Tooting my own horn

Don't get to too often so here is the video of my solo part in our big Bach/Haydn concert of 10 days ago.



Peace.

What Makes me Happy?

Heide's friend Christy is having a Birthday Contest! She wants to know what makes us all happy. In addition to the following, of course, prizes, prizes make me happy! Well, I can't speak for everyone, but I can certainly find quite a bit for myself:

1) My children, my greatest accomplishment, my joy and my consternation. Sometimes I can't really believe they are real and I ask them, "Are you real or are you a dream?" They think I am weird. And I am.

2) My husband, especially when he is feeling good and empowered, which he doesn't feel often enough. Wish I could make that better!

3) My church. I'm not a particularly "religious" person, but my church is amazing, full of amazing people who show me every day the love and grace of God and allow me to feel like I'm giving to the world, not just taking from it.

4) Knitting. Yes, well. Also sane, accomplished (sometimes), creative (sometimes). If I need some happy, this is my path.

5) Spinning. Also peaceful, also gets me kind of high. I really feed off colors somehow. Just watching the colors passing through my fingers, making something useful and beautiful is fulfilling.

Thanks for asking, Christy! It's always a good idea to be reminded, especially when we are SO busy and so full of frustration sometimes. I told my DD last night that this week coming up is one where I need to recharge in the short breaks between activities so I don't turn into "Monster Mommy." Let's hope I can remember to!

Peace.

Okay, I want another Spring Break!

I have a pretty quiet weekend coming up, thank goodness. No t-ball, no concerts; just Girl Scouts and church. Next week is h*ll week in a way so I'll be trying to build up my strength! Next week we have: Babysitting Monday; music lessons Tuesday; babysitting, rehearsals, t-ball Wednesday; school volunteering, choir practice Thursday; dress rehearsals Friday; show Saturday; show Sunday; field trip Monday. Oh, and work and homework and practice for said music lessons, blah, blah, blah. Trying to find the fun in all of this is sometimes a challenge but NOT imposssible, I swear.

On the home front, DS is about to lose his other front tooth. His bicycle had to go back for a few days to be fixed as the tire was not installed correctly. Pooh. We did have fun riding to school the other day and will continue our attempts to use less gas.

I've been knitting away on my Sock Madness socks, just 'cause. Round 2 sock toe redo is in progress, Round 4 sock 2 is almost to the heel. I would like to finish it to wear Sunday but we'll see. Very pretty, though:

They can be dyed after knitting, but I like them white so far.

I should get back to the sweater, I know, but the socks are coming fast and furious now that we're into the later rounds. I'm sure I will get too far behind next week, but I have May and June for the Fair knitting and all the yarns are done.

I must admit, however, to a terrible lust. To start spinning for a sweater from A Fine Fleece. October Frost. It is terrible. I found some oatmeal bluefaced leicester blended with silk today (in Scotland!) that would be SO perfect!!!! The question is whether I can spin 2 pounds of 3 ply but it has to happen someday, right? I figure it will take about five weeks, not too frenzied. Scotland...

Peace.

Better late than never?

Finished Round 3, only 5 days late!

Mods: Size 1 needles, 2 extra stripes, standard toe decreases.

The socks are very cushy and I will enjoy them until the laceweight merino gives it up, which probably won't be a long time. But I shall think positively (I almost typed "tink" which would be ironic since I did so much tinking on these socks).

In other news, DS has reached a first grade watershed moment:

He's had the same smile for so long!

Back to the litany of busyness and hoping I remember to call my mother tomorrow (sorry, Mom!!!).

Saturday: rehearsal for concert; extra solo rehearsal for concert; volunteer at school carnival; attend school carnival; volunteer some more; piano/guitar practice torture (hopefully not); DH rented me "Lions for Lambs" to watch tomorrow, isn't he nice?

Sunday: Church; DD rehearsal for play; Target for NEW BIKES!!!; rest? Concert.

Up side, I feel great about the concert music, truly. There should even be a YouTube of some sort afterwards. Our bass likes to video everything. I don't have the mental wherewithal to do it myself.

Speaking of DH, he went to a funny political protest this evening. They were giving out flag pins to Disney employees as they came out of work! I am SO glad that the PA primary is finally almost here. This has been an excruciating wait.

Your question for the evening: Does your pastor love America as much as you do?

WTF?

Peace.

Better late than never?

I'm out but I have a good excuse! (picture heavy)

What a weekend!

Sock Madness Round 3 had started on Thursday night and I was trucking right along. On Friday we had an L.A. area knit together at Unwind:



Great thanks to Lisa, Luke and Hailey for having the kids over so Mommy could play! We had a lovely time, Lambiebird, GoldenPurl, Technoknitter and I! Also thanks to Stephanie at Unwind for letting us invade the store for a couple of hours. We'll probably do it again, although only Lambiebird is still competing (and Star but she's moving today to Portland. Good luck, Star!).

That was Friday.

Saturday started with an orchestra rehearsal for me for my Bach aria and recitative in our Spring Concert on the 20th. It went VERY well, thank you, but there are no photos.

Then DS's first T-ball game. He did great!!!



And his first hit:

Lots of fun but very hot.

Sunday morning, DD received her bible from church:

She is very proud to be old enough to have her own bible!

THEN, we went to the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby where DS won Most Creative Tiger Cub car for the Pikachu he and his dad made:

THEN, I took DD to Chuck E. Cheese to her friend's birthday party. By this time, I was pretty fried. I left the camera with DH so he could take pictures of DD's illegal car in the final event of the derby:

At that point, there were two spots left in my Sock Madness Division. I had only reached the stripe above the heel flap on sock 2 and was planning to make it longer than sock one anyway. I was done. I went to bed before the children. Stick a fork in me.

When we got home, we were shocked to find this scene of carnage: Luckily, it was her own toy.

I've been knitting the sock today in hope that I can finish them (including a new longer toe on sock 1) by our school Carnival fundraiser on Saturday as they are our school colors: But it will probably be too hot!

Hope you are having a great Monday!

Peace.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad...

Sock!



But now I must sleep. Knit on!

Peace.

Recovered just in time

The Madness starts again on Thursday evening. I'm all ready to go with my supplies and my plans. The socks are made with 2 strands of laceweight yarn:

This is the little kit I put together. It also includes a crochet chain in case of a provisional cast on, as you never know and I hate having to rummage around for a crochet hook when I'm in a hurry. Which I will be.

Just hoping they put out the pattern before I have to leave for rehearsal at 7:00 so I'm not too tormented while I'm singing Bach and Haydn!

In the meantime, I've been swatching some more: but I cannot get a true picture of the colors in the swatch. The reds are off and the little bits of blue and light purple are not right at all. Oh, well, it's lovely in real life (IMO). All six yarns are now done, since I decided #7 was just too red. I guess it's off to the races, though, yay! Now where is the pattern?

I actually sat down at the spinning wheel for some illegal and evil sock yarn time yesterday. In reality, I paid into the karmic bank for this so never mind. BFL from Crown Mountain Farms: This will be Navajo plied to keep the yellow and purple mostly separate and stripey. I'm spinning from the fold and taking two sections at a time from the space dyed top. I really love spinning from the fold, it flows very easily with BFL fiber.

In other non fibery news (is there any?), DD got a perfect grade on her presentation about Amelia Earhart but I didn't get a picture in her full regalia yet. Go, DD!!!

And DS is about to have his first t-ball game on Saturday. He also started riding his bike on his own this week and the video will come, I promise. It's in there! Go, DS!!! Now when gas goes over $4, we can ride to school together!!

DH is working hard on the script for our western and it's going great. Very gory! I'm so glad he's focusing on something creative!

Might not post again before Round 3 is over, too crazy making. If you're in it, you know what I mean. Bad enough I have to keep reading what's going on over at Ravelry.

Peace.

A Goal Achieved!

I made it to Round 3!! Not without difficulty, but I made it.



Pattern: Reversai, Sock Madness II, Round 2
Yarn: My handspun from Crown Mountain Farms superwash merino
Colorway: Magic Carpet Ride
Weight: Light fingering
Needles: US1

Started 8:30 a.m. Monday March 31, finished 11:55 p.m. Wednesday, April 2.

Whew!

I certainly wouldn't have said I could knit a whole pair on 72 stitches in three days, but there you go. However, I will NEVER knit a garter stich sole again by choice. Purling that much on double points is not my cup of tea.

I don't think I'll be so anxious for the start of Round 3, though. I could use a break and they won't be as long now that the number of finishers is smaller. I just hope this time they really give us the start day. Releasing the pattern a day earlier than expected threw me off my schedule and got me in a little trouble.

It was really nice to be knitting in my handspun. I'm going to try to continue using my own (and Loribird's!) yarns till I get eliminated. Of course, that's probably only one more pair.

Hope all is well with everyone out there!

Peace.