Current WIPs

Let's start with the most recent, shall we?

 This blanket (Ravelry links, y'all) was started back in mid-Feb... this year. I was working in Dayton. When I left, this went into its bag and has not re-emerged since. I really need to pull that out. I knit/crochet a lot more on the road than I do at home and I've been mostly at home since Dayton.

You want to go back a bit farther, you say? How about this?

My Top Down Button Front Capelet, started back in September in Buffalo. Yeah, hasn't made it very far though... I'm getting the urge to pick this back up as well.

More? How about the felted messenger bag that got as far as a swatch and about a foot and a half in length?

Hey, it's only been on the needles since July! heh I'm taking this to Ohio with me in a couple days. Nice, brainless knitting. Probably taking that capelet too just to have a choice.

Can you take a little more? There's the afghan I started last April and had big plans for...

 I'd planned to finish a square each trip out on the road. I guess those plans didn't quite pan out. heh I do think this has some emotional baggage attached though. Someone else in the house decided to follow suit and give this afghan a go and well, I kinda lost my will. I was debating whether to finish this block and move on or just frog what I have done and maybe come back to this later on. I'm thinking frog. So, one less project on the needles...

Speaking of frogging. Remember this?

I'm frogging this today too. Finally.

Let's dig farther, shall we? Last, and smallest... a book scarf started for my mother during her crazy Harry Potter phase.

Yeah, that was started in September... 2007. hahahaha Most boring thing I've ever knit... and on such teensy needles to boot. I think I'll take this too, try to knit on it and if that doesn't happen, I'll frog it.

It's apparently Spring cleaning time for WIPs too! Off to frog...

Had to come back and add this pic. Frogging complete! =)

Yay! Feels good to finally have those off the needles and the possibilities wide open once again. My mother about passed out when she saw me frogging the sweater. How could I possibly rip out something so close to being finished?! heh I didn't love it, that's how. I LOVE the yarn and want it to be something I will love and wear for years to come. That sweater wasn't it. Man, that was fun to frog too! Not sure now why it took me so long to get around to doing it...

Oh, as a follow-up to yesterday. My mother did finally tear herself away from the tv and go to the store... at 1:30 in the morning. I guess there's not much on that time of night. That, and I'm guessing, she didn't worry about "putting on her face" for a trip to Wal-mart in the middle of the night.

Cooking 101

I've learned one very important lesson over the years. Before you start to cook (or bake), take a look at the ingredient list and compare it to what you have on hand. If you do not have everything (or an acceptable substitute), you will need to make a trip to the store... preferably before you start mixing things together.

This is not what occurred in my kitchen today. No, my mother who rarely ever cooks anything that requires more than opening a box and placing a container in the microwave, decided to make this apple/egg/bread casserole thing. I'd just finished making banana muffins and was cleaning up and suggested she might want to think about making her casserole soon since the bread's been cut up for nearly a week and sitting in a bag on the counter. I'd already tossed one loaf that was originally intended for this casserole (it was moldy). Anyhoo, she decides to do it "right now" and starts mixing things up. Non-moldy bread? Check - whew. Eggs? 1 more than needed. (An aside here, she wanted to toss in the extra egg too. Not sure why - maybe she thought the one would get lonely in the fridge?) Apples? Hmm, only two. So I offered up my bag of organic apples. Milk? Nope. None. Uh, she's the only one here who uses cow's milk so it's not like I used it up and she didn't know she hasn't had any for days. I couldn't save the day here. Since I'm heading back out of town in a couple days, I've been trying to use up my stuff so it doesn't go bad and didn't have enough soy milk on hand for her recipe.

Now, I'm not saying I've never done this. I totally have. haha It happens. I either figure out a substitute or make a quick run to the store for that missing item. I do not get all pissy with the other person in the room, as if it's their fault I didn't plan ahead and they can't supply what I need. Nor do I mope around the house afterward as though the world is against me. I also do not profess to never bother trying to cook again because this always happens. Instead of going to buy milk at one of the five stores withing a mile of this house, she slammed things around, threw the egg mixture in the fridge and set herself up in front of the television set for the day. All over a 10-minute trip to the store? Sheesh. I don't get it.

Oh, about 20-minutes later she was back in the kitchen and I hear her pouring a bowl of cereal. I'm thinking... she doesn't have any milk. Yeah, she figured that out after once again looking in the fridge, started swearing and slamming things around again.

Prior to this, she'd been outside watering plants and decided to get a piece of wood to hold open a window in the house and came in cursing about having things she can't get to to use. Even though there are tons of pieces of scrap wood accessible, she wanted to use her saw... that she has several feet of crap piled in front of. Yes, I'm once again getting the blame for this... even though everything in the garage other than my Jeep and bike (neither of which is in her way) belongs to her. I also got blamed for the rotten strawberries I'd put in the produce drawer (and told her I'd placed them there) because she forgot about them. I was making room for something she wanted to put in the fridge. And the rotten tomatoes too. She'd bought those, told me I could use some if I wanted, then never used them herself. How is this stuff my fault??

Any wonder I can't wait to move?! Or at least get back out on the road for awhile!

I love Spring.

Your straps are showing!

Mine, not so much. =)

I've seen these on etsy, but figured I could come up with my own and save the $$. I used a piece of batik fabric my mother was tossing in the giveaway pile and a small amount of polar fleece from the same pile sewn in for a bit of padding. End result? LOVE. I've always hated those nylon straps on things, they're so uncomfortable. Now, total comfort (and totally washable). =) Total cost? $0

Pepperminty!

Yum! Perfect with a little scoop of Trader Joe's organic chocolate soy ice cream. =) I used the peppermint patty version of this recipe. I didn't have enough peppermint extract so I ground up a couple of candy canes found in the cabinet. Did the trick quite nicely. Might have to try the eggs next Easter...

Tomorrow, I'll post pics of my sewing project from today. =)

FIVE things

So, I'm reading this book, Clutter Busting. One of the exercises is to pretend you can only keep 5 things. What would those 5 things be? Hmm, only 5, huh? That's a toughie.

1) My camera (okay, not so tough on that one) - I'm counting this as one though if I had to I'd condense it down to the camera body, a couple lenses and a tripod. All would fit in my awesome camera backpack so that should count as one, right? heh

2) My computer. Obviously need that to process photos - wish it was a laptop though.

3) My Jeep. (Crappy pic but it's all I got right now.) =)

4) My phone. I've easily lived without a cell phone before, but my job makes this a necessity. This also takes the place of an mp3 player and also works as my internet connection.

5) My bike. (Again, crappy pic... but you get the idea.) I bought this not long after moving to Alaska and it's moved with me to WA then IN and will be making the trip back west soon. It's been neglected of late and needs a serious tune-up, but I love it... and it fits me. =)

Interesting what didn't make the cut. #1 was the easiest to come up with. #5 was the hardest. It was a toss-up between the bike and my knitting/crochet stuff... but I'm betting I could stash my needles/hooks in the camera bag and find more yarn down the road... is that cheating? =)

I asked my mother this same question. What were her 5 things? She got as far as her sewing machine and supplies (counting as 1), her knitting supplies (again as 1 though she wanted to lump this in with her sewing stuff), her TV/VCR (again as 1), her books (again, counting as 1). She didn't say a 5th though I'm pretty sure she'd already filled a BIG moving truck with the first 4!

So, what would YOUR 5 things be? 

Flash your Stash

People have been "flashing" their "stash" on Ravelry this month. I figured it was my turn to flash. I have just a few balls and skeins around. heh Mine has relocated to the corner recently. It's completely out of hand awesome, I know. I figure it can't take over as long as it's shorter than I am though... right?

Some details can be seen on my flickr page. These used to live under my bed, but with the dog not being able to climb the steps to the bed (and my fear that he'll jump off, injuring himself even more if he did), the mattress has relocated to the floor and the totes to the corner. I actually think I somehow have more space in my room now. I think it's just the way the bed is placed - something I've been wanting to do for awhile now. I used to rearrange things all the time, but since I've been in this one room, I haven't really been able to. It's a really nice change. =) I like being able to see the pretty colors too. Spent a bit of time today rearranging these, putting like fibers together and putting the summer yarns on top so they're more easily accessible now that it's getting HOT outside! I think maybe we've skipped Spring and jumped right into Summer!

The hunt...

Last year, I missed the egg hunt with my niece and nephews because I was on a plane to Arizona. Not so, this year!

Along the way, some found out we don't always get what we want.

She's so dramatic. But all ended well. =)

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Easter prep

We had a busy day. We started off with growing a field of flowers...

 

And finished with bacon and eggs...

Fun day. =)

Tomorrow, watching little kids hunt for Easter eggs...

Spring!

The teensy yellow dafs have been open for about a week and the slightly larger yellow double dafs have been open nearly as long. But these are the ones I really like! So pretty!

The raspberries are also making a valiant effort to return to their prior glory!

I love Spring!