The Aftermath

I love looking at a glittery, sparkly tree in a dark room during the holidays. I also love taking it down as soon as the Christmas dinner dishes are done. Two weeks of vacuuming up pine needles and getting ornaments back from the dog are enough. I'm not bah-humbugging, I'm just tired of the holidays since I've been looking at them since October. Next stop, Valentine's.

Mum, no peeking.

This is the shawl I 've been knitting for my Mum's holiday gift. She's seen it in progress, but she promised she wouldn't peek at my blog until after the holidays since she has no idea what the finished object looks like. I knit it with Koigu handpainted merino using a free pattern from Interweave. I used the Little Arrowhead Shawl. I think this is so pretty. Mine is bigger than theirs, measuring about 45" across the top and about 23" from top edge to bottom point. I just wish I had the patience to have made it even bigger and used up all the yarn.

Here is a close up of the bottom point. It makes me think of rainbow cobwebs. It's amazing how lace emerges like a butterfly from a cocoon once you soak it and block it. On my needles it was pretty, but smaller and denser. The second I pulled it out of the sink, PRESTO! Light, airy, delicate, multi-hued lace.

Happy, Happy to You!

Happy Holidays To All!

and to all a good night of putting together toys with no instructions and wrapping and baking and "yes, Santa is coming" and "no, I won't eat his cookies" and "if you don't go to bed now, Santa won't come" and swearing when you stab your finger with the screwdriver trying to put the %&*$#@ toy with no instructions together and finishing off the night with a shot of tequila to take the edge off before your little ones get up, which will be before you get to sleep.

Me? I'll leave the construction of toys to Sy because I'll be knitting until my needles go up in flames so I can finish the %$#*@ project I just HAD to make for so-and-so. I work well under pressure. Keep the tequila far, far away.

Check out the little elf hats I've been knitting like crazy (sorry the picture sucks, I was tired):I've also done a hoard of little elf mittens, but was too busy to take pictures of them before they were gifted. Take my word for it, they were almost too cute to look at.
The ??? for D. is finished and so wonderful. I will remember to take pictures and show you all after he gets it.
Okay, I need to get back to my lace scarf for so-and-so.
Please excuse the change in font and size, I don't know what is going on. And I've tried to fix it several times. I give up...let's consider it creative.

There's someone I'd like you to meet.

This is Zeep. Our 10 week old Irish Wolfhound.
He's worth every day I've waited for him and
I look forward to watching him grow (and grow, and
grow, and grow!)

2 weeks to go

Two more weeks until I can bring the puppy home. We went to visit today, and the change in just 3 weeks is amazing. They went from around 8 pounds to 22 pounds and they are lengthening out in their bodies, legs and muzzles. More personality is showing, although some haven't changed much from 3 weeks old. As soon as I can figure out how to get the pictures off the phone, I'll post them.

I'm just so excited.

Mittens and Cashmere

A peek at what I've been working on...

The first of my mittens mentioned here. This one's missing the kilt buckle (need to get to Joann's) and I've already knit it once and ripped the whole thing out 'cause it didn't fit perfectly. BL watched the ripping process (she usually gleefully helps me rip, but breakfast interfered) and asked me "Mama, why are you breaking that mittie? I love that one." Thankfully, it's bulky yarn and and easy pattern to modify to get a perfect fit, and it knits up in a day. I'll get around to the second one this weekend, maybe. I think mittens are like socks, it takes me a little while to get around to knitting the same thing over again.

Hand-dyed Lobster Pot 100% cashmere, worsted weight, cabled headband. I've worn it once, and it's so cozy. I'm using the other skein and leftover from the headband to do a small(not my usual 8-footer), matching cabled scarf. Winter, bring it on.

Can't Resist

I know you're probably sick of puppies, puppies, puppies, but they're like potato chips.
And I love these little eyes too much to keep them to myself.

Four weeks-ish and counting 'til I get to take mine home. I don't know which one's mine yet, but so far I'd take any one of them.

Samhain

I'm watching History Channel..."History of Halloween." Try explaining honoring and pacifying the dead to a 4 year old who wants to be a hummingbird that eats candy, not nectar. I also had to explain Solstice since the dark of winter is not here yet, but the night skies are dark before her bedtime. When did almost 4 year olds learn to ask good, intelligent questions? I dont' know if I'm quite ready for this.

During the National Anthem at the Hopkinton Fair I had to try to explain honor and respect, but now my little girl points out every single "Mamerica Flag" she sees. We were at a pow-wow last weekend and during the opening the drummers play/sing 3 honoring songs, an opening song, a veteran's song, and a flag song. No photographs, stand up, remove your hat if it doesn't contain eagle feathers. I had to try to explain honor and respect again. Let me tell you, I'm happy to explain them over and over. Keep your fingers crossed it sinks in.

However you choose, please enjoy your holiday. Me? I'll be trick-or-treating with a hummingbird, and asking my Nana if she can see how well that bird flies.

More puppies and a sweater

What a difference just one week makes. They're already 2 pounds heavier and their faces and bodies are starting to take shape. Only 150+/- pounds to go!

Worked my fingers to the bone to have BubbaLou's new sweater done for this. On the good side, it didn't rain like last year. On the bad side, it was WAY to hot to wear a sweater. It was almost too hot for long pants, but we survived. BL had loads of fun on the rides, but was sad she's still too small for the tilt-a-whirl. I wish my only disappointment was not getting to ride the big rides. Tough life for an almost 4 year old.

Here's the sweater. Cascade Sierra, cotton/merino blend. I got the two skeins of pink for 40% off, and was given the skein of blue. What can I say? Ya work with what ya got. Washer and dryer friendly, with good "bounce" to the yarn/stitches. Very kid friendly and tough as nails. Her other "sierra" sweater is going on its 3rd? year...it's a little short in places, but she wont' give it up. Needless to say, we've really tested the wash/dry factor.

Puppies!

I went to visit the puppies on Saturday. I didn't want to leave. They are the cutest little things...their eyes are open, they can hear now, and teeth are starting to show up. Soft little bundles of furry love, who doesn't love a puppy? With these dogs, though, you have to love them full grown more than as a puppy. Check out here to get a better idea of what a full grown IW really means. I was visiting the 4 full grown dogs in the yard, and let me tell you, it is quite an experience to have 4 of these dogs running full speed toward you. They are gentle and agile and won't run into you, but it sounds like a freight train comin' at you. Simply amazing.

It's very sad how many Irish Wolfhounds end up in shelters and rescue situations because "I didn't know how big he'd get" or "I didn't realize how much he'd eat." They are also not the kind of dog you can just let out unattended, they're sight hounds and will chase things for long distances if not fenced in (real fences, not invisible ones.) Needless to say, a lot of these dogs get lost, dehydrated, malnourished and hopefully rescued. We're already thinking our next IW (in about a year or so) might be a rescue/adoption dog. It would depend on his/her situation since there's a small-ish kiddo in the house, but I'd really like to do a rescue. All my previous animals have come from an animal shelter and if I can help keep one animal out of there, I consider it a good deed.

So, in the words of Bob Barker, please spay or neuter your animals. Educate yourself about what you're getting into before bringing an animal home. Also, please support your local animal shelter. Most of them love your old towels and blankets, especially fleece and they love Walmart gift cards to buy the everyday stuff. Mine prefers gift cards over food so that they can keep the animals on a consistent, healthy diet (it helps reduce the intestinal issues frequently found in shelters.) Treats and toys are always welcome, too. Let's all do what we can to keep more animals from being euthanized every day. One of our local pet stores has recently stopped selling dogs and cats and I personally congratulated them. They now have signs in their cages asking you to please consider adopting an animal from a local shelter. One small step closer to eliminating puppy mills and overbreeding, and a step towards less animals in shelters.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. Thank you for reading!

Too Cute!

Picture of one of the new puppies, now almost 3 weeks old. We're going for a visit on Saturday. They'll be about 30-35 pounds when they come home around 10 weeks and I really want to see them when they're teeny-tiny.I mean, really, who doesn't love a sleeping puppy?

Damn it.

I forgot my knitting bag at my Dads. It contained my accessories bag (yarn needles, crochet hooks, stitch markers, etc.) I'm very organized, so my knitting accessories are all organized in that ONE bag...I think I have to start diversifying. My mitten/glove pattern book. Bubba's one mitten, the needles and yarn for the other mitten.

No excuse now for not working on the three sweaters in various stages in this house, seaming the Rowan shrug thing, or the lace vest.

Or I could just knit up some more bowls and elf hats. I know it's getting cold, but I'm just not in the sweater mood. I'm in the instant gratification mood.

Update

9 of the 10 puppies made it through delivery. 3 girls, 6 boys. Please keep those fingers and toes crossed that the next few weeks find these little gentle giants thriving.

Finished one of Bubba's mittens and couldn't resist starting one of mine. Actually, it's a hand-warmer, not a mitten, because my house is getting chilly and my hands get really cold. Hand warmers mean I can still knit my evenings away while watching CSI and Bones.

I'm painting Bubba's new room today, green walls with a blue ceiling to match her new bedding. It's so cute...I even painted two lamps red and put rick-rack trim on the shades to match the trim on the bedding. We have to move her back into the center of the house to keep her warm this winter. Last year she had windows and was over a room we don't heat, her little space heater ran 24 hours a day to keep the room comfortable. Needless to say, our budget will not tolerate that this year. So....we're moving her into a room with no windows and it's over the living room, so she'll be warmer at a lower cost.

Doggie and Elf

The breeder we are hoping to get a puppy from is expecting 10 puppies anytime after this Friday. 2 month gestation period...I wish that's all I had to deal with (although, I only had one, not ten.) Please keep your fingers crossed for a healthy delivery and uneventful first few weeks. If all goes well, I'll bring my long-awaited Irish Wolfhound home the weekend before my birthday (and Thanksgiving.) I've already asked for the week of Thanksgiving off to both prepare for the holiday and spend a lot of time with the newest family member, hopefully making the transition into his/her new home easier.

On the knitting front, I've been doing the cutest elfin hats for every kid I know. Bubba Lou finally got hers. Coordinating mittens are in the works. Then I get to start my mittens. And maybe finish a few sweaters I have hanging around, especially since it's gotten quite chilly around here!

Bubba's hat as it's meant to be worn. She's a pretty willing model most days. Even if it's not for her. And Bubba will usually let me use a tape measure on her to "double check."

Bubba's new hat in "princess crown" version. I actually like it better this way.

The start of Bubba's mittens. I had one past the thumb last night, and realized it would have fit me. Needless to say, ripping out commenced.

I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of fall, even if your not looking foward to the cost of heating your home this winter. I've already made pumpkin muffins and apple crisp. And chicken pot pie (it had been chilly when I baked the chicken, but was 80 degrees when I baked the pot pie.) I'm crazy, I need to loose 6 pounds, but I just can't resist fall food. Yummy.

Two months 'til my little girl turns 4. Bubba has picked a "teddy bear" theme for her birthday party and I'm already researching stand-up bear cake molds and decorating ideas. I think this cake will have to be chocolate...a red velvet bear would be gross. Think bleeding armadillo in Steel Magnolias, but for kids. Ick. I wish I had time to knit more...I have the cutest pattern for mini knitted bears, wouldn't that be the cutest favor for the kiddos? Too much seaming, to little time. The story of my life!

I can hardly wait!

I got the good news today that the breeder I've been in contact with is expecting puppies around Sept. 12th. That means a puppy for my birthday this year! You should have heard me this morning, I couldn't contain myself. I've been waiting almost 16 years for an Irish Wolfhound and now I'm getting one! I've got goosebumps thinking about it!

Unfortunately, BubbaLou thinks we're getting her one, too. Sorry pumpkin, one at a time.

Oh, yeah, and the sun was shining all day today and is supposed to shine all day tomorrow. I truly think things are starting to go my way. Grey skies are gonna clear up, put on a happy face....

Advertising

Am I the only person sick and tired of seeing kids clothes covered in Hannah Montana, Elmo, and Dora? My daughter likes t.v., and I let her watch some. Not every day, not every week even, but yeah, she knows who Dora is (not Hannah M., thank goodness.) Will I let her wear Dora, Cinderella, and Ariel on everything she owns? No. Yes, she does have a couple of t-shirts with Tinkerbell and a couple of princesses (thanks to a trip to Disneyland I took a few months ago.) Mum got her a princess beach chair. That's where it ends. I wont' let Dora on my little girl's sunglasses or shoes, I won't buy her a skimpy bikini with the little mermaid on it.

Yeah, let's talk about little girl's bathing suits! I bought Bubba two very conservative tankini's from One Step Ahead. SPF50, covered her belly and back, didn't fall off her shoulders, but easy to pull down to go pee. These swimsuits are pretty big on her (the tops are okay but the bottoms would almost fit me), so I was in a major department store the other day looking for something smaller and on sale to get us through the rest of summer. I couldn't find a single toddler's one-piece bathing suit that wasn't cut with a "bra" top and low back, and every two piece looked like a miniature of mine (pretty skimpy.) Since when do 3 year olds need sexy swimwear? Don't we need to cover up their delicate skin, while still letting them play in the water? And why can't they sell one without a cartoon character on it?

I know every major retailer offered conservative 1 and 2 piece swimwear earlier in the season (didn't I buy some?), but I really think it's disgusting that what I found is even offered. I mean, really, do pedophiles really need encouragement? I'm sorry if I'm way up on a soapbox here, but toddlers in skimpy bikinis are not cute. Let's let our kids be kids, not mini-adults. They grow up too fast all by themselves anyway.

Vacation

We just got back from our first vacation in 2 1/2 years. Sy, BubbaLou and I went camping in York Beach, Maine for 4 nights/5 days. It rained almost every night and was beautiful every day. Not bad. Sy and I had a nice air mattress and Bubba had a fabulous new cot (Regalo travel cot) that kept us all off the cold, damp floor of the tent. Bubba was so well behaved I was in shock, I think she enjoyed the undivided attention. She slept very well, and for two evenings we were able to take a long walk and she fell asleep in the stroller around 7:15 and slept until about 6am. All in all the first camping experience with my young daughter was enjoyable.

That said, I hope we never do it again. I'm too old for that crap. Sy and I are actually going to look into renting a house on the ocean with my sister next summer and hopefully buy a camper and rent a seasonal spot the following summer. Our goal is to have me back out of work and home with BubbaLou the spring of 2010, and having a camper at one spot for the whole summer will allow us to get away for weeks at a time and not break the bank!

We took Bubba to York's Wild Kingdom and Amusement Park. I highly recommend it...the zoo and ride passes are reasonably priced for adults and little ones and you can go back all day long, lots of bang for your buck. All three of us was under $50, and we spent from 10am when the zoo opened to 5pm there (with a break back at the tent for lunch.) If you have older kids, the amusement park is open until 10pm, I think.

BubbaLou doesn't appreciate the animals behind fences yet (in her words "I see them on tv.) Feeding the ducks, goats and deer was more up her alley. More doing, less looking.

Then we took her to the amusement park and let her ride every ride she wanted to as many times as she wanted. We did every kiddie ride at least once.

My litte diva blowing kisses on the carousel. She did the Miss America wave, too. We had to do this one twice.


Bumper Boats-I think she just had fun steering around in the water. She said she "really like dis better than the other boats." Her first kiddie ride was in a boat going around a water track. Yeah, she got to ring the bell, but she didn't go anywhere. BubbaLou is all about action.

Then Daddy took her on the real bumper cars.

I couldn't get her back on a kiddie ride to save my life.
"No Mama, I need to smash people."
You could hear her out there shouting "Get that one, get him, get him!" It was worth every penny we paid for admission to see the joy in her eyes and hear the peals of laughter every time they hit someone or got hit. We had to do this twice and would have done it more if the lines weren't so bad, I guess everyone love the bumper cars. They also had a kidde ferris wheel that she rode twice, once before the bumper cars and once after. You could see the boredom in her face on the second go-round. Then we took her on the real ferris wheel, no fear in my little girl.

I'm really gonna be in trouble when state fair season starts!

Real Quick...

Here's what I called the hot cocoa mittens. Don't they make you think of steam and marshmallows? This picture doesn't really do them justice. They are a lacy outer mitten in dark brown with a mohair lining in white that fluffs out between the lace holes. Visit Melanie Falick to see all the mittens in this book, with better photographs.

Time...

Summer is melting away faster than an ice-cream cone in Bubba's hands. It started out so slow and wonderful and now I don't have a free moment of time. We're off on vacation for a few days at the end of this week, we're camping at the seaside. It will be Bubba's first camping trip...keep your fingers crossed for me.

I've been knitting off and on this summer. I'm still working on my white v-back sweater...it's a lot of stockinette on size 5 needles. I'm down to the sleeves (two at a time) and let me tell you, it's boring. Very boring. But the sweater will be beautiful in all white linen-drape (Rowan yarn my mom found on eBay for me...it's what the pattern called for and it's discontinued. Thank you and much love to you, Mum.) A good Mum will let you take your time in a yarn store. A great Mum will spend hours on the internet to find a yarn that's been discontinued for 3 years so that you can have the ideal sweater for summer. A great Mum will also understand and encourage your little fiber addiction. I like to call her the enabler. Her stash is still bigger than mine. I just finished a little sweater for a friend's new baby girl. Big sister will get a coordinating hat in the leftover yarn. I can' t very well not bring something for her (she got hand-knit socks for her last birthday...I know her Mom appreciated those little beauties.) Started another Rowan pattern in a hand painted rayon boucle yarn I got at the NH Sheep and Wool Festival. Not my usual colors (shades of peach-pink and olive-army-forest green) but I thought it was too pretty to pass up. It will end up a simple cap sleeve shell with a banded bottom (what's on the size 3 needles.) The band is about 30" of k1p1 ribbing on size 3's. Ugh. It's the kind of thing I take along on long car trips 'cause it's mindless and boring. I also got some 4-ply 100% cashmere in ivory that is destined to be these gloves. Aren't they delicious? I saw this book (Knitting New Mittens and Gloves) when it first came out and didn't buy it, how many gloves and mittens can one person actually knit? Then I found that yarn and I figured it had to be fate...the gauge was "close enough" according to my memory of the pattern and thankfully I was correct. Sent man out with Borders coupon to fetch said book. Great man, like Mum will go out of his way to enable my little habit. Bubba has also found a pair of "elfin" mittens that she wants and there's another pair that make me think of hot cocoa that I will most likely make.

I also just finished knitting this. The pattern is, what else, Rowan's Alpine Shrug. I couldn't afford the Big Wool, so I used Blizzard (extra bonus-my local yarn store had a 20% off coupon in the paper!)

When I have the patience required to seam it, it will hopefully look like this:
On the non-knitting front, I've got more lettuce in my garden than I can eat. Lots of peas, carrots are coming along nicely, tomatoes are on their way, and I'll have more pumpkins this fall than Linus. My kitchen now has drawers to put things in, my porch ceiling is sky blue, and the old bathroom has been ripped off the house. The new bathroom will be framed out by tomorrow, and hopefully we'll be able to afford to put the fixtures in next spring...we'll see won't we?
The woman I was hoping to get "my dog", Irish Wolfhound for those not in the know, from didn't get the litter she was planning on, and she put me in touch with another woman who just bred. Keep your fingers crossed for me...I find out mid-August if there will be a puppy for my birthday this year. Visit here, Shanachie, to see her beautiful dogs.

It's the dryer,

it has to be. My pants don't fit because they shrunk. It is not the bar of Green & Black's organic chocolate I ate last night (Maya Gold, yum). It is not the sitting on my butt all day job. It is not the extra long winter this year and all the extra long sessions with hot cocoa. It's not the pot-pie.

Damn.

Tick, tick, tick, tick. I hear bathing suit season approaching. Who would like to join me in the "put down the fork and get in shape" war I am about to wage? A war with myself, really. I eat healthy (dark chocolate has anti-oxidants). I just eat more of healthy than I need. I have started eating Kashi Go Lean cereal two meals a day so I can strictly count calories and protein and fiber (Mom does the Special K thing, but it leaves me empy feeling.) I must say, the Kashi tastes better than I ever expected.

I am going to try to start walking on my lunch break, but it will be hard. I only get 1/2 hour, and let's face it-I need to eat something at lunch (although that's what got me in this mess.) I'm thinking I might have to go with one of those "meal replacement" bars. Ugh.

If only heavy cream and pastry were low-cal.

I'm leavin' on a jet plane...

Yep, I just got back from sunny (but chilly) California. Now I'm leaving for Florida. I got a week at home before I'm off to do another show for the company. I guess they thought I did a good job at the last one.

My finger is healing. I can actually type again (at a real speed). I've been knitting for a couple of weeks. Its awkward, but I just couldn't not knit anymore. I knit the back of a vest on the plane ride to and from CA. I'm working on the fronts (cardigan style) both at the same time. I'm using a self-striping wool/soy yarn and I'm too anal retentive to have the fronts not match up. I'm finding I'm addicted to the striping yarns right now, I think it's the winter doldrums come to call and I need the color in my life. I'm also enjoying the wool/soy blends, they're very silky feeling compared to all wool. I will try to post some update pics when I have a little spare time. Hahaha.

The show in CA was called Natural Foods Expo West. Overwhelming does not even describe it. There must have been well over a thousand companies/vendors represented, maybe 2,000. All with all-natural/organic product. Amazing. I have an all natural/high fructose corn syrup-free household (except for Canada Dry ginger ale and Hershey's chocolate syrup...I can't find an all natural one that actually tastes right in milk) and this show was like going to heaven. I spent my lunch hour mostly in the section of the food vendors, sampling foods, collecting business cards and educating myself. Note to self: "raw" granola/snack bars are not so good. Kashi makes the best frozen pizza I've ever eaten. The roasted vegetable kind is fabulous, now I just have to convince my local grocery store to carry it! I could go on and on about the food, but I won't. Except that I have a guy in CA sending me organic chocolate for eating and baking...and he sent me home with a 5lb bag of organic cane sugar (yep, took it home in my suitcase.) I met some of the nicest people, and discovered some of the most amazing products on this trip. I hope they let me go next year. And I hope it's not 55 and windy again!

I got the chance to work with one of our wonderful demo people at the show (D). She's pregnant and due in May (and about the cutest pregnant woman I've ever seen!). We had great conversations about our different baby experiences, breastfeeding, parenting styles, potty training (her son is Bubba Lou's age). I used the Dr. Sears "Baby Book" a lot because I really liked his and his wife's philosophies and D actually has Dr. Sears and his sons as her pediatricians. One of them actually made a house call on a weekend so she wouldn't have to take her son to the ER. Amazing, although I can't even imagine the bill for that!

I sent my good friend Abbie over at DamselDesigns a birthday present before I left. She posted about the felted bowls I sent her...I'm so happy they are loved. Do you want a big red one for the kitchen? I am contemplating doing up a bunch more (they're quick) and trying my hand at Etsy (okay, okay already). I might even embroider a few, but I like them simple...there's just something so homey about them with out being kitschy. And hey, they're washable.

I'm going to try to post more often after I get back from FL and my life resumes it's "normal" schedule...no promises. I like sleep too much (I refuse to get up before Bubba does), and knitting, and baking. And there's that thing called work I have to contend with.

Keep your fingers crossed for us in the great white north that spring comes quickly and I don't get anymore snow...I can actually see my entire driveway now! The snow in my front yard is still past my knees, though. And it's dirty looking now. It just has to go away. Like Marvin K...will you please go now?

Before the accident

Before my finger-slicing I was on a roll. I was getting so much done I was amazed. Knitting projects were flying off my needles like magic. Pattern by Blue Sky Alpacas, "Cropped Cardigan" Yarn by Rowan, "Cotton Rope"

Top down, no seaming, cast-on to binding-off the sleeves...4 days. Perfect little cardigan for throwing on over a summer dress. That is, if summer ever gets here.

Bubba Lou had a V-Day party at school. I can't do the store-bought card thing, so we made them. Thank you Martha Stewart February edition. We did embellish, though. Everything is better with a little glitter, don't cha think?Fortune Cookie Valentines

Now, Martha shows Hershey Kisses inside these babies, but I don't know how she does it. I put the "fortune" inside and had to bend the wire in half really hard to get the cookie to stay closed. I wonder if she used a heavy-duty florist wire and just didn't say anything to make the rest of us feel inadequate. Well, not me...I had glitter. Everywhere. I'm still sweeping it up. I was using a cookie sheet as a "drip pan" ans Bubba decided to blow the glitter. Yeah, I'm really that stupid sometimes. A 3 year-old and loose glitter, my own fault. But they really are so pretty.

I also finished (with help from Mummie) the Jo Sharp Keyhole Vest. No pictures yet. Sorry. It's really pretty, too. My Mummie picked up the stitches around the arms and neck for me. She loves to do it, and I HATE to do it, so there you go.

Please keep your fingers crossed (and everything else) that I heal quickly, 'cause I'm already dying of boredom and un-finished objects (UFO's). Especially since I can't sew, either. Woe is me.

One last pic. Bubba in her igloo that she and Daddy built.

OOuuuuccchhhhh.

Damn this hurts. Olfa rotary cutting blades are the best. If you ever need to do home surgery, get one. Mine took the tip of my left pointer finger off quite well last night. Yep, explitives hurtled out of my mouth at the speed of light. Upside? No blood on my fabric. Downside? I can't knit until it's healed.

What on this white planet am I going to do with myself?

Oh, did I mention it's raining, sleet and freezing rain today? Ugh. Bubba lou is bouncing off the walls.

Time to go subdue the natives.

Busy As A Bee

For starters, I found a job. I'm now working in the offices of Borlind of Germany, a high-end, natural skin care line from...you guessed it, Germany. The best part is that they gave me the schedule I want so Bubba is now in daycare only 3 days a week. Very nice product, very nice people. They're sending me to Anaheim in March to help out with Expo West, a HUGE natural foods/products show. Should be a lot of fun, a lot of work, but a lot of fun. I've only ever worked a show from the buyer's side of the table.

I've been busy on the knitting front. Everyone I know is having babies! A friend of mine just had her second daughter (her first is one of Natalie's first friends, they're a week apart.) I knit her up the little kimono from "One Skein". And two of the girls I work with now are due any day, so I knit up hats for their impending little ones. Also out of "One Skein". I just love that book, especially when I need a special gift that won't cost me an arm and a leg and knits up in a weekend (or an evening.)

One of the ladies I work with is having a girl, the other is having a boy. Hence the Valentine's color scheme...I just couldn't do blue in February!

I also visted my local yarn store...they sent out a "Superbowl Weekend Sale" email. 40% off ALL LOBSTER POT YARNS!! INCLUDING CASHMERE! For those of you who don't knit, or buy yarn, Lobster Pot is a small, small company in Cape Cod that produces beautiful yarns that are hand-dyed in actual lobster pots. The colors have wonderful New England names like "boiled lobster," "drawn butter," "hydrangea," "cape cod sky." I could go on and on. Anyway, I hit the store at 10 sharp and snagged all the boiled lobster and salt rose cashmere I could afford. Two skeins of each! And one each for Mummie, as well as some seagrass. This yarn is soooo soft, I keep rubbing it on my cheeks. I think the pink is going to become a hat, the red? Any suggestions?

I've also been baking. BubbaLou likes to help. Lick the bowl, that is. Chocolate chip cookies.

Speaking of cookies, one last goodie before I go. Sy got this enormous vase for me just before the holidays. It stands about 2 feet tall and about a foot or 14 inches across. I'd been looking for one that wasn't $250, and my bargain hunter found me one. Too late to fill it with pumpkins, I chose to use all my cookie cutters instead. I collect them, but only the all metal ones. I've got snowflakes, martini glasses, flamingos, camels, almost every animal imaginable, a high-heel shoe, a hand, as well as the classics...heart, bell, tree, snowman, star..anything goes, I love them all. These are one of my favorite things in the "whole wide world," as BubbaLou puts it. They are ultimately destined for a special wall in my kitchen, but until then I just love them in the jar on my table.

If we ever get the walls painted, you'll get to see them in all their glory. I'm actually framing them all , like a giant picture. Who says cookies aren't art? And yes, I do use them. Frequently. Bubba Lou thinks its great fun when I have to dump out the entire vase to get one on the bottom!

Let's Catch Up

Happy New Year from us to you! BubbaLou was so excited to get a crown, hat and two noise-makers. Mama and Daddy were excited that she couldn't blow hard enough to make the noise-makers work! Sy and I actually watched the ball drop with my sister and a friend. We didn't get home until about 1am. I cannot honestly remember the last time I was up that late (by choice.)

Here's a picture of the quilt I did for the holidays. I love it, and think it came out really well for my first quilting attempt, but I will never do it again. Snipping the edges of all of those block nearly did me in. The red you see is the back of the quilt.

On a less happy note, I'm job hunting. The shop I was hired to run has not done the $$ we had anticipated, and the owner cannot afford to cut my paychecks anymore. Yeah, it sucks, but I'm trying to be positive. I have a second interview for an office position today, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

And if anyone who reads this needs yarn, I'll be cleaning out my stash on eBay. Being out of a job and all, I need to generate some $$. I will also be giving up some Hallmark Disney ornaments and some various other "stuff" that, hopefully, someone will just have to have! Give me a few days, but then check out bubbasweepea on eBay!