm. No longer can you spend hours, days, weeks ignoring chores. The lists I used to hate when my mother made them for me are now in my own damn handwriting! The fun that used to come first is so far down the list it didn't even make the list, and the spell keeps working...

Better yet, I am now repulsed by some of the things that I used to be drawn to. I now hate things that are gaudy, flashy, and for the love of God fuschia! The spell has worked so well that it makes me loathe the tacky and gaudy so much that I now fear its return, and the aforementioned dear mother now suggests I get more color in my wardrobe lest I be seen in too much brown, black, and beige. I used to be the one with purple eyeliner, navy mascara, and blue fingernail polish - a thought/memory I now regard with genuine horror. You guessed it, the spell.

The husband will be home in four hours, and I got so much done while he was out of town; however, not much knitting though. (Damn, damn, damn!!!) I look around, and I am glad I did all that work, and I guess I have to say, "Thanks Mom, I couldn't have done it without your help/spell." Maybe I am an adult now, maybe not, but at least I didn't get the spell that my younger sister did. She got THE bad spell - the "I hope when you grow up you have a child that acts just like you do" spell. I had to grow up with that kid, and God bless that spell...

Long story short, whatever responsibility I occasionally exhibit is owing to Mom. However, I will still find a way to use the "F-word" now and again. KIDDING, because I am sure there is a spell for that too...

Did I mention that I suffer from delusional thoughts?

I am working my knitting needles to the point of sparks because I thought, and publically stated, that I would have DMS's sweater finished by Thanksgiving Day, or more insanely BEFORE!!! I am still working towards that goal, but the needles will be too hot to touch by the time the sweater is complete. That'll teach me to talk stupid...

Come on Thanksgiving!!!

I have set a rather lofty goal for myself, lofty in that I have three jobs, I am trying to knit a sweater, have it finished, assembled, and presented by Thanksgiving Day, or even a few days before. What is wrong with me??? (Note to all readers: This is rhetorical - no answers please.)

Even though DMS said that knitting was "slow and dumb", I think she will like this - or she can just lie and tell me she does, that will be fine too. Either way she is going to wear it!!!

No more time to write and reflect, the knitting awaits!!!

Hello turbo, goodbye bamboo...

Do crazy people know they are crazy? My guess would be no, and therefore I must not be crazy for shunning the Addi turbo needles all this time. I ranted, raved, and turned the air blue the first time I tried the Addi's and swore out vengence on the poor soul who sold them to me, and then along came the project for DMS. The yarn is lovely, and I don't want to irritate it. However, the yarn has a personality of its own, and it HATES the bamboo needles!!! DM suggested that I try metal, I of course grumbled, but thought I might have some in my stash somewhere... (Somewhere = the stash of knitting goods that DH knows nothing about.)

I found the needles, and much to my horror they were the damn Addi turbo needles that almost caused me to take a life last winter, and then I decided to give them a try. I did have a few screaming mishaps in the beginning, but now I am breezing right along. I hate it when DM is right about everything, but damn if she wasn't about this too. I love those slipperly little devils now. I may never return to the bamboo. They are possibly just too "grabby" for me now.

I am even coming along with the evil open work on DMS's pattern, and it is 100% on gauge. Yea on me is what I say! Thank God I didn't actually do the woman in who sold me the set of Addis that I gave away, and thank God I am a compulsive buyer and get multiples of everything. After the former experience, I would have NEVER bought more of those turbos, but since I had them, and since DM likes them, I thought I would give them another whirl. From here on out, I am going to spread the Addi gospel.

Way Cool Yarn for DMS's Sweater

I knew I had selected nice yarn for DMS's sweater/gift, but I have never knit with the Plymouth Sunset yarn before. You have to be really careful not to split it, but it feels so wonderful. The gauge swatch even felt great. I got that yarn at The Studio, and they may have become my favorite knitting shop in the area now (raspberries to the old crabbies).

I have yet another new knitting group to attend next week, and I have high hopes as it is at my favorite library, and the head librarian participates in the group herself. This group meets only once a month, maybe I can prevail upon them to meet every other week...

Lastly, I want my blog to be enjoyable experience for myself, and to any people that take time to read about my rantings, the love of knitting, or even if you just have too much free time and you are looking for something to fill that space. This brings me to the newest rant. If you love all things about knitting, keep visiting this blog. If you like reading what a pain in the ass writes, keep visiting this blog. If you are just bored and killing time, God bless you - welcome back! If you are one of the freaky deakies who keeps posting advertisements to sell things in the comments section on my blog - QUIT IT ALREADY!!! Unless you give away free knitting supplies, and possibly chocolate I will never use any service that slinks onto my comment section. That is way sleazy, and keep slitherin' buckos! In the spirit of this blog, I say KNIT OFF!

The Finish Line - Cheer, Cheer, Cheer!!!

The last of the sock yarn has been wound into a ball (we definitely don't want to run out), the knitting needles were hot, and Natty and I were neck and neck to see who could get to the knitting bag first. I am done with work for the day, and the damn cat has been marshalling her energy so she can race me to the knitting. The pint-sized hussy beat me to the bag, but at least she can't work the zipper - well, not on this bag, and not yet...

The race being run, and with knitting only inches away, I have to decide whether to finish the last sock, or take it to the new knitting group I joined that meets tonight. I could take the sock and finish there, or I could bring something to start a new project. DH is even planning to wear the socks - whoda thunkit?

I have a knitting conundrum. I want to knit the French market bag next for my mother so I can see how it turns out, but I owe DMS (dear mean sister - only partially kidding) her sweater, and I want her to be able to wear it this Winter. I have gotten very backlogged (DM's phrase), and now I am stuck. Oh yea, part two to the condundrum would be I now cannot find the pattern for DMS's sweater. I know I have it. I showed it to her on Sunday, and where the heck it is I have not a clue! ARGH!!!!

I better get some chores done, and look for that pattern AGAIN. If I find it, maybe I will take it to the knitting group tonight, if not the sock will definitely cross the finish line there instead of at home. Another FINISHED project - Yea on me! I am going to try to learn how to upload pictures of my knitting to post - no promises, just a thought.

Sock it to me!!!

I have finally found the joy in the knitting of socks. It is fairly inexpensive, easily portable, and a small enough that they can be finished in a couple of weeks - unless you are me knitting this current pair of socks. I may even knit a pair for myself. I have again found the joy in knitting, and the joy of finishing projects. However, I will modify the pattern, and make a short cuff as I don't care for the longer leg version of the socks.

That being said, we are GOING BACK TO KANSAS CITY unless the Sofa King doubles back on me. I will have to get DS's yarn and pattern out of gift jail, and I should probably knit her sweater before I knit a pair of socks for myself. I would hate for her to feel neglected and get "mean".

I never never considered that I would miss Kansas City, familiar surroundings, my favorite knit shops, the four seasons, and most certainly my family. In truth, I don't know if I hate it here because it is so unfamiliar, or because I really hate it, but I do know that I miss my family, and I miss my life - difficult as all of them can be...

(sing along)
Kansas City here I come, right back where I started from... Socks and all.

These socks are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do...

The first in the pair of the dreaded socks is nearing the finish line, and it may have to be an only child as I am going to take a class on Friday that employs the "dropped stitch" stitch. Who knew that I was so creative right from the start (making all those serendipitous "dropped stitches"), as I have been dropping stitches since needle first met wool in my hands??? Of course, I am yet to find out what a real dropped stitch is, but I am looking forward to the knowing.

I am so excited to be knitting again that I have decided I may even make the accompanying shawl that goes with the drop stitch tank top - the project for the class on Friday. I have even recaptured some of the joy of knitting socks, some not all. Some people say sock knitting is addictive - I think those people smoke crack!!! My thought is, either put down the crack pipe or SHARE damn it!!!

The Long Silence is Broken, the Knitting Hussy is Back!!!

It has been a month since my last post, and life has changed so very much with the move to Las Vegas, Nevada. I have tried to remain positive, and with that there are some things I am very positive about. I am positive I hate the desert! I am positive I hate most of the people who live in the desert! I am positive I hate the rules, rules, rules that Nevada has for everything! It is a wonder there isn't legislature for the tying of shoes! I also equally hate the traffic, the heat, the Sprint non-cell-type coverage/reception that they do, or rather don't have here. Back to being positive, I AM POSITIVE I hate all of those things! Change is hard for me, and maybe I hate them because they are different than what I know, or maybe I just truly hate them. Only time will help me bear this out. On the up side, if there actually is one, is that there is a nice knitting shop that is about 5.5-6 miles away, and some very nice people work there. They must not be from the desert... Of course I am still working on those bastard socks, and I am determined to finish them because generally I find almost as much joy in finishing a project as I do the knitting itself. I just chose such a BORING color to knit a PAIR of socks with on #2 needles. Next week, life may return to some degree of normalcy as I start transcribing for the service that works with SMMC. Knitting will again become a much loved hobby again instead of my sole companion... Looking forward to the love of knitting. Maybe I won't hate everything so much once I start working and have a little purpose again - who am I kidding, of course I will still hate everything, everything but knitting...

Sick of the socks...

I am diligently working on the pair of socks for DH. I selected a color that he would like to wear, not a color that I would like to knit with. What was I thinking? Duh! Of course, if they were a color I liked, they might be mine. Once again, duh! I am getting ready to travel (fly) with my knitting for the first time since the 911 issue.

I am not a racist, and I want to be safe while travelling just as much as the next guy, but all right already! The airline authorities should stop window dressing safety checks to protect their profits, and start addressing the real issue. To date, the vast majority of the people that have hijacked and crashed planes are of Arab descent. I am sorry that innocent Arabs would be offended, but thing of it like this...

If the blue M&Ms in the bag keep getting out and staining your carpet, are you going to harrass the yellow and red M&Ms for good measure just in case they get out of line? No, you would address your situation with the real problem, the blue M&Ms. So let's stop pussyfooting around the safety and travelling issues, and check the Arab passengers over, and then over and above that anyone who appears to be behaving in a suspicious manner. Not just randon seat numbers because the attackers on 911 weren't random. For God sakes!, we are at war, we know who we are at war with. Let's identify our problem and handle it decisively! Off the soap box, and onto the chores. If I wanted to really protest something, it would be housework that jacks with my knitting time!

Over and out, off to pack!

Moving, moving, moving. No time for my damn knitting, RAW HIDE!

Let's open up the flood gates of joy and start packing for the land of sand, scorpions, and sin! The temperature is also hotter than Hell, it is probably literally hotter than the temperature of Hell there. DH got the big promotion, and with it comes a transfer to Las Vegas, and ultimately to California. The parts of the family that know of the move aren't so crazy about it, the parts that don't are taking it pretty well - at least until they know too... So far, I have gotten bad looks, hissy fits, and even received a dutch rub! It is quite a thing when I am the best behaved person in the room! I have just noticed, too many exclamation points today. Well hell, it's just that kind of a day, and you guessed it, not a stitch of knitting has been done.

Grandma H's Grandpa W passed away yesterday, went to visit, took my knitting, but didn't really do any. Too much commotion. I did see a lovely sweater that my DM was working on, and nearly finished too, and all this time I thought she was such a fast knitter. Pee shaw!!! I looked at those unassembled pieces and realized she isn't really so fast, she is just narrow, and there just isn't that much to KNIT when you are so narrow! For all I know, that skinny woman may be slow - a slow knitter that is...

Signing off to knit a bit, over and out.

p.s. The socks are coming out okay. Sometimes I amaze myself...

More life and less knitting makes for a bitchy girl...

I haven't even started the sweater/gift for DS yet as I am still trying to knit the socks for DH. I got about half way through the first sock and started over. The remake is coming along very nicely with the results I hoped for, along with a modification that I added myself (I made the ribbing a little deeper for extra support) so that DH would acually wear them. Mentally, I can't start the project for DS until the project for DH is complete. Not that DH's project is so special, but once I have started something I will strive to finish it. I have DM to thank for that rationale, of course now she has changed her rationale to if you don't like it, don't finish, and just throw it out... That is a BIG statement from the woman that won't eat a $6 cheeseburger for a fear of waste and spendiness.

Today, we got to St. Louis to spend the night so DH can meet with corporate first thing tomorrow morning to find out if he is being transferred to another region, or if we are staying here. Maybe I can knit in the car on the way up, it's just I-70 and a straight shot. I will hope for the best. I will whine about the move later, today it just isn't on the schedule. In fact, I will whine about everything later, gotta run.

When life gets in the way of knitting...

God! Today was a doozie and a half! DH and I are winding up the ugly details of the business he closed, and it is just one hurtle after another, so that jumped right into the middle of knitting time today. Of course, work likes to get in the way of knitting too, but work is like a jealous child always shouting, "Me first, me first!". The closest I came to knitting today was reading a lovely book (but only for 15 minutes) that incorporates knitting into a murder mystery. That's the ticket, sleuthing and knitting - not a bit of phone calling, errands on a hot day, dusting, or even unloading the dishwasher, and especially not laundry! That would be lovely, not that I want someone to die, but if they are dead anyway, I could cast a side the domestic chores, solve the case, and work in some knitting as well... Now that the whine is nearly over, I must focus my thought on other things. I would like to finish the socks for DH before I start the sweater for sister. That being said, hi ho knitting, socks await!

Let the new project begin

I am getting ready to start a brand new project, a sweater that is a gift for my sister. This is part of the gift I gave her for graduating from nursing school. I am not sure how glad she is to get a knitted sweater from her sister, but I am hoping this really pleases her. She is a little bit mean, so there is no telling... It may just be the sound of "home made sweater" that frightens her as I have not been knitting all that long, or it may just be that she is mean. Only time will tell.

I got the yarn at the studio, as well as the pattern, and I am a little nervous about the pattern. The pattern DS picked out is somewhat intimidating, was as the self-proclaimed "knitting hussy", I am planning to rise to the challenge.

Maiden chronicle from the Knittinghussy

I have fortunately or unfortunately become a self-proclaimed knittyhussy. I have become obsessed with knitting, and most of my thoughts and schemes are related either directly or indirectly to knitting, or the socializing associated with knitting. Unfortunately, my other tasks (housework, errands, etc.) are done while grumbling that this is stealing time from my precious knitting, although I don't have a great deal of talent or skill yet with knitting, I have to covet the skill and creativeness of others in the great sport of knitting.

Yes! Knitting is a sport. You can do it in groups or alone. It can be done to win a prize, or just for the joy of it. You can acquire all kinds of equipment to accesorize yourself for the sport of knitting, and lastly there are sport injuries related to knitting - the dreaded carpal tunnel syndrome, tight muscles, etc...

My most recent rant in re: to knitting is that I haven't found a group to knit with since I have moved south of the river in Kansas City. I would like to meet other knitters who are similarly obsessed with the joy of knitting and the social interaction that accompanies this. Since I am listing my wishes, I would also like to meet twice a month, or maybe even every week, but definitely on a Monday, and during the daytime for sure. There are several groups in the area, but none fit my schedule, and since I am on a rant, I can be self-centered.

This whole blogging thing is new to me, but since it is in re: to knitting, I will give it a whirl.

Now I shew myself away from the keyboard to complete my drudgely tasks so that I may go to the yarn shop in peace.