March 3, 2007

They are so cute....when they're asleep!

Here's your dose of cute for the day. She fell asleep watching TV.

Joansie's been sharing some of her cross stitch with us, so I thought I'd see if could find some of mine. Much of it's still packed up from the move. Here's one that's on display.

The pattern is taken from a quilt pattern called Around the World. The actual cross stitch section is about two inches square.

Here's the ball of yarn from the skein I dyed the other day.

I think it looks gorgeous and just can't wait to start knittin' it!

F came over yesterday and we (read he) made some progress on getting the back door fixed. There is no hole in it anymore. Okay, so there still is a hole, but you can't see it and dumb doggie can't make it worse. We (read he) still have to fix the molding and put another piece of metal above the door nob, but, it's arrested the problem!

We looked at screen doors. Home Depot has a wrought iron door on sale for the same price as the cheapie vinyl one. $64. Then add in additional hardware, and possibly a door knob/dead bolt. F said he might have those.... A screen door would be really nice to have, but this is going on up towards a possible $90. (Think how much yarn that would buy!) I'm having heart palpitations thinking about spending that much money on something I really don't need. We have to decide quickly, tho, as when these doors are sold out the next cheapest ones are around $90.

If you checked out F's blog, he was making one of those pinwheel sweaters, too. Last Friday when I visited I noticed one cuff was knitted inside out. (This was after a whole sleeve had been knitted inside out. That was cut off, and Kitchenered back on.) So in exchange for fixing the door and giving much needed input on purchasing the screen door, and just because he's my bestest friend, I reknit the cuff on the sweater for him. It was just 80 sts around and I did 11 rows of K2P1 ribbing. Now it's all done and ready to be shipped to his MIL.

Ran to the store quick before my daughter had to leave for work at 7 am to pick up KA so I can dye some more yarn today-Goddess willing and the creek don't rise. F helped me rewind the skein from one yard to a two yard skein. So I have lots less bulk and more repeats to make. Should be lots of fun!

Oh, and my sock. Got some knitting done last night while watching Practical Magic with my daughter. I think I've got about two inches before the toe decreases!

If y'all haven't been, check out kimba's blog! The last several entries have to do with Peeps. Hilarious!

March 2, 2007

First Dyeing of Sock Yarn

I had too much fun dyeing yesterday. I decided it was time to work on my sock yarns from KnitPicks. The purple is made from Wilton's, blue food coloring and vinegar simmered on the stove. It's still bleeding a little blue, but it'll eventually wash out (and stain my hands and needles while knitting, but hey, that's half the fun!). The Fiesta is Orange, Cherry, Watermelon Cherry, Lemonade, and Lemon Lime KA. I spent more time working on that skein than I have on any other hand painted yarns.

I didn't rewind the skein from Knitpicks...it's 100 gms and is probably about an 36 inch skein. If I can, today I'm going to rewind another skein into about a two yard skein. Haven't quite figured out how to do it yet, but hey, how hard can it be???? Have to go buy some more KA, too. I was really disappointed I didn't have any blue KA. I really wanted some blue in the Fiesta one....

Can't wait to finish up my Sockotta socks and start working on the Fiesta!

F called me yesterday to tell me there was an dryer on Freecycle. I called and low and behold, my son is going to pick it up for me tomorrow. It needs a new belt, but F's confident he can fix it for me. Life will be so much easier for us (me) now. Most of the dryers in our complex don't heat up, so we have load everything in the car and drive several blocks to a laudrymat to dry our clothes. Cost of time and $$. With a dryer I can keep up with the laundry and not be dependant on my daughter's days off to do it.

The plan for today is F is coming over to help me fix the back door where the dog has scratched a big hole. The hole now, however, goes all the way up to the white spot under the door knob. We are also going to price a screen door. Now, my back door is built backwards, so the screen door will go in the inside, as it should, but will open up into the kitchen. My solid back door opens out into the yard instead of into the house like a front door would..... But that's okay, cuz the screen door will never be open except to walk through it. And the amoung of natural light in the kitchen will dramatically increase.

The Sudafed has done it's wonders and I'm feeling about 98% better than two days ago! I still sound a little stuffy, and am coughing some (useful coughing that is loosening things up), but, hey, I can think and function again!

February 11, 2007

Two Socks....and more to come!

I have two lavender socks! Aren't they gorgeous?????? Time to CO a new pair! I'm addicted! Today I'm going to work on the pattern that Joansie so generously shared with me! Can't wait! Remember that bright yellow/orange yarn I dyed a couple weeks ago....Yup! Socks! Told my daughter last night everyone is going to get socks for Christmas this year! With that in mind, I can try out different yarns, sizes, techniques and by October I can figure out who I missed and make specific ones up for them!

Lifetime had another Nora Roberts film on last week, Montana Sky, that I finally got a chance to watch last night. I should know better than to expect a 2 hour movie made from a several hundred page book to be any good. It was okay, and if I'd not read the book it might have been a decent movie. But I felt like I was being dragged at Fast Forward through a good story. Of course it's not so bad that I won't record the next one tomorrow night, Blue Smoke. And for anyone that is interested, check your local listings for Lifetime TV as there is a Nora Roberts marathon today.

The dog has completely scratched away the door on the outside back door. While we were in TN at Christmas time, the son staying at the house didn't get home often enough to let the dog out. So we have residual dog urine in the carpet. Humans can't smell it, but the dog can. If we leave her in the house too long alone, she uses the same spot again.... I've taken to putting her out back when we leave for an undetermined amount of time.... Well, on Friday she decided she really wanted back in and has really destroyed the back door.

My friend, F, said he'd come over and help me put up a metal sheet so in the future, scratching won't be an issue.... Dogs....can't live with 'em, can't shoot 'em! Jus' kiddin'. I really like having Sugar around! Combats my fear of the dark! I know if I hear a noise and she doesn't react, it's nothing! Of course, if she does start barking, I tell her to shut up! Kinda cancel each other out, but there is nothing saying that phobias need to be rational!

Check the pics at Dragon's blog. I love waterfalls!