Tired

I'm pretty wiped out. Work today, then PT. I didn't get home until almost 8:00. And all I'd been thinking about from 3:00 on was a vicodin and an ice pack. I went to bed as soon as I walked in the door. Dave had to send me up dinner. I feel kinda bad because it's his birthday, but I'm too exhausted to make any kind of effort. (And he has his Tivo to play with.)
I was happy to come home to a package from my 'Favorite Sister'. I'd been looking at the Kitty Bartholomew book for awhile, so was happy to get it! I've been browsing, it's pretty good. Decorating is a common interest my sister and I share (but you wouldn't know it looking at my house!) I'm too tired to write more (or even knit anymore -- the vicodin is starting to kick in) so I'm going to bed. Talk amongst yourselves...

Recuperating

I am on the mend. Sunday was my worst day. Apparently all the drugs/shock/whatever wore off all at once. I actually took a shower tonight, and I feel like a new woman. I'm off to work tomorrow, so the long knitting vacation is over. Still having a bit of trouble with the crutches though. I did make it downstairs today (no one was here to feed me) but then the realization hit me -- you can't carry anything while you're using crutches. So I could make myself something to eat, but I couldn't take it anywhere to eat it. I was famished by the time Older Son got home from school.

So what did I accomplish while I was lounging around, watching Season 5 of The West Wing and knitting?

Camo Christmas is done. (The first of the Christmas sweaters! Yeah!)

A pair of FuzzyFeet that will be supplemental birthday gifts for Younger Son were cast on and completed. YS desperately wants a pair of these, and we had a bit of a fulling debacle with the last pair. I'll be more careful this time.

And lots more knitted on the Clapotis. I think I'm going to have to get more yarn for this, which means I have to get someone to drive me. (No driving until I see the doctor again in 2 weeks.)

I'm hoping to start on the next Christmas sweater tomorrow, but because of poor planning on my part, I'll be dependent on one of the guys to find the yarn and the pattern books in the stash. Wish me luck, it's going to be an ordeal...

Survivor

I am safely home and in surprisingly minimal discomfort after my knee surgery today. (But I have taken a vicadin and am having more trouble than I would have expected typing.) I'm still having trouble with the crutches, as I told CQ when I called to give her the sad news that I had indeed survived and she was not about to inherit my stash. You know, because I'm so graceful and well coordinated.
Really the only casualty was my Clapotis, I missed an increase at the end of the row, and had to correct it on the next one. The yarn is Soy Wool Stripes in the Natural Navy colorway. It is my current "on the go" knitting project. I'm hoping to finish and wear it for Thanksgiving. I'm still working on Camo Christmas at home. And oh, how terrible, I have to sit all weekend with my leg elevated, watching TV and knitting (and with the occasional narcotic supplement). The only fly in the ointment there is that I'm dependent on the guys to bring me food. Well, I was hoping to lose some weight anyways.
I'll leave with another photo of the Celtings, at the request of my Evil Twin. I love this one!

Knitting Night

Celtic Queen and I arrived for our regular knitting night at B&N at South Hills Village to see in our regular spot by the cafe (and knitting books):

John Ratzenberger. I did not speak to him, but Stacey did, and said he was very nice and even did the voice of Hamm from Toy Story for her daughter. So I guess I can forgive him for usurping our knitting spot. Although I did mention that we should go and take over the spot by force seeing as how we had a bigger crowd of knitters than he had for his book signing. And he didn't come and see us, even though we were making things in America. (And really, it's not like he could have missed us -- Stacy's husband came over and told us we were so rowdy he could hear us all over the store.) I presented CQ with her slightly delayed birthday gift:

The KiPper bag set from KnitPicks. And CQ heard about my bad day last Thursday and got me this:

Trekking XXL in the bright primary colorway. Yeah! Happy colors! She told me she got a skein for herself and I mentioned I was jealous because I'd been looking for it, so she went back and got me my own skein!

Soccer was cancelled this weekend, so there was no shivering and knitting on the sidelines for me. But the Celtings invited me to lunch with them instead.


Aren't they a couple of cuties?

Camo Christmas

Here's the state of the Camo Christmas sweater. This is the outside (as I'm knitting).
Here's the inside. I (and just about everyone else I've shown it to) prefer the inside, so I plan to finish it with that side out. I'm hoping to get the body done tomorrow or Saturday.

My KnitPicks order arrived today! I'm going to tease you and say I'll have pictures tomorrow of all that yarn-y goodness (and other stuff too!)

Here's how things went when I got home:

Me: Is this my box? Yay, my yarn's here!

Older Son: Oh yeah, Mom, a box of yarn came for you today.

Younger Son: Uhh, Mom? There's a box of yarn here for you.

Dave: Laur, I think there's a box of yarn for you in the hallway.

Yeah, I live with a bunch of comedians. I had a bad day at work -- I blew up the system and it was all my fault. Really. Programmers running around, processing delayed until tomorrow. All because I screwed up. Makes me feel special, you know? At least my boss was understanding about it. And I'm getting one of my minions (well, my one and only minion) to fix things so it doesn't happen again (in other words, to save me from myself). So I at least have a plan in place when I get asked about it. I can't wait for knitting tomorrow!

Plans

Still knitting the Camo Christmas sweater. Everyone I've shown it to likes the backside better than the front, so that will probably end up being the "right" side when it's done. (But I'll still make it reversible.) As soon as it gets to the joining of the body and shoulders I'll have to take something else for bus knitting. I have to make another pair of Fuzzy Feet for Younger Son (for reasons I can't go into at the present), which I hope to get done by his birthday. So probably those, then the SWS Clapotis for Thanksgiving. By then I should be ready for Younger Son's Christmas sweater, the Celtic Christmas - it's going to be a grey aran. Then the Husby. Dark green wool with a center cable inset. And finally me. Greys, black, and burgundy. I'm doing a Lopi design. And then? Who knows. Maybe some gloves, maybe something in "plain, regular blue", maybe a snowman hat or two. It's all about the edge-of-your seat knitting excitement, right??

Since I'm lazy and don't feel like taking a picture of my knitting (it looks like yesterday, just an inch or so longer) I'll direct you to a local blog project. Elizabeth Perry is doing an online drawing project in which she is drawing something from the Carnegie Museum every day it's open thru June 30, 2007. Check it out! If you're planning on visiting the museum with kids, this would make a great scavenger hunt. Or, you can look for things you've seen on previous visits.

It's a Guy Thing

After a false start (Hint: Don't cast-on a new project late at night when you're really tired) I've knit this much on Older Son's Christmas sweater. It's a 4X1 rib, and I have to tell you, I'm digging on the reverse side (the top of the circle in the pic). I'm going to finish it so it will be reversible. I'm also really liking the colors here. This is Red Heart in the "Camouflage" color. (I know!) But these are OS's colors. And I wanted a variegated. I could have used Patons Camouflage yarn, but there's a story there. I was sitting with Celtic Queen shivering and knitting at the Elder Celting's soccer match, and she was telling me all about the sweaters she was going to make for the Celtings out of the Paton's yarn. Later that day I stopped at the craft store and Lo and Behold! there was the Camouflage yarn! And I thought "Hmmm, Older Son would look really good in those colors." But I couldn't do it, it was right after CQ told me about her sweaters! It'd be like I was copying her! So I didn't get it, but then I was buying another plastic cedar yarn storage bin and the Red Heart was there and....well, I was weak. Why is it so hard, to find manly variegateds though?

In other news, I'm waiting for my Knit Picks order to arrive. I'm hoping that it gets here by Friday so I can take it to knitting. (And as much as I love Knit Picks, they need to work on their manly colorways.)

Let the Holiday Knitting Begin!

The Birthday Sweater will be finished tonight! We're moving on to Christmas knitting. Well, maybe I'll throw in some Thanksgiving knitting. I picked up some SWS in the "Natural Navy" color to make myself a Clapotis. I have a nice navy (really my fave new color dark indigo) outfit that it would look fab with for Thanksgiving. So, it might be bus knitting. I've got sweaters to make for all four of us for Christmas. Plus maybe some other holiday knitting. Will I make it? Who knows? You're all here for the edge of your seat knitting excitement, right?


I was angry at everyone in my house Friday night, so I left and went to the bookstore where I hung out until they closed (knitting, of course) and bought this book. I like it! I might start a project to knit every pair of socks in the book.


By Sunday I was (barely) on speaking terms with my family, and Dave took me to Michael's so I could check out the SWS (on sale, btw). I liked it, and bought some. Then I popped next door to Half Priced Books and scored this book for only $12.98. I'm enjoying reading it.

So why are kids so difficult? Is it just boys, or me, or what? Anybody with answers, please clue me in!

Homework Wars

We're dug in deep in the trenches here. I've been deep in enemy territory, and had to appear before a tribunal of Younger Son's teachers. Fighting continues unabated. Tonight it's the research paper "Classical Music". There is also the general every-night struggle going on as well, with much casualties on both sides. The lines of communication with the school seem to have taken a hard hit, with several phone calls going unreturned, and no response to any written communiques. High command here at the G household is beginning to show signs of strain.

In knitting news, I'm working on the second sleeve of Younger Son's birthday sweater. I can't wait to get this thing done and move on to my Christmas knitting. I do like the colors, though. Manly, perfect with jeans or khakis.

I have been thinking alot about these socks or maybe these ones. I'm kinda jonesing for something to wear for Thanksgiving and
I have three skeins of this orange yarn. Somewhere.

Maybe..

...I'll let the family stay. But there will have to be some grovelling and begging. Extravagant gifts wouldn't go amiss either. AND, they all have to take an oath of obedience, and some (at least one) of them will have to spend some time at the gym and (more importantly) the home improvement store. I may still be just a tad hormonal. Also, I had to clean the bathroom. Enough said.

In knitting news, I have finished the first sleeve in Younger Son's Birthday Sweater, and am knitting the ribbing on sleeve #2. Whoopee! I might get this done by early next week. Then on to the Christmas knitting. Ack!

Over the weekend the boys, Dave and I met up with Heather and her boys for fun at Trax Farms. We got lost in the corn maze (a kid had to lead us out.) And it was wierd, while we were in the maze it got really cloudy, then cleared up after we got out. Someone cue the ominous music!
Younger Son picked a pumpkin that weighs almost as much as he does, and I got some yummy apples.
Here's everyone but me ('cause I'm taking the picture) waiting for the Great Pumpkin. Wait! Does that make me the Great Pumpkin? I knew I should have worn something orange!

And yes, if you read CQ's comment Dan Marino did once ask me out on a date (in college) and I did refuse. (What was I thinking!?) I'd forgotten about the curly hair, though.

Knitting News

I've been knitting. I finished the replacement Flashy Glove, and the Lucky Gloves,
and started Younger Son's Birthday Sweater. I've got the body and some of the first sleeve done. Yes, that's the end of a skein of yarn there. That makes two skeins I've used up! Whoo Hoo! I'm on a roll. Next up is Older Son's Christmas Sweater.

In other news, I'm dissatisfied. I hate my job, I want to quit and go work in a yarn shop. (Anyone interested?) I actually told my boss that. I also want to divorce my husband and move away. I'm going to marry a younger, really good looking guy who adores me and takes out the garbage and start a new family. My new kids will not only be better looking, but better behaved and will always do their homework. They'll have curly hair, too. Or, I could just be a little bit hormonal.

Thursday, No Pictures

That about says it all. I have pictures in my camera, but I lent my cable to Dave over the weekend and haven't gotten it back yet. So you'll have to trust me that I did indeed finish all my gloves and have started a new project -- it's Younger Son's birthday sweater. His birthday is in only 38 days! But the project is in worsted weight yarn and it's just a simple raglan, so I should be good! Then it's on to Christmas knitting. I want to make each of the boys a sweater (I already have the yarn). I also want to make a tam, I think, to match my Lucky gloves to give to my sister. Don't know about Celtic Queen and the Celtings. Haven't decided yet.

Still not sleeping well. Although today I have an excuse. Dave had to get up and get ready for work at 3:00 in the morning (he had to be at work at 4:00 AM for some ungodly reason) and so I was up too. (Uust because I'm a light sleeper, not because I had to.) But the Sadist took it a little easier on me in therapy tonight. He says our time together is almost over. But actually not, because I'll be starting up again in November after my knee surgery. He can't get enough of me. What can I say, I have that effect on men. It's a burden, but I've learned to live with it. Maybe I'll have pictures tomorrow.

Still

here. Yet another crazy, busy week. Also, I'm not feeling quite up to snuff. Kind of disconnected. I mentioned to a coworker I was having trouble sleeping and she immediately said "That's a major sign of depression. You need to talk to your doctor." Well, yeah, I said, but so is loss of appetite and I certainly don't have that problem. I think it's just stress. I'm going to the doctor next week to get my endocrine levels checked (the frozen shoulder I've been struggling with has a connection to both diabetes and thyroid disorders, both of which I have a strong family history of) and I'll talk to him about it. Maybe I'll get some good drugs. I saw a news article about the new sleeping drugs and the rare side effect of people sleep eating while they take them. That would be me! Especially since I'm dieting again. (I want to haul as little weight around on those crutches as possible!)

Ok, on to the knitting. I finished the spare Flashy glove, and am almost done with the second of a pair knit in Moda Dea Sassy Stripes in the colorway "Lucky". Apparently my super power extends to all items of hand attire, not just mittens. Pictures soon!