QOW 1 & Day 14

In keeping with the awesomeness that was SP12, I thought I'd take a minute to throw out a question for everyone to answer in a blog post...

Since we've just had Thanksgiving here in the US, I'm wondering what everyone is most thankful for this year. You don't have to be in the US or even celebrate Thanksgiving to answer. Just share with us! :-)

I am thankful for family and friends who despite how far away from each other we are that we keep in touch online weekly if not daily. I am thankful to have a roof over my head and food in my cupboards and money to spend on my family for Christmas this year. I am thankful for yarn and roving - to be able to have a skill that allows me to make something useful for those I love. I am thankful for a family that loves me no matter how cranky I am (or I love them no matter how cranky they are ;)). For my girls even when they are staying up past their bedtime on a school night..........brb must go rectify this. I am thankful for my cat and dog that they are safe in my house and not outside of worse (dog was from the shelter and cat was a barn cat). I am thankful to have a job even if it is only 10 hrs a week - it helps pay the bills. I could go on but I think I'll stop now.

Well this past weekend was interesting to say the least. Friday I'd planned to get up and head to Target to get a hard drive. Hubby bashed those plans because he wanted to get Guitar Hero III - the one with the 2 guitars for the Wii for $79.99. So I said ok - but you get to go out to get it. :D So since he ended up being on call for work on Friday but should be close to home in case he needed to head in - he went home on Thur night. He got up about 5:30 am and headed to Best Buy and got it and was home soon after. Said there was no one really looking at it there. New toy yay! More on this later.

So instead I took the girls and my mil to see Madagascar II at the movies. We'd had some gift cards for a theater up there for about 3 years now and I finally remembered to bring them with me on a trip! LOL The movie was cute and the girls were HILARIOUS when the music came on. They love the song from the first movie (and the second) "I like to move it". So of course when it started playing they started dancing in their seats. :D After the movie we went to Threadbear in Lansing *squee*. I bought some CoolSpun Cotton in 2 colorways, some roving to spin since I have made my second skein of yarn (woot!), something for my secret pal, some breast cancer awareness needles, and some super cute croc jibbets that are knit related! Pictures below of course. :)

My newest handspun yarn - Spunky Eclectic Rosebud Roving club May 2008. Single ply mostly worsted weight.


My take home from Threadbear. The girls loved the store dogs and were constantly petting them. :D


Saturday was lunch and then shopping - mostly wedding dress shopping for my sil who will finally change her name so there is less confusion - same first names as well as last except mine is hyphenated (now). Finally got home at 9 pm and promptly changed into pjs and sat with the hubby to play Guitar Hero III......until 2 am this morning. UGH I r sleepy but it was fun. Oh and I came home to find out how much clothes my hubby's grandma sent home with him OMG I think the girls have enough clothes now that next year they could almost not repeat an outfit the whole year. I have NO storage space which is what we told her after the last big batch we got. She said she will stop getting stuff but she loves spoiling them and the clothing is cheap to free where she works. Its a caring center with an overabundance of clothing at the moment.

Day 13 & Happy Thanksgiving

Happy turkey day for those celebrating it today in or out of the US.

I will be gone for most of the weekend as I was asked to stay with my in-laws until Saturday evening. All that to have a big girls lunch with my mil, sil and cousin. Meh. Good news though I'll be getting a new harddrive if I get out early enough on Friday morning. We need more space for tv shows! hehe Also I'll be getting a 17' LCD flat panel computer monitor from the MSU surplus store - score! I'll have DESK space to actually write on! Then the hubbster can have back this big HUGE honking moniter that he forced on my desk (a 21"er).

So yesterday I got to spinning on my roving that I got from Amy. Pictures below are of the make-shift spindle holder to wind the yarn around a chair. I got approximately 54 yards out of the 4 ozs of roving. Mostly thick but thin in some places (once I figured out what the heck I should be doing).




This is the yarn when I put it in to soak and set the twist.


This would be the final product this morning drying next to my computer desk. :) I LOVE this yarn!


And now we are off to visit the families and to be away from the internet *sobs* for the next few days. I messed up my laptop or else I'd take it with me. *sigh* Have a good one!

Hugs~Jen

day 12

This week my van tried to die on me. Wednesday morning I went to drive the kids to school and had no power steering. I made it all the way to the school since one of the girls had to finish homework so we missed the bus. Driving was fun even though I worked my arms turning. Got there and called the hubby to tell him what was going on. then headed home since I was still in my pjs. :) The last time I had this much trouble steering my van I killed the water pump about a year ago. This time it was the belt tentioner (sp courtesy of hubby so I don't know if right lol) and of course my belt was shot too. So hubby come home and had a look then had me drive him back to work. That way I could get to work too. I priced the parts and total it would be around $85 to fix it.

We got the parts today and hubby fixed it and it works again yay! It's nice to have my van back again for at least now. Hopefully in the next year we can replace mine with a new used vehicle and I'll not have these problems again. YAY!

Knitting - I am trying to make a variation of the Leftover Dishtowel with the Owl dishcloth pattern at the bottom. It's to go with the Owl dishcloths I made for my Aunt. So far it's going pretty good as long as I continue to read correctly when I remake the pattern. :) I also have made a mini sock. It's sooooooo tiny and cute looking! Plus the colors ended up striping on the tiny sock. I figured out that if I went up a size on the needles that maybe it'll fit better on the sock blocker keychain than my first one did. But I messed up on the heel of the newer one and kinda haven't gotten back to it yet. Now to get back to thinking up good themed packages for my pal....... :D

day 11

There are a few things I miss about not living in Lansing still - family being the biggest of course. But thanks to my Dad I became a big fan of Beaner's - now Biggby Coffee. He visited their East Lansing location a lot after they opened. And he is the one who got me hooked on coffee. So whenever I head home for a visit I pay a visit to the Elmwood location for a coffee. I was excited to find one in Wixom. But since I hardly ever end up out that way it seemed too far to travel for coffee. Then the Grand River/Novi location opened. I am more out this way but again not as often to justify coffee on a weekly basis there. Now I heard the news that in my small town of South Lyon there was one opening in the old Arby's. YAY! Truthfully SL and the GR/Novi one are about the same distance from me. However I am more likely to venture into SL at least twice a week. Seeing as how my LYS is there and my eye doctor and we lunch ladies venture that way for lunch at least once a week.

Maybe I'll finally fill a frequent customer card........ie. the one I've had since like 2003 that I got in Lansing.....maybe. :)

I finished the Spring Forward socks yesterday morning and then wore them to work. I LOVE them. And now have to work on scarves even though I really want to cast on some more socks..... But I must finish the requested items before I do another item for myself. *sigh*

Day 10 or Conferences UGH

For the most part today's conferences for the girls were good information. I heard that L won't/doesn't lie to her teacher, can multitask and is not getting into as much trouble with her best friend as I would have thought. At least not in class - at lunch that is a whole different story. Grade wise she is great and reading ahead of where the projected level for that grade would normally be. Nothing new for any of my kids there - they all like to read. But we have to work on subtraction and her teacher suggested using flash cards and playing war with them. We will try this soon.

J'c conference came next. This is my UGH of the day. She is doing great and her grades would be higher if she had turned in her homework. I went 'wha........?' Every night we have asked do you have any homework or is it all done. And the answer has been yes. For the last 3 weeks nothing t has bee nturned in. When her teacher asked her why - she claimed to not have enough time to do the work. WHAT?! She has one activity she is in - Girl Scouts and then has some chores to do after school. She told me she lost one of the packets and between chores and running around to get her sisters from after school meetings she didn't have enough time to get the packets done. Ok they are sent home on Tue. and Fri. for the 2 subjects. The only day we go out after school is Wed. and her meetings are Thur. night. I fail to see how she didn't have enough time to complete them. Oh and her losing them - found them all in her room. She has now completed most of them with the exception of what is due next Tue.

Lastly B - great grades, loves her friends and cares about others in her class. But gets easily distracted with making sure they are paying attention or can hear/see etc. that she ends up not paying attention herself. Evidently her writing has come a LONG way since the forced journals in kindergarten. But when asked to read something in front of the class she talks really softly and cannot be heard.

UGH.

On to knitting news - I am almost done with the toe on my spring forward socks. Next project will be a dishcloth for the dishcloth swap our knit night will be hosting. And I have to get to scheming on ideas for my secret pal for this round. Not to mention Christmas gifts if I knit any. I think my brain is going to melt right now so I am heading to bed.

OMG

So on the way home from knit night tonight and 96.3 WDVD and they are giving away Katy Perry tickets at Clutch Cargo in March.....not even on sale yet....I thought they played it while I was in Meijer. But I got to the light at my street and they started playing her song "Hot N Cold". So I called and was #10 and called back - busy - busy - busy - RINGS. And rings, then he picks up "96.3 you are caller 25" OMG HOLY CRAP I HAVE TICKETS! For March 27 and the hubby wants to go with because he has never been to a concert before. Plus it could be a date night since it is on a Friday and close to his birthday - so score for me! I'm so excited about this and can't believe that I won the tickets!!!!!!

I thought to ask Amy because she will appreciate it more than he will. But I had to ask him first because I live with him and it's only fair. BUT ***AMY*** if he decides it will be too much for him you are totally coming with me!!!

Day 9 ......well really my weekend

**Disclaimer - my secret pal questionaire is linked on the side of my blog**

This past Thursday I went to MO to visit Amy to be in her wedding. Let me tell you getting there was an adventure and I started to wonder if I would make it at all. The hubby had all of Thursday off to take me to the airport and to get the kids from the bus. We dropped his car at his uncles to get the tires replaced and decided - for some silly reason like I had more gas - to drive mine to Toledo airport. Yeah, my van the 1995 Chevy that I am not even allowed to drive to Lansing in, we drove that. Got just outside Ann Arbor and my van overheated. Of course. That was around 10:30 am. According to everything I read and NWA's site said I needed to be at the airport at about 11:30 for my 1:30 flight. We got back to his uncle's shop to switch cars at 11:45. We were doing fine until about 13 miles outside the Ohio/Michigan border when we ran into construction. There went the 15 minutes we gained in driving smoothly. I had before getting to his uncle's shop called NWA and asked what would happen if I missed my TOL leg of the flight - it would cancel my ticket. UGH! And to rebook me out that day OR Friday would be $1500 for a flight from DTW to Springfield. But she reassured me that since I had already checked-in online and since I was only taking one bag with me - my carry-on - that I should be good to go. Just to have everything ready when I got to security and book it to the gate.

We got to the airport at 1:04 and boarding time was 1:07. Security was just inside the door and I had my book out with boarding pass and ID ready. Put my stuff in the bins after removing my quart size baggie of little bottles. Got through security, packed back up and went up the stairs. To the gate that was right there for me to get right on the plane because they had started to board as I started up the stairs. Talk about good timing. We flew a total of 17 minutes back to DTW for my connection flight to SGF (I know silly but I saved money even with the driving around we did). Got off at one gate and only had to go a few over to make the connection. I grabbed some lunch to eat and then waited. We boarded when it was time and got to the airport a little early but had to wait because NWA must only have one gate at SGF. But Amy was waiting and we took off.

The weekend was great - filled with tons of good jokes - frenched toes - Amy was beautiful in her dress. Mine was a little big, but it's ok. The bridal party dance was hilarious thanks to my fellow bridesmaid. The guys didn't know how to dance so we switched and danced with each other then switched to opposite guys. :) Amy and I serenaded each other during the grease mega-mix on the summer lovin' portion. All in all it was a blast and I can't wait to get back for another visit because now I really miss hanging out with her. I hadn't seen Amy since we graduated back in '98. But we have been online chat buddies since around the time she and her new hubby got together. But chatting online and hanging out together isn't always the same. And I got the bestest gifts ever for being her maid of honor - hehe that confused everyone! But matron of honor sounds so old! I got some clear sketchers that I can show off my knitted socks with, some stitch markers that Amy made for me, some beautiful yellow Tofutsies, COFFEE - some Mocha and Irish Cream from Gevalia, a pretty project bag and lastly while we were out shopping with her mom I got some pretty roving and a spindle. I also got some dpn's, some soak samples and a Kid's can knit book so maybe the monsters will be inspired to actually sit with their knitting longer than a few minutes. Isn't it all pretty!









The flight home was going to be uneventful until we noticed at about 2 that it was delayed. UGH! we got to the airport and were told to get right in because the flight was doing a quick stop before turning around and heading right back out. Well it ended up being on time but then once we taxied toward the runway we had to wait for the weight numbers to come in. And the computer had gone down. It was down a good 20 minutes before we finally got in the air. So I was a little late getting home not to mention that I was wearing flip-flops and came home to snow - dreaded 4 letter word!

SP13 Questionaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

So far I have enjoyed knitting with everything that I have used. Even the acrylic (it's easier to teach the kids to use because I don't care if they destroy it! :) ).

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have my straights in an old crayon bank that the kids don't use any more. My circulars are in their cases and I try to keep them together in a bag close to my yarn stash.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I taught myself from Stitch 'n Bitch in January 2008 - so almost a year now. Intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

I do and the links are here for amazon.com and here for wishlist.com. But are also on the sidebar under Secret Pal info. :)

5. What's your favorite scent?

I love Bath & Body Works products but every time I get a scent the discontinue it on me! Moon Light Path is my last one there still. Or The Body Shop's White Musk. Light floral scents are good, I like apple smellies as well. :) If you could see my collection of candles from Home & Garden Party - LOVE their pumpkin and apple scents! I have a ton and love how they make my house smell.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

I love chocolate. Charleston Chews, Caramello's, Hershey's bars (plain and almonds), Chocolate yogurt covered raisins. I could go on forever. I don't like dark chocolate, but if you send me some it won't go to waste - my hubby loves it. :)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I learned how to make jewelry a few years ago. So I make earrings, bracelets, necklaces, anything I can bead on basically for gifts all the time. I made stitch markers recently as well. I scrapbook, but haven't really in a few years since the kids got into school. I am learning to spin on a spindle. I also do cross stitch when I remember that I have many patterns around the house waiting for me. And I at one point in time decided to try quilting......more to learn how to work my sewing maching than anything. LOL! I'm an equal opportunity crafter so to speak. :)

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

Rock, pop, alternative, Christian, country, oldies, 80's - pretty much everything but rap and only some Opera. Kati Perry, Barenaked Ladies, Buckcherry, Billy Joel, Lifehouse, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Lorrie Morgan, Reba, Peter Cetera just to name a few. Yes my computer and car can play MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

Favorite colors are blue and yellow. But I love all colors - maybe not all together. Puce green would be a color I can't stand.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

Married with kids (3 girls), I have a cat and a dog.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I have made scarves for the kids and hubby but not for myself yet. I do wear scarves and mittens because I work outside so they keep me warm. Ponchos - not so much.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Socks because of portability. But outside of that reason I don't have a favorite thing to knit yet. I'm still learning and trying out as many patterns as I can.

13. What are you knitting right now?

2 scarves, a pair of socks and spinning some wool

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Oh yes please! I think being someone who makes things as gifts makes you appreciate the time spent when someone else makes something for you.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I have a little bit of everything. My only preference would be wood dpn's because they don't let the yarn slide off as easily as the aluminum knitting needles to.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I do not yet.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

My oldest UFO would be the hubby's scarf that I had to frog and start over - roughly about 6 months old now. Oh and the ballband dishcloths that I was to make during the Ravelympics.....but never got to them.

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?

Christmas because I get to go home and visit with my family and friends.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Bookmarks - only because I read a ton, yarn, stickers, I'm starting a NKOTB collection of Donnie pins again....or at least trying to. He was my fave way back in elementary school. LOL :D. I like sunflowers......well that might be an understatement there. I am not into the fake flowers so much as the different household items (towels, placemats, potholder, etc.). I have some sunflower fabric as well for quilting. And lastly Piglet - yes from Winnie The Pooh. I have a ton of stuffed animals of him and I just love him. When I get repeats I share them with the girls. :)

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I have a few on my Amazon.com wish list and on Ravelry.com that I'd like to get. No subscriptions right now - only because I don't think about getting them not because I don't want them.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Lace knitting but I was told this past weekend that all I needed to know were a few basic things and I'd have it. I've learned those making a baby blanket and socks so it's just a matter of finding the right pattern and having the right yarn to make some lace with. :)

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes, my foot measurments are 11 wide. More specifically circumference is 11", foot length is 10.5", cuff would need to stretch to 13" and I like my socks 7" tall from the bottom of the heel.

23. When is your birthday?

May 6

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

Yes, knitknitmama :)

Day 8

WTH?!!??!?!?!? This morning M took the girls with him to church. I thought he took them all. I heard a noise on the porch and someone talking so I went to see what was going on. B was still in the house and I asked her if she had been outside. She said no. Well we didn't see what happened until we went to leave for church too. Someone had taken B's pumpkin off our porch and taken it behind our neighbors house and smashed it. WHY at 8 am on a Sunday would you choose the house that the people are awake in to smash tehir pumpkin. WHY would you take the one that was the farthest in on the porch? WHY would you be so rude to smash a 7 year olds creation? What is wrong with people these days?

I at least got a day shot of the pumpkins before it was smashed. But I wanted to put candles in them tonight and get a night shot of them too. :(

Order of pumpkins: J's, L's & B's.

Day 7

Can I just say UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! first.........there I feel better now.

So Halloween was yesterday and as a school employee, the lunch ladies had to dress in theme as well. This years theme was superheroes. We decided as soon as we heard the theme to be - wait for it - super lunch ladies. A stretch I know but we got creative with it. We wore our "lunch lady" blinged shirts from the talent show last year, made capes out of the super pretty blue trash bags we have and wore black masks. And yes I continued to wear everything but the orange vest to my kids parties that afternoon. Only because the 4th grade teachers were super safeties and needed them for their costumes. :) I'm second from the right.



The girls this year were a ballerina (same as last year but a better costume), a princess and Tinkerbell.....but at the last minute she decided to be a different fairy - on that doesn't fly or something like that from the disney books.




And lastly I went out today to find shoes for Amy's wedding.....that is next week. I know I should have had them before now but I was slacking off. Even with that I managed to find a great pair of shoes in the hour I spent looking at 3 stores. The best part, other than they fit me is that the bottom is a rubber sole - so they are non-slip. Dancing here I come! LOL






But before I got those this morning was drama with B again. All of the girls have their ears pierced and I will put earrings in every now and again to keep the holes open. Well I recently put some earrings in B's ears for that purpose. Evidently she pushed the backs ALL the way up as close as possible on the back of her ear. Then this morning she comes to me and says that she had been feeling on her earring and now the earring is INSIDE her ear. Yup the ball part had managed to work its way into her earlobe. EWWWWWWWW! I took out the other earring because she had crammed the back up that far too. I managed to get the earring back through her ear and out the correct way without damaging her ear worse than she had done. I'll spare you the gorey details but it was pretty gross for a while after I put the bacitracin ointment on it. Needless to say none of the girls are now allowed to put any earrings in (L had helped her put earrings in about a month ago) and B will not be wearing earrings in the next month or so until I find some that won't go through the holes.